# '67 Restoration



## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I've tried over and over using different sources to shrink and resize photos so I could post them with just NO luck. My good friend Bill recently finished completion on his '67 GTO hardtop that he bought in 1977 while a junior in High School It has sat since 1991, and with me prodding him constantly (and offering to drain the old fluids to get the project moving) he got it done. It took about 3 years, but as you can see, a typical zero rust Calif. car. He went from turqoise interior to a parchment interior, and an auto to an m22 4 speed, but it's all correct, oem stuff that he's stockpiled for over 30 years. The interior is Legendary, and he did it all, including the headliner. The other pics are of my goats, the '65's protecto plate, etc. My '67 convertible is currently down at Bill's in the Black Widow Garage (only smashed one so far....there will be lots more when it warms up) with the engine and trans out for a makeover. I will post more photos of the process on my new,exciting photobucket site!!! I am replacing the rear main, clearance checking the water pump, and resealing the whole engine. I rebuilt a TH400, and that's going in with a GM L-88 spec Hi-stall converter. I hope this link works....
Jeff http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i372/geeteeohguy/:willy:


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Again: Pictures by geeteeohguy - Photobucket

I guess the willy icon screwed it up....


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Nice. Your buddies is the white one? Sweet ride. The convert looks pretty tore apart, but will be nice when it's done. Congrats on photobucket.:cheers


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## likethat (Oct 5, 2007)

Totally jealous. For me. The plan is to paint the 66 white with some black accents. I like how clean it looks white in your friends pics.


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## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)




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## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)




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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Jeff, You guys have it all figured out!!!:cheers Regards, Eric


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

I was looking at "gary's" convert. I guess yours was never that tore up, just figured that was the pic of the redo, oh well.. That convert is a def frame off.:cheers


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## Squidtone (Nov 26, 2010)

Nice!
In particular, I would like to see more 67 vert pix!


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Jet, Gary's convert has been sitting on those 55 gallon drums since 1980. Last month, it was hauled down to the LA area. It has been blasted, and is now in prime at a body shop. It's getting a full on resto. Believe it or not, it has solid floors and all original panels. It looks TERRIBLE, but it's "all there". The chassis was restored and put in a barn in 1980. It's an HO 360 horse 4 speed car with 3.55 gears and rally gauges. Burgundy with black gut. It should be on the road in a year or two. No, my car was a tired old convert when I bought it in '83. I rebuilt the carb and front end and drove it about 60,000 miles as a commuter, then built the engine in '88. I painted it burgundy and redid the interior in '93, and that's how it is today. It's no show car, just a nice "driver" GTO. It's never been "out of service" or restored. Just repaired. I'll post some pics of the rear main seal....unbelievable. Bill's GTO is the white '67 that he bought for $1200 in 1977. It was and is his "first car" . It's all stock and correct, with the exception of the '66 tripower on it. With the 3.55 gears and 4 speed, it screams!!


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Okay....I posted some engine photos. The rear main (non asbestos rope) was missing about an inch of seal on the upper portion of the main. No wonder it was pourig oil. The bearings were all inexcellent shape, so they went back in. The new seal is a BOP Viton seal, and it fit great with no issues. It should seal FINE. Got the engine back together and painted for the most part, but am still waiting on an AMES parts order before we can stab it back in. I need the oil pan braces for the back of the pan (never had 'em) and the engine wiring harness. Needed a new water pump (put a cast iron impellor one in), and Bill insisted on new brass freeze plugs. I got over there yesterday at mid day returning from the Bakersfield March Meet vintage drags, and we worked for about 7 hours. These things are always much more work than anticipated. I ended up installing a new steering gearbox, too, as mine was leaking. Thanks to Bill, who did a ton of work on it while I wasn't there (he lives 50+ miles away) the progress has been great. He even borrowed a pressure washer and blasted my grungy engine compartment and my underchassis clean. So, another hard day or two and the thing will be back together. Got the trans back in yesterday, too. I HOPE I didn't screw up the rebuild on that, if I did, you guys will be the first to hear about it!!!


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Dang, I guess you can teach an old guy new tricks...congrats on the photobucket account...:cool










The caption didn't transfer with the pic. He has a screw driver inserted 1" until it hit the "shrunken" rope seal after removing the cap... Looks more like a poor install during a previous rebuild...


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Yeah, and Yours Truely did the install. And I wasn't drinking beer or smoking crack, either. But there is simply no place the missing portion of the rear seal could have gone. I remember the build was late at night, in my dad's garage with poor light, and I used an antique straight razor to cut the seal. Lost the razor that night, too. The seal wasn't spun in the cap, just an inch too short in the block. I don't know what happened, but it did leak shortly after the overhaul, and got worse over time. So, I think it was a bad install by ME. Mitch, I can see why the front clip is off of the Chevelle.....when the engine is out and parts start getting bead blasted and painted, that engine bay starts to look pretty sorry. If this weren't an "emergency repair", I would probably take the body off the frame and do the whole darn thing. It's tempting, all right. And one thing does lead to another! The engine will be going back in this week or weekend, with any luck, and the car will be back on the road. Even with the un-detailed engine bay, it will be in better shape than it ever has been since I've owned the car!


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Pictures by geeteeohguy-Photobucket
Posted two new "engine-in-car" photos on photobucket.
Got the engine in and running. No leaks at all, used the BOP rear seal, and installed an adjustable vacuum advance to set total timing at 35 degrees (instead of the 44 it was at!!) The GM3-HS converter I used makes the car pull off the line hard, like it has 3 series gears instead of 2.56 gears. Drove the snot out of it, and it's never run better. It pulls like crazy. Drove it the 50+ miles home, and it was as smooth as glass at 75+ mph and has never run better. Pulling into my neighborhood, had a shudder on the 1-2 upshift at light load. No issues at heavy or WOT, or manual 1-2 shifting.....just light throttle, in "drive" upshift. Going out to adjust the manual valve in a few (I had issues with it before) and see if that helps. Ran the car last night in the driveway for about 20 minutes after the 50 m ile high speed run, and it is as dry as a bone underneath....like a new car. Amazing. It took me 29 years to fix the darn oil leaks. Now, it looks like I need to refinish that master sylinder/brake booster....the look terrible in the photos. I hope I don't have to pull the trans back out!!!!! All those "correct" steel lines are a real PITA to deal with instead of the rubber hoses I used to run......


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Looks really nice, Jeff. Glad to hear the leaks are finally a thing of the past..


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## chin (Jan 5, 2011)

Good lookin rides!


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Congrats GTO on the rebuild, looks great.


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## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)

lookin good. enjoy!


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Looks Sweet.....now go out and drive the b*lls offit till it leaks again....:cheers


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Thanks, guys. Already back in service and been driving it. Was 83 degrees yesterday, and will be the same today and for the weekend. Back on the road burning gas and rubber, but no longer burning oil (on my exhaust system!!!)


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

looks great GeeTee, that car sounds like a workhorse, glad you treated her to some fresh oats. Your making me want to Posi out my 2:56 peg leg....like the idea of 2500 @70 and 20 mpg without a gear vendors hit in the wallet.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

No complaints here, Inst. It was a posi, and it was gifted to me, so I thought I'd try it. With the new GM-3 HS converter, it comes off the line like it did with the old 3.36 gear. I love the simplicity of a stock TH400 (not to mention the price!). Now that this thing gets the same mileage as my "modern" 4Runner and pickup, I find myself driving it a lot more. It is definately a "workhorse", and used to be my 100+ mile a day commuter car for years. The longer I have it, the more I appreciate it and enjoy it.....can't say that about too many things!! (I'll leave it at that!)


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

that really says a lot about these old cars that you drove 100+ a day, a lot to be said for simplicity in engineering. I love that your cars live the life they were intended for GeeTee no trailer queens there, just good old Detroit Iron, driven by a man that can appreciate what Mr. DeLorean had in mind, drive'em hard and put'em away wet...Now you will need to pretty up the engine bay...lol. Enjoy.....:cheers


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

This is really twisted, but here goes: the newest CAR I've ever owned (I'm 50) is my '67 GTO. I've never had a new car, I've never had a car with disc brakes. I DO have a '94 4 Runner with ABS discs and all that, but it's a truck. In my job I'm driving and repairing the latest iron all the time, so I'm very familiar with the modern stuff. Almost bought a Buick GNX in '87, but it would have taken all my $$$$$ at the time. Thought about an '04-'06 GTO, too, but couldn't get past the appearance. Now I'm looking at the new Challengers, but I've been working on cars too long, and I've owned a bunch of Mopars, so I'm wary.....Yeah, back to that engine bay.....sigh. At least it's DIRT and not oil!!!!


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