# My 1966 GTO



## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

So here is my 1966 GTO that I recently just acquired. Have to get her back on the road on a budget, so hopefully she won't nickel and dime me to death.

GTO Photos by kremor | Photobucket

The car has been sitting for 10 years. It'll be home when the weather gets nicer, and I'll start tinkering around with it, I have absolutely no idea what I am doing when it comes to classics, but I gotta learn sometime.


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## gjones (Oct 8, 2012)

*nickel and dime*

Nickel and dime nothin'! You'd better dig up a chest of gold coin and then crack out your checkbook, to boot! :lol: Looks like a great project! Enjoy!


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

LOL...G is right nothing cheap for these cars. BUT, thats a solid looking start, get it running and safe for the road, clean it up, and drive it while you plug away at it. Worst mistake you can make, especially not having cash to do it on hand would be to start tearing it apart. From what i can see it looks like it could be a nice driver for a few grand if its running now. Feel free to ask for help, thats what we are here for and learning from others mistakes and the right advice can save you thousands.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Yeah, it's definitely gonna be a labor of love for a few years, main goal this year is just to get it on the road to drive it around, it's take a couple years to really bring her back to life.


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## el_papelito (Mar 13, 2012)

It looks that you won t be in trouble ¡¡ CHeck the brakes, and all the fluid etc... in order to make it safe an relable. Mine was like yours with no paint and i tear it appart almost to frame off. SPend a lot of money but more time than money.... Yours looks like its enjoyable right now. Good luck ¡¡¡


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## jmt455 (Mar 26, 2012)

Looks like a solid starting point.
Have fun!


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## DSMTiger (Nov 17, 2012)

gjones said:


> Nickel and dime nothin'! You'd better dig up a chest of gold coin and then crack out your checkbook, to boot! :lol: Looks like a great project! Enjoy!


:agree

There is a lot of work to do. The parts are all available but be prepared to spend many thousands to get it back in good shape. Enjoy your project!


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Change the fluids, air up the tires, and drive it. Fix as you go. I drove my '65 for ten years before I bothered putting a headliner back in it....too busy driving the car! Not every car has to be a frame off restoration...some are driven all the time, just like real cars.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

It's been sitting for about 10 years, praying the fuel and break lines have held up, so excited to hear that baby run.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Looks like a nice project! :cheers


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Picking it up tomorrow, I'll post a few more pictures after I get 10 years of dust and grime off her.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Cleaned up some, off on wednesday so going to try and start the motor.


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## FlambeauHO (Nov 24, 2011)

Looks like it cleaned up nice! Good luck on the start up. :beer:


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

wow, thats a real nice starting point....congrats, git'r runnin and go from there. I bet that engine fires right up with a little coaxing. 

Fluids, plugs, wires, points, can of ether and 10 gals of 93 octane $150.00, driving your new/old GTO for the first time....Priceless!!!!


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

*First start attempt.*

Okay, so I changed all the fluids, new distributor cap, new spark plugs, and replaced the bad starter, this is the first attempt to start it up after sitting for 10 years.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Adjusted the carb, now just need to do the brake work. But here's my question, it looks like I'll need a new brake booster and master cylinder, but eventually I'd like to do disc brakes in the front. Can I use the master cylinder meant for disc brakes to run drum brakes.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Looks like you've got a single reservoir master cylinder there, so I wouldn't recommend trying it. Disc systems need very different pressure to operate than do drum systems (that's the reason that disc/drum systems used a proportioning valve). Even if it would work, brakes are something that are sort of important  Even if I were going to keep it all drums, I'd probably swap to a dual reservoir master and brake system just for the safety factor alone.

Bear


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## Miami Ragtop (Feb 15, 2011)

Enjoy the journey!!!!
Amazing what a little elbow grease will do for your new ride.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

So I let the GTO idle for about an hour yesterday, still not on the road, haven't had time to tackle the breaks. Ran fine during the time, once I shut it off, nothing would happen, no lights, clicking of the starter, no indicators, just nothing. When I opened the hood, it seemed really hot, but not sure. I don;t have much experience with older cars and engine this big (400). On start up I have around 75 psi for the oil, when I shut it down, it was at 25. I took the battery out and charged it to about 75%, and still nothing. Any ideas? Thanks guys.


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## gjones (Oct 8, 2012)

*click*

Make sure that the ground cable at the block (and battery) is cleaned of any rust and tight. Sounds like you lost your ground. Also check that the starter wire connections are good and clean. Could be a thousand things after sitting for 10 years. Neutral safety switch? Try rocking the shifter (if an automatic) (The one on my '66 was bad). That engine sounded GREAT!!!


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks for the reply, guess this weekend I'll see what I can do. The engine was rebuilt about 15 years ago.


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## Indetrucks (Apr 2, 2013)

Sounds like a lost cause, give me your address and I'll send a tow truck over ASAP.

$500 sound good?


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Well, checking all the wires, which are old and in rough shape, I discovered one of the headlight hookups came undone, plugged it back in, fired right up.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Well, the old girl finally had her maiden voyage. Considering the old goat has been sitting for a decade, it's really been not a headache getting her back on the road. Brake lines were good, I replaced the fuel lines, new K&N air filter, new starter, new alternator still needs to go in. Had to replace the gasket in the transmission pan (not fun), when I finally took her down the road to put some air in the tires (tires are even still good), I couldn't get it started for the life of me. Seem the old wiring was pretty shot, the wires themselves were okay, just the coatings were bad, and was giving me alot of problems. I decided I don;t have the 800 bucks for all new wiring, so I decided to to the job myself. I've never done ANY electrical work on a car, new or old, but it seemed pretty straight forward. I took alot of care, and alot of my wife's pink ribbon to label every wire and ground I disconnected. And after 12 hours of wrapping each wire with electrical tape and new connectors, I reinstalled it and new battery terminals. I really was expecting it not to work, and I would have no clue where to find the issue, but lady luck was with me, and she fired right up, no hiccups, even the radio works now, and the wipers!


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## gjones (Oct 8, 2012)

*Electro-Meister*

That's the way to "git 'er done"!!! Just making sure that all your terminals are tight and free of corrosion (sand them with fine sandpaper if you have to) and that your grounds are good and clean (sand these clean also- use dielectric grease at the connections), (especially having at least a ground strap from your firewall to the engine block, and one from the block to the frame-you can never have too many grounds, strategically placed) will pretty much ensure trouble free electrical operation. :cheers


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

That oil pressure is good, motor sounds good, idles nice. i would recommend getting a fan shroud if it does'nt have one, that will help with your cooling, i would change out the thermostat to a 190 too if its been setting that long, cheap easy insurance. You want to try and keep it at or under 200 degrees when sitting in traffic at idle for any period. Before you install the Therm drill a very small hole (1/16 or smaller) just inside the sealing surface, this will let the air bleed through before it gets to temp and opens. Drive it like you stole it and enjoy the ride, you will have all the time in the world to make it pretty.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Fan shroud sounds like a good idea, drove it to work today, and it leaked alot of tranny fluid, when too the pan off to put on a new gasket, the pan is pretty beat up, that'll be my next purchase cause fluid can get pricy if I gotta keep adding it everytime I run the car.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

New wheels came in today, but the GTO is in the shop getting the transmission worked on, so can't put them on yet.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Got the GTO back from the transmission shop, 1600 bucks later, good as new, new tires and wheels came while it was in, and my large order from OPG came yesterday, time for alot of busy work, will post new pics soon. And nixing the 2 tone paint idea, found a few pics on the internet and turned me off to the idea.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

they have enough style and body lines for a single color with a simple single pinstripe. Like those wheels, are they the Bandits?


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

Yeah, got the Bandits with nexxen 3000 tires, they look amazing, but I need to raise the back up about 2 inches to avoid any rubbing.


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## kremor (Dec 28, 2012)

New wheels and tires, 17x8 in the front, 17x9 in the rear on Nexxen 3000 tires, ordered an air lift kit so I could raise the rear end up to avoid any rubbing issues.



Painted the inside grill semi black, the old gray color was badly faded. I think it meshes well with the black in the new wheels.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Looks awesome!! :cheers
You should do drag bags rather then air shocks. Shock mountings are not meant to hold weight, just dampen the ride. The drag bags easily go inside the coil springs and can be lined so each side has it's own fill, so you can preload the right rear a bit more so the car launches straight.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

:agree But he did say "air lift", and AirLift is one of the companies that makes drag bags so maybe that's what he's getting.


BTW, I really like the result of putting them on my car. Without them, hauling around all the luggage, tools, and spares on the Power Tour would have been ugly...

Bear


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

I agree now when everyone wants to pile in for The thusday night ice cream cruise in i don't cringe every time we have to go over a speed bump.


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