65 GTO - new project, not sure if it fits here

[SD455]

I'm just getting started on a build of my 65 GTO. Its a car that I like to drive and enjoy daily. It really needs a full restoration, but I'm more interested in driving these days than spending my weekends polishing and detailing.

My last build was a 2nd gen Firebird, and I went the more traditional pro touring route. Big brakes, TKO 600, full cage, EFI etc. It was a lot of fun, and the car was a total blast to drive, however life changed directions for us and a fellow from Germany just had to have the car, so off it went.

This time around I'm taking a different approach and want to stick with a more vintage Trans Am feel. I have always loved the cars from the trans am era, and had an early fascination with Herb Adams grey ghost. I want to try not to gat too caught up in the build, and just keep it simple and clean without over doing it.

Something that I really want to do is stick with a 15" wheel and tire package- not as easy as you might think these days. 15" wheels means 12" brakes, and a more old school approach, and I'm finding it a little difficult to find other similar builds for inspiration.

For wheels and tires I will run 15" torq thrust, or mini lites and good year blue streak 6.00 15 and 7.00 15. Motor is a mildly built 455, trans will be an auto gear M22 4 speed. For suspension the jury is out. I just ripped all of the front suspension off and was planning to improve bushings, springs and sway bars and call it a day. I would like the improved geometry of the aftermarket a arms, but need to run a stock spindle, and don't want a blingy control arm.

I'm open to suggestions and ideas on wheel/tire fitment, brakes and suspension.

So Far , Tobin over at Kore 3 has some nice mounts that make C3 Corvette brakes work with my stock spindles so that is a good starting point.

I'm including a pic of the car as it looks today. I was happily driving it around until a few days ago when the motor thats been in there for the last 25 years finally did its last burnout and the oil pump shaft cratered.

Anyways,Im not sure that this is considered Pro touring, or if it should be in the suspension category, or on the site at all. Mods please move if need be.

[ADiCarlo]

I can totally understand this:

"This time around I'm taking a different approach and want to stick with a more vintage Trans Am feel. I have always loved the cars from the trans am era, and had an early fascination with Herb Adams grey ghost. I want to try not to gat too caught up in the build, and just keep it simple and clean without over doing it."

I love the look of the 15" torq thrust and was totally onboard with the trans am look for my camaro until I came to this site. Looks like you got your pro touring fix and are off to a new start and it's definitely a great one!

[bergers59]

where did you get the blue streaks?

[Gil]

Sounds very good to me ! 65 GTO is an awesome car & yours seems to be in very good shape.

We are a lot in here with "budget" builds with the only "PT like" approach, or the "want to be" as we are limited in $$...
Not that I think your build will be, but just to say (for me) you are in the right place !

I think we have some points in common, both Pontiac & BB 455.
As I want to drive it I try not to take it apart for months, so I buy parts when I have the $$, put on the car & drive it.

If you don't want the real PT thing, maybe Hotchkis is your route (as I am planning to go with my Bird) Big sway bars, BB 2' drop springs, shocks, L&UCAs...

I don't have Hotchkis market shares & other sponsors would be as good, but I'll go with their products as it's not the extreme PT spirit but designed and tested on the track & re engineered for the maximum performance...

http://www.hotchkis.net/search.html?Make=25&Model=1212&SubmitForm=Search

For the brakes you seems to be in good hands with Tobin@Kore3 already !

Just my 2 cents
Gil

[Nicks67GTO]

Its a project. Its surely not stock. Its going to have a handling theme. It certianly belongs here.

[lucky13firebird]

What nick said, ;-) my daily driven 461 stroker 68 bird isn't the fanciest thing and I feel free to share it. Sometimes I feel that you could do almost as much by changing spring rates and sway bar rates as you would with fancy suspension setups, there comes a point when you start getting diminishing returns for your money so it's wasted.... you should be happy with kore3, I hear nothing but good about them.

[SD455]

where did you get the blue streaks?

They came from a swap meet, take offs from a vintage racer.

[SD455]

What nick said, ;-) my daily driven 461 stroker 68 bird isn't the fanciest thing and I feel free to share it. Sometimes I feel that you could do almost as much by changing spring rates and sway bar rates as you would with fancy suspension setups, there comes a point when you start getting diminishing returns for your money so it's wasted.... you should be happy with kore3, I hear nothing but good about them.

You my friend are a Hot Rodder in the purest sense!! I had a look at your thread for a few minutes this morning and can't wait to go back and read the whole thing.

[SD455]

A little more back story on the car. I originally bought the car in 91' and at the time had very limited resources. At that point in my life I was live/eat/sleep cars….come to think of it that never really changed.

Anyways, my Friend Dave from SD Performance was really responsible for getting me into pontiacs, and helped me find the car. Long story short, by 94 I had two other GTO's and the 65 ended up being sold, but I never forgot the car and had an idea where it was. Fast forward 19 years to the day, and I bought the car back. It took a few years of hunting, but a last ditch effort of a Craigslist ad in the area where I thought the car might be turned up a lead. When I first re connected with brad, the fellow I had sold it to, he really had no interest in selling it, but we had fun chatting and remind friends for the next few years until one day he called me up and asked if I was ready to bring my car back home. We made the deal 19 years later on the exact day. I'm attaching a few pics from when I first had it in 91, and then what it look like when I first got it back, then a pic of Brad handing me back the keys almost 20 years later. He had drag raced the car the entire time he owned it and had a 6" stack of time slips to prove it. About 6 years after he got the car from me, he pulled the motor/trans/rear end and put it on the shelf and installed a 428/ TH400/ford 9". about a year before I got the car back he blew up the trans and the car had been just sitting. When we struck the deal it was made in such a way that I would get the car back almost exactly as it was, and that was how it worked out. I ended up going over for a weekend and helping him with the swap and it was a lot of fun.

I have had the car back just over a year now, and just recently blew up the motor as I indicated earlier in the thread.

[lucky13firebird]

Thanks, I keep it real like non other, or at least i try to. having a wife that loves hot rodding and kids that play in the car constantly making motor noises makes it a lot easier to do what i do.

Love the story. thats just wild, in 91 i was finishing up the process of getting on a train to moscow from ukraine and then flying to america in 93... i was 6 years old. Man oh man I love american muscle now...

[bergers59]

isnt the bottom car a tempest? or at least have a tempest grill?

[SD455]

isnt the bottom car a tempest? or at least have a tempest grill?
Both are the same care. Brad was drag racing the car and switched out the original grille for a tempest one because the are somewhat lighter. We replaced it with the original before I brought the car home.

[justinpba]

Very cool ideas. We have a similar backstory with our cars and similar goals. I'll be watching this one closely!

[SD455]

Made a little progress and got the old engine and trans pulled and sold. Also pulled the front suspension off the car, and ordered my new Autogear M22 today!

[bergers59]

i hope that wasnt the numbers matching block :crying:

[PBarkley]

Mmmmmm...Porsche...:drool:

On topic, looks like a solid starter!

[SD455]

Nope, thats long since gone!

[bergers59]

:twothumbs