# A proper introduction: My 1968 GTO



## SixTeight (Apr 24, 2011)

I have mentioned it in a few threads, but I've yet to share pictures of the '68 I picked up last week. As you can see, I have plenty to do, especially with the interior. It's very dirty, I've been driving it back and forth to work all week and made the mistake of parking it beneath a very well inhabited tree...


----------



## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

welcome, looks like a nice foundation SixT, Legendary has all the interior vinyl....now i see why you were looking at steering wheels..., nice set of gauges though. Like the color, do you know what it is? Did you find the hood tach i the parts bin??


----------



## SixTeight (Apr 24, 2011)

Instg8ter said:


> welcome, looks like a nice foundation SixT, Legendary has all the interior vinyl....now i see why you were looking at steering wheels..., nice set of gauges though. Like the color, do you know what it is? Did you find the hood tach i the parts bin??


Thanks Inst. There seems to be a very helpful group of core people on this forum.

As for the steering wheel, that thing has to go. And, unfortunately, it does not appear that the hood tach found its way into the parts bin  Among other things, I'm planning to source a new dash housing & molding, new center console, and the hood tach soon. I'm not sure what the exact color of burnt orange it is now, but I'm thinking that I am going to go with white vinyl interior with blue carpet and white paint with blue accents.


----------



## likethat (Oct 5, 2007)

The PO must have been crazy. Arizona and removed the A/C? Some good cleaning, and some rattle cans, and the under hood will look nice.


----------



## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

I like the color. Looks like the PO really didn't know what he wanted to do with the interior. As mentioned, the guages look nice. The rear seat is '69. You probably already know that......


----------



## SixTeight (Apr 24, 2011)

68greengoat said:


> I like the color. Looks like the PO really didn't know what he wanted to do with the interior. As mentioned, the guages look nice. The rear seat is '69. You probably already know that......


Thanks man. I was planning on just reupholstering the rear seat with '68 vinyl. That should work fine, right?


----------



## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

Since it looks like the '69 frame fits just fine, it shouldn't be a problem... Most likely the same frame.


----------



## Hot_Rod (Feb 10, 2011)

Nice pick up. How much did it cost ya? If you dont mind.

My '70 is about in the same condition but the interior is in better shape though.  Traded it for a 3k$ v6 firebird. I got a great deal. 

Looks like a great car to brighten up though like others have told you. GL with it.


----------



## 400fitz (Jul 7, 2010)

I like it ! Looks like you are going to have fun! Ames just started selling a repo 68 dash. Not cheap ...i think around 400 plus the wood insert. Ebay sometime has them but usually has a radio cut out by a PO. Other 68 owners will tell you that although similar to a 69 they are very different and alot of repo parts are not available compared to the 69. My A/C has long been removed by a PO as well.


----------



## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

OPG carries the repro dash for $500. Outta curiosity I checked Ames, $440.


----------



## SixTeight (Apr 24, 2011)

I've been eyeballing the one on OPGI I will have to check Ames. I'm also curious about this one:

1968 GTO / LEMANS 3 PIECE DASH HOUSING KIT NEW | eBay

... but it looks like the seller used the OPGI picture and that makes me suspicious. As for the A/C, no A/C in AZ is suicide. That bad boy has to find its way back in there.


----------



## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

The Parts Place is selling it. Go to their website and check it out.
The Parts Place Is The Largest Supplier Of Chevrolet Buick Oldsmobile and Pontiac Restoration Parts

They're just selling some of their parts via e-bay. Alot of companies do that nowadays...


----------



## SixTeight (Apr 24, 2011)

Wahoo. It passed emissions today...


----------



## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

SixTeight said:


> Wahoo. It passed emissions today...


:confused Emissions? Where are you at? That car is over 40 years old and you need emissions testing? :shutme


----------



## SixTeight (Apr 24, 2011)

ALKYGTO said:


> :confused Emissions? Where are you at? That car is over 40 years old and you need emissions testing? :shutme


Tucson, Arizona. Yep, still had to run it through emissions. They don't require testing for 1966 and older. 

Luckily it passed so it only cost me 12 bucks for the test. Still... WTF?


----------



## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

That sucks. Good that it passed. Here in WI, there's no emissions testing for anything! I have a '99 Intrepid that wouldn't pass. 216k and burning some oil....


----------



## SixTeight (Apr 24, 2011)

Update:

So far all I've done is go through and fix the oil and transmission leaks, put a new holley carb, a hood tach, and a new holley air cleaner. Also now has full exhaust with Hooker headers and Flowmaster American Thunder.

Next Steps:

Replacing the God awful interior. As you can see, someone had the bright idea of making a "custom" dash... I sure hate that word. After purchasing two dash housings/gauge sets on the bay I decided it would be best to find a parts car so I could get the original panel and all the other little odds and ends for the interior (including the original seats that I keep being outbid on).

The interior of my GTO now:




























The interior of the '68 LeMans parts car I bought yesterday:




























Also, someone removed the '68 windows from my GTO (another stunningly brilliant idea) and put in '69 glass so I made sure to get a parts car with the glass and trim still intact.

GTO:










The parts car:










Also going to be taking the immaculate chrome bumper off of the LeMans and putting it on the GTO.

GTO:










Parts car:










Have not yet decided if I am going to recover the interior black with white seats or just straight black. The exterior of the GTO will be black. Any thoughts?


----------



## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

In your neck of the woods I would go with parchment so you don't roast to death, unless you have a good A/C system...


----------



## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

looks like you could sell what you don't use off that Tempest and recoupe some money, seems pretty clean in its own right. i agree with Green, parchment if you have no air, black on black is a killer on a warm day. Looks like a carpenter got ahold of the dash....hey wait, I'm a carpenter.......looking good, i hear you about seats i ended up getting 65' Corvair buckets (same frame and trim as 65 GTO) in immaculate shape for 250.00. Anything with the name GTO attached would have been 800-1000 for the same seats.


----------

