# Follow Up to my "Looking to Buy" Post



## omac (11 mo ago)

So after carefully considering what everyone said on my post asking for help, my girlfriend and I kept scouring the internet for a 68 GTO. After looking far and wide, driving a few hours to see a few, I am happy to say that after a day or two of discussion with the previous owner, I drove home my first GTO.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Fantastic! In my youth I had a '68 GTO hardtop in that color blue - which had been painted over with what looked like a light blue house paint.

Summer is going to be fun!!!


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

Man! That's beautiful!

Congratulations x2


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## Jetzster (Jan 18, 2020)

Nice!😀


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## omac (11 mo ago)

We are beyond excited. I was grinning the whole way home. I wish I had planned better, but I won't be able to get plates until Monday which means she'll probably only drive around the neighborhood for a few days. Should be enough time for me to catch up on some reading though. The owner also gave me a selection of replacement & original parts, and some manuals that I need to dig through. Just being able to find the 'owners manual' would be excellent


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

WOW that's nice ! white top and interior goes great with that color...and a hood tach! It is going to be a fun summer, keep us posted and watch for the high sign from other gear heads and get ready for conversations at the gas pump...great score 👍


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

This was mine - 400CI, Hood tach, His&Hers, white interior, factory 8-track. I'll bet a stunning looker when new. It got junked because the timing chain broke and I installed a new one and could never get it running again - figured I damaged the engine when it snapped. Sold off a few parts and called the junk man to haul it away - you never got any money for a scrap car back then, you were just glad they took it away! LOL


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## omac (11 mo ago)

She's a beauty! Even when prepped for the junkyard. Any regret getting rid of it these days? 😅


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## jsgoatman (Mar 5, 2013)

Enjoy your new ride! Be happy, and be proud!!


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## Jetzster (Jan 18, 2020)

omac said:


> We are beyond excited. I was grinning the whole way home. I wish I had planned better, but I won't be able to get plates until Monday which means she'll probably only drive around the neighborhood for a few days. Should be enough time for me to catch up on some reading though. The owner also gave me a selection of replacement & original parts, and some manuals that I need to dig through. Just being able to find the 'owners manual' would be excellent


Was there a PHS report avail for this?


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## RMTZ67 (Mar 12, 2011)

Welcome to the club!!!! Nice color.


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## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

WELCOME and congrats !!!

great choice !!

great color with sun friendly parchment interior ,,,

sweeeeeeeeet 

" Just being able to find the 'owners manual' would be excellent"

if your looking for a 68 glove box owners manual 
I can help you out ,,,,

I have a decent spare Im sure ,,, I need 2 for my 68's and theres
a few in there ,,,,
I will look tommorow afternoon
they are boxed in with a few dozen old license plates in the back room
and a 69 JUDGE glove box door...from my last move ...

Scott
2o6 465 91six5


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Congratulations! Sweet car!

Let me be the first to say, change your alternator belt! Sorry. It's either too long or too small in diameter. You have no adjustment left! Good to fix stuff like that before you need to.


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## Jared (Apr 19, 2013)

Nice looking ride. You're going to love having an old car in your life. It'll keep you busy and entertained for sure. Congrats!


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## Jared (Apr 19, 2013)

armyadarkness said:


> Congratulations! Sweet car!
> 
> Let me be the first to say, change your alternator belt! Sorry. It's either too long or too small in diameter. You have no adjustment left! Good to fix stuff like that before you need to.


Only you Army. Good catch though,


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## omac (11 mo ago)

armyadarkness said:


> Congratulations! Sweet car!
> 
> Let me be the first to say, change your alternator belt! Sorry. It's either too long or too small in diameter. You have no adjustment left! Good to fix stuff like that before you need to.


Haha! I figured I might get a response or two like that. After searching through the books that the owner gave me, it does appear they have a full service manual included. I'll dive in. Any other recommendations for things to check in general? Are there any things these cars like to wear through or be a little wonky about if the person doesn't intimately know the GTO?


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

omac said:


> ... Are there any things these cars like to wear through...?


GAS, TIRES, & OIL, but you probably know that already...lol


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## Pontiac_Power (May 11, 2020)

Looks nice and clean, plus factory air with a convertible is a nice combination. Have fun with her and best of luck!


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## jsgoatman (Mar 5, 2013)

Upper rad hose!


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Well if you're interested in originality that MSD box sticks out like a purple carrot and the coil too, also I think the hood tach and vents would look better body colored which was factory I think. The wheels look ok being matched to the paint, I did that on my '67 back in the 80's. Not nit picking because it's a great looking car but since you asked 😉


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## dadspackard31 (Dec 2, 2019)

Oracle,

Welcome aboard. Good luck with your new ride.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

omac said:


> Haha! I figured I might get a response or two like that. After searching through the books that the owner gave me, it does appear they have a full service manual included. I'll dive in. Any other recommendations for things to check in general? Are there any things these cars like to wear through or be a little wonky about if the person doesn't intimately know the GTO?


It's not because Im a world-class wise ass, it's because I like people who like GTO's, so I don't want to see you broke down on the way to the car show... and I don't want the Ford guys laughing at you when your belt squeals. Man... looking out for you guys is a full-time job.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Since you asked, you do bring up a useful topic, which Ive never seen arise...

On both my 70 Vette and 67 GTO, I was plagued by belt squeal. No amount of tightening or shortening helped.

I finally realized that during the last 50 years, the previous owners had placed incorrect belts on both cars.

The belt should not bottom out in the pulley groove and it should never be buried in the pulley groove... which often shows as being concave.

The proper belt will ride on the sides of the belt and pulley, and according to Power Master, you SHOULD NOT be able to turn your alternator pulley with a ratchet, once the correct tension is set.

The belt on the left is right.








And now I apologize to everyone because we're sure to be barraged with 40 pics of Baaad's serpentine conversion


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

armyadarkness said:


> Since you asked, you do bring up a useful topic, which Ive never seen arise...
> 
> On both my 70 Vette and 67 GTO, I was plagued by belt squeal. No amount of tightening or shortening helped.
> 
> ...


Come on now I'm not like that anymore...I've given that up


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Tomorrow  And this is what happens when you over tighten things trying to get the belt sqeal out.


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

....the issue is when it squeals it's slipping and that is glazing up the belt which you can't reverse so only way to fix it is a new belt.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Baaad65 said:


> Come on now I'm not like that anymore...I've given that up


Yes... and coyote has given up on chasing the road runner


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Another good point @Baaad65 

When the wrong belt is used, things need to be over tightened to compensate. Which likely ends in a fried water pump.

OP, if you car is running fine, don't change it on my account, but yes, one thing Pontiacs like to do is run hot, so depending on your climate and how far you run the car, I would definitely consider belt health a priority.

Do you have a reliable mechanic who will be maintaining the car, or will you be learning/ doing it yourself?


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

AND FYI, they only run how when neglected (IMO).


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Personally, I like to see my belts further out of the pulley than this, but I cant say how much of that is merely my opinion. I can only tell you that putting a thicker belt on has solved my issues. In this pic, if you belt is quiet and adjusted properly, I wouldnt worry about it. Although I still believe that it's not right... It looked worse in the other picture.

If you do decide to change it, keep the length the same and go up one size in width. That should put the adjustment at the beginning, instead of the end. I usually like to go to NAPA about 23 times, before I get one I like.

However, yes, in this new pic, it looks as though your upper radiator hose may be making contact with the alternator at times? The ribs are leaving marks. If so, NAPA sells protective hose sleeves for it, OR usually you can loosen the radiator hose clamps and twist the hose to fix that stuff.

If you like to tinker, then there are many, many preventative maint projects on a 55 -year-old car! All of them will keep it running and you smiling.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Youll have to zoom in, but you can see, my belt is very high in the groove and my adjustment is dead center


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## omac (11 mo ago)

Sounds good! Thanks Army. I've only taken it out the once driving home since I just got the plate this morning, but will take a listen to see how it sounds a little closer today. Will take a look at the hose too. Regarding your question, I will try to do as much of it myself as I can. I'm handy, though new to classic cars, so I feel pretty confident about working with tools in general. I did receive a copy of the service manual from the previous owner as well. I do have some contacts locally if more major work was needing to be done however.

Perhaps better served for another thread [but since you posted the picture of my dusty engine 😅], do you all have recommendations for cleaning / cleaning products? Inside, outside, and engine bay?


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

omac said:


> Sounds good! Thanks Army. I've only taken it out the once driving home [just got the plate this morning] but will take a listen to see how it sounds a little closer today. Will take a look at the hose too. Regarding your question, I will try to do as much of it myself as I can. I'm handy [though new to classic cards] so I feel pretty confident about working with tools in general. I did receive a copy of the service manual from the previous owner as well. I do have some contacts locally if more major work was needing to be done however.
> 
> Perhaps better served for another thread [but since you posted the picture of my dusty engine 😅], do you all have recommendations for cleaning / cleaning products? Inside, outside, and engine bay?


As for maint, the nice thing about old cars is that if you have any knowledge of science, you can usually just look at something and see if it's right.

If things are rusty, rubbing, loose, rattling, noisy, too hot.. They're all trying to tell you something.

It's when you ignore all of that that a car starts getting beat.

As for engine cleaning, I use whatever "Simple Green" equivalent is on sale. Soak the engine, rinse, repeat.

Cover breathers and avoid sensitive electronics.

When done, soak the engine and bay with tire shine or armour all... Yes, it attracts some dust, but it also neutralizes rust and corrosion, and it makes it so that future crud rinse right off... AND, it makes youre engine look nice.


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## omac (11 mo ago)

Well, It begins. After taking her out for a cruise today, my girlfriend in the car, I tried to turn on the AC and noticed it wasn't cooling down. It did on the way home the first time I think, though it may have been a bit cooler out. When I pulled it into the garage I noticed a bit of a smell, popped the hood to find some spray, and the smell noticeably coming from the AC compressor. A very fine bead of oil around the wheel on it


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## Jetzster (Jan 18, 2020)

Bad compressor seal? Evacuate, rebuild or replace compressor seals&bearings or the swap out the whole thing and re-charge, others will advise more
btw what history/mileage do you have on the engine and do you have PHS info on the car


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## omac (11 mo ago)

Jetzster said:


> Bad compressor seal? Evacuate, rebuild or replace compressor seals&bearings or the swap out the whole thing and re-charge, others will advise more
> btw what history/mileage do you have on the engine and do you have PHS info on the car


Is it drivable or will that continue to sling oil even when all temperature switches are disabled in the cab / cause it to seize up short term?

Mileage reads 38k, I _believe _It's 138k total. A previous owner did say they had PHS documentation on the vehicle. I may have it in some of the paperwork I inherited. Any idea what I should be looking for?


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## Jetzster (Jan 18, 2020)

I would think itsstill drivable with the AC totally turned off, At least for now ,unless you hear any bearing noises from it , if you do , youll have to remove its belt as long as the belt is not affecting anything else ,
Also there is usually a clutch on the front of it activated by a couple wires, if you disconnect/ unplug them it wont engage the comp clutch any more,and prob wont sling oil…
Likely the built up-pressure of the coolant inside the comp is causing the oil and refrigerant mix to sling out of the bad seal, sometimes replacing the whole comp unit is easier than having it rebuilt
You should always have the PHS docs in your possession to see if it matches what your car has In it now , Then youll know what the original car was ordered with option-wise , and what could have been changed or modified body /engine wise by others along the way, it should always be in your possession, usually best to get it in-hand before purchase, even if you have to re-order it yourself😁


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## omac (11 mo ago)

After cleaning out the engine bay today, I'm a little surprised nobody pointed out the telltale signs on the third picture I initially posted! I didn't notice it until today either. There's also some metal shavings near the compressor clutch so I'd wager that whole compressor would likely have to be replaced.

Not having AC isn't a big deal until I can get a shop locally to get a quote for me, but my concern is driving around with the AC powered off and if that will continue to expend oil and eventually seize that up. Worth testing to see if it will idle fine with all of that powered down or do you guys think I shouldn't do any driving until it's fixed?


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## omac (11 mo ago)

I do have the spec sheet here as well


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## Jetzster (Jan 18, 2020)

You can prob drive it, The comp pulley bearing is likely ok, its likely the
Piston assy inside it that is starting to lock up from having no oil when the ac is on , and is causing the Clutch to overheat , drag and start shearing . Pulleys like that are usually packed with their own bearings grease and prob gonna be ok for now , just keep ac off , and dont go on any long distance driving
I can't see your other fanbelts and Pulleys , but as long as your water pump, Alternator and smog, power steering are powered by your other belts you can just Remove the comp belt , another option for no worries in the meantime , and to make things easy , I would likely just cut it to remove the one belt only as its prob gonna need replacing now anyways, but _only _if all it really does is turn your Compressor pulley.lookst your belts and youll see what i mean
Then get it to an ac shop
Or if you dont want to worry at all, dont drive it and have it towed in
The blue sheet is just your original window sticker
The PHS data sheets have alot more info on them


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

Remove the belt before you drive the car. It looks like the clutch/pulley assembly is at an angle to the compressor. The belt appears to be at an angle to the pulley.
If its not an optical illusion, or a bad camera angle, you may be throwing parts through the hood by running the engine


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## omac (11 mo ago)

Yeah, agreed. Going back through there something is definitely off. It's angled a bit and there's some shavings (you can see it in that photo) where the clutch connects to the rest of the compressor. That being said, it looks like that belt only connects to that compressor as the single point of contact. Think it would just be best to disassemble that and bring it in when I can get someone nearby to get the parts? What's the best route to take that belt off?


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

There should be an belt adjustment bolt on the compressor to engine mounting bracket. Look for a slotted hole. Another bolt on the opposite side that the compressor swivels on. This is an aftermarket compressor by Old Air Products. I would contact them and tell them what's going on. They can rebuild it and may even have the installation guide available on line or a tech service to guide you in removing the belt. But don't open the refrigerant lines with a refrigerant recovery system in place. Any A/C shop will have all that. 
If you still can't remove the belt, just cut it. At least you can still drive the car and use the heater.


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## omac (11 mo ago)

O52 said:


> There should be an belt adjustment bolt on the compressor to engine mounting bracket. Look for a slotted hole. Another bolt on the opposite side that the compressor swivels on. This is an aftermarket compressor by Old Air Products. I would contact them and tell them what's going on. They can rebuild it and may even have the installation guide available on line or a tech service to guide you in removing the belt. But don't open the refrigerant lines with a refrigerant recovery system in place. Any A/C shop will have all that.
> If you still can't remove the belt, just cut it. At least you can still drive the car and use the heater.


Awesome! Thank you! I figured there would be an adjustment of sorts on that side, I'll look around the bolts on the compressor. 

Yeah I don't plan on touching the compressor at all, except maybe unplugging the power. I'll let the shop do that. There shouldn't be an issue with the pressure from that belt counteracting any pressure going in the opposite direction from the other belt?


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

omac said:


> Well, It begins. After taking her out for a cruise today, my girlfriend in the car, I tried to turn on the AC and noticed it wasn't cooling down. It did on the way home the first time I think, though it may have been a bit cooler out. When I pulled it into the garage I noticed a bit of a smell, popped the hood to find some spray, and the smell noticeably coming from the AC compressor. A very fine bead of oil around the wheel on it


Welcome to it, my friend! As with all things, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Keep the faith and stick it out! 

It'll take a year to exploit all of the vehicles short comings, and all the while, you'll be trying to do the things you "wanted to do"... but it needs to happen if you're going to learn the car.

It's fun and it's rewarding. 

When people see these old cars driving down the road, they're not just seeing a car, they're seeing heart, soul, and commitment. As the saying goes, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.

There are hundreds of thousands of classic cars in existence, but barely any on the road... So when you see one, you'll know what it takes, and when you drive one, you'll know that you're better than average! This place will help you do it!


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

No other pressures are involved. Its an aftermarket system where the drive pulley mounts to the crankshaft pulley much like the factory. The only difference is, the factory Compressor pulley is next to the block, aftermarket systems mount the pulley on top of the other crankshaft pulleys closest to the fan. 
Would not surprise me that someone overtightened the belt, side loading the clutch bearing and causing it to fail.


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## RMTZ67 (Mar 12, 2011)

armyadarkness said:


> Personally, I like to see my belts further out of the pulley than this, but I cant say how much of that is merely my opinion. I can only tell you that putting a thicker belt on has solved my issues. In this pic, if you belt is quiet and adjusted properly, I wouldnt worry about it. Although I still believe that it's not right... It looked worse in the other picture.
> 
> If you do decide to change it, keep the length the same and go up one size in width. That should put the adjustment at the beginning, instead of the end. I usually like to go to NAPA about 23 times, before I get one I like.
> 
> ...


"I usually like to go to Napa 23 times before I find one I like." 
With inflation and gas prices you may need to dial that back.


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## Jared (Apr 19, 2013)

armyadarkness said:


> Welcome to it, my friend! As with all things, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Keep the faith and stick it out!
> 
> It'll take a year to exploit all of the vehicles short comings, and all the while, you'll be trying to do the things you "wanted to do"... but it needs to happen if you're going to learn the car.
> 
> ...


A year? I've had mine almost 10 and I'm still not done. Kinda like buying your first house. You paint the first couple rooms fast, then run out of steam. By the time you finish the last thing on the original list, those first two paint jobs look bad and need to be redone.

All joking aside, this is part of the journey with these cars.


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## Axle (Sep 5, 2020)

omac said:


> So after carefully considering what everyone said on my post asking for help, my girlfriend and I kept scouring the internet for a 68 GTO. After looking far and wide, driving a few hours to see a few, I am happy to say that after a day or two of discussion with the previous owner, I drove home my first GTO.
> 
> 
> View attachment 151050
> ...


Beautiful looking car. Best of luck with it.


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## Paul H (Jun 11, 2021)

Congrats on finding a nice one. Feels great driving it, eh? Wait until someone yells “nice car”. Have fun!


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

The only down side to driving a cool ole' classic is when you are in a hurry and need to stop for gas and "someone" had "one of those way back when" and needs to get nostalgic on you and hold up your hustle. God Bless them and give them the moment because it's hard to be rude and just bug-off cause of the hurry...we are driving cars that beg conversation anyhow! I think they call it smelling the roses and I have to remind myself of that at times.


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## Dave 68 (Nov 18, 2018)

Very nice. Don't forget a hat and sunscreen during summer top down cruises. I learned the hard way with my 66 Sport Fury III conv. with a white interior....reflects a lot of sun.


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## nick rice (Nov 10, 2014)

Congrats! It looks like you did your homework and scored a real sweetie. Enjoy!!...


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## solar68 (Nov 11, 2021)

Great car, love the color! 

May it bring you many years of happiness


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## 66COUPE (Jul 23, 2021)

solar68 said:


> Great car, love the color!
> 
> May it bring you many years of happiness


Yes, very nice car !! you should for sure remove or cut off that ac belt, being that far off alignment can snap the belt at higher rpm’s and then the broken belt can whip your trans line very badly, bending and kinking them almost to the breaking point. Happened to me once.


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## Droach6498 (Nov 1, 2020)

PontiacJim said:


> This was mine - 400CI, Hood tach, His&Hers, white interior, factory 8-track. I'll bet a stunning looker when new. It got junked because the timing chain broke and I installed a new one and could never get it running again - figured I damaged the engine when it snapped. Sold off a few parts and called the junk man to haul it away - you never got any money for a scrap car back then, you were just glad they took it away! LOL
> 
> View attachment 151064
> View attachment 151065


Yeh I junked a 57 chevy broke my heart but it caught on fire when my girlfriend started it up by the time I got there it was beyond my ability, about1977 or 78-79 somewhere in there no pics. I bought it for $300 from an old lady it had 38,000 miles 3 speed auto.Biggest engine bay ever. 283 v8 great cruiser


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Droach6498 said:


> Yeh I junked a 57 chevy broke my heart but it caught on fire when my girlfriend started it up by the time I got there it was beyond my ability, about1977 or 78-79 somewhere in there no pics. I bought it for $300 from an old lady it had 38,000 miles 3 speed auto.Biggest engine bay ever. 283 v8 great cruiser


Yep, I junk many cars that today would have been easily considered for rebuild. But, back then they were just old cars and not a lot of value and certainly not worth investing money into to bring the car back to original. Besides, who had money back then? I had a wife at home who did not work, 2 small kids at the time, and made $6.50/hr. LOL Lot of Kraft macaroni & cheese back then - no wonder the wife divorced me, she was tired of starving, me buying cars/parts.........and my mean character.


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## 67ventwindow (Mar 3, 2020)

In our defense I dont think anyone saw the auto industry using a bad woody allen movie for their design inspiration. I fully expect the EV cars to be able to change a hockey or SS stripes or faux scoops on a moments notice according to the drivers whim. (Voice activated CGI)


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## omac (11 mo ago)

Belt is removed, and compressor unplugged (not pictured).

Do I need to unplug the item circled in red in addition to the compressor / yellow? Forgive my ignorance, I wasn't sure what it was. Blower? AC should all be off in the car but don't want to risk turning something on accidentally if it would be an issue. 

Thanks everyone for the help. I'm excited to take her back out today.


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

Disconnecting the wire/s at the compressor is all you should do and that is unnecessary, but a good precaution. All that given you have removed the belt. Removing the belt is the key move.

Enjoy the day!


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## omac (11 mo ago)

I assume this much play is abnormal too eh?









Wobbly Compressor Clutch GIF | Gfycat


Watch and share Wobbly Compressor Clutch GIFs on Gfycat




gfycat.com


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

Leave the items circled in red as is. You can still operate the heater/defroster without any worries.


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

omac said:


> I assume this much play is abnormal too eh?


Oh man, you escaped a hole in your hood and lots of other residual damage. That compressor is gone. Should be tight with no play at all.


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## 66COUPE (Jul 23, 2021)

O52 said:


> Oh man, you escaped a hole in your hood and lots of other residual damage. That compressor is gone. Should be tight with no play at all.


Yes, big time damage avoided ! GTO hoods are perfect works of art 👍


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## 4rd4fun (Oct 24, 2019)

omac said:


> So after carefully considering what everyone said on my post asking for help, my girlfriend and I kept scouring the internet for a 68 GTO. After looking far and wide, driving a few hours to see a few, I am happy to say that after a day or two of discussion with the previous owner, I drove home my first GTO.
> 
> 
> View attachment 151050
> ...


very nice!


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## integrity6987 (May 10, 2017)

4rd4fun said:


> very nice!


looking good!


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