Dave's 65 GTO - Page 12

Herb · 03-18-10, 11:59 AM

69 chevelle..coooooooooooool

Herb · 03-18-10, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chief roo

Mucking around with a ponti from about as far away from the motherland as you can get, You can't not have humor hey Herb. These blokes don't get their pants pulled down like we do when it comes to parts

. Not complaining mind but you just really gotta want 1.

Yeah I've been down the mustang,Mopar, Chevy road and they're all very cool cars but you dont know what paying through the nose for parts means until you own a Pontiac - but damn they're extra cool!

Thumpin455 · 03-18-10, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattcarlson_83

cars loooking good!!!! i see what ya mean about some hack doing the body work now!!! great job on saving it!!! hows the weather been up there?? we had 60 here yesterday!!! im hopin spring is acutly in the air, and not teasing us and then we get another snow storm.... hope to see that thing out this summer. you go to any shows in the u.p or in wisconsin??? im hopin the guy im building the 67 for lets me have it for a weekend to head up there to see my family in ashland and go to a show with my cousin and his 69 chevelle ss...

I havent been to a show in a long time, I want to hit a few and meet some other car guys from the area though. The weather has been great here, a bit cooler than down there, but still way too nice for March. Its supposed to get colder again later this week, not a problem for me really as long as I get the rest of the sandblasting done. I am itching to get my 98 Formula out again, but I am waiting until I am sure the snow is gone and we arent getting any more. I did crank it up yesterday. Im also itching to get my toy out and do some work on it so I can cruise it a bit this summer, but the GTO takes precedence on my time.

I guess what Pontiac parts you need and who you get them from dictates how expensive stuff is. Probably much worse down under, but I have consistently put together entire cars cheaper than most of the chevy guys I know running the same numbers spend on their engines. The chevy and Ford guys who spend my kinda cash usually end up in the high 13s, not the mid 11s. Maybe I do something differently, I dont know.

Thumpin455 · 03-20-10, 08:37 PM

work is progressing..

Just nothing really interesting to take pics of, unless you like to see welds ground down and dents bumped out. I did get the control arms bushed and mounted, gont one spindle and spring in then the spring compressor decided to take a dump as I was doing the drivers side. Stripped the threads right out of it, and there is no way to put the spring in without a car on the frame or an engine in it. The good part is once the front end is together, I can stuff the engine and trans in and get them all lined up. Probably the easiest way to get to the trans bolts is to yank the body..

It wont be done for the May 5th deadline, but with luck I can have it painted and waiting on glass, interior, bumpers, trim, and wiring. I can always take it down there on the trailer and show it to him almost complete. I think we are planning some sort of surprise party for him, gotta talk to the mom in law about it and see what she has cooked up.

chief roo · 03-20-10, 10:29 PM

I thought you'd be able to put motor and trans in the chassis before you mount the body ?. If ya gunna miss the deadline Rusty you could always put on a do when it's finished and invite him along ?.

Thumpin455 · 03-27-10, 08:19 PM

I think it will go down to his place on the trailer, hopefully painted with an engine and trans in it. It will still be a great surprise even if I cant afford to get all the parts it needs.

Got more done today, couldnt take the cold tonight and I am hungry so I quit at 2200. Got to looking at the kick panel area and it was pretty bad under the dash mount and all the way to the floor. Quite the air leak, probably make for a very chilly left leg at 60mph. So I chopped into it and started bending, trimming and welding.

Also did a bit of grinding on the A pillar I started the other day, its coming out nice. The structural part of the pillar was good, so it just needed the cosmetic piece on the inside where the glass rests. So I built that out of Suburban hood, the channel in the underhood bracing that is on the edge near the spring mount was almost a perfect fit. Might as well use bends that are already in the metal right?

Here it is before, you can see the patch in the lower rear jamb and the grinding Dave's grandson David did on the floors. Kid busted his tail for 5 hours grinding welds, totally used up the wheel on the grinder. Kid is quite the worker, wish he was more into cars.

This is after a bit of work, need to trim the flange to the lower channel that fits over this part. Lucky for me that make that piece, otherwise I would be having a really fun time making it and getting it to look decent.

The patch on the inside came out nice, doesnt have to look great since the dash covers it.

If I could work more days each week and didnt have to help friends out, I think I could get quite a bit done on this metal work thing.

mrpontiac65 · 03-27-10, 10:26 PM

Your getting there!

Herb · 03-27-10, 10:52 PM

yeah mate.....this is like war and peace. bloody massive - but a huge accomplishment when you reach the end

Thumpin455 · 03-29-10, 08:03 PM

Long friggin day. I am hurtin for certain. Knocked off at 930 and took some pics of the patch I did in addition to hours of grinding and welding, and cleaning up joints, and other crap. Its annoying being at this stage because I do so much but it doesnt really show, so it feels like I am getting nowhere and I have to tell myself I actually got important stuff done today.

Just to feel like I accomplished something I started the toy and moved it over to the shop so I can swap some parts on it and build a seat mount. I need a diversion for a day or two of this welding and grinding. The drag car is the diversion. Also its about time the 98 Formy got insurance back on it so I can enjoy that sucker again since the snow is gone.

Well here is the frame that has been sitting outside waiting to go back under the body. I put the old rear back under it so I could move it and get more room in the shop. Found out the 14" slots I had on it wont fit these brakes. Bummer, I wanted to run them on the car, looks like I will have to scrounge a set or pick some up.

And the patch that didnt take that long but its about the only thing really different other than some filled holes and ground beads.

Not much left under the car now, just the wheel wells and that stupid drivers quarter. I am half tempted to order a new one and a wheel house this week and just be done with it. Actually I am seriously thinking on that and it just might happen. It would save me a ton of time getting the wheel lip to look right and I wouldnt have a low spot the size of Kansas in the quarter.

chief roo · 03-29-10, 09:10 PM

Your right nobody sees the clean up UNLESS it's not done and add to that your keen to piece this unit back together and all that grinding and sanding seems to take forever.

Herb · 03-30-10, 12:41 AM

Drag car? You said drag car ! Please show all !

chief roo · 03-30-10, 02:04 AM

Rusty does 455's on 85 just to laugh at chev racers Herb plenty of bang for not much buck.

Herb · 03-30-10, 03:55 AM

Hes obviously a very clever bloke roo....the kind you never stop learning off eh? how you been doing roosternator?

chief roo · 03-30-10, 04:52 AM

Grows his petrol , composts his heat , saves parts cars from the crusher , Hoses big buck Chevs with his own built and fuelled cars. Yup recon he might have the finger on the pulse . A doer for sure . I enjoy spending time with people like that .

Thumpin455 · 03-30-10, 10:40 AM

Thanks guys.. Most people think I am crazy or drank too much koolaid. They seem to be the types who pay to have things done or arent into cars, well most of the time they are.

Here's the drag car, its a street strip toy. I did a thread about it and the yellow TA in the Firebird section. Butler 467, 73 400 block, 330cfm 87cc E heads, 270/272 solid roller, lifter brace, stud girdle, Eagle/Ross bottom end, Victor/1050 and MSD6AL and billet distributor. Behind it is a Th400, 4200ish stall, and 4.10 gears in a 12 bolt. Im swapping the valve covers today, finally got a decent set from one of the guys on PZ or PY. Need to fix an oil leak and do some tuning too, and it still needs lots of work so it wont see the track this year, but it will see some street time. I painted it last summer, got tired of it looking so damn bad and it needed some rust fixed.

Last year.

Herb · 03-30-10, 11:52 AM

That is so cool - looks fat as!

Thumpin455 · 03-30-10, 08:57 PM

A couple better pics of it I took today while the power was out. Rather difficult to weld or sand with a DA when there is no electricity.

Also found out my HO Formula is # matching, checked the block with a mirror. My friend I bought it from wasnt sure if it was or not, and I never bothered to look until today.

Sanded down the Tempest hood I have before the power went out. Looks to be in good shape with only one ding and no rust. So until I can get a GTO hood I will paint that one and it can cover the engine for me.

Other than the power going out, it was a good day, windy but good.

indymanjoe · 03-30-10, 09:08 PM

if ya need a place to rack out down here where the trolls live,ie woodward etc...got ya coverd

Herb · 03-30-10, 11:29 PM

Mmmmmmm. Big shed....

mrpontiac65 · 03-31-10, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumpin455

A couple better pics of it I took today while the power was out. Rather difficult to weld or sand with a DA when there is no electricity.

Also found out my HO Formula is # matching, checked the block with a mirror. My friend I bought it from wasnt sure if it was or not, and I never bothered to look until today.

Sanded down the Tempest hood I have before the power went out. Looks to be in good shape with only one ding and no rust. So until I can get a GTO hood I will paint that one and it can cover the engine for me.

Other than the power going out, it was a good day, windy but good.

Lookin better than it was before the paint job.Paint doesn't make it run any better but it makes it look better!