69 GTO Build

[ekmxryda]

Hey Andrew, I have a goal to get it road worthy this spring.

[andrewb70]

I can't wait!

[ekmxryda]

A week late but a couple old friends came over yesterday and helped me get the fenders on.
We are not as productive as we used to be! Spent most of the day bench racing and telling old stories instead of working.

[thumper877]

Progress is progress. Looking good

[ryeguy2006a]

I really like that proportional valve wheel well cover.

[ekmxryda]

Thanks guys,
I was able to make a fiberglass dash over the holidays that I plan on getting upholstered someday, although I might test out some flocking on it and see how it looks.
http://www.flockit.com/index.php/pro...cker-kits.html

Probably the worst time of year to take on a fiberglass project, with the cold temps outside I had to keep the doors closed and suffer for a while behind a respirator.

Fiberglassed around all the hardware on the first pass to embed 1/4-20 elevator bolt studs for mounting.
After the first layer set up I was able to break it free of the car and remove the cardboard and tape forms.
Then it was re mounted and tightened down to get all the gaps figured out.
Used the bondo glass for bigger gaps and epoxy for the final smaller ones.

Lots of sanding (with the dash out of the car) and lots of fiberglass splinters! Now I need to rent an industrial leaf blower to get the garage clean again

[andrewb70]

Eric,

That dash turned out really nice!

Andrew

[ekmxryda]

Thanks Andrew,
Would have been cooler if it was 3D printed but I would probably still be working on fine tuning the CAD files.
I wanted to get the dash done before glass goes in.
Focused on getting things off the list.

[ryeguy2006a]

Wow, that dash turned out top notch!! Nicely done.

[1965gp]

Dash looks amazing- you should have molds made.

[Motown 454]

Excellent job on the dash, it looks great.

[derdingle]

Eric, were you ever able to get the recessed functionality figured out for the wiper motor? I am in the same boat right now with my rebuild and would love to keep that ability and have a more compact motor like yours.
Thanks for your time.

[ekmxryda]

Eric, were you ever able to get the recessed functionality figured out for the wiper motor? I am in the same boat right now with my rebuild and would love to keep that ability and have a more compact motor like yours.
Thanks for your time.

Sorry, I have not even finished hooking up the wiring for the wipers! I have pushed a few things further down the list so I could focus on getting the car on the road.

[ekmxryda]

Thanks for all the kind words guys,

Went with the black flocking kit on the dash for now and will upgrade to upholstery someday.
Made sure the dash unbolts fairly easily.
It looks pretty good and the spots that I don't like are hardly noticeable, but I don't think it will be super durable.

Originally thought about making a mold for the dash, but since this was a 1 of 1 and not many other 68-72 A bodies running the metal 69 Impala dash out there I dont think it would be worth it.

[David LaBuda]

Wow, I'm really impressed with your work on that dashboard. I may have to try something like that on my Firebird because the overlay is awful.

[derdingle]

@ekmxryda
Had I found this thread earlier, I would have asked for a copy of your dash setup. Would rather have paid you than the $2500 it's costing me with Just Dashes to build mine. I won't see the dash again till around Aug/Sep...I am removing the center air vent and climate controls to put in a touch screen switch panel from Altronics. I picked up the matching Dakota Digital climate control for my gauges, and moving it to the new center console from Modern Classics Interiors.
This is the stage mine is at. Just finished blasting the frame last week.

[ekmxryda]

Wow, I'm really impressed with your work on that dashboard. I may have to try something like that on my Firebird because the overlay is awful.

Thanks David,
Send the dash over!
Lots of good info on dash repair out there. A few colors to pick from as well.
http://www.flockit.com/index.php/col..._store=default

[ekmxryda]

[QUOTE=derdingle;1350370]@ekmxryda
Had I found this thread earlier, I would have asked for a copy of your dash setup. Would rather have paid you than the $2500 it's costing me with Just Dashes to build mine. I won't see the dash again till around Aug/Sep...I am removing the center air vent and climate controls to put in a touch screen switch panel from Altronics. I picked up the matching Dakota Digital climate control for my gauges, and moving it to the new center console from Modern Classics Interiors.
This is the stage mine is at. Just finished blasting the frame last week.

Oh wow looks like a nice touch screen, so will Just Dashes be installing the mounting brackets for that as well or will you have to do it when you get it back?
Nice GTO by the way!
Do you have a build thread for it?
Would like to hear the plans.

Eric

[derdingle]

Just Dashes will be putting the screen in and angling it towards the driver seat with a slight inset to match the factory look.
It will have the same style as the dash in this picture, but with the panel, not gauges.
All functions will be moved to the switch panel, and the ashtray removed, leaving a clean look.

I don't have a build thread yet, but I will be starting one soon enough. 1969 GTO full build threads are rare and extremely helpful, so I would like to leave my experience documented for others, just as you are, as well for my 4yo twin nephews who will one day inherit it.

My brother and father picked up the car in Fairbanks AK while they were stationed at Fort Wainwright in 2004. They moved back to Albuquerque NM a few years later and it's been sitting on the side of the house till I moved here in 2019 and started tearing it down. Dad/mom are handicap so I work remotely from their house for my employer in Boston (I lived in Wellesley from 2012-19 since you happen to be from the area). Since I have the time/tools/space to work on it, I decided for a full tear down and restore when covid hit. Dad raced NHRA Funny cars in the 70s so all his experience is a huge asset. Basically a father and sons project.

As for plans, here is the current setup. It always evolves as time goes on and new things are released to the aftermarket. Just time and money...

• GM 2020 Corvette "Red Mist" for the paint color. I decided to go with an easily reproduced and blended color in the event the car is in an accident. I have a 2012 GS Corvette and have taken a lot of ideas from it to build into the GTO, such has a handbrake instead of the foot pedal.
• I am in the process of tearing the original 400ci motor down to install an Eagle stroker kit to 461ci. (Has 84k original miles on the car.) I have an Edelbrock Pro-Flow 4 fuel injection system, CVF Racing serpentine belt setup, Vintage Air, and Meziere electric water pump, at the moment. A Butler Performance top end will be the finishing touch. (Comp Cam/Edelbrock heads)
• I ended up replacing the trunk floor, rear quarters, and front fenders as there was quite a bit of rust/repair from sitting in a barn in interior AK. Luckily I have a body guy that lives down the street that has been doing it for 30yrs. He has a 1964 Chevelle that we will be restoring next since I have the shop, lift, tools, and time to assist him.
• Went with the fiberglass console from Modern Classic Interiors so I can keep the double-din radio, power window switches, Digital Dakota climate controls, etc, off the dash. I have a set of Dakota Digital gauges that have an interface to the Edelbrock system to get data from as well.
• I picked up a set of 2005 BMW M3 convertible seats since they have the seat belt built into them, fully electric, and were $200 for the pair. I will have them recovered locally as I am having a hard time finding a set of covers pre-made. I have a complete rear interior for a 2005 GTO that I am going to install so I can have buckets in the back too.
• The outer door handles are being replaced with Classic "Spoon" Style Door Handles by Kindig-it Design as I love the shaved door handle look.
• Front suspension is a UMI upper/lower control arm with Speedway tall 2" drop spindles and a full QA1 coilover kit. The rear is a solid mount upper/lower trailing arm from Massive with a Auburn mini-spool 3.55 gear. Wheels are 17" Year One Rally 2 staggered setup.
• The car was a bought with basically no options other than a Muncie M20, radio, and hideaway headlights, so I put in power front disc brake setup and power steering. The late model quick ratio steering box makes a world of difference from the original manual steering box.
• I replaced every single plastic part of the front hideaway headlight system as it was held together with epoxy and such...as well as a vacuum-to-electric conversion kit from www.dicksterssmartpants.com.

Anyway, I digress. I could spend pages going over everything, and I don't want to intrude too much into your thread. I will put a link to my thread soon enough.

You are doing a great job, and thank you for all the pics and info so far. I look forward to seeing it finished.


Just Dashes example:


Right before the tear down:

[andrewb70]

Who makes that insert for the dash?