# Sticky  Dan's Colo Restore Story



## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I thought I would start sharing my restoration story. I have a 67 GTO I purchased about a month ago. It has blue exterior, black interior, bench seat, automatic on the tree, PS, 4bbl, 2.93 posi, AC and that is about it. I bought it from the original owner and so far, it looks like everything is original. Even the keys I received from the seller have the numbers that match the PHS. 

Before I started the disassembly, I took about 400 pictures to try to document every aspect of the car before I started pulling it apart. This car has had very little modification so I felt it was good to document as much as I could. 

I then started the disassembly. So far, I have removed most of the brights, the front and rear glass, the back seat, head liner, and package tray. 

I have found a few things I hoped I wouldn't find, but were expected. There was rust under the lower trim pieces and I also found that the driver's side front fender doesn't look original. I figured the fender wasn't original because there were not holes for both of the pins on the badge. The badge had one good pin (and fender hole) and the other one was cut off and the badge glued to the trim. I guess for a 50 year old car, I can't expect it all to be perfect. 

I have found some technical things I will have questions about, but will post those separately when I get to them. 

I have made a spreadsheet on an old computer I am keeping in my garage. I am numbering and labeling every part and taking pictures of the assemblies and sequences so I have something to refer to when I start reassembly. I am linking the folders for those pictures to the parts or the part assemblies. 


I know people like to see pictures, so I have attached a few. I will post more pictures as I progress. Let me know if you would like to see any other specific ones. 

Thanks,

Dan


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Dan, looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for starting the thread. Look forward to watching your journey. Matt


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Welcome, and please DO keep us up to date as you progress.

Bear


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Welcome aboard! That car, when done, will eat up the road with that gear and those options. 2.93 is my favorite gear for an automatic equipped GTO that is a driver. Looking forward to more pictures as you progress. Good luck with it.


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## dan woodland (Jul 24, 2013)

Nice! Great to see another saved from the crusher!!

Keep the pictures coming, I look forward to seeing her back on the road.

Dan (me not you)


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## Nightshade 68 HO (Mar 11, 2014)

I am looking forward to following this thread on this project.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Thanks guys. I am about to start tearing down the doors, but other items have slowed me a bit, not least of which is title issues. It doesn't look like anything serious. Just the hoops I have to jump through with an out of state title and that it was signed in the wrong place. Every time I talk to the DMV, I get a different answer. It is probably not that uncommon.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I am making good progress on the disassembly. I have removed the back bumper, the gas tank, and the trunk lid. I will have to do some verification on the gas tank because it looks new. The person I worked with to buy the car said he had put in a new one. I will just need to verify that it is the correct one. 

I also removed the old carpet and found a couple of surprises. First, when I removed the carpet, I found that the carpet had been replaced. That wasn't the surprise. The surprise was that when they replaced the carpet, they just sprayed adhesive over the old carpet and installed the new carpet over the top of it. Maybe it was to add extra strength to the rusted out floorboard :wink2:.

I found the second surprise under the original carpet. It wasn't the protect-o-plate or the build sheet (I wish). It appears to be the back of the vehicle load sticker in the glove box. It has a date (7-5-66) and what appears to be a GM part number (#9773287). The company that made this is still in existence, so I sent them an email to ask about it. I haven't yet heard back. 

I will be working on the dash next and then be looking to remove the front clip and hood. Then, I should be pretty close to separating the body from the frame. I have lined up the company that will do the stripping, so I am excited to get to that point. 

I do have a question. Does anyone know of a good company that does chrome plating in the Denver area or along the front range? The old standby was Denver Bumper, but they have since closed. 

I have added a few pictures. One thing you won't see often is there is no cut-out on the floor for a shifter as this is an automatic with the shifter on the "tree" and a bench seat. I also included a picture of that piece of paper that I found that looks like it is the sticker back. Has anyone else found anything like that? I suspect the installer just put on the sticker and then dropped the backing on the floor of the car before the carpet was installed. 

I am still working on title issues, but the sellers have been great. They are just going to get a new title with only the surviving owner on it so she can sign it and the Colorado DMV won't have to ask for more legal documentation from them. I hope to get the final title in a few days. 

Thanks,

Dan


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Dan, looking good. Matt


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

It has been a while since I posted but I have been making pretty steady progress. I am probably going to bribe some friends and family with a Bronco's party and get help removing the body from the frame to send off to blasting. I also sent the bumpers away today to be reconditioned. I will post pictures when I remove the body. 

I do have a question. I had a body shop guy come out and take a look at my car today. In his defense, I did tell him he wouldn't get the car until I completed the rust repair, so he kind of had to use his imagination. That said, he said a rough ballpark estimate was going to be around $20k for just the fine body work and paint. The car is pretty straight so I don't expect too much work there. This seems very high to me. I have seen estimates for ALL the repairs (floor panels, trunk, quarters, body work and paint) for around that amount. What did others pay for similar work? Am I just suffering sticker shock and that is really what it will cost? I would appreciate your input.


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Dan, kind of depends on what you have described as the end state. A really special paint job could be several thousand. I've got a buddy that is restoring a 67 Corvette and his paint cost $3k a gallon. You should definitely get a second opinion. Matt


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Yeah, I should have given more information. I am going to paint it stock color. Nothing exotic. Just make it look new.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Today we had a body separation/Bronco's party today (sorry Oakland fans). We made a major milestone separating the body from the frame. Verified the serial number on the frame. The body goes to the media blaster tomorrow.


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## Nightshade 68 HO (Mar 11, 2014)

If you are doing the metal work, I think 20K is very high, and I am from New York, Land of the Giant Rip off artists. I go by the rule of thumb of 500 per panel plus materials. Get a second opinion.....Good luck with this project.....congrats on the body separation!


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Dan, doing anything to the frame? Matt


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Yep. I am going to strip it all the way down to the frame, get it blasted and paint it. I will be doing the engine, transmission, rear end and front end as well. 

There appears to be a little damage to the drivers side horn. Please see picture. I am trying to decide if I need to fix this or not. It seems cosmetic at this point. Thoughts? The rest of the frame appears to be in really good shape. 

Also, I was talked into converting to front disk brakes. I will keep all the original drum brake parts in case there is ever a need to put it back to stock. I have a lead on a 71 Chevelle with the single piston calipers.


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Sounds like a good plan. I have had a couple frames powder coated after blasting - really like the results. I powder coat most of the brackets, control arms, and cross member. Not seeing the damage on your frame. If the front end looked right before you took it apart, and you plan to use those same piece-parts, I wouldn't mess with it. Good stuff. Matt


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## Nightshade 68 HO (Mar 11, 2014)

Perhaps the damage could be hammered out with a hammer and dolly, but it does look cosmetic only. I would definitely convert to disks up front. Those discs and calipers should work, I used a 72 lemans front disk set up on my 68 GTO. Do not forget you need a disc brake master cylinder and a proportioning valve for disc brakes, too. On a side note, my earliest date of my GTO is a receipt for a battery in Colorado Springs circa 1983...pretty ironic huh?


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

To respond to one of your previous questions/posts about the $20k paint job: speaking as someone who did all his own body and paint work (because I myself got an $18k paint job quote from a restoration shop), I feel like I'm in a position to say that figure is _not unreasonable_. Yeah, you heard me right. Not unreasonable. Because now I understand how much time, labor, and effort goes into getting a high quality paint job. When someone says "it's all in the prep" - they're simultaneously telling the truth and making it sound a lot simpler than it really is. I'm talking hundreds of hours (literally) of priming, filling, guide coating, sanding, priming, filling, guide coating... all by hand (no machines allowed) just to get the body panels flat and straight. Then you apply one last coat of primer, wet sand the whole car (again by hand) with 600 grit to get all the previous sanding scratches out... all this just to get ready to start spraying material: sealer coat, color coats, clear coats. Done? Not hardly. After the clear is partially cured you get to start sanding again - the whole car - multiple times: 1000 grit, 2000 grit, 3000 grit... to get the surface of the clear coat "flat" and remove all the eggshell - this you can do with a 3/32" stroke random pattern air sander, if you're careful - but there's a very good chance that you'll break through the clear coat anywhere there's a sharp edge (in which case you get to start over and resand, respray the whole car) - so you'd best do those areas by hand and pray you still don't break through them. Once all the eggshell is gone, then you get to start in with the buffing compounds (2-3 different grades) for final finish and to bring out the gloss.

That's where the $20k goes. There aren't any shortcuts to getting a show quality paint job. It's not all THAT difficult in terms of the skill required, it's a significant investment of time and labor. What you're basically doing is paying someone else to care as much about your car as you do.

And, I can tell you again as someone who's done it all himself ---- I can tell you where every single paint defect is on my car, and they're there - trust me. Had I opted to pay the $18k I would have at least been in the position of being able to go back to the shop and say, "Hey, fix this". Now though, if I want those defects gone it's on me. (That's why they're still there  )

Not that I'd do anything differently, I wasn't in a position to be able to pay that much for a paint job and still couldn't - probably never will be. Yeah, the car looks darn good, usually gets compliments on the paint at shows, and I'm kinda proud of being able to say that I did it all myself too. But to be brutally honest, it'd look better if I'd been able to spend the money.

Bear


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

It has been a while since I posted, but I have made some significant progress. I completed all major disassembly. I kind of had to hurry through it because the blaster finished the body earlier than I had anticipated and had to prepare my garage for it. This weekend, I took them the frame to blast and got the body back. More rust than I knew about, but I kind of expected that. I guess I will get good at metal work. 

I did have one disappointing discovery. The rear upper control arm mount on the rear differential was cracked. It was either that way when I got it or I did it when I was hammering out the bushing. The axle shop told me that if I couldn’t push the bushing in by hand (which I can’t), they could fix it. We will see. Keep your fingers crossed. 

I decided to use POR15 on the frame and rear axle. It seems like a good compromise between powder coating and regular paint. I will put a few runs in the axle.:yesnod:

For the natural metal parts, has anyone ever used the POR15 clear? How did it work or would you recommend it? If not, what clear would you use?


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## SOCMedic (Dec 31, 2014)

I used it on a 55 ford rear end and aluminum drive shaft I did, and it was easy to use and I liked the outcome. I used it on the cap of the rear diff. I'll see if I have a photo of the drive shaft somewhere.

Chris


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## SOCMedic (Dec 31, 2014)

Here is another of the rear end


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Thanks SOCMedic. I think I will give it a try.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I am catching up on my posts. A lot has happened. 

First, my axle shop was able to weld the control arm mount on my axle and recondition it. It looks like it should hold, but we will see. He replaced all seals, bearings, and races. He checked out the posi unit and said it was fine. Since the ring and pinion were fine, I had him leave the 2.93 gears in there. As this thing sucks the money, I decided to not unnecessarily replace parts. So, I guess I won't be able to smoke away tires indiscriminately. Maybe not a bad thing. 

I did the frame with POR15. I did the whole process, starting with their cleaner. As the frame was blasted, it really wasn't too greasy and I thoroughly rinsed it afterward. I then used the metal prep etching. This leaves a zinc powder on the frame. It was a little unclear if you were supposed to wash this all off or leave it. The POR15 instructions say that if you are using the POR15 Rust Preventive paint, the zinc is the best surface preparation for that product, but also said it should be thoroughly washed. I did wash off the frame, but not to the point it removed all the zinc. 

I then applied a couple coats of the black POR 15 Rust Preventative paint. I just applied it with a cheap brush and it really turned out great. The brush marks smoothed out great and was easy to apply. That was the good news. 

I then applied the top coat. This was a completely different story. This was much thicker and was very difficult to put on smoothly. I thinned the second coat with the POR15 thinner, but still ended up with brush marks. Kind of sad after how good it looked before the top coat. I figured I would sand and reapply for any areas that looked bad after I assembled it. I really primarily did this for rust prevention.

One more thing about the POR15 system. A previous post said that the finish appeared chalky without the top coat. What I found is even after the top coat, you could get a chalky appearance if you touched it before it was cured. Not sure if it was picking contaminants off of my gloves or the zinc was coming to the surface.

Here is a picture.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I had my transmission rebuilt and already have it back. Thankfully, there were no bad surprises. He did say that it had a mild shift kit in it and he left it there. The transmission will probably be sitting for a while as I am pretty far from being able to put it in. 

I took my engine into the machine shop and received great news there too. No major problems. Overall, it was in really good shape. I do have to have a .030 bore and the crank has to be ground .010 under. The heads and block were both flat and did not need any milling. 

So now for the holy wars. I have been reading a lot about what to do with the engine and as you can imagine, I have received a lot of opinions. Here is what I am planning. Let the opinions fly. 

First off, I don't plan on racing this engine either on the street or strip. That's not to say I won't ever get my foot into it, but only to feel that "youthful exuberance" as others have said. 

I plan to leave the 670 heads basically stock, reusing the intake valves, springs and rockers. This is on advise of the machinist who says they are all fine. He did install hardened seats and we will be installing new exhaust valves. I wanted stainless steel valves, but finding them was easier said than done. I am letting the machine shop source them and if they can't find them, I may just end up with chrome steel. 

I am also going to re-use the push rods after replacing the bolts with ARP bolts and getting them magnafluxed. I don't plan many trips beyond 5000 rpms, let alone 6000, so I figure it should be fine. We will see. 

I am using ICON FHR series forged pistons. They are flat top pistons, but the valve reliefs give a +10.8 CC dish to lower compression. Based on my machinists calculations, it should be around 9.3:1 compression. This should be good as I am at altitude, about 5300 feet. 

I plan to get the EX260H Comp Cam. The plan is to keep all the torque in the lower range. 

Let me know what you think. 

I do have a question. Summit has a kit with tappets and a double roller timing set. I have had some say that I shouldn't use a double roller set. What, if anything, should I be concerned about there?


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

One more post for the evening. I am about to buy my sheet metal. I found a source for US made steel, which I have read is thicker, but the person I talked to at Columbia parts said the fit is not as good as the imported metal. 

I am torn between better fit and thicker metal. I am not very experienced at welding, so I am attracted to better fit and more of a stock look, but the thinner metal also could be a concern for burning through, etc. I did purchase a new MIG welder (Lincoln 140) and plan to practice my MIG welding before actually starting to weld them in. 

For those with experience, what do you think? Thicker metal or better fit?

Also, has anyone used Columbia Parts? I found them on Ebay, but I can order from them directly, so they can bundle shipments, etc.


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Dan, when you say sheet metal, are you talking about patch panels? I think original is 20 gauge. Closer you are to that the better. Have you looked at AMD? Matt


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I had not looked at AMD, but just did. Maybe I am missing something, but they don't appear to have some of the patches I need such as a full trunk kit and the panels under the rear seats.


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Dan, I would give them a call to see if they can help you. I have had a good experience with them so far and I have not seen anything negative about their products. Matt


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## goatsnvairs (Sep 12, 2014)

Colorado67GTO said:


> I am catching up on my posts. A lot has happened......


Dude, you are flying along on this thing! We started about the same time with our '67's and I haven't even started thinking about engines and trannys. I don't think our 2 '67 Turquoise GTO's will be making their debut at the same time! All looks good, seems like you are taking on more of your own body work than I am capable of, but I've taken on more mechanical (rebuilt my own rear end with new bearings, races, and posi unit). Between us we would make one good restoration team.

I even have the same harbor freight rolling stool!


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Since my last posts, I have purchased most of the patch panels and started to replace the front passenger side. I need to get all the panel work done so I can get it out to body work and paint. It will be quite a while before I get the panel replacements done as I am going to take my time and learn as I go. I purchased a Lincoln 140 welder for the job. 

I kind of stopped that work for a while to think it through and decided to get cleaned up and organized. That meant taking care of many of the parts laying around and getting in the way. So the first thing I did was rebuild the new disk brake assemblies I purchased for the car. They turned out pretty good.

I also got my engine back from the machine shop, but that will have to wait for a while until I finish the body. I am really looking forward to starting to build it.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

It has been 4 months since my last post. I have still been working on my car, but just haven't had time to post anything. That dirty four letter word (work) kept getting in the way. Summer is also a very busy time. I have only had my boat out 3 times and I had to force myself to do that. Not good. 

I have completed welding in the two front floor panels. Now, what was way too many holes, is just about the right amount. I still have some holes to position and drill as well as a lot of grinding.

I had to get the front panels in so I could get it mounted on the rotisserie as I am using the four front body mount holes to mount it. I had to get the front panels welded in for support. 

Once I get the rotisserie set up properly, I will be tackling the trunk. 

I also got the doors, fenders, hood, deck lid, and valence pieces blasted. The hood is in excellent shape and the doors are as well. The doors will require some rust repair, but the skins are in great shape with no Bondo. Both fenders will need rust repair behind the wheel well, and the driver's side is pretty rough. I may look for a replacement as it is a Tempest/LeMans fender anyway.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

One more post for the night. The two front panels I used were AMD panels. Like other people who have posted about these panels, I had to do quite a bit of metal work to make them fit. 

The passenger's site was not too bad, but the driver's side along the firewall had to be completely reshaped. Also when I put them both in, they did not meet in the center, so I had to make patches to fill in the gap. 

One other major modification I had to make was where the bump-out was for the body mount bolt. The way the panels came was WAY too high. It would not meet the cross member and left a big gap, around a 1/2 inch. I had to cut and remove material to get it to meet correctly. 

I am sure this is nothing new to anyone else who has done this, but I thought I would share my experience.


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## goatsnvairs (Sep 12, 2014)

Lookin' real good Dan, we missed your posts.....


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Thanks. I have been watching yours too. Great progress. I am a little jealous. I won't say I am discouraged, but with all the metal work I have to do (and being a novice), the progress has really slowed.


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## goatsnvairs (Sep 12, 2014)

Colorado67GTO said:


> Thanks. I have been watching yours too. Great progress. I am a little jealous. I won't say I am discouraged, but with all the metal work I have to do (and being a novice), the progress has really slowed.


Yeah, but you're taking the bodywork to a whole new level. Someday next year I'll be paying someone to do it...

Mine will slow down now, budget constraints. Looks close but probably won't even fire it up 'til next Spring......


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I passed a major milestone in my restoration. I now have my body on the rotisserie and can spin it 360 degrees by myself. 

I looked for information about rotisserie mounting and didn't find much, so I thought I would post some of the things I learned. Obviously, this is for a 67 GTO, so it only applies to that year. 

The front is mounted in the 4 body mount holes. As you will see, I designed all the adjustment into the front rotisserie mount. 

I couldn't find much about the pivot point. Mine is just below the center hole in the firewall (see last picture). It isn't the best angle, but there is no good way to take this picture. The pivot point is very important to ensure the body doesn't swing out of control.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

The rear mount was much more difficult. First, there is only one body mount you can use. I bolted the mount directly to that, but through a plate to help distribute the load. There is a second hole just outbound of the body mount hole that is not threaded but I was able to put a bolt inside for a little extra hold on the mounting plate and to keep the mounting plate from spinning. 

Even with the mounting plate, when I lifted on the mount, it flexed more than I hoped, so you will see I welded a vertical plate on the mounting plate to ride on the body cross member. I also added a 2X6 that rides under the very back of the body. 

This took care of the flex upward when the body was upright, but I was now worried about the leverage when the body was upside down. To fix that, I used a ratchet strap through the rear tail light assembly and over the rotisserie mount. Yes, I do plan to replace this, so if it causes any damage, I am OK with that. I don't know how you would do it if you didn't have that extra strap to hold it tight.

You might also notice the 7.5 lb plates front and back. I added these because the driver's side worked out to be just a little heavier. Once I added this weight, the body would stay wherever I put it, no matter where it was rotated. 

I hope this helps someone doing a rotisserie in the future.


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## goatsnvairs (Sep 12, 2014)

A + + + for ingenuity! Impressive!atriot:


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## MrsJones68 (Apr 28, 2015)

Been watching your progress. I am restoring a 68 Lemans (also in Colorado) I received photos from the body shop yesterday and she is in primer, finally!!! 
Was hoping to have it finished in time for the Pontiac Uprising in October out in Kansas, however unless Foose shows up with the A-Team I doubt that is happening! LOL


Love seeing your updates, keep em' coming!


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Thanks MrsJones. I still haven't settled on a body shop so will be interested in your review of them.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

It has been a while since I have posted. I am still working on rusted out panel replacement and it is moving slow. I am working on the trunk and the inner wheel wells. 

I have been traveling a lot for work lately so I haven't had big chunks of time to work on it, so I have been doing small jobs and pulling together parts lists. 

One small job I just completed was my exhaust manifolds. I blasted them and painted them with POR 15 High Temp paint. I used the Manifold color. You have to heat treat them after painting with at least two coats (I put on 3). I cooked them at 400 degrees for 2 hours. I think they turned out pretty good. We will see when I finally put them on.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I did find a correct Quadrajet carburetor for my car. I won't say how much I paid for it (a little embarrassing) but it was a lot. 

Anyway, it is an M6 code. As my car is a late December build, it is the one I was looking for. 

I did have a question about the 67 model year codes. I have read that the 67 model year was the only model year where the date codes went to M. Does that make these M code parts even more rare? 

Also, I had a question about the 67 date codes. I have seen the following code description online: 

A=January
B=February
C=March
D=April
E=May
F=June
G=July
H=August
I=September
J=October (September for 1967 model year)
K=November
L=December
M=December (1966 Only, for 1967 model year)

This implies that in 66, for 67 model year, J was used for October. Does that mean that in 66, October was K, November was L and December was M? 

I have also heard that only some 67 plants used this scheme. Does anyone know which ones? I can tell you mine was Kansas City and my car is full of M codes, so I am sure KC is one. 

It seems that with this much confusion around date codes in late 66, there could be some latitude on month codes by at least a couple of months.

I figured I would ask all these questions as I am sure others might be confused by these date codes and it would be good to get this documented.


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## 67Twistytee (Feb 24, 2014)

Congrats on locating your carb. 

Early Quadrajets skipped "I" in the date codes, so your list should read as follows:

A=January
B=February
C=March
D=April
E=May
F=June
G=July
H=August
J=September
K=October
L=November
M=December

Early 1968s also went to "M" so I don't believe the info concerning "only 67 model year" is correct. At sometime in '68 they moved to a stamped numbers for date code on the main body near the secondary throttle shaft. 

Your M6 Quadrajet is rare and expensive, although early high performance carbs (like a Ram Air) are more rare/valuable. 

I have the same carb. The "WA" is the plant code. Cliff Ruggle's book states this is the code for where the carb was cast. However, I believe this may be an assembly plant code and used by line workers to identify the correct carb for your engine set-up. I've never been able to locate a full list of plant codes, but my car was built at Pontiac in mid-December 1966 and I also have the "WA" on the tag. 

Hope this helps. BTW- the anti stall dashpot on your carb is a one year only piece and very rare. The diaphragms are usually dried out and shot, but nice to have as a show piece. You can test it with a vacuum pump to see if it still holds resistance.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

My dashpot is shot on my '67 and it is an A.I.R carb 7037262 stamped on the body without the button.

I bought another one here on the group with the same # also off a '67 stamped on the body.
Both cars were Fremont built.
I cannot find that dashpot in that bracket and have a BB in the hose to stop the vacuum leak.
The one I bought didn't come with it.
I put a HyGrade off the shelf kit in the one I bought to use in the interim while Cliff is rebuilding my original.
I will offer it up on the group for what I paid for it ($400.00) when I get my original back.


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## 67Twistytee (Feb 24, 2014)

Were you able to determine if the AIR cars always had a date stamp rather than a tag? I know it was common to get service replacements that were stamped with date codes. 

I had my original dashpot bracket so I tack welded a working dashpot to it. It's not really necessary as they were only used in automatic cars to prevent the throttle from slamming shut during hard braking. My car has the factory a/c and they can also be used to increase idle speeds during summer when the air is running. Nobody reproduces this part so they're very hard to locate. 

That's a good price on a '67 carb. Cliff refurbed mine too as it needed some machine work on the fuel inlet. Came out great.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

From what I found on the net Ca. cars got the 703 instead of the 702 because of the A.I.R system required by the state.
Not sure what the difference is but the 703s are harder to find and the pics of the others I have seen do not have the button either.
I think they only used the 703s on cars built in Fremont but that is just a guess.
This one was remanufactured by Holley back when they did this and the bushings on the butterflies are not worn like on my original.
Also the air horn on the original has a broken piece and Cliff will have to machine another one and fit it as well as some work on the inlet.
I bought his book as you can see in the pics and did the mods, since we work on boats we had the Marine Tex in the shop.
The original needs work beyond my pay grade so I sent it off to Cliff to do the work and replating.
I know just enough about QJets to be dangerous but the carb works great in spite of that.

As you already know you can get a dashpot but have to tack it onto the bracket, they do pop up on Fleabay but they sell for stupid money and you don't know if it is shot like the one you have.
For now it is just a decoration with a BB in the line to stop the vacuum leak.

I figured I would pass it on to someone on the group for what I paid for it when I get my original back but I wanted a spare in case something happens in shipping.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I'll have to look at mine closer when I get home. It was on the carburetor that came with the car when I bought it, which was a '71 Carter. Probably a service replacement. I didn't notice a number on it, but didn't look that closely either. I haven't tested the diaphragm yet either. 

Honestly, I didn't know it was rare until I posted the pictures and got your feedback. 

I'll let you know what I find.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

Yeah hard to find part and I want to find another one before I attempt to repair mine in case I screw the bracket up.
I don't do Fleabay and you don't find many Pontiac parts at the car swap meets out here.
The last time I went to Pomona there was only one Pontiac and it was a Catalina.


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## 67Twistytee (Feb 24, 2014)

There's a network of reputable Pontiac parts guys you can tap into before heading off to the repro outlets. Like you, I find the swap meets hit or miss at best when it comes to original Pontiac parts. Try contacting "Pinion head" on this Board. Wealth of historic Pontiac info and if he doesn't have a part he can probably point you in the right direction. IMHO, the '67's are the best looking goats, but a lot of one year only parts make restoration a real PIA.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

A few parts were very hard to find, the 6 1/4" water pump pulley was one and the A/C heater box plenum was another.
I needed the inner metal piece because some hack cut the core supports out of it to remove the core from the inside, it was leaking at the neck because it was just flopping around and the solder joint broke.
The fiberglass outer boxes on both of them were so brittle I had to repair the door ears on the best one and reglass it with fiberglass cloth and resin then sand and paint.
Once I got it all back together I hooked the control up to it on the bench and used a vacuum pump to figure out the hoses and test the cans.
Took me a couple of weeks just to restore the unit and install it.
I also had to replace the vacuum can on the firewall side, someone had replaced it with a single port instead of the proper one with 2.
The cable was also installed upside down.
The defrost didn't work and the A/C was on at the same time as the heater so whoever was in there before me had totally screwed it up.
I also had to rebuild the control with new switch leafs, since I do pinball restorations I had all those parts in stock.
I now have a Pontiac/Bally Williams A/C heater control.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I ordered the spring for the heat riser on my exhaust manifold. It doesn't work. I heated it with a propane torch until it was red hot and it still didn't release. I put the old rusted one on and it worked like a charm. I bought this from OPGI. I thought I would share my experiences with this product.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I have been working quite a bit, but have knocked out a few other things to keep the project going. I rebuilt my distributor and added the Pertronix electronic ignition module. I will let you know how it works out when I finally build my engine. 

I also got my steering box back from Chip at Power Steering Services. I opted for the quick ratio conversion. Notice the date code of 353 6 on the cover. Another numbers matching part for my December '66 car.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Question on dip stick. I cleaned up my dip stick and it says on it that it takes 6 quarts. Is this correct for a '67 400 with AC and automatic? I thought it was 5. It is kind of hard to see, but it does say 6.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Last post for tonight. The oil filter housing says PF-7 for the oil filter, but the Ames catalog says the correct oil filter for '67 is PF24. Is that because I have an earlier '67? Based on the date code on the housing, it looks to be the correct date code for my car.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Bump. I posted a couple questions above. Any ideas?


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

6 quarts is normal, everything "factory".

Bear


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

A PF7 is shorter than a PF24, so it's not going to have quite as much filtration area. If the longer filter fits your car (no fitment/clearances issues) there there's no reason not to use the longer filter. Sometimes cars with headers have problems with the longer filter.

Bear

p.s. --- You'll probably tend to get your questions answered more quickly if you start your own new thread with them.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

It has been a while since I posted. I have been making some progress, but progress was somewhat interrupted by a retinal detachment last July. I finally got everything worked out and corrected by mid-January. My vision is basically completely back (thank God), with just a few minor issues. I can see almost as well as I could prior to this incident. 

I had been working mainly on replacing rusted out panels and had replaced the two front floor pans, one of the 3 trunk pieces, the driver's inner wheel housing and one of the rear seat pans. I was working on the second rear seat pans when my retina detached. I tried to continue to work on it but it seems you have to see well in order to weld. Imagine that. 

I decided to work on the engine and the chassis instead. I think I have decided to replace both rear quarters and figured I would need the chassis assembled in order to replace the body on the chassis to make sure I got the lines straight. Also, I had machined all of the engine parts a while ago and wanted to get the engine assembled before i ran into any rust problems. 

I have the chassis and the engine basically complete and will be putting the engine and transmission in soon. I want to get the chassis loaded so I can finish tightening up the suspension and install the Butler exhaust I purchased. 

I also got my carburetor back from Cliff's. I had him rebuild and plate it. He said he was not going to plate anymore after mine because of the cost and hassle of the chemicals. Mine might be the last one he fully restored. 

Here are a few pictures.


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## goatsnvairs (Sep 12, 2014)

Welcome back, was wondering what happened to ya?! Good to see this wasn't one of those projects that dies half way through. Hope your sight is all fixed and you can keep moving forward. We have to get these '67's back on the road this year!


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

*Interior Heater/AC Restore*

I was doing some Craigslist searches and came across a 67 interior heater/AC assembly. The metal was shot, but the fiberglass was in excellent shape. Mine was just the opposite, so I bought it and proceeded to work on the restore. I have read that the fiberglass in good condition is very hard to find and he only wanted $50, so I jumped on it. I had to make a few fiberglass resin repairs, but nothing serious. 

Here are some pictures I took of the results. I think it turned out pretty good. Probably overrestored for something no one will see, but oh well. 

I don't have the heater core in it yet nor have I joined the two sides. I was going to get some rope putty before I bolted it all together to seal the two halves.

I am looking for recommendations on the heater core. I have the original Harrison, but I can tell it has already been repaired once. I am guessing it could be repaired again, but I don't want to put something in that will fail soon down the line. The other option is to get a replacement through NAPA. They still make them and they look like they are copper and aluminum, just like the original. I am just not sure if a new replacement would be more reliable than a fixed original. I obviously don't want to do a heater core replacement anytime soon. Please let me know what you think.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

The fiberglass has greyed out, if it isn't broken I would get the 2 part fiberglass resin and coat the plenum.
It is very brittle and if a passenger were to kick it there is a good chance it could shatter.
The original resin has deteriorated compromising the integrity of the fibers.
Mine was so bad I had to use cloth and resin after JB welding tabs and hinge pockets.
50 bucks was a steal for the unit, mine was 175 and I had to drive out to Twentynine Palms to pick it up.
The metal part had been butchered by some idiot who took tin snips to the core support to take the heater core out from inside the car.
I used the best parts from both plenums to restore mine.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

It amazes me when I get back to posting something on my car and realize how long it has been since I have posted anything. Sorry about that. I am making slow, but steady progress. It just seems that the little progress I make is not "news worthy". Hopefully, some fun things will start happening faster and I will post more. 

Since my last post, I finally finished all of the floor panel replacements. I had a "move a body" party a couple of weekends ago and my friends and family helped me put the body back on the chassis, so I would have nice, straight alignment when I tackle the rear quarters, sail and back tail light panel. 

I will pull the body off of the chassis again once I finish the quarters, so I can do the undercarriage finish and then it will go back on for good. 

It will still be a while before it goes off to paint because I plan to paint the inside (POR 15) and the trunk before I send her off.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Projects are just that. Have not touched my '68 in over a year and had expected to be way further along than where I am now. Other projects seem to come up and weather is a big factor for me without a garage and so far, this summer is starting to look like a repeat of last summer.......rain all summer. Its been raining for about 1 1/2 weeks now and going for 2 weeks according to the news. And of course, had to screw up a nice 3-day weekend hoping to get some work done on another project. :banghead:

I am thinking my 5-year plan might be 10, and by then I'll be ready for retirement and can work on it full time and knock it out - if my body & health holds up. Getting old 'ain't for pu$$y's. LOL


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I hear ya. I am not getting any younger either. I thought this would be my first project. HA. I guess we will race to the finish.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I hung the doors so when I started pulling the rear quarters, I would have a reference so that I could get my gaps close. Then I removed the rear drivers side quarter. That was pretty difficult. The upper part of the quarter that tucks under the roof is actually welded on both sides to panels under the roof. I had to drill through two panels to get the quarter free, but that still wasn't all of it. Apparently, the quarter was welded in before the roof was put on, so it made it very difficult to get to all the welds. 

I prepped the new quarter by adding the drip rail from my old quarter and adding the door strike brace. I also added all the trim pins and drilled all the holes based on templates I made from the original pieces. 

I have just started to fit the new quarter in place. I still have quite a bit of work to do to get the new quarter to fit perfectly, but I am pretty happy for how it is fitting so far.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

One more pic.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

In my last post, I was just starting to fit the new quarters, filler, and tail light panels. Since then, I have remediated all the rust I could now get to with the quarters and filler off. Once all rust was removed and/or repaired, I painted everything with POR 15 to seal it and stop any further rust. I prepared all weld locations with weld through primer. The attached pictures show everything prepared for the panels prior to me starting to weld. I have started some of the welding and will post more pictures when the welding is complete.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I finally finished all the metal work and finished off the bottom so it can now go back on the chassis for good. I am now in the process of trying to find a painter.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

BearGFR said:


> To respond to one of your previous questions/posts about the $20k paint job: speaking as someone who did all his own body and paint work (because I myself got an $18k paint job quote from a restoration shop), I feel like I'm in a position to say that figure is _not unreasonable_. Yeah, you heard me right. Not unreasonable. Because now I understand how much time, labor, and effort goes into getting a high quality paint job. When someone says "it's all in the prep" - they're simultaneously telling the truth and making it sound a lot simpler than it really is. I'm talking hundreds of hours (literally) of priming, filling, guide coating, sanding, priming, filling, guide coating... all by hand (no machines allowed) just to get the body panels flat and straight. Then you apply one last coat of primer, wet sand the whole car (again by hand) with 600 grit to get all the previous sanding scratches out... all this just to get ready to start spraying material: sealer coat, color coats, clear coats. Done? Not hardly. After the clear is partially cured you get to start sanding again - the whole car - multiple times: 1000 grit, 2000 grit, 3000 grit... to get the surface of the clear coat "flat" and remove all the eggshell - this you can do with a 3/32" stroke random pattern air sander, if you're careful - but there's a very good chance that you'll break through the clear coat anywhere there's a sharp edge (in which case you get to start over and resand, respray the whole car) - so you'd best do those areas by hand and pray you still don't break through them. Once all the eggshell is gone, then you get to start in with the buffing compounds (2-3 different grades) for final finish and to bring out the gloss.
> 
> That's where the $20k goes. There aren't any shortcuts to getting a show quality paint job. It's not all THAT difficult in terms of the skill required, it's a significant investment of time and labor. What you're basically doing is paying someone else to care as much about your car as you do.
> 
> ...


Well said Sir....it really all depends on the level of paint you want, show, 3 footer, 10, footer. as bear said the prep is where you make it happen, i started with an all metal no rust body with just door dings and minor bumps. A few hundred hours latter i deemed it straight enough to spray. No smooth car is bondo free, it takes a skim coat and multiple sands with long block to geth the 7' body line on the back quarters straight, then you have to deal with a continuous arched panel from the line down. Bears post covers it and his paint finish speaks for itself!
Remember that the original paint was a one step lacquer and not Show quality. Even new cars have slight orange peel. I waited too long to clear sand and buff so it has a slight peel still but after 9 years i know the 4 coats of clear are on, bonded and hard as granite. If i ever get the energy to wet sand and buff another 10-15 hrs ill take it to show. I built it to drive and am glad i did it all myself, gives you a sense of pride and every time you drive them you get that 17 year olds smile.

My 66' is barrier blue(Bahama Blue Metalic) which looks like a close match to your original Blue.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I finally took my car over to the painter last night. The painter seems almost as excited as I am to get this milestone completed, so hopefully that is a good sign. I will post some pictures as I get them. Pray for me that I don’t hit any of the horror stories we all have seen.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

It is finally all one color. Paint coming up soon.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

It is finally back from paint. I am in the process of cleaning it up, which is proving to be quite a chore. I think the painter












got in a rush to finish and get paid so he buffed the clear before it was completely set. The corresponding splatter only comes up with Goof Off, which I have to be very careful with as that will also take off clear and base coat. There are also some buffing problems such as swirls and a couple of buff throughs, but I will deal with them later.

The color (mariner turquoise) is really a cool color. Sometimes it looks more green and sometimes more blue, depending on the light.

I am just glad she is home and I can start final assembly.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

The engine compartment is coming along. Almost done with It.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Colorado67GTO said:


> It is finally back from paint. I am in the process of cleaning it up, which is proving to be quite a chore. I think the painter
> View attachment 133308
> View attachment 133309
> got in a rush to finish and get paid so he buffed the clear before it was completely set. The corresponding splatter only comes up with Goof Off, which I have to be very careful with as that will also take off clear and base coat. There are also some buffing problems such as swirls and a couple of buff throughs, but I will deal with them later.
> ...


Looks great. Sure is a neat color. It'll be a head turner for sure.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Another progress picture. Got the dash and steering column installed.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I finished the sound deadener installation. Also my chrome and some interior parts came.

I am eager to start putting everything on, but am getting some paint issues fixed first. Then it should go pretty fast.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I sent my car out to another painter to have some issues fixed and just got it back today. I will share some pictures when I can get it outside into the sun.

I finished assembling one of the wing windows. I had the frame and lock re-chromed, polished the stainless, an replaced all the weatherstripping. The glass is original and in great shape. It was a PITA to do but I finally got it. I am getting better at the stainless polishing.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I finished the dash last night. The dash pad was done by Just Dashes. It was pricey but well worth the cost. It is very nice. 



I did run into a snag on the front nose piece. I had purchased an aftermarket piece and my first painter chose to use that instead of fixing the old one. It looked like it was the same, but when I attempted to put the chrome trim on, I found out the difference. The shape is different and does not match the stock chrome. I am having my painter estimate fixing the stock original piece. I figured I would post this in case someone is wondering about the fit of the aftermarket 67 nose piece. It makes me wonder if the aftermarket piece maybe fits well with aftermarket chrome. I didn’t take pictures before I took it to paint, but when I get it back, I will post some to show the difference.


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## Old Man Taylor (May 9, 2011)

I visited Just Dashes to see if I could review their process. They were happy to show it to me. They've invested in some equipment to do a reliable vacuum forming of the material. When I have the money - and the desire to get under the dash - I will be taking mine there.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

I finished up the back end. I blacked out the numbers on the plate, but Colorado allows you to use original plates so these are what I will use.


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## Droach6498 (Nov 1, 2020)

Colorado67GTO said:


> Yep. I am going to strip it all the way down to the frame, get it blasted and paint it. I will be doing the engine, transmission, rear end and front end as well.
> 
> There appears to be a little damage to the drivers side horn. Please see picture. I am trying to decide if I need to fix this or not. It seems cosmetic at this point. Thoughts? The rest of the frame appears to be in really good shape.
> 
> Also, I was talked into converting to front disk brakes. I will keep all the original drum brake parts in case there is ever a need to put it back to stock. I have a lead on a 71 Chevelle with the single piston calipers.


Wow it must have been parked outside for awhile with all the interior rust


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Droach6498 said:


> Wow it must have been parked outside for awhile with all the interior rust


It was. It was sitting under a tree outside in Oklahoma rotting away when I got it

Just an update. It is almost done. I just need to finish polishing one more rear stainless wheel well trim and put it on. Then it is back to the body shop for final buffing and some minor fixes and then put on emblems and it is done. I will get some good pictures out after that.


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## Droach6498 (Nov 1, 2020)

Wow how long you been working on it. What did you do to the motor anything radical? Im looking to buy another and have seen a couple of outrageous hp cars for sale.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Droach6498 said:


> Wow how long you been working on it. What did you do to the motor anything radical? Im looking to buy another and have seen a couple of outrageous hp cars for sale.


It is almost completely stock and numbers matching. I did put disk brakes on the front and power brakes, but that is about it. The motor is basically stock. .030 over and a slightly hotter cam. They call it an RV cam. Nothing radical. About 9.4 to 1. I still haven’t done final tuning. It is an automatic and 2.93 so pretty calm.

I just passed 6 years working on it.


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## Droach6498 (Nov 1, 2020)

6 years! Wow I commend your patience


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Construction is officially complete.


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## Old Man Taylor (May 9, 2011)

Very nice.


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## Droach6498 (Nov 1, 2020)

Shes a beauty congrats.


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## dan woodland (Jul 24, 2013)

Very nice! Love the color and admire your dedication to keep another American icon on the streets!

Congrats!


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## hilton8r (Jul 21, 2017)

Very nice!!! Maybe mine will be that nice some day.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

hilton8r said:


> Very nice!!! Maybe mine will be that nice some day.


Thanks Hilton8r. 

Since finishing the assembly, I have basically been cleaning and tuning. I think I have the distributor dialed in now. It is running better and better. Next will be tweaking the carb. 

I also got the AC charged today.

My first show is scheduled for June 5th. No prizes or awards because of Covid, but I will be able to show it.


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## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Her first show. It was a small community show and was not judged, but I had fun and got a taste of what the shows are like.


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