# New 67 Owner, Need Some Advice



## Brevillance (Nov 5, 2014)

So Im having a '67 Lemans shipped from IL to TX in the next few days (sooner, rather then later...This 20 year old needs his dose of old school baddassery). I think, as i have only ever driven a 2010 Mazda Speed 3, i will be doing a front end conversion to disk brakes. (The Mazda was my first car....was also the first one i totaled pulling out of a stop sign - doh.. :nopity

I would like to buy as close to/entirely complete kit. I plan to do a full restoration down the road to keep the car doing well and to keep up the meticulious care that the older gent i bought it off of did himself.

I have taken some looks around the forums, done some google searches and have an idea of what a full front kit MAY cost (somewhere around low 800's to 1k+) but as you guys may know more then i do, any advice? I would like to get this done right after getting the windows tinted...its far to hot and sunny in El Paso and i gotta keep the interior lookin good :lol: So any hints where to look for a full kit?

Dont worry, ill make an intro as soon as the '67 makes it to my place and ill be sure to post a pic or 20.


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## ppurfield001 (Jan 21, 2008)

Brevillance said:


> So Im having a '67 Lemans shipped from IL to TX in the next few days (sooner, rather then later...This 20 year old needs his dose of old school baddassery). I think, as i have only ever driven a 2010 Mazda Speed 3, i will be doing a front end conversion to disk brakes. (The Mazda was my first car....was also the first one i totaled pulling out of a stop sign - doh.. :nopity
> 
> I would like to buy as close to/entirely complete kit. I plan to do a full restoration down the road to keep the car doing well and to keep up the meticulious care that the older gent i bought it off of did himself.
> 
> ...


Memories -- I bought my first GTO from a guy in El Paso. The car came from the factory with a white painted roof to fend off the heat and the rest of the car painted in Mariner Turquoise.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

You can bolt on a stock disc brake system from a '69-'72 A body for peanuts. Spindles, rotors, calipers, etc. High quality parts, fits right the first time, doesn't degrade the integrity of the car. Last one I did (ok, it was 20 years ago!) cost all of $90 at the wrecking yard for everything. You should be able to do the whole thing using good used GM parts for under $300 these days, possibly a lot cheaper.


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## Brevillance (Nov 5, 2014)

Ill keep that in mind; but i was planning on a restomod to update some stuff. I was thinking wilwood on all four corners, and a 400 replacement for the stock engine as well as a 5-6 speed auto over the stock 4 speed (unless i could mod a 5 speed standard which i would prefer). No LS is going in this car, doesnt belong :wink2:


Ill take a look around and see if i can find some era parts to put on it to hold off until i get to a full resto on it. Anyone else got anything?


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

I have used the Right Stuff conversion kit. I think it ran around $500. Very good package. Sounds like you want some Wilwood brakes, so yes, you will be paying more. Matt


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## Brevillance (Nov 5, 2014)

Im looking into rims, I intent to drop the lemans about a quarter inch or so depending on how flush it looks after new rims are on to eliminate that "raised" look on a lot of the classics. Please..read as slight drop for clean looks sake, not to drop it to the ground and be a tool.

That said..I plan on installing these brakes
Wilwood High Performance Disc Brakes - 1967 Pontiac LeMans - Front Brake Kit No.: 140-10510-DR

Wilwood High Performance Disc Brakes - Rear Brake Kit Product Number: 140-13511-DR

or something similar atleast. With these kits, the offset is increased? if so, will rims with these characteristics;

Bolt Pattern 5-114.3 
Offset +35 
Backspacing 6.38 

be able to fit flush? i have no intention of putting a wide-body kit or flares on it to accomodate rims that shouldnt really be on the car. Is there any modifications i would need to do? It seems like a lot of offset when you combine the two; and im not even sure if the bolt pattern would work for them. Any help?


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I guess you are younger....under 50. These cars, origially, rode very, very low. Almost ALL of them have been raised or jacked up to some degree. Check out period advertisements...they look like there must be 20 bags of cement in the car. So, in truth, stock LeMans' or Tempests or GTO's looked sacked out even when new. In the '70's, we simply installed air shocks and put them way up in the air to clear the wide rubber.


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## Brevillance (Nov 5, 2014)

Lol, im actually 20 (will be 21 Dec, 31) But have always loved the classic muscle look.

I only say that because in almost any game you ever see them in they are "riding high" and arnt really low. I do see what you mean though. I have only see a few older cars in person and most of them look like they sit a bit high, obviously this would depend on how the rims/rubber would look at its current ride height. 

Thats kind of interesting to me though..lots of games make them look like they have a lot of clearance. Im new to the whole classic scene but i have plenty of years to learn


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I was 18 when I got my first GTO, and have never been without one since. I remember buying GTO's off of the 'old' original owner, and instantly 'improving' them by installing air shocks, mags, slapper bars, Thrush and Holley stickers, and headers. One 'old' lady was horrified when she saw her mint '67 about 2 days after she sold it to a friend of mine. But, as 20 year olds, we knew how to drive those cars, and we did! Now, I'm the old fart behind the wheel of the same GTO's I've had since I was your age, and the kids see me and ask me "are you the original owner?" I grimly nod, and say yes, even though I was 5-6 years old and riding a tricycle when they were new. To a 20 year old, anybody over 30 looks like they're 70. To a 54 year old (me), anybody under 45 looks 15, and everybody over 54 looks 'amazingly young still'!! So, enjoy the hobby, enjoy the cars (I like mine more now than then, even....it just gets better with time) and ask questions/educate yourself to your heart's content. Check out some old ads from magazines during the day to see what these cars looked like originally. You'll be shocked at how low they were (particularly in the rear) and how dull the paint jobs were. Nothing at all like the 'restored' cars you see today!!


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Welcome to the forum, and the hobby. Reason i got mine, was because i missed out on a jet black "Joe Dirted" 67' GTO 4 speed when i was 16 for my first car, ended up with a 69' firebird then 5 more after that. Since then i have always told myself i would someday, when i have the money, build an old Pontiac the way i would have done it if i had the money at 16. 

I stumbled into the Tempest 4 years ago on Craigslist. The car had been stranded in a carport as a shelf for 35 years in the high desert and was still 100% original and way cheaper than a foundation GTO in similar condition would have been.

My suggestion on brakes would be the GM single pistons like GeeTee said, and with the difference left from the cost of wilwoods you could rebuild the front suspension. When these cars are re-built to factory specs the ride is amazingly smooth and with a few minor tweaks (air bags in the rear springs, anti sway bars) they handle pretty well for a 14' long car.

As for the stance, there are a myriad of members pics for you to look at and any of the guys would be happy to share what they did to get it there and the pros and cons of the changes. Remember when you Start messing with drop spindles/springs and such you are changing the engineered geometry of the suspension and could make the car less enjoyable to drive in my opinion.


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## Brevillance (Nov 5, 2014)

Howdy guys,

A Few questions here for you. 

I picked up my (i can finally call it mine, yippy!) 1967 LeMans this past sunday. After getting it i picked apart some issue with it that i will get to (no surprise here, i was expecting a lot of them).

1. No turn signals, or brake lights. This was a new discovery for the previous owner who 
found out the night he drove it to get it shipped. I have done some research and will check 
the fuse box and its connection to ensure its got good contact. I dont currently have a 
wiring diagram and considering its like 30-35 degrees and windy here i dont really want to 
sit outside for hours chasing wires  That said, if you have any other suggestions of what \
to check out i will check them while im checking the fuse box.

2. Locks..locked up. I asked him about it and he said he never locked it, it sat in his 
garage so it was a non issue. I read up about stuck or gummed up locks and it sees the 
common fix is graphite spray/goo/stuff. I will look into it and try to get some, atm i just 
have the rear window cracked enough to stretch my skinny fingers in to pop the lock  
Anything else that could help me get the locks working again would be appreciated.

3. Rear window seal (that is behind the main driver window, guess its the passanger 
window?) is ripped halfway down so the driverside window does not seal all the way. Where 
can i pick up these seals, its like a strip? i can take a picture later if you are unsure 
of what im talking about.

4. Radio isnt working. Not a huge deal, engine is music to my ears . However, i intended 
to replace it with a modern one with a Aux jack that retained the classic look. However, 
if i can save this radio and therefore some money for now, im down. Could this be a wiring 
issue? Or just a case of a really old radio just..dying. Any ideas that could get me 
started troubleshooting this would be great.

5. Trim strip across the front window (top trim between the window and the hardtop) is MIA. 
Would this be a fairly easy fix, or would it be a bit of work with epoxy and other crazy 
stuff? Can i order this part or would i need to find a junkyard part car to get the trim 
off of?

6. I wanted to replace the gauges, but im still torn on it. I dont want to change this car 
THAT much right now (eventually...) That said, The stock gauge plastics are faded and aged. 
Can i pop out the plastics and put new ones in? Can i clean them? And the lights are weak, 
driving at night its nearly impossible to see how fast im going (im pretty sure i was 
speeding the whole way home after i picked it up hahaha), Can i get replacement bulbs? Or 
is this just a classic car thing?

7. Interior roof light is missing. The base is there, but no light or plastic cover. Is 
this just a case of picking up a plug-n-play replacement? or would there be any extra work 
to get a new light for it? its not that big of a deal honestly, but im trying to take care 
of small things so this is one of those things.

8. Arm rests for driver and passanger are frayed and the wrap (not sure if its leather) is 
starting to come loose. How would you go about repairing this? Can this be done at home or 
would i be better bringing it to a shop to have someone else re-set the leather wrap on it?

9. Sounds like the front triangle windows (infront of the main window) dont seal well. Is 
this just a old car thing, or can i check seals on it or something to keep the wind/noise 
down? Its really not that bad, but if its fixable i may as well do it.

10. RV-Mirror needs touching up, Theres build up around the edges, nothing much but i would 
like to get it cleaned up. What would you suggest to get it clean? Can i remove it to clean 
it? Would you just use glass cleaner?

11. Bumpers and chrome trims need touch ups. Some parts are faded or chipped. How would you go about touching them up? Should i just wait the year or 2 that im going to wait before i do a full frame off to touch them up? Suggestions would be welcome.

Anyhow thats the list i have right now of small things i want to try to fix up. Car runs great and sounds good; Just want to get the small things out of the way. Any help on any of those things would be appreciated. 

I also see how it sits, its very smooth (turning is more effortless then my old Mazda was...lol). It is a lot lower then i would have thought; looks good though. Its definitely going to be a long term project keeping it moving and i plan to do it justice.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

All the parts you mentioned are available from AMES or Performance Years. The window trim clips on, isn't glued on. The side window rubber slides in place. Easy fix. Gauge lenses come in two pieces, and are easily replaced. I did my '67 and the gauges look brand new. HUGE difference, and cheap,too. All the bulbs are available. Dim lights are not an old car thing. The vent window latches wear, and won't hold the vent window tight against the seal. You can rebuild the latch, or stick a dime under the latch to tighten it up and make the vent window seal all the way. Polishing compound works wonders on glass and mirrors. Be careful of doing a full frame off restoration. A LOT of cars end up never going back together. Fix and touch up what you can, and start driving it. Get the bumpers re-chromed later, or buy repro bumpers for less $$$. Not as good as re=chromed originals, but good enough for a driver.


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## Brevillance (Nov 5, 2014)

Good stuff,

Ill look into picking up as many of those misc parts as i can get next payday. Seems like many of the bits and pieces shouldn't be to hard to fix. 

Ill look into the latch and see if that's the case. If so that's an easy fix. Its not a huge issue so i can get to it later on down the road.

As for the restoration i plan to put money away to start a fund for it. I don't plan on doing it unless i know i can financially capable of completing it. Thats why i want to get some stuff to fix the small things. Mostly the car looks like its in great shape, obviously stripping off paint and all that will reveal all the things that always come up during a full restoration...hence the need for funds readily available and to have a plan to get it done. For the sake of the old owner and my own sanity; i simply could not rip it apart and leave it that way. There would be lots of prep/planning and funding before i even start that process lol.

Any other opinions or options to chase would be very welcome. Thanks for the input geeteeohguy


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Another thing: the two GTO's I'm currently driving are far from perfect and have never been restored. I've driven them, rock-chipped them, dented and repaired them, and have enjoyed them immensely for the past 30 plus years. The one '66 GTO I had that I actually 'restored', I ended up selling. It was too nice to drive, and made me nervous parking it anywhere. A lot of 'restored' cars get parked and not driven....with the exception of the guys on THIS forum!!


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## Brevillance (Nov 5, 2014)

haha, to true. I plan on driving it for a while before i dive into anything that exstensive. I love driving the car as it is already; all i gotta do is take care of it . I may end up buying another to restore; and just fix up the stuff on this one to keep it rollin in good style haha


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## crustysack (Oct 5, 2008)

with the brake kits your offset is increased by .18 thats eighteen hundredths of an inch(not 18mm)- less than the thickness of your fingernail 
the bolt pattern is 5-4 3/4 inches
your offset should be close to zero and backspacing should be 3.2- 4.5
unless you are running some super deep lip 22's or something
also you will need new brake master cylinder,booster and run all new lines for that set up


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