1967 GTO project thread

[Nicks67GTO]

Allright so a lot has happened the last few weeks.....

Well i drove her over to the garage and we....

Puller her in...



Me and my Dad got a cherry picker from a buddy and a couple lift straps and got it all stripped down and the old frame out...that's my dad. Hes a cool cat...and 67 years old rolling around on the ground helping out. No excuses gentlemen.







And the new frame went under....





Set it down on the new ABC anodized aluminum bushings/SC&C isolator gaskets...during this process I found out Pontiac has two firewall bushings per side as opposed to Buick, Chevy and Olds that only use one.





I decided instead of using all my old junk I called up Summit and ordered up a Proforged front end kit....very nice stuff and well packaged.



Then I got to the SPC upper A arms, SPC lower A-Arms, SPC coil springs, Howe tall ball joints and Hellwig sway bars. This will compliment my Currectrac RCA's and rear chassis mounted Hellwig sway bar to round out the SC&C chassis. Currently there are Bilstiens in between the A arms but a call to ridetech got me a set of smooth body HQ's coming my way very shortly.





Im going to be reusing my 11" discs and 15" wheels for the time being. Maybe a month or two. Then its wheel/brake time. For now ill continue plugging away and putting it back together. Though ive gotten more done, this is how she sits right now. Ill update again soon....

[howehot]

I thinking you should be ready for autox at Hawkeye next month at this rate. Looking good.

[captainofiron]

so awesome. Hands down my favorite GTO year. Everytime I have had a chance to get one, they have slipped through my fingers

[Roger Poirier]

Glad to see the progress. You sure your old man isn't 57 years old. Looks young.

[Nicks67GTO]

I thinking you should be ready for autox at Hawkeye next month at this rate. Looking good.

That might be a real possibility! Shoot me a PM with some details if you get a minute.

[Nicks67GTO]

Glad to see the progress. You sure your old man isn't 57 years old. Looks young.

Yeah hes 67. Kind of crazy for me to think about. Hes kind of blessed with good genetics and he had a physical job for 45 years. Im sure that helped out.

[67goatman455]

holy crap. wasn't expecting this

[BigJoe29]

great job man, love to see other builds that guys just keep plugging away at, makes me feel better about mine. Awesome looking car and great choice of parts.

[Nicks67GTO]

Heyohhhhh...look what was on my doorstep when I got home from work this morning!!!

New ridetech smoothbody HQ shocks with 24 adjustable rebound settings. Bret Volkel made me a deal here a week or so ago when I was asking for feedback on them in the suspension section. Here is what he said....

How about you try them and write a review? If you don't like them, put that in the review and send them back for a full refund. When you call the shop, ask for Darren. I'll share this offer with him.

I'd say one of the reasons you've not seen any feedback yet is because the harsh weather all over the country has kept everyone's cars inside. The HQ smoothbody was not released until later last year...sale took off during this winter, but many of these cars possibly have not hit the road yet this spring.

Bret Voelkel
President
RideTech
air ride Technologies, Inc.

How can I pass that up? I basically get to try them out risk free as long as I review them on here and ill stick to my end of the deal. It made my decision easy. It was between Varishocks and Ridetech HQ's. If I run these and hate them, I can send them back for a full refund. From the Ridetech love I see around here though, i'm guessing I probably wont be sending them back. SWEET! Thanks for the offer Bret!

[Nicks67GTO]

great job man, love to see other builds that guys just keep plugging away at, makes me feel better about mine. Awesome looking car and great choice of parts.

Yeah. I don't have time to do anything crazy right now. I'm 31, with a wife, kid, and a job that requires a lot of time on an off shift. I do what I can when I can and just enjoy my hotrod as a driver. Some of the 1 year basketcase builds I see on here are nuts. The boys must spend every single minute they have free in the garage....i have to say i'm a bit jealous and more power to them. The truth is I probably have another 2-4 years left on this car with my limited time allowance. One big improvement at a time!

[Nicks67GTO]

Well I installed the HQ's the other day. I talked to ridetech and they were pretty stern that I should be mounting these through the lower A arm hole and not on top of the spacers. It could have messed with available wheel travel. I had to get the die grinder and carbide bur out and do just a hair of clean up on the SPC lower A arm and spacers. Maybe a minutes total grinding on each lower arm. The HQ's just wouldn't fit through. I probably took out less than .080 total between both sides on each arm. I really just cleaned it up and they slid right in from the bottom. Mounted up with grade 8 hardware and that was it!

After a bunch of reassembly I took the GTO out on the first shakedown drive. I haven't even gotten an alignment yet. I just used a level and made the front wheels level and pointing straight. I probably logged 15 miles. My first impression....this thing handles awesome and was/is worth every penny iv'e stuck in it and every hour put tward it. Here is me initial reaction to the short drive I took it on today...


-I can now make a full left turn where I couldn't before with my old jacked up frame.

-I have no ackerman shudder on sharp turns where I had it pretty bad with my other frame

-It feels like its glued to the road and I don't even have an alignment in it yet let alone good wheels and tires. Against my better judgement, I took some pretty hard corners and a long sweeping left hand run down an interstate, it never felt out of control and it felt like it had a lot more in it if the tires would hold.

-The ridetech HQ shocks/SPC springs must really like each other. I have the 24 position shocks at 12 clicks in the front and 8 in the rear. The ride quality was super smooth and much better than the Bilstiens/stock springs I had before. I think I can make it better with some tuning after my alignment.

-The ABC aluminum body mounts/SC&C isolaters were not noticeable at all. I heard no squeaking, the ride quality was great. In fact much smoother and quieter than the stock springs/bilstiens/rubber bushings.

My only issue right now is ride height and this is where coilovers would shine. I'm off from side to side by about 1/2" in front and 1/2"-3/4" in the rear. Iv'e swapped rear springs around and that did nothing so it cant be a rear coil spring mismatch. I looked at the front springs and they are now sitting in their pockets in the frame correctly. I loosened everything up, removed swayabars and shocks and cycled the suspension. There is not a bind anywhere. Its smooth as glass and well lubed. The suspension is just off. If I get a 1/2" spacer in the rear for the driver side rear, I think it will clear most of the problem up. If i'm within a 1/4" side to side i'm calling that a victory for a 45 year old car.

Any other suggestions on where to look on my suspension for ride height discrepancies? I did find that the driver rear spring is compressed a half inch farther than the passenger side but i swapped springs around and that did nothing.

all suggestions are welcome.

A couple of shots...

Out with the new...in with the really new??









All back together where we started!! It was a huge undertaking and im still working out the ride height difference side to side but its good to have it in one piece!

[FlyDoc]

Allright so a lot has happened the last few weeks.....

Well i drove her over to the garage and we....

Puller her in...



Me and my Dad got a cherry picker from a buddy and a couple lift straps and got it all stripped down and the old frame out...that's my dad. Hes a cool cat...and 67 years old rolling around on the ground helping out. No excuses gentlemen.

I just don't think the kids of today know how hard their Grandads worked when they were young!
with me being in the army, I did not have the chance to really work my boys hard! like, no shoveling snow off a triple wide driveway that is 40' long.
this is my Dad at 69 stage 3 cancer polishing stainless steel for the '64, he passed away the day this was taken.

[howehot]

Nice grab on the shocks, you won't be disappointed. Hope you get out to the casino for the show in May. I'll have the Monte out there sporting the new look.

[rohrt]

Well I installed the HQ's the other day. I talked to ridetech and they were pretty stern that I should be mounting these through the lower A arm hole and not on top of the spacers. It could have messed with available wheel travel. I had to get the die grinder and carbide bur out and do just a hair of clean up on the SPC lower A arm and spacers. Maybe a minutes total grinding on each lower arm. The HQ's just wouldn't fit through. I probably took out less than .080 total between both sides on each arm. I really just cleaned it up and they slid right in from the bottom. Mounted up with grade 8 hardware and that was it!

After a bunch of reassembly I took the GTO out on the first shakedown drive. I haven't even gotten an alignment yet. I just used a level and made the front wheels level and pointing straight. I probably logged 15 miles. My first impression....this thing handles awesome and was/is worth every penny iv'e stuck in it and every hour put tward it. Here is me initial reaction to the short drive I took it on today...


-I can now make a full left turn where I couldn't before with my old jacked up frame.

-I have no ackerman shudder on sharp turns where I had it pretty bad with my other frame

-It feels like its glued to the road and I don't even have an alignment in it yet let alone good wheels and tires. Against my better judgement, I took some pretty hard corners and a long sweeping left hand run down an interstate, it never felt out of control and it felt like it had a lot more in it if the tires would hold.

-The ridetech HQ shocks/SPC springs must really like each other. I have the 24 position shocks at 12 clicks in the front and 8 in the rear. The ride quality was super smooth and much better than the Bilstiens/stock springs I had before. I think I can make it better with some tuning after my alignment.

-The ABC aluminum body mounts/SC&C isolaters were not noticeable at all. I heard no squeaking, the ride quality was great. In fact much smoother and quieter than the stock springs/bilstiens/rubber bushings.

My only issue right now is ride height and this is where coilovers would shine. I'm off from side to side by about 1/2" in front and 1/2"-3/4" in the rear. Iv'e swapped rear springs around and that did nothing so it cant be a rear coil spring mismatch. I looked at the front springs and they are now sitting in their pockets in the frame correctly. I loosened everything up, removed swayabars and shocks and cycled the suspension. There is not a bind anywhere. Its smooth as glass and well lubed. The suspension is just off. If I get a 1/2" spacer in the rear for the driver side rear, I think it will clear most of the problem up. If i'm within a 1/4" side to side i'm calling that a victory for a 45 year old car.

Any other suggestions on where to look on my suspension for ride height discrepancies? I did find that the driver rear spring is compressed a half inch farther than the passenger side but i swapped springs around and that did nothing.

all suggestions are welcome.

A couple of shots...

Out with the new...in with the really new??


All back together where we started!! It was a huge undertaking and im still working out the ride height difference side to side but its good to have it in one piece!

__________________
1967 GTO. Put the O.E. in the shed. Added a Moser 9", 455ci, Richmond 5 speed, 4 wheel power discs, a RobbMc 1100 fuel system and Legendary interior. Working on the SC&C stage 2+ chassis. Big brakes and 18's are around the corner...

Nick great write up and review.

Did you drive the car with the Bilstien shocks and the new suspension hardware first before driving with the HQ's?

You said the ride was not harsh. I assume the potholed roads are the same in Waterloo as in CR. Any further comments on the ride quality over our crappy roads?

How much drop did the SPC springs give you? I think they are rated at 1.5 drop correct? A bit hard to judge the ride height at that angle.

Nice to hear the solid body mounts are working for you. That always seem to be point of varying opinions.

What size sway bars were used front and back? Was the back sway bar the one that SC&C sells, that is adjustable?

[rickpaw]

I just switched from KYB to ridetech shocks on my Firebird, and it made a huge difference in ride quality. I have the adjustments set at the middle (HQ shocks). Worth every penny.

[Nicks67GTO]

I just don't think the kids of today know how hard their Grandads worked when they were young!
with me being in the army, I did not have the chance to really work my boys hard! like, no shoveling snow off a triple wide driveway that is 40' long.
this is my Dad at 69 stage 3 cancer polishing stainless steel for the '64, he passed away the day this was taken.

I'm sorry to hear about your father. Its pretty cool he was getting to do something constructive and something he enjoyed the day he passed.

[Nicks67GTO]

Nice grab on the shocks, you won't be disappointed. Hope you get out to the casino for the show in May. I'll have the Monte out there sporting the new look.

Did you guys give her a new paint job over the winter? Ill probably be out there. Hopefully I can get my new brakes wheels and tires ordered and on by then. New look for me too!

[Nicks67GTO]

Nick great write up and review.

Did you drive the car with the Bilstien shocks and the new suspension hardware first before driving with the HQ's?

You said the ride was not harsh. I assume the potholed roads are the same in Waterloo as in CR. Any further comments on the ride quality over our crappy roads?

How much drop did the SPC springs give you? I think they are rated at 1.5 drop correct? A bit hard to judge the ride height at that angle.

Nice to hear the solid body mounts are working for you. That always seem to be point of varying opinions.

What size sway bars were used front and back? Was the back sway bar the one that SC&C sells, that is adjustable?

Did you drive the car with the Bilstien shocks and the new suspension hardware first before driving with the HQ's?

No unfortunately I did not. I should have though. Again the ride quality is much better though and I havent even messed with the shock settings. Im at 12 in the front and 8 in the back.

You said the ride was not harsh. I assume the potholed roads are the same in Waterloo as in CR. Any further comments on the ride quality over our crappy roads?

Pot holes are terrible and ride quality in a Caddy up here sucks. Ride quality is a relative term given the roads are just horrible. I can say with certianty, on a smooth open surface its awesome. On potholed roads its pretty decent though it is a 45 year old car. Ill be messing with settings and logging ride quality from now until I swap to my 18's later on this spring and keeping track of what I think and write it all up later on.

How much drop did the SPC springs give you? I think they are rated at 1.5 drop correct? A bit hard to judge the ride height at that angle.

More than I thought they would. They are lower than my stock springs with 1.5 coils cut out and I have the maximum amount of spacers in there. This is a common wish I think that the springs were an inch or two taller. If I took all the spacers out my headers would be on the floor.

Nice to hear the solid body mounts are working for you. That always seem to be point of varying opinions.

Again it was just my first impression but they seem to be a non factor and supposedly a huge difference maker for handling quality. It could be the little Savitske isolaters killing any NVH coupled with ridetech shocks and SPC springs allowing for the smoother ride? The way I see it is that its kind of like welding the body to the frame and making it a solid piece allowing the shock and spring to completely dictate ride quality? Its basically like driving a unibody car? I dont know . Its just a thought. I'm going to pay close attention though and write something up about them later on this summer after I log some miles.

What size sway bars were used front and back? Was the back sway bar the one that SC&C sells, that is adjustable?

I think the front is 1-1/4" and the rear is 1"?? I cant remember exactly but they are the bars SC&C sells. The rear bar is adjustable. It has 3 settings. I'm going to mess with them too eventually. The loosest one/ farthest out is street. Ive only used this one so far and the tightest is for autox/roadrace I believe. Its a very nice bar and they made a huge difference last summer even with the stock springs and A arms still in the car.

[lucky13firebird]

Love it, my favorite year for most cars... I wish my tempest was this clean...

[Nicks67GTO]

Well I got my ride height pretty close. At this point im about 1/4" from side to side and it changes depending on how level the concrete is and how the car stopped. If I stop the car and measure it, then wiggle the car side to side the ride height might change by 1/2" depending on how it settles. Anyhow I had to make a plate out of steel to match the SC&C spacers I got with my A arms to make it happen but in the end its ok and I think i'm done messing with it. Here are the spacers you get with the SC&C spec'd lower A arms. The one I made out of 1/4" plate with a sawzall, hole saw, drill bits and a dremel tool/carbide bit is pretty obvious....





I also go my alignment all setup in the car. It took the guy about 2 hours to get it right and he used to set up Indy cars from my understanding. He took it out and drove it made some changes a few times and the job totalled about 2 hours. I'm glad i didn't try to do it....

Here are the final specs....They are spot on to what SC&C recommend. SC&C gave 3 specs. Street. Street/track. Track. After talking to Marc I went with the Street/Track setting. I am VERY happy with the end result here. It was a ton of research, work and money but the car handles like a champ even with the 15" wheels and 60 series tires on it and rides smooooooth. Iv'e heard the 18's and modern tires make a massive difference as well. I'm pretty excited for that to happen later on.