New Pro-Touring (sort of) GTO

[gearbanger]

Well after much deliberation and fussing over styles and backspacing and all, I finally got the new tires and wheels on the Goat. They are Intro Vistas, 17x8 with 245/45s and 18x9.5 with 295/45s. The front has 5" BS and the back has 5.5" In the back I have good clearance on the inside. Probably could have went another 1/4" on the backspacing. One the outside, I am going to have to remove that hump that is above the wheelwell lip. No biggy. The front seems to be perfect, I haven't gotten to drive it yet, and the whole car neds to come down a little more. The front is going to come down about 2-3" and the back about 1/2-1"

I am pretty stoked about getting it out on the interstate and running it out. I have a 550+ HP 461 and a TKO 600. Before the tires, I ran it up to 120 a few times, and it wasn't even breathing hard. It should run 150 pretty easy I would think. Not the most aerodynamic body style GM ever made though.

[rob07002]

Looks great! I'll always have a soft spot for Goats... I hope you have the brakes to slow that beast? Not a liteweight at all... Keep us posted.

[gearbanger]

It has a tall spindle conversion on the front. 12" power discs. It will stop very good. It still has the drums on the back, but the brakes are at least as good as my 02 Trailblazer or my 02 shortbed 2wd pickup. I might put rear discs on sometime for looks but the brakes are great already.

You would think the car is heavy, but it will surprise you. I has aluminum heads and no air or spare tires and jacks and all that, I weighed it before the aluminum heads and it weighed 3360, with 1940 on the front end. Since then I moved the battery to the trunk and put on aluminum heads. So I figure the front weight went down 100-110 lbs and back weight went up 45. That is about a 55-45 ratio front to rear and a 3300 weight. Not bad for an all steel A-body.

[flynbyu82]

Is that a '66?

Its absolutly gorgeous :hail: :cheers:

[gearbanger]

Thanks for the comments! It is a 67.

[Northern Goat]

Sweet 67. Love the wheels. Nice to see another GTO getting "modernized". FWIW, The original stance of our cars is the same and I have lowered my 65 2" front and 1.5" rear.

[ALLFAITH]

Beautiful car, on my sold 65 I went with QA-1 coilovers and Global west up front to lower and airbags in rear. If you need pics let me know,


Brad

[GTOConno]

Beautiful car!! Very inspirational for me as I have a long way to go with my 67. Love the wheels.
Good luck with it.

Conno

[Roger Poirier]

the whole car needs to come down a little more. The front is going to come down about 2-3" and the back about 1/2-1"


Very nice car. Looooooking good.

Are you running headers? What type of front suspension? Stock? If so do you plan on changing in the near future? Tire size? Wheel size.
I spent a lot of time on R&D on my own GTO. I lowered it 3" all the way around. I maybe able to help with more info.

You can go maybe 2" more however, 3" inches and you will have other issues to deal with.

R.P.

[gearbanger]

It has B-body spindles and new stock springs now. Global West uppers and 1-1/4" sway bar. I am going to put 550-650lb springs in the front with the hidden adjusters so I can get it as low as possible and still have minimal clearance problems. I am thinking 2" will do.

Tires are 245/45/17, wheels are 17x8 5" BS.

Thanks for all the compliments! The paint is actually 15 years old. The pictures really make it look good. It is actually more of a fifty footer. I am about to get the drivetrain, interior and suspension the way I want it though. Once all that is done, it's coming off the frame and made perfect (or at least close)

[TUBED]

Nice A-body, thanks for the wheel and tire specs along with the back spacing on the wheels. The 295/45's look great.

Post up more pictures when you get it lowered in the front as mentioned. The information is priceless when deciding which way to go on a future A-body project.
Gerald

[Roger Poirier]

I am thinking 2" will do.

That seems about right to me also. I have done 3" front and rear. Yet the top front tires of my 69 GTO still show thru the wheel wells. It just the way Pontiacs are made.

The car will always sit a little high in the front. Simply adjust the rear with less spring changes, giving it more height in the back which you are already doing.

I posted a pic of how my car sits for reference.

R.P.

[Northern Goat]

Sweet ride Roger

[gearbanger]

Man, that is bad!

What drop did you use in the front? What size are your wheels and tires?

[Roger Poirier]

I used B-Spindles with 3" lowering springs. To make proper ground clearance I had to have custom headers made. Stay with 2" and save your self a ton of money in custom headers.


Front: 235-40-18
Rear: 275-35-20

R.P.

[gearbanger]

Dude those are some crazy headers. I am supposed to be receiving some of the new tri-y headers for Pontiac soon. Of course I was supposed to be receiving them soon a year ago so who knows.

Where did you get your springs?

[tripower]

Nice Goat! I like the Vistas as they remind me of the old Hurst wheels.

[Hammered]

I love those wheels. I'm thinking of going with those on my '67 bird. I may do the fat lips and satin inlays. Make sure to post more pictures!

John

[gearbanger]

Your's too Tripower. I am so glad I found this forum. I was beginning to think there was a law that you couldn't modify a Pontiac. There are no modified GTO's in my area. I am lucky to see 6 GTO's at our local shows, and they will all be stock or just a little rednecked out.

Hopefully I can turn some heads this summer. Anyone watch Horsepower TV this weekend? They did a spot on our big local show, the Somernites Cruise. They do it the 4th Saturday of each month, April thru October. It is a huge cruise in. Usually 1000-2000 cars. Check out www.somernitescruise.com (http://www.somernitescruise.com) for more info, and I hope some of you nearby come and bring you PT cars.

[Roger Poirier]

Dude those are some crazy headers. I am supposed to be receiving some of the new tri-y headers for Pontiac soon. Of course I was supposed to be receiving them soon a year ago so who knows.

Where did you get your springs?

Ordered them thru Original Parts Group in CA.

R.P.

[Roger Poirier]

Y I am so glad I found this forum. I was beginning to think there was a law that you couldn't modify a Pontiac. There are no modified GTO's in my area. I am lucky to see 6 GTO's at our local shows, and they will all be stock or just a little rednecked out.

Now I understand the redneck comments. You are in the homeland of America. I love the twisty roads.

R.P.

[gearbanger]

Yeah, you know, jacked way up in the back with a set of aluminum slots sticking about 2" out past the fenderwells and a big greasy motor with a set of rusty chrome valve covers on it, with a big yellow Supercoil on it and a big yellow set of accel wires on it. Oh and a round hole cut in the hood to clear the air cleaner because they didn't know there was such a thing as a drop base air filter. Oh yeah, and every sticker they could find stuck to the quarter windows and the rocker panels.

[gearbanger]

So your springs are the 3" drop springs for the 69 GTO front and back?

[Roger Poirier]

That is correct. You have to have proper backspacing with the wheel and tire to get the rear that low. You also have exhaust issues around the rear axle under load. Stay with 2".

I have ordered a set of 2" rear springs to get a visual between the two.

R.P.

[Northern Goat]

I totally agree with Roger. I was going to drop 3" initially, but once I considered header clearance, exhaust issues, special wheel and tire issues, speed bumps... I went with my current set up.

Not trying to dissuade you gearbanger but 3" may be difficult to live with.

[gearbanger]

Too late, I already ordered the 3" springs for the rear. I already have the backspacing and tire combination taken care of. I went off the frame and allowed myself about 1/2"-3/4" of clearance from the tire. Then the outer tub has that ridge that runs above the fenderwell lip. I sectioned that outer tub and moved it out 1". Now I can raise the rear all the way to the bumpstops and have plenty of clearance. I haven't gotten the springs in yet, but we'll see how they look when I get them. I do know that the load length needs to be 8" long. I gues I could always make a spacer to raise the rear if need be.

It sure would be nice to have a set of coil overs on the rear about now.

[gearbanger]

This is the look I am going for. He says he has 3" OPG spring on the rear and 2" OPG on the front. We'll see, but it sounds like the 3" springs are going to be shorter than what I need. But too short is not a problem, I can make a spacer. Too long is a problem because they are double pigtail so I can't shorten them.

[Northern Goat]

That Chevelle has a nice look to it. Good Luck with your project. Please keep us posted.

[Colin Frolick]

gerarbanger - you have any pictures of your outer-wheelhouse mod? I minitubbed my 65 tempest 2" on the inside but am curious to see what you;ve done. thanks

[gearbanger]

Hey Colin,

I'll post some pics soon. I just have the outer part cut out right now and the part that used to angle in toward the tire is now pointing straight up. I haven't yet started to weld the tub back in. I'll post pics of the process in a week or so.