# Well, the GTO is here....



## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

I left for Minot ND at 3:00 AM Wednesday. I was fighting a strong headwind all the way up I94 from St. Paul, MN to Fargo, ND. When I got 30 miles West of Fargo, this is what I ran into.


They had freezing rain overnight and then the wind was blowing 30mph and covering the road with snow. I was only able to manage 50-55 mph and stay on the road. At one place, I thought the transmission had gone out cause if I touched the throttle to maintain speed the engine just revved up. I noticed the speedo went with it, so I put the transfer case in 4 wheel driver and was able to get moving again. My original intention was to take I94 to Bismark and then go up US 83 into Minot but after 70 miles of this and a notice that I 94 was CLOSED beyond Bismark because it was impassable, I changed my plan and went North on US 52 from Jamestown. This is a pic of US 52 going North/West for 180 miles to Minot.



I did get up there but it wasn't fun and the wind ate gas like crazy. It took 2 1/2 tanks of fuel to fight the wind 535 miles empty, roughly 10-12 miles per gallon.... In contrast, I used less than 2 tanks to come back loaded. I had the wind pushing me home....

I had been talking with this guy about this car for almost 2 months and he kept saying he was going to pull the carpet and make sure the floor and trunk were good like he was telling me. He pulled the carpet about 1/2 hour before I got there and the floor and trunk are toast. I was soooooooo disgusted that I nearly got back in my truck and left. He felt bad about that and wanted to make it right for me, so he started throwing more parts in the deal and when I told him if he had emailed pics of the car in it's true condition I never would've been there. He then knocked 1k off the price to make if fair and get me to take the car. With all the extra parts and the price drop, I couldn't pass it up and basically got the car for dang near free. He then sold me a nice set of rally gauges at a reduced price too. The frame is complete junk and is actually grafted together under the doors from 2 different frames. He has another good frame that he gave me but I wasn't able to bring it with. He has a brother in MPLS and will bring it and a right side door when when he visits in March. He also threw in 2 usable front fenders as the left one is a 66 that he wants back and the right is toast. It's going to be a long time before this one sees the road again.

Here's some pics unloading it after I washed the car and trailer of all the road salt.

I parked my forklift behind the car and drove the pickup ahead and it rolled right off. Pretty cool trailer. It has built in chains in the back to go around the rear axle and 2 chains and winches in the front to pull it tight and hold it.


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## Ranger01 (Nov 14, 2008)

Well, thats what you get for living up here. At least you had some excitement on the way up :lol:, when I went up in fall it was BORING... and I didnt get a deal on a car !

So is the current frame 2 frames put togiether? or what?

And he wants the fender back? lol

Other than that stuff, it looks like its in decent condition for an unrestored northern car! arty:

Get some interior and frame pics up!


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

I took a few of the interior and then the camera battery went dead. I am putting it up on jack stands tomorrow for frame pics. The frame is an unbelievably cobbled mess.......
Here's the rear package tray from underneath. It is really solid with NO rust through. It's just not fair for Rick.......




This pic of the floor doesn't show much detail. I need to scrap out the sealer for better pics.



Pic of the dash. No rust through on that either. I can't see the channel under the windshield trim but when I washed it NO water came in the car and it is dry underneath. It can't be too bad.


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## Ranger01 (Nov 14, 2008)

Very Nice! 

Time to get to work! arty:


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## Koppster (Jul 27, 2008)

Great pics Mitch, hoping for a blow by blow pictorial on the restoration. 

I'm liking the "rust free" rear deck a lot! 

Should be fun to watch and learn.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

:agree


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Needs a little work....:cheers Sweet shop!!! eric


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## Tri-Power (Jan 10, 2008)

brings back some serious memories seeing those road conditions. My car was in about the same shape as far as the assembly goes, but i got lucky and my car was originally from arizona, so I had NO rust to fight at all. I'm sure you'll get her looking tip top in not too many years.


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Here's some pics of the "dry, western, rust free frame"......
This is under the left door. You can see were the front 1/3 has been grafted on. It's doubled up, bolted and welded to the original frame on both sides. I have no idea what the front suspension is from. The floor brace above the frame is gone too.



Right side.



The next pics are in front of the rear tires. The frame had rusted out, so they welded and bolted in reinforcement plates.




This is from the rear tires back. Both sides had been replaced. The original vin stamp is gone.....



Here's the trunk floor that didn't have any holes from underneath. The tank straps had rotted off, so they cut out a section of a good floor and bolted it inside the trunk to hold the fuel tank. The camera card filled up, so I don't have a pic of it from inside yet. More to come...........


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

That puppy is rough!


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

What do ya mean "rough" ?? It only needs 3 parts........a complete frame, 1 piece floor and trunk pans.......:willy: :rofl:
You said you were looking for another job........


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Hey, Mitch,, thanks for sharing. That road trip you took was wild, and brings back memories of the trip I took up to Washington to get my Model T, but I had it WAY easier! The adventure of the open road, in a blizzard, picking up a mis-represented car. I love it. Your car has issues, the main one being the frame. But, you have a new frame for it, so no worries. The integrety of the actual dash and body looks surprisingly good to me, and it appears to be an original car that was not wrecked, but merely driven in the rust belt on salted roads. It is a real GTO, it is a 4-speed car, and it is a '67. You done good!!! It will be well worth the effort. Keep the photos flyin'!


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Too Many Projects said:


> What do ya mean "rough" ?? It only needs 3 parts........a complete frame, 1 piece floor and trunk pans.......:willy: :rofl:
> You said you were looking for another job........


I'd take it on, and would love to get paid for it too! :cheers 

It only needs 1 part, just open the hood, remove the radiator cap, push the car out, slide in a new car, replace the radiator cap, job done.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

You guys up in the Frozen North are the bravest guys I know. Unsung HEROS! In about 1983, my company shipped me off to Elgin, Illinois in February to learn the new Hunter Wheel Alignment equipment we would be getting. I remember using a torch to get the backing plates off of 3 year old cars so we could put rear shim plates in. I couldn't BELIEVE the condition of those cars!! In central California, the interiors turn to dust and the paint fades, but frame rust? Never! The obsticles you guys overcome amazes me. I can barely weld.....never had to learn!! John, did you get that thing I mailed to you??


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Rukee............I didn't get a radiator cap to remove.....I did get a manual trans radiator to have a new core put in.:cool If I could afford to pay someone to bring this old girl back to life, I could've just bought a done car. The ONLY reason it's here is after we discovered the trashed frame and the floor and trunk were gone, he dropped the price to........













$1,500
That's right folks, I bought this car for 1.5k
As Jeff said, it's a real, 4 speed hardtop GTO and I'm supposed to be getting a good frame from him to boot in March.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

For that price, you can't lose. It will come together in time, and you'll have a nice, 4-speed early goat "on the cheap". What could be better? I think all of the documentation you're doing is great. It'll be nice to look at all of these photos when the car is done! You can have a "before" and "after" avatar! Now, where is that sandblaster.....


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

I betchya as soon as you get a good frame under her, you're going to feel alot better!  Tough to turn down that price!


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

geeteeohguy said:


> For that price, you can't lose. It will come together in time, and you'll have a nice, 4-speed early goat "on the cheap". What could be better? I think all of the documentation you're doing is great. It'll be nice to look at all of these photos when the car is done! You can have a "before" and "after" avatar! Now, where is that sandblaster.....


If I start blasting now, it will collapse on top of me......:rofl:
The only pieces I can see that aren't original are the left fender and hood. All the other body panels are original. At first, I thought maybe it had been hit hard in the front and that was why the frame had been grafted but there isn't any evidence of that. Even the factory inspection stamps are still on the firewall. I'll gets pics later today. 



68greengoat said:


> I betchya as soon as you get a good frame under her, you're going to feel alot better!  Tough to turn down that price!


Yeah, I look at the mess that it is and then remember, I don't have to try to repair that frame, just take it out and scrap it........arty:
I could probably sell what's left with all the stuff he threw in for more than I paid.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

geeteeohguy said:


> John, did you get that thing I mailed to you??


Yes I did, thank you very much! :cheers


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## teamwoody72 (May 23, 2008)

Mitch
Congrats on getting her home. Even a rough gto is still a gto. You are gonna need a case of wd-40 when you start pulling her apart though. The pic of the turquoise gto is one sharp car and I hope you get there with it. Let me know if you need parts, I have a knack for locating parts.

Good Luck

Mike


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

teamwoody72 said:


> Mitch
> Congrats on getting her home. Even a rough gto is still a gto. You are gonna need a case of wd-40 when you start pulling her apart though. The pic of the turquoise gto is one sharp car and I hope you get there with it. Let me know if you need parts, I have a knack for locating parts.
> 
> Good Luck
> ...


Besides the tail panel it needs both front fenders and a core support. If your "source" has these in very good condition, I am interested. It also needs a complete floor and trunk but I will most likely get them new as well as the outer wheel houses and lower quarter patch panels. Then there are other "minor" things, like a steering column, instrument panel, grille surrounds, bumpers, etc, etc.


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