# My gto. My best friend.



## 1965goat (Sep 8, 2014)

Well, here I am. An awkward 15 year old gearhead with a few good friends, no girlfriend to be found, and a 1965 gto project. No, this isn't a story of my childhood, yes I really am 15. Everything above is true. My pride and joy truly is my gto. It's gotten me through the hardest breakup of my life, being one of the only gearheads at school, and the only one who has a mean car like that. Well, as it goes, I'm supercharging my car, rebuilding the engine myself, and doing all restoration myself. Even my best friend thinks I'm in too deep and pride my work too much. I laugh and tell him even if I get disappointed I still got him to help me through it. And yea, I got a few girls interested but no one I really done took a shining to. I love my goat. That's all there is to it. She's a real 65 gto and I can't say enough good things about it. Anyone else got similar stories? Postin this thread so people can tell about their goats and how try fit into their lives. Feel free to post.


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## El Monte Slim (Sep 8, 2014)

I purchased my 66 GTO in 1972, when I was a teenager. It was my first car and it certainly changed my life for the better.

So much, that I still have it, 42 years later!


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

That's awesome. How about some photos?

Bear


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

If you can find a girl that says I don't need a ring go ahead and buy that intake manifold instead that one is a keeper otherwise take a pass or you will never finish that car.

If it's got tits or wheels its gonna give you problems.
Choose wisely.


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Kinda what Goat Roper said... God created both of these things to give man something to do. Oh, then he created beer. Not sure what kind of girl a 15 year old with a 65 GTO in 2015 gets these days, but for sure there are some gals in their mid 60s that will be digging you and your car. Seriously, best wishes to you on both of your projects. Matt


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## 1969 gto (Apr 27, 2014)

I remember buying my first car which was a 69 GTO, I was fresh out of high school and got me a factory job, it seemed that I was on top of the world. But I did a stupid thing and sold it because I kept going through trannys and rear ends. Glad too see young guys such as yourself taking an interest in the old muscle cars. They will not make them with the same lines as they did in the past, girlfriends can come and go with no control, but you have control of whether the goat goes or stays. I now bought my second 69 GTO, and with the help of these fine folks, we are in good hands. Lets keep these old goats kicking. Good luck keep us posted.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

WOW, the words of a true motorhead. I remember I didn't want to learn how to drive. It scared the hell out of me. But my dad took me into an empty parking lot and he showed me how to shift the 3-on-the-tree on the 283 powered '65 Impala. Soon my folks let me take the car out on the road while one of them rode shotgun. Got my license and recall my first "solo" in the car. At first, it was "freedom", just being able to take off and cruise. Then I got comfortable and it was being able to snatch that column shift from first to second gear in a power shift instant (had to have just the right wrist snap). I remember opening up the car on the highway and watching the sheet metal on the hood vibrate -it was so cool, and my brother thought so too. We had a 1971 Pinto, 1600CC engine and 4-speed. I got to chirping second gear on a good power shift with it. 

The combination of "freedom" and the fun of the powershift got me hooked and soon I bought my $150 1956 Pontiac at 16 (but did not get it on the road until 17) which was 19 years old then. I learned to do bodywork and mechanics with that car. Learned how to smoke the tires on that car, and I do mean smoke, not chirp. The more I beat it, the better it ran. The 4speed hydramatic trans was a blast to manually downshift & upshift. Boy would that loose front end bounce as I would gas it and let off. Made everyone think I had a really hot car!:thumbsup: Then I got a 1967 Firebird, and it had a beefed up 350CI and 3speed. That's when racing came into being, along with endless burnouts, and my favorite-powershifting.

What I learned 40 years later is that the car is an extension of who you are, your personality, your joy, your frustrations.......your emotions. Your ego and your car become one. You develop a bond with your car, whatever it may be. 

The car pleases you. Women, well, you are supposed to please them -good luck with that one. The car doesn't ask anything of you and never complains. Women will ask everything of you while still complaining it isn't enough or right. You can figure out your car's needs. You will never figure out a women's needs. The car will retain its beauty from the day you meet it. Women lose their beauty a few years after the day you met them. If your car has a problem, you can fix it. If a woman has a problem, she doesn't want you to fix it, she only wants you to listen (_even if you can fix it_). You would give up your car for a women. What would she give up to give you a car? If taken care of, the car will be around for a lifetime. With women, there is no guarantee they will be around for a lifetime even when you do take care of them.

So what's my point? Looking back, if I had kept the cars, they would have still been around long after all the women have gone. Men and their cars, its only natural.:grouphug:


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## 1965goat (Sep 8, 2014)

Thank all yall for the great replies. I'll be sure to keep posting updates on the car for sure. One thing I left out that I've found is that no one believes me when I tell them the amount of hp my car is going to give off. Most of em don't know how to do an oil change, never mind calculate hp on an engine souly based on specs I have jotted down. I laugh and tell em they'll have to wait and see. And see they will. I cannot wait to be rowing through the gears of my 4 speed, picking up street races now and then, and takin her to the drag strip. She WILL NEVER, EVER be sold. I made that promise the day I bought her and I garuntee I'll never break that promise. When I get more parts, I'll be sure to post pictures of the current project upkeep. Keep on roddin folks.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

PontiacJim said:


> What I learned 40 years later is that the car is an extension of who you are, your personality, your joy, your frustrations.......your emotions. Your ego and your car become one. You develop a bond with your car, whatever it may be.
> 
> The car pleases you. Women, well, you are supposed to please them -good luck with that one. The car doesn't ask anything of you and never complains. Women will ask everything of you while still complaining it isn't enough or right. You can figure out your car's needs. You will never figure out a women's needs. The car will retain its beauty from the day you meet it. Women lose their beauty a few years after the day you met them. If your car has a problem, you can fix it. If a woman has a problem, she doesn't want you to fix it, she only wants you to listen (_even if you can fix it_). You would give up your car for a women. What would she give up to give you a car? If taken care of, the car will be around for a lifetime. With women, there is no guarantee they will be around for a lifetime even when you do take care of them.
> 
> So what's my point? Looking back, if I had kept the cars, they would have still been around long after all the women have gone. Men and their cars, its only natural.:grouphug:


Well said! 

OP, most of us are here because we fell in love early in life with Pontiacs. Be it the styling, the mechanics or "The Legend", we fell head over heels. Ask any Ford, Chevy Or Mopar guy and they will tell that "them Pontiac guys are a different breed"! I always preferred to think of it as forward thinkers. A Pontiac will teach you lessons in patients that will serve you well beyond your years, but once you take the time to learn their intricacies, like a good retriever they will never be far from your side.

Welcome to the forum, its guys like you that will keep the breed alive.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Welcome aboard. I still have the '65 GTO I bought at age 21 and the '67 GTO I bought at age 22. I'll be 54 next month. Girlfriends came and went. Houses and cities changed. I still have the Goats. And I enjoy them more now than ever. My very first car was a 4 speed '66 GTO that I traded my motorcycle for at a party at the age of 18. I wrecked it within a year and a half. I first actually drove at age 9. I've wanted to drive since I was 1 or 2 years old, though, jumping up and down on the car seat and reaching up to grab that wonderful steering wheel. The day I turned 15 1/2, I got my motorcycle permit and learners permit to drive. On my 16th birthday I got my drivers license. 90% of the people I meet sell their cars as 'life' happens to them. THe next 5% still _have_ their cars, in pieces, to be restored 'some day', but someday never comes. The last 5%, are people like myself. Always drove, kept, and appreciated them. I've driven mine for over 30 years. Not hoarded them, but _driven_ them. To this date, the newest car I've ever owned is my '67, which I've put over 130,000 miles on. People come up to me and ask me 'how much is it worth?' These are not 'car people'.....and they don't 'get it'. I paid peanuts for both of mine, because they were simply used cars back then, and gas hogs at that. Not collector cars. Not yet. Anyway, stay focused, ask all the questions you can, and read all you can. The more you educate yourself, the better the car will be, and the cheaper the build will be. Check out the other forum, too...."Performance Years". It's a highly techincal forum with guys posting who actually built these cars on the assembly line as well as original owners...lots of first hand information.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

geeteeohguy said:


> ... 90% of the people I meet sell their cars as 'life' happens to them. THe next 5% still _have_ their cars, in pieces, to be restored 'some day', but someday never comes. The last 5%, are people like myself. Always drove, kept, and appreciated them....


Well, mine sat in pieces for more than 20 years THEN I finished it and am now enjoying the heck out of it. Does that make me a ::gasp:: 1%'er?


:biggrinjester:

Bearr


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## ppurfield001 (Jan 21, 2008)

Goat Roper said:


> If you can find a girl that says I don't need a ring go ahead and buy that intake manifold instead that one is a keeper otherwise take a pass or you will never finish that car.
> 
> If it's got tits or wheels its gonna give you problems.
> Choose wisely.


Listen to the "tits and wheels" advice...And a 1965 GTO is MUCH easier to figure out than a woman is...take it from someone that's "been around the block" a few times...good luck with your project and post some pictures...


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## Orion88 (Apr 24, 2012)

Very cool. My first car was a 1958 Buick Special. I got my 70 GTO partway through my undergraduate degree, and I started my restoration two years ago when I was 23. I certainly missed out on my fair share of college shenanigans because I would rather spend countless hours and weekends in my garage, and I've learned a lot. But keep in mind you're only young once. Make sure you're enjoying everything life has to offer. That car will always be there, but you won't always be a teenager. Congrats and good luck on the car.


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## JustinEntropyRad (Jan 12, 2015)

Finish the goat, instagram it..and there will be a flood of girls wanting to go for a ride in the beast. Kudos for starting early!


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Bear, sorry to not make a 'slot' for you. My friend Bill with the '67 was in the same boat as you...after the car sat for 20 years, we got it restored about 4 years ago, and the job took about 3 years of spare moments to complete. What makes you a 1%'er is the huge "Grand Funk Railroad" decal across the back window of your truck!! Don't see too many of those too often! 
Orion, I too had my GTO's during college and young adult-hood years. Only I never tore them apart, because they were my only means of transportation, period. That's probably why I still have and drive them....I had to keep them operational all that time, from then until now. I am quite happy I have been able to drive them each and every day for the past 35 years or so....and I did indeed have many shenanigans. Some ended better than others...........


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## El Monte Slim (Sep 8, 2014)

BearGFR said:


> That's awesome. How about some photos?
> 
> Bear


Check out* My Garage.*


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## pbertrand65GTO (Jul 24, 2009)

All great pieces of advice, I especially liked the comment that you're only a teenager once, take that to heart. I bought my first of 4 GTO's in 1980 when I was 20. I've sold 3, (wish I didn't), I have a 65 I am just finishing up a frame off resto on that I bought in 1996. Never, ever, does it go up for sale. I often talk to my younger brother (he has a 65 Grand Prix) about the younger kids these days not having the appreciation for the 60's muscle cars, so it's great to hear your passion for your Goat. Enjoy it, build it how you want it, and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, RESPECT THE POWER THAT IT HAS. Remember, these cars weren't built with the best braking systems in the world. The guys that have responded are a wealth of knowledge about these cars, and have been generous with their responses to help others out, myself included. Welcome to the forum, good luck with her, (the GTO, I mean!), and keep us posted on your progress. 
Paul


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## old-goat (Jul 10, 2011)

I bought my 1st '65 GTO when I was 15 - many years ago. I sold it and bought a '67 GTO a little later. I have a '65 GTO now that I have owned since '81. It needed work and sat in my garage while I built a couple dozen other projects, until 5 years ago, then I did a 2 year long frame off. It's good to see a younger person with a passion for American built iron. Life happens, but always keep your passion alive.


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## Crowbelly (Oct 18, 2014)

Cool thread... love everyone's stories. 

I grew up in Rochester NY. My GTO love started when I was 9, and my sister was dating a guy (who became her husband) who drove a 66. I remember the day he pulled up in the driveway in that thing Gorgeous car... 389, 4 speed, black, red pin stripe, red interior, tri-power. I didn't know much about cars but I knew that GTO was the coolest car I had ever seen. The three carbs alone were so cool. He was a great guy too, like a older brother to me, and took me for rides in it. At the same time my other sister was dating a guy (who also became her husband) with a 65 Corvette Stingray, 327, 4 speed. On some memorable evenings they would take us up to Charlotte on Lake Ontario for ice cream, and do some dragging and burn outs... great fun for young me.

Fast forward to high school, where my 17 year old buddy bought a 66 (389 4-Speed, Black) in 1977. He modded the engine for power and had a 4:12 posi rear and established himself and that car as the fastest around. He wasn't averse to trying anything and everything. That's where I saw my first 850 double pumper, looking to me like it was squirting gas like a firehose. 

Remember the rock band Foreigner? Lou Graham, their lead singer, was from Rochester NY. The song "Rev on the Redline" was written about the drag racing that used to be a Friday/Saturday night occurrence. My buddy used to make his appearance and rarely lost... although unlike in the song, there weren't women waiting for him after a win... he was kind of homely. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILQvGAj3VRY

In 1978 I bought my first car, a 71 LeMans, 350 auto. All I could afford, and I loved it. Pontiac were the only possible choice for me. From there, life went on, college, work, girlfriends, wives, many many cars... until finally in 1998 while driving around checking out the new area of the state I had just moved to, I spotted a red GTO convertible on the side of the road. 1967 GTO, and a convertible! Poor guy was going through a divorce (again, the tits and wheels issue) and had to dump it for money. I got it for $8300 and was ecstatic. My only regret was he had a 389 (what he said was the "original" engine0. I was happy with the 455 in it, and told him I would find someone with a truck and come back for the 389, but by the time I did, he was gone.

So, long story, but eventually got the car I always coveted since I was a kid. And which is why, after restoring it, I had it painted black, in honor of my bother-in-law's and buddy's inspirational goats! Long live Pontiac Power!


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