# The '65 Gets its Back Up Lights Back



## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

In 1985, after I had the '65 painted, I didn't install the original rear bumper because it was pulled out from having a trailer hitch installed and being used as a tow vehicle. At the time, I found a pretty nice junkyard piece for about $10. Went to put it on the car, and what do you know....no back up lights on the new bumper. Oh well. Ran it anyway. Fast forward to last month.....Dual Tempests (Joe) had a nice used bumper on CL in the Bay Area. Not perfect, but really nice...and it had my back up lamps! Got in the rig and did a 200 mile each way blitz and got the bumper, plus an original antenna and some wiper arms. Also got to meet Joe, and check out his wicked 428 powered '64 Tempest. Well, I blasted and painted the brackets, etc, and installed it today. When I removed the old bumper, I could see that my frame was, indeed, painted black. Original paint. This car has never been restored, only repaired as needed to keep it on the road. It has been registered and operated every year since '65. Here's a photo or two of the old look, the new look, and the frame area with original paint. Check out the condition of the body mount bushing....I couldn't believe it. What a time capsule this car is.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Jeff, That IS amazing...obviously never spent time here in the NorthEast!!:cheers Eric


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Always forget you have that 65' as a backup GeeTee...:cool, you need to update your avatar to give it equal billing with the Vert. After looking at quite a few "Motorcity" cars in the last few years I have my uncle scouting Idaho again for some solid candidates. I will gladly spend the extra grand for shipping to get a solid Western or high desert car as opposed to the midwest "rustbelt" cars i have looked at. Always say you are one of the few that have equity in your cars anymore (like you would ever sell them...LOL). They are what these cars were meant to be, driven and maintained, and fine examples of Pontiacs heyday.:cheers


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Thanks guys. I no longer take for granted the lack of rust in the old '65. I realize I'm very lucky to have simply held onto it for so long. And I thank the heavens that the original owner moved from Spokane, Washington (snow and salt!) to California within the first year of the car's life. That's what saved it. I've haven't done anything to the frame or body under the car, it even has its original paint in all the jams and trunk, inner trunk lid, etc. One of the reasons I'm reluctant to restore the car. It's never been apart. It _is _pretty dirty under there (could use a de-dirting!!), but it's dry and all there, and there is no trace of rust anywhere. It's 1965 down to the factory paint on the seam-sealer. This car was my everyday driver for quite a while in the 1980's and early '90's. I commuted over 1oo miles a day in it then! (gas was cheaper!) My plan at this point is to keep the car up, as I have been, and maybe do a re-paint in the future (the '85 job is getting tired), but to primarily use the car as I have been, a driver. I'll probably do what you guys did and paint it myself. I'm almost recovered from the 40 hours of cut and buff work I did on the '67 20 years ago, when I said I'd never do _that_ again. But now that I'm 20 years older, it ought to be easier, right??


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

I do love me some 65.... Nice!

Bear


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