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#1
05-02-2003, 08:44 PM
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GTO Restoration
I was hoping to wait for a GTO forum for this, but I've waited enough:
For those of you who don't remember, I am the owner of a 1966 GTO which is in pretty poor condition. I got the car last August, and just recently began the restoration. I asked and a few people said they would like me to document the restoration. I will post pics on the link in my signature. Right now, I only have pics of the car in it's originally purchased condition. Since then, my father and I removed much of the front end (bumper, grilles, radiator, etc.). I will share some info for everyone so you know what I am starting with. It is a 1966 Tempest which is actually a GTO clone. There are some weird things done to the car to make it look like a GTO. It has a 421 c.i. engine with a Holly 4-barrel carburator. It has a almost original black interior. The bluish exterior doesn't really matter... The whole dash is a mess, and the drivers seat is from 1967. Much of the interior is salvagable, but most must be replaced. There is, of course, some extrior rust, but nothing that can't be fixed. I will later explain with pictures and captions on that link in my sig. That will be much easier than all this rambling. Feel free to ask questions or make comments. I will let you know when the site is updated in this thread and will answer any questions. |
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#2
05-04-2003, 11:41 AM
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Are you restoring this back to a Tempest or actually trying to make it a GTO? or like me just building a rod?
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#4
05-04-2003, 03:52 PM
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I am restoring it to GTO form. However, I am leaving the 421 engine in it rather than a stock 389. We are going to start taking the parts to a sandblaster to get rid of the paint and rust. I will keep you guys updated and keep checking my site. I added 22 pictures of the car in its original condition on the site in my sig. I am goig to the garage in a little to take pictures of the car now and all the removed parts.
Last edited by SuPeRcAr_MaN; 05-04-2003 at 04:31 PM. |
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#5
05-09-2003, 11:20 PM
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I posted a bunch of pics of the car as it is now. The front end is completely removed. Tomorrow we are taking many of the front end pieces to a sandblaster. We will probably also remove the rear bumper and tail lights, the deck lid, the interior, and the front windshield over the weekend. We removed the rear windshield since I took those pics. I will keep you updated and feel free to ask any questions. Make sure you zoom in on the pics and read the captions. The link is in my sig in case you forgot...
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#6
05-10-2003, 10:10 AM
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Do yourself a favor and put a new blower motor for the heater in while you've got that front clip off.
 I've been trying to find my cheapie digicam so I can get some pics posted of mine thats roughly in the same stage. Although i did hang the fenders on it so I could run it around the block the other weekend.
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#8
05-12-2003, 04:56 PM
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Never filled the tank yet... When I bought it, I drove a little on the gas that was left in it, then it sat in the garage until we started working on it... I am thinking Premium...
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#10
05-15-2003, 10:08 PM
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Quote:
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#12
05-16-2003, 10:38 PM
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Quote:
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#14
05-22-2003, 02:31 PM
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Hey there, Not that I think you should leave this site, but I'd seriously check out www.performanceyears.com. You'll get all the info you'll need for restoring your Poncho there.
Quick point... a resto to original would make it a Tempest... GTO was a considered separate model from '66 on. Not sure if the Tempest came with a 389... Real GTOs certainly did and came with the famous Tri-power carb set up. The Tri-power carbs can be a trick to get all working just right unless you start with properly rebuilt parts. The 421 mill will be significant to say the least, but, if you aren't interested in going totally original, consider using either the 389 or get a 400 and go with a RamAir package... That's a solid set up. It can also be worth your while to find a GTO club in your neck of the woods. I've received tons of advice and super help from the club up here! Good luck! p.s. just took a look at your pictures... are you sure that's not a 400cid block? Check with some of the resto books for the code locations. Also, there's a single master cylinder... do yourself a favour and either; get a correct Dual Master cylinder and/or upgrade with a power booster... or... do a conversion to disc brakes on the front. These cars are hard enough to stop as it is. While you have things apart you may want to get the tranny checked out, and if you have any problems with the heater core now the time to replace is while the engine is out... it's pretty much impossible to change otherwise.
__________________
Slow... '02 Jeep Liberty (early model - full height) Fast... '67 Pontiac GTO Convertible |
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#15
05-24-2003, 12:08 PM
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Thanks for the tips gtojack. We did research on the engine numbers, and it is a 421 c.i. engine. The stock GTOs, like you said, would have had a 389 with tri-power as an option. I am restoring it to GTO form becaue like you said, full restoration would turn it into a Tempest, not that there was much difference between the two. I am keeping the 421 engine. I consider myself lucky to find a car with such a big block. I am going to look for a GTO club around here, but I don't think that will be easy. I appreciate your interest, and you can see pictures on the site in my signature below...
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