PT GTO Judge

[Geeto67]

Hey Brad,



Welcome to the board, It's good to see another New Yorker here. I am also doing a GTO project and there are a quite a number of us NYers around so don't be afraid to ask for help, as long as you are buying the beer I'll be around to spin the wrenches. Sounds like a solid plan.

I like your wheel and tire combo idea, I too was goign to do the coker redline radials on a set of intro vista wheels (look like the old 1960's hurst wheels in modern sizes). I am waiting to finish the bodywork to order the rims.

As for the tranny, try to trackdown staged67gspwr, George a fellow new yorker, who has done a 5 speed in a 1967 buick gs. There is a thread over in the street drivetrain section of the performance years website where a guy was talking about the TKO 5 speed in a 72 lemans and that he did have to cut the floor board. From my understanding a t56 doesn't need floor board mods (neither does the keisler, i think) but will require a custom bellhousing (like that new modular one that I forget who makes now).

as for your engine if you are talking about stroking the original 400, don't do it: the 400s are smalll journal go with a 455 as a starting point, it's a better bottom end and much easier to get big numbers out of than a 400 without sacrificing reliability. making 500 hp out of a 455 can be done with bolt on parts, no heavy stroking so what you put into the block you can save on custom cranks and custom machine work. The down side is that 455s are a little more pricey, if you absolutley must use a 400 get another block, I don't disagree with protouring a nice original car, but hacking apart a 51,000mi RAIII judge block is over the line, espically when 400 blocks can be gotten cheap. For a radiator go with a rodney red.

Have you though about replacing your lower control arms as well? even the boxed stockers suck. I was thinking about using metco's aluminum lower control arms becasue super light and are solidly built. You might want to check them out (or edlebrocks also).

As for the AC, vintage air makes a really good system, I have never installed one but I have friends with them and they like it. If you want to go the sleeper route see about using a stock compressor with their setup.

For your rear end, a lof of guys prefer the 12 both for it's strength, but if you are going to replace you might as well go for a 9 inch ford. In the end it will run you about the same money and will be stronger. AS far as the 10 bolt, if you replace the axles and use a corporate 10 bolt (with the bolt on axle retainers instead of c-clips) with a good ring, pinion and posi setup (I hear auburns new road race unit is really nice) it will handle a lot of abuse. If you are lookign to make closer to 600 hp than 500 hp then go with the 9".

Good luck to you, and if you need an help don;t hesitate to call on us.