# 68 GTO resto-mod project



## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

I bought my first 60s muscle car today. Excited and a bit worried at the same time. I wish I could say it was clean but its far from it. No engine/trans, zero int, new floors, yeah rust here and there, dash close to glass is bad, rear lower glass area is bad, trunk/eng bay area solid...I feel like I should replace everything, qtrs, doors, fenders, hood. I've built a few cars but never this extensive, the roof looks solid though. Its going to need sooo much. Better work on welding skills! At least I don't have to strip it. 

Plan is Resto-mod. Suspension, AC, PS, PB, bigger brakes, big wheels, new GTO seats with original type dash and some type of LS2 or LSX 400+ci. Not sure if to go FI or Carb/dual quad? Big plans but big money investment. I do most of the work myself. Going to be orange.

So with that said, who has best selection, prices? Like OPG, NPD ?

Thanks guys


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Aims is also one of the biggest suppliers to the midwest and east coast. NPD finally came out with their GTO catalog last year (right after i finished mine), have one 10 miles away would have saved me hundreds on shipping. Parts for our cars are NOT cheap, less demand than for chevelles so we pay a premium for our Pontiac specific parts. Even doing all the work yourself plan on dropping 20K plus in parts to restore one.


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## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

Thank you for the reply. I have an NPD just over an hr away. So yeah I'd like to save in shipping. Good point about GTO more expensive, hope that adds to value of car. Since so much is missing and have some bone yard connections with Fbods/GTO I will try that route. Still though looks like lots of cash/time for it, but will do a bit at a time. Point is now just to get it towed out of the yard where I got it and put it into a warehouse for a little bit. Got to find a way to tell the wife lol...

That's very clean and looks to be the original color of mine. No idea on that yet.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

:lol: i told mine once it was on the tractor trailer from Idaho to Michigan....good luck

If you have little rust just replace with patch panels, the re-pop sheet metal leaves a lot to be desired. There are threads on here about replacing the glass channels as there are no patches made for them. My original color was Barrier Blue, sprayed it Bahama Blue Metallic which is the identical base with some very fine flake in it. 

Nice Bird, grew up with them, 69', 74', 76' and 79' wish i had a few of them back. The GTO was the one that got away at 16. When i found the Tempest it had been in a carport since 76' with a bad valve. Originally it was gonna be the shell for a GTO clone as the price was too good to pass up for an A-body with no rust through and only one sizable dent on factory metal . Once i saw how complete and solid it was decided to just make it a bad ass Tempest.

heres what it looked like when i found it 4 years ago


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## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

Here's mine so far..I've built a few cars including my Pace Car. A very coor 85 Fox with 347 carb had a few rust issues but nothing like in the scope of this car. Need to buy a welder. This car is the progress of my car building abilities.

The area around the rear glass is bad. 

Umm, yours looks better than mine does! 

My Pace Car was on Pont High Perf Cover with 517/497 RW. Been to 172 in a mile event FLOATING and 10.89 @ 128. Did all the work myself.


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## Orion88 (Apr 24, 2012)

That's a very common area to rust out on these A bodies. When I was working on mine to do a repaint, I found out that my rear deck filler panel was completely covered in fiberglass...and underneath was nothing but rust. My window channels along my quarters were swiss cheese as well, but not terrible. When I realized I would have to replace my quarters and the rear deck panel, it went from a scuff-n-shoot to a full frame-off restoration. Always expect the unexpected with these cars. Don't let it overwhelm you though. You have to break a big project like yours up into pieces, focusing on one small project at a time. I've never done a car rebuild until now. It's intimidating at times but there's nothing you can screw up that you can't fix, and there's nothing wrong with doing something more than one time. If you want a good guide to follow for your car you should read through FlambeauHO's restoration thread:
http://www.gtoforum.com/f83/68-gto-ho-convertible-restoration-35528/

Good luck to you!!


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

I have a fox body LX 5.0 in the shop right now waiting for a little love from me, carbed 347 W/eddy heads, T-5 with FMS clutch, full tubular moly front K member and A-arms, lowered 2" with Cobra R disks and wheels, rear seat delete with 8 point roll cage, thinking of doing a saleen body kit on it. Picked up the rust free california body for scrap price. Most of the other components came of a doaner cobra with rusted out shock towers and subframe. Still have to blast and paint the 9" 3:90 rear end and the engine bay before winter then i can start assembling it when the construction business slows down. Might need some help on that end.

You came to the right place for info and help on the Pontiac, lots of great members with years of knowledge always ready to help out...welcome, use the advance search feature to help find old threads as most of the frequently asked questions have been covered extensively. Like Orion said, Flambeau and Bears builds are well documented and photographed examples of exactly what you will be going through...and not to mention two of the finest looking cars you will ever see...and they are owner built. You will also want to check out Crustysacks 65' tempest/GTO as he did the engine/interior swap and his work is flawless from what i can see.


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## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

Thanks so much guys! I agree research is key to not asking too many dumb questions. I'm undecided about a few things but first job is body no matter what. So I'll ask here, plan is LSx but not sure how deep I'll be in it but I have a chance to get a Pont 400 period correct. It is seized so don't know if its a boat anchor, but if I can get it cheap should I try it??

I also traded my newish LS1 short block for the car, I had it for about 3yrs so I thought it was a good deal to get my first old iron muscle.

Inst, here's a shot of my Ford, fist and last. Too cheap group of people. I built it all and painted it, susp, 347, steeda T5, int ect...Eng was all show. I had about 425 easy flywheel, 10.4 cr, 750 quick fuel.


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## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

Here's what I see. Some modern twists but the same overall look.


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## crustysack (Oct 5, 2008)

Good to have a vision and then go for it. Many purist will disagree but you can not go wrong with a fi lsx motor.the ls swap is so easy now with tons of vendors supplying everything to make that swap painless. unlike when I did it and had to fabricate motor mounts. Good luck


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## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

I look at it as I'm saving it. If it were a real deal numbers matching car, then this is another story and I would agree with a purist. Let the underachieving car become a cool car for the modern era. Its not like I'm making it electric lol, though for the future it may be best lol. Still has to lope no matter if it has the 400 I have or LSX. On the fence for both and just see which way is now best bang/buck!

Got to have a body/style plan and at least that should not change.


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## maktope (May 22, 2013)

heres my 69 with 2006 gto seats, if thats your idea for int.


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## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

WOW!! Thank you. Yes that is my idea since I have no seats lol. May as well be modern and comfortable. I see you did the rears too any recommendations? I have bare new floors so I assume to weld in the brackets? Please tell. I'll even save the pic


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## maktope (May 22, 2013)

yeah front and rear, I welded the brackets, drilled and welded the supports underneth, if i get time ill go under it tomorrow and snap a picture for you. The biggest problem is the rear seats out of the 06 are not as wide as what was in originally so you gotta get creative. ill post what i did to each their own though right? One thing i did do was keep the original seat belts instead of putting the shoulder belts in. Best of all 8 way power seats get you in the right spot.


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## maktope (May 22, 2013)

heres some of the back so you can see the how we "bracketed" the rear seats


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## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

That's what I'm talking about! I like it,did you change the console? 

Also, I looked at some int panels. The rear 05 GTO panels seems to be close. I have nothing and the rears are trash.

There is a salvage yard that deals fbods, GTOs and Mustangs only that is close to me.


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## maktope (May 22, 2013)

I had the interior done, i just did not like the way i sat in it. So i sold the finished interior for more then i bought the 06 interior for. Now if i was thinking properly i would have saved the old one but hell we all make mistakes. I got if from a local pick a part price was fair. I had swapped the motor out so car wasnt original so i figured modifiy it the way i want. I love it my buddies have a chevelle and camaro both are thinking about swapping interior after driving in mine. Whats funny is since i saved the pannels people think its the original, well non Pontiac people atleast.


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## 68GTOLSX (Nov 16, 2013)

I agree. For me I have zero nothing in it, just new bare floors and bare doors. So I'm not thinking I'm destroying it since it had nothing anyway. The rear seat crushing was growing plants so, this is perfect for the restomod. Going for a pro touring look with the 400 and six seed auto. At the end of the day we got to spend on what we like and try to forget and move on. I like what you did! I'm glad to know rears can fit so I can dump the rear rusted frames I have.


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## OrbitOrange (Jul 5, 2010)

Have fun with it. Thats what matters. I got way more in my GTO than I can ever get out of it. I too have a completely finished interior less than 2 years old and maybe 1 hours of seat time on it. And I am in the process of designing a custom console, bucket seats and I am undecided on the rear seats.


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## 67GTOCoop (Jan 9, 2014)

In the middle of a resto mod here as well and I am unsure what we will do with the interior. Were the mew style GTO seats hard to come by?


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