1967 GTO project thread

[MTZ28]

Love your car. My Dad bought a 67 brand new back in the day. I've been looking for it for the last two years and I'm beginning to lose hope. Did manage to find the original engine and back seat. Anyways, really like your car.

[ekmxryda]

Nick I have been enjoying your updates and results from all the events you have driven to.
Looking forward to your upgrades. Are you looking into aluminum heads too? Like you said there are so many options for Pontiac engines now.
http://www.krepower.com/Pontiac%20Al...er%20Heads.htm

[Nicks67GTO]

Love your car. My Dad bought a 67 brand new back in the day. I've been looking for it for the last two years and I'm beginning to lose hope. Did manage to find the original engine and back seat. Anyways, really like your car.

Thanks! Have you tried searching on Performance Years? Do you have a VIN?

[Nicks67GTO]

Nick I have been enjoying your updates and results from all the events you have driven to.
Looking forward to your upgrades. Are you looking into aluminum heads too? Like you said there are so many options for Pontiac engines now.
http://www.krepower.com/Pontiac%20Al...er%20Heads.htm

Hey Eric. I'm looking at doing a 440" 400 block + 4" stroke, ported aluminum head, hydraulic roller combo. I thought about doing an aftermarket aluminum block but Im just flat not going to spend the huge money on it to save 90lbs on the nose. I'm just hoping my old worn out 455 hangs on for one more season so I can finish the rest of the car and start the engine build this next winter.

I'm glad someone likes the race updates. Im signed up for the ride tech week (splitting time in a friends car) and Midwest Musclecar Challenge with mine. That will be my first road course. I'm also planning to do Des Moines Goodguys, St Paul streetmachine nationals again and the hill climb I did last year.

Your car is coming along great. I like to check in every now and again on it!

[Nicks67GTO]

And the winter mods begin!

[andrewb70]

What are the plans?

Andrew

[Nicks67GTO]

What are the plans?

Andrew

-Fays2 Watts link to calm down the back end of the car a bit

-American Autowire rewire update kit

-Tanks Inc EFI tank/walbro electric pump

-New fuel line as the old Aeroquip socketless stuff is splitting. Anyone who runs this stuff better be replacing it every 5 years or so. I had it split on me in traffic on the way to work last summer.

-UMI rear shock tower brace

-FiTech EFI

-Possibly an oil filter relocation and an accusump

-Probably different tires come mid spring. I cut my front up pretty good this year in some weird situations and the rears are too tall for the auto X stuff. Live and learn I guess. I'm having a heck of a time trying to find a 245/40/18 and 275/40/18 in a good modern 200TW tire though. I have my choice of the new Nitto555 G2's, Nitto NT05's, or Bridgestone Potenza RE-11's. I really wish those Re71's or Falken 615s were made in a 275/40/18 but right now they're not.

Iv'e got my plate pretty full

[andrewb70]

That's a big list. Looking forward to progress!

Andrew

[SSLance]

Iv'e got my plate pretty full

That's putting it mildly!! Good luck on the projects!

I'll be following along.

[Gil]

Awesome !
Would be my dream to EFI the 455...
Will follow closely your progress !
Gil

[Nicks67GTO]

Here is my windshield list. Ill be lucky to get this all done by the end of April. Im doing Midwest Musclecar Challenge in May so Iv'e got to get it all done and tested by then...



First order of business was mocking everything up, making some changes on the rear axle housing to accommodate the watts link, test fitting the new Tanks inc gas tank and getting the watts frame and rear axle to powdercoat.



Then we moved onto the UMI rear shock tower brace. This is a great idea and I can see where it would add strength. The problem is I couldn't get my hands up underneath in between the frame and the trunk floor to get these in place. I fought like hell and made it happen just to get witness marks, removed everything and welded nuts on the back side of the brace. The holes are slotted on one side to allow for frame differences. I think UMI could improve this product with a cage type of nut on the backs of the part allowing for movement and frame differences. This would be a major improvement and well worth the cost instead of fighting it.

Once stuff gets back from powdercoat things will move along quicker...

[rohrt]

That tower brace is pretty cool.

[lucky13firebird]

Wow, i gotta get me one of them shock tower braces... and some of the other UMI stuff. Looking forward to seeing yah in des moines again if i make it out there... this time possibly with my 67 tempest.

[minendrews68]

Thanks! Have you tried searching on Performance Years? Do you have a VIN?

I had a 2001 Silverado once and was wanting to buy it back from whomever for my son. I did a ****** on it and found out that 2 weeks after I traded it in on my present truck the guy that bought it totaled it. The remains were in a salvage yard in Kentucky!..

Nick is right, if you've got the vin you can do a trace on it and probably find it. Good luck.

[Nicks67GTO]

I got some more goodies in the mail recently. I also got my stuff back from powder coating. Iv'e started the reassembly and install on most of this but there's a lot of little details that prevent fast movement. Some of those details are mechanical. Most of those details are my 2 young kids and having that pesky job. If it wasn't for being a responsible dad/adult....I would have the car done by now!

I got my FiTech EFI in the mail. It will be fed with a Tanks inc EFI tank and 400LPH walbro pump assembly. I'm pretty certain ill be building a 400 based 434 this fall so ill need something good to feed it. That's why I went with the 400lph pump. I was advised from a friend who has two tanks inc setups to dump the tanks inc gaskets and make my own out of cork and seal it with aviation sealer so I did exactly that.

I also got my watts link parts and my 9" back from powdercoat. I ended up welding a bolt on top of the housing for a brake line mount, adding Currie Johnny Joints to the upper A arm ears on the housing, moving the brake line mounts, and relocating the vent because the stock vent location was interfering with the watts link mounts. Hoping to get the rest of the back end put together tomorrow!

[Motown 454]

The parts look great, you have some nice stuff there.

[keepat]

Very cool, love the windshield work list!
Pat

[Rucumn]

Are you able to use the stock gas tank with the Watts set up? I have seen those conversions on chevelles and they usually need to change to a Nova gas tank or custom order a tank to fit?

[Nicks67GTO]

Are you able to use the stock gas tank with the Watts set up? I have seen those conversions on chevelles and they usually need to change to a Nova gas tank or custom order a tank to fit?

When I finished the install I was planning to mention this specifically. Typically with the 64-67 A body cars i'm told a 69 Nova tank is whats used. I bought one from Tanks inc ahead of time because of this. I test fit my watts link. Checked clearance with my stock gas tank and it was just fine, so I ended up sending the 69 Nova tank back for the proper 67 GTO tank.

My guess is with a 64-67 Chevelle you would still have to use the shorter 69 Nova tank. I'm also guessing for every GTO that's ever had a watts link, there,s probably 50 chevelles so I could see where the generalization would happen. I'm guessing just from visuals that the 67 GTO has a longer trunk space than the Chevelle and therefore allowed the factory to mount the gas tank farther back, nullifying the need to use the different tank with the watts link. I am in no way saying this will work on other cars but if you're planning to use a watts on a Buick Olds or Pontiac I would check before you buy.

[ekmxryda]

Nice work Nick.
Just a thought when I looked at new vent location. Hope you run the vent line up high and secure it near top shock mount. Wouldn't want you to loose oil during hard cornering when the oil fills axle tube on that side.