[tempest1964]

Wonderful story OG68! Thanks for sharing. Beautiful car. Congrats!

[Shiny]

Congratulations on reaching this milestone! I hope you share some videos when you start driving it.

The time and detailed effort you put into it was clearly a labor of love. What a great story. Thanks for sharing your inspiring work on PY. The finished car is gorgeous in and out.

[OG68]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Really wild and unique to have a GTO your Mom bought new when you were 16 .
Extra Cool
Looks really sharp and great results making it like new again.

Mom and dad both loved fast cars, particularly, fast red cars.
Actually, dad bought the GTO without asking mom which was the normal thing for him.
Dad would buy a new car as soon as he finished the payments on the old one. Sometimes, before he finished.
The previous family car was a 64 Fairlane 500 with a 289 HiPo. 4 Spd, bench seat. All 5 kids could fit for family trips but it was tight as we grew older. Mom loved the Fairlane especially that it had been paid off for over a year.

Since he worked out of town dad bought and hid the GTO for a month at his work location. The dealer was getting anxious for the traded in Fairlane so dad had to face the music with mom.
And she was upset to put it mildly. She hated the enduro bumper, hated the bucket seats ("where are your kids going to sit on trips?") and hated the fact that they had car payments again. And dad, in an effort to make mom happy said. It's your car to drive. And drive it she did. I inherited mom's '60 Ranch Wagon for school and she drove the GTO everyday to work. On occasion she let me drive it to school, on dates etc.

To make a long story a bit shorter, Mom grew to love the car.

Fast forward to 1981. Dad called me up one day and asked if I wanted the GTO. Well, YES I would! Packed up the wife and kids, caught the train heading north and a day later I was at home to pick it up.
Mom asked "Why are you here?"
uh-oh...

Dad was into German cars by then. Bought mom a bright Red Scirocco S to make up for the GTO. Mom liked it, but it wasn't a GTO.
I drove the car for 10-11 years commuting a 100 miles a day until a rod knock made me park it. I sold it to a family member in 1999 who stripped it down to the shell and then lost interest. It remained parked until I retired and had the funds to buy it back and restore it.
Mom is now 94, still sharp and drives regularly up to 250 miles away from home. And you won't find her in the slow lane. The hot rodder spirit still burns within. She wanted to buy a New Hemi Charger a few years ago but my sister talked her out of it.

She anxious to go for a ride in HER GTO.



1968/69




Early 70s



Late 70s




Early 80s




2019