# Update on my '66



## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

Hi all. I always love seeing everyone's restoration updates, so I figured I'd add mine to the list. Still a MAJOR work in progress, but it's getting closer to looking like a car again. Lots of work travel this winter, so I just got back to working on it, but here's what I've got so far: (all work being done old school at my farm in an open garage with dirt/carpeted floors (hey, its the best I've got right now) with mostly hand tools and a basic welder.)

-Frame done, rust encapsulated and painted
-New 4 wheel power disk brakes
-New springs all the way around, all new suspension bushings and shocks
-New steering linkages and arms
-New fuel and brake lines
-New inner rockers, all new floors and floor braces
-New trunk floors (still finishing up and seam sealing)
-New body cage nuts (7 of them) welded in with all new body mount bushings
-Fixed holes/dents in the firewall, inner metal kick panels and dash
-All new seam sealer underneath and on the firewall/cowl
-Body back onto the chassis (after 15 years of sitting apart!)

Now: (this spring/summer I hope!)
-Finishing trunk floor (fiberglassing and sanding the seams and seam sealing everything else)
-Fixing a few rust holes in the sail panels and windshield channel
-Going to strip body down to bare metal, fix everything and get it into epoxy primer
-Reassemble and get all gaps and body lines tight

Down the road:
-389 tripower rebuild
-4 speed rebuild
-all new interior (had zero interior when I got it)
spend money, money, money, money......lol

Big thanks to all the great guys who have offered advice (and those who will be offering advice in the future, too!). This has been, and continues to be such a learning process. You guys are all awesome. Thanks! Joe


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## 67ventwindow (Mar 3, 2020)

You said it was a dirt floor I didn't think you were talking about the trunk.  I was surprised how many of us do it the old fashioned way with out car lifts. My neighbor does have a 36 boom lift like you would take a barn roof off. He has help me reposition my toys. He doesn't even drive in my barn.

Looks good.


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## Duff (Jan 12, 2020)

Looks like I'm not the only one that does things hillbilly, my last frame replacement was on a 70 chevelle, it took 2 floor jacks and 10 stands, but it worked. You're doing a GREAT job!


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

67ventwindow said:


> You said it was a dirt floor I didn't think you were talking about the trunk.  I was surprised how many of us do it the old fashioned way with out car lifts. My neighbor does have a 36 boom lift like you would take a barn roof off. He has help me reposition my toys. He doesn't even drive in my barn.
> 
> Looks good.


Thanks! Yeah, no lift over here, that's for sure. The body sat up on tobacco barn poles and 55 gallon barrels for a few years and putting the body back on the frame for this one man show included safety straps, lowering inch by inch, removing wood blocks, multiple jacks, and in increase in blood pressure!


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

Duff said:


> Looks like I'm not the only one that does things hillbilly, my last frame replacement was on a 70 chevelle, it took 2 floor jacks and 10 stands, but it worked. You're doing a GREAT job!


Thank you, Duff! Slow and steady is the best I can hope for, and doing it hillbilly is the only way to do it, sometimes. Let's hear it for jacks, jackstands, 2x4s, planks, barrels, tow straps and prybars! (on a previous pic, I had several guys recognize my Harbor Freight floor jacks! )


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

67ventwindow said:


> You said it was a dirt floor I didn't think you were talking about the trunk.
> 
> You should have seen that trunk - previous owner welded flat sheet metal across the trunk and coated it with about an inch of roofing tar, dirt, rust......you name it. I'm grateful that all I had to do was cut it out and replace it with new panels. If I had to scrape that stuff off, I'd never finish!


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Joes1966GTO said:


> Thank you, Duff! Slow and steady is the best I can hope for, and doing it hillbilly is the only way to do it, sometimes. Let's hear it for jacks, jackstands, 2x4s, planks, barrels, tow straps and prybars! (on a previous pic, I had several guys recognize my Harbor Freight floor jacks! )


Hydraulic roll-away jack, 4 x 4's on jack stands. Jack each side up and block between body & frame - alternating sides and going up 1 2 x 4 wood spacer (2 per side - 1 front/1 rear) at a time until you can easily slide the 4 x 4 between frame and body. Run another 4 x 4 across the jack stands just below the car 4 x 4's on each side, but high enough that you can drop the 4 x 4's between the frame/body on to it so it supports the body. Slide the car 4 x 4's through the frame/body and even out each side's stick out so it sets above the 4 x 4 side rail. Then jack the body on each side high enough to pull out your spacer 2 x 4 blocks and lower the body/weight down on the 4 x 4's which drop onto the side rail 4 x 4's. Use L-brackets to secure the cross 4 x 4 to the side rail 4 x 4's to make things rigid.

The key is to make sure you get the side rail high enough on the jack stands so you can roll the frame out from under the car - the wheel well frame arches are the ones that will hit. I lifted the side rail 4 x 4's up a little on each side to click in another notch up on each of the front/rear jack stands. Then do the other side the same. Repeat until you have the body up high enough by eyeballing it so you can roll the chassis out. Go slow & steady like there is nitroglycerine under each jack stand and one false move and its all over for you.

Then roll the chassis out and begin your work on the back half - like sandblast, POR-15, install new Ford 9" and all new tubular control arms and suspension parts. Then roll out the next 1 /3rd covering up the back 1/3rd with the trap and clean it up. Then roll it out to do the final front 1/3rd completely rebuilding the front end and adding disc brakes.

With the frame out, and additional support from under neath, blast/scrape all loose dirt/undercoating from the floor on your back, POR-15 everything and rattle can black over the well dried POR-15 to seal it.

When all done, roll the fresh/rebuild chassis back under the body and drop it back into place in a reverse fashion.

NOTE, might not be the best way to do this and you must be very careful and slow when raising/lowering the body off/on the frame (I have done this before). Be mindful that you have weight overhang of the body past the wheel well arches - so you want to watch the balance. You don't want it to slip or go sideways on you, so take your time and just go up a little at a time using the 2 x 4 spacer blocks and just go up enough so the body is not at a steep angle as that is where the weight of the car and gravity can disagree and the car body fall/slip. It was slow going, but safest. I don't have any help I can call on, so I have to come up with safe ways of getting done what I need done- could have used straps and paid a wrecker to lift the body, but I am cheap and my motto is," there are no problems, only solutions."


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

The timing of this is perfect! It's about time for my body to come off the frame and I have the preverbal jacks, jack stands, barrels, timbers, pry bars, and a cherry picker. Time to put the anxieties to the test!


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

A cherry picker and a John Deer tractor worked for me.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Shop? What Shop? We ain't got no shop. _There is no shop._ We don't need no stinkin' shop!


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## 67ventwindow (Mar 3, 2020)

Could have used a shop today. I am all for rain /beverage breaks but when it lasts all afternoon . Looks like siesta time.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Barrier Blue '66....very cool, one-year-only color. Looks great with a parchment or black interior. Nice progress!! Keep the photos coming. Rome wasn't built in a day.


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

Sick467 said:


> The timing of this is perfect! It's about time for my body to come off the frame and I have the preverbal jacks, jack stands, barrels, timbers, pry bars, and a cherry picker. Time to put the anxieties to the test!


Good luck, Sick! Just remember to go SLOW, and constantly be thinking about SAFETY. I know a guy who got careless and his truck came down on him, slowly crushing him to death (they think that he was possibly alive for up to 5 or 6 hours) they didn't find him till morning, dead. I wanted to hurry and get things done, but then I just thought about my kids and took the time to put in safety straps, extra blocks, etc. I'm glad I did, and so will you. Also feel free to ask questions as you go - there are so many really great and knowledgable people here. They've helped me a TON so far. Keep up the good work and keep us posted!


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

Great advice as always, Jim!!! Thanks!


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

geeteeohguy said:


> Barrier Blue '66....very cool, one-year-only color. Looks great with a parchment or black interior. Nice progress!! Keep the photos coming. Rome wasn't built in a day.


Hey geeteeohguy - Thanks so much!!! Although it's hard to tell from the pics, the car actually was repainted by it's previous knucklehead.....err, owner and it looks almost like they put it on with a paint roller!!!! Because I don't trust anything he did, I'm taking it all down to bare metal to make sure there are no more surprises waiting for me. (I installed all new rockers, braces, and floors because sometime in the 80's he thought it would be a good idea to replace the floors with flat panel steel......with NO floor braces!!! I can only imagine the extra "bounce" he got rolling down the road.

It was originally Nightwatch Blue with a blue interior, but that was all gone by the time I got the car, so it's pretty much a blank slate at this point.


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## Chad (Jan 15, 2016)

Joes1966GTO said:


> Hi all. I always love seeing everyone's restoration updates, so I figured I'd add mine to the list. Still a MAJOR work in progress, but it's getting closer to looking like a car again. Lots of work travel this winter, so I just got back to working on it, but here's what I've got so far: (all work being done old school at my farm in an open garage with dirt/carpeted floors (hey, its the best I've got right now) with mostly hand tools and a basic welder.)
> 
> -Frame done, rust encapsulated and painted
> -New 4 wheel power disk brakes
> ...


Wow. I'm following the same path you are with my 67. So, you give me hope!! Good luck and keep at it!


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## Axle (Sep 5, 2020)

Joes1966GTO said:


> Hi all. I always love seeing everyone's restoration updates, so I figured I'd add mine to the list. Still a MAJOR work in progress, but it's getting closer to looking like a car again. Lots of work travel this winter, so I just got back to working on it, but here's what I've got so far: (all work being done old school at my farm in an open garage with dirt/carpeted floors (hey, its the best I've got right now) with mostly hand tools and a basic welder.)
> 
> -Frame done, rust encapsulated and painted
> -New 4 wheel power disk brakes
> ...


Nice work man. Keep it going you’re going to have a great car when you’re finished.


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## mikezohsix (Jan 28, 2010)

We all have our (true) stories about cars coming down on people and killing them outright, like your friend, or in my case, permanently disabling them. Safety is key, if you have to think twice, then something probably isn't right. Lifts, even the MaxJax "temporary" lift of those scissor things are relatively cheap and a great alternative to jack stands and blocks of wood. Never, ever use cement blocks, that's what did my friend in.


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

mikezohsix said:


> We all have our (true) stories about cars coming down on people and killing them outright, like your friend, or in my case, permanently disabling them. Safety is key, if you have to think twice, then something probably isn't right. Lifts, even the MaxJax "temporary" lift of those scissor things are relatively cheap and a great alternative to jack stands and blocks of wood. Never, ever use cement blocks, that's what did my friend in.


Sorry to hear about your friend, @mikezohsix . Our great hobby is filled with horror stories like that.
Yeah, being a "type A" personality myself, I am constantly rushing and always tempted to go faster, which could potentially lead to safety mistakes. It may sound cliche, but safety really needs to job #1 all the time/every time. Hope to see everyone here stay safe and alive to enjoy those awesome GTO's for years to come.....


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## 67ventwindow (Mar 3, 2020)

When my 4 year old twins show up while I am working everything stops. They can get into things quicker than I can think about it. I lower then jack step away and they get my full attention. My family would go one with out me, I have made all the arrangements for that. I loose one of my kids I don't think I would recover.


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

@67ventwindow you are 100% spot on! (Man, those kids can move fast, can't they?) I was never very safety-minded until my kids came along. I'm glad that you are keeping them safe.....but make sure that you stay safe for them too.....they need you! Rock on, brother.


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