1967 GTO- Budget Pro-Touring/ Track car

[67goatman455]

I have been lurking for quite a while, and i finally feel like i am making enough headway to start a thread.

I got this car at 15 after the first "father/son" gto project was just too much to take on anymore. I never went through PHS to verify the options but looked to be white originally, a 400 with a 2bbl carb :question:, front bench seat, power rear antenna, and a vinyl top. The old 400 made it about a year when water started showing up in the oil, which was fine because it was the perfect excuse for a 455! In 2006 i moved away to college to start Auto Body collision repair school and brought the car with me. I decided to have a friend take some nice pictures of the car for me, and got quite a few good ones! Well, the last shot of the day i thought it would be a good idea to have a picture of a burnout. Great right?! Well, my idea following that was complete ignorance. I wanted to continue the burnout past the photographer and have her take a picture of me going away from her. So to do that i felt it necessary to hold the pedal down as long as possible. The car started tossing back and forth slightly and once i felt it couldnt go any farther i hit the brakes. The old drums on all 4 corners worked enough to upset the balance of the car even more, but didnt help enough to slow her down. The guardrail, and the tree sure helped though.

Now, 2 years prior to this my mom and dad got divorced. When this happened, my father had already stopped talking to me, and when i talked to him about it he said some very hurtful things to me, and about the car. After that I became depressed for a few years, debated on sending it to the crusher, selling it, etc. Finally i decided that was enough, that he was wrong, that i have the will power and drive to fix her and shove it in his face! The name of the project has been decided. Project VENDETTA!

Here is a little photoshop work i have done to a previous Nelson Super Cars rendering. Everything is just an idea, and I will get a better rendering done when i have a better idea of what i want. But some ideas are tucked bumpers, Do away with as much chrome as possible!, 70-72 chevelle SS cowl, one off sideskirts for side exit exhaust, and stretched quarter panels and front fenders. the front splitter is to resemble one from a new challenger


When i brought it to college with me.


One of my favorite pics from the photoshoot day.


The infamous "burnout pic" If you read the story above. you know what picture follows this


Her resting spot.


Inspecting the damage

[67goatman455]

Through inspection i realized the frame was bent, BADLY. The firewall was wrinkled, The toe board was wrinkled, and the steering column was collapsed. Fast forward a couple years, and a couple of rental houses later, i finally pulled the engine, sold it and bought a new frame, and a boxing kit from a guy online.
After that it sat for another 2 years rotting away. Eventually i got a job at a body shop where the boss happened to be VERY into old muscle cars. Even though he doesn't understand why i wouldn't want to make it look like it rolled off the showroom floor in 1967, he towed it to the shop for me so i could fix it.

Picked up a 1966 LeMans for a donor car for the front end mainly.


On the frame machine


Set-up to pull the cowl over and forward


Getting everything straightened


The new corner section


At this point the "Damage" is mainly fixed. Its all restoration and modification at this point!

[67goatman455]

ridetech single adjustable coil-overs mocked up. I really didnt like the factory bracing at all, and since there was no need for a spring bucket. I decided to get rid of it


Took some universal ridetech mounts and moved the mounting point up


Mounts tacked in. I didnt change any geometry at all on the mounting point. just what they mount to.


Support bar tacked in


I had debated about doing this, but finally grew a pair and went for it!


1/8" plate fit up


After cutting the factory spring bucket out, this chows the nothing that is in the frame, which i finished boxing in


Basically all done, have a little bit more to do, but not picture worthy


Also boxed in the rear lower control arm mount

[67goatman455]

Thats basically where i'm at now besides waiting on an HPI customs frame bracing kit to be made!

Well, this started off as wanting to plug a hole up on the frame i didnt like. I thought to myself, "what would be cool is a logo in this piece!" So long story short i came up with this. If I actually did it right and it comes to fruition or not is another story but i inquired about water jet services just a bit ago. so we will see. The bad thing is, if everything goes smoothly, then ill probably go crazy making new things for the car :willy:

[T_Raven]

I use to hate 4 door cars but I would rock that donor car just the way it was lol.

[dmc69]

Great story, good luck with "vendetta". When your done you pops will regret saying those hurtful things.

[67goatman455]

I know!!!! i haven't tore into it yet, but part of me wants to just rebuild the drivetrain and drive it to work every day haha!

[lsx80monte]

Nice fab work..ill be watching this one

[acegto]

Part number on that ridetech mount...totally copying this on my lemans. And the HPI kits are totally worth it.

[67goatman455]

Part number on the ridetech mount is 90000011.

So i stumbled upon this website today, this would have been nice to know 2 weeks ago. oh well
http://abcperformance.net/mini%20tub%20kit.html

[acegto]

I like the make my own approach. Looks great btw.

[Nicks67GTO]

True story: I saw the picture of your GTO wrapped around a tree a while back. I believe you may have even commented on a thread that was posted and suggested 4 wheel discs because this is what might happen. Anyhow that picture is what made me decide that the factory drum brakes aren't enough.

[Nicks67GTO]

Looking forward to updates too...

[67goatman455]

Well big update here!

where to even start.... the "V" pieces i did i had cut, and they came out pretty good!


Picked up a bare LS2 block, crank, and a set of 70k mile stock pistons and rods, ported 241 heads that i am getting checked out for flow numbers and chamber CC's, came with Ferra valves and stronger valves springs. I ran the numbers on the spring pressure but cant remember them at this point. Picked up a 90mm F.A.S.T. manifold, LS2 corvette engine harness, and just grabbed a used centerforce clutch and flywheel yesterday.


Stock 243's on the left, the ported 241's i bought on the right

[67goatman455]

Now the biggest update....I have had a 99 Trans Am for a year now and i have had a ton of fun with it but i have also wasted a lot of money on it. But I got to take it on a road course and had a blast! I had some big issues with the car and had to steal the input shaft out of the transmission i have for the GTO. So now i need one of those, YAY
https://sphotos-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/h...29031541_n.jpg

Since i dont make a lot of money at work, i have been doing side work for customers, painting mostly and some carbon fiber wrapping work. Instead of doing side jobs and having a car payment on something that eats parts and gas, the Trans Am got sold and i bought a cheap civic.

Now the big part, Taking out a $10,000 loan and getting the car done :confused59: :willy:

Everything i'm going to get and do for this car now i'm going to try to get used, on sale, or something not as nice as i would prefer. So if your on the end of my bargaining and price haggling, ill apologize now It's going to be less of a perfect show car now and more of a track car that i can drive anytime i want.

SO, heres the idea:

• Stock LS2 bottom end

• Ported 241's

• 90mm F.A.S.T.

• cam undecided

• LS2 corvette harness

• Stock T56

• Wilwod 6 piston fronts, 4 piston rears and 12.88" rotors

• Wilwod pedal setup

• ridetech single adjustable coil-overs

• Full ridetech suspension

• stock 10 bolt that has 3.55 gears already

• Delete all the chrome off the car

• LIGHTEN IT UP, since i have been messing with carbon fiber stuff a lot lately I'm going to try to do fenders, hood, bumpers, trunk and might try the doors even. But that will be a while down the road i'm sure

• Flush mount the glass

• oh and a FULL CAGE! :hapdance:

[67goatman455]

got the car home with the new front clip the other day and started tearing it apart the last couple days. going to hopefully get it media blasted soon but that costs around $1000:confused59:



Got the car stripped down and the garage cleaned. Ready to start calling blasters monday morning.



vinyl tops are crap!


Front pans and trunk pan are toast. so is the tail light panel but i've got plans for that anyway.

[67goatman455]

delete

[67goatman455]

Looking forward to updates too...

Looking forward to those control arms!

[Nicks67GTO]

Looking forward to those control arms!

You and me both! Its been 2 months since I bought my control arms! I just got a shipping notice/tracking number from Currie Friday. It's looking like late in the week they'll show up. If they are here before Friday, I should be able to get yours out and ready to ship by Monday hopefully. Ill keep you posted.

[67goatman455]

No "real" update but got some used wilwoods. superlite 6 piston front and 4 piston rear with 12.88" rotors. Actually an upgrade kit for a C5/ C6 vette.