Well, here is the car that started it all. My parents grew up in central western Indiana, in a small town called Wallace. In 1964 my Grandmother drove her 20 year old son up to Lafayette to buy his first car, a black/black, 4bbl, auto, wood wheel 1964 Pontiac GTO Hardtop. The first muscle car, period. Strangely enough, a friend of Dad's in Wallace also got a new GTO that year, a white, manual, tripower hardtop. The little 4 bbl would stay even for a while, but then the tripower took over. How many small towns can claim TWO original new 1964 GTO's? Not many I bet. He sold it in 71 after the trunk started to rust out a little. I was born in 72 and when I found out around 2 years old I wanted to strangle him!
Time goes by, I survive one of the "better" High Schools in Indianapolis (~30% graduation rate) and go on to the culture shock that was DePauw University. When my parents dropped me off, Dad gives what I still think is the best advice I ever got, "Don't be an educated idiot." I knew what he meant and strive for it every day.
At DePauw I majored in Physics and Mathematics and minored in beer. As graduation approached, it was decision time. I always though that I would be a mechanical engineer, but kept my options open. I decided to go for it. As a resident of Indiana, I was pretty much restricted to the Cow College to the north that is Purdue University. As a DIEHARD Indiana University, I swallowed some serious pride and went there(It is a very good engineering school). At Purdue, I got a Masters in Mechanical Engineering with focuses on Design, Dynamics, and Vibrations. After Purdue I started working at Allison Engine Company. This is the old Allison Gas Turbine, which was owned by GM for many years. Allison is primarily known for making engines for helicopters, small (50 seat) airplanes, and generator sets.
At this time, PONTIACS would return to the family. I saw an ad in the local for sale paper called "The Trader"(Ironically where this site is housed) for a PHS documented 65 GTO, originally a white, black interior, tripower, manual, 3:90. It was down in Moorseville, IN (about 15 min south of Indy). Dad and I went to look at and when we walked up to it my first thought was " Holy S***!" It had been parked in one place or another since 1979. We looked it over, but even before I saw it, I kinda knew it would be mine. Patience is a come and go thing. The guy selling it was a big GTO nut. As we were leaving he said "Wanna see the 64 convertible I'm finishing?" "Well, SURE!" Walk into the garage to see a lacquer black, future white interior, pristine (after a few years of work) goat. That was when I KNEW I would be back to get the 65. Driving home, I said to dad, "Don't worry, I'll let you work on it." "I'm not working on it." I about fell out of the car laughing.
Well it technically was all that it was advertised as, but you can see that the original cameo ivory is now ???White, blue, black, rust(technically a color?). As I quickly learned the ins and outs of Pontiac identification, I found out that the engine in the car was a 68 400 out of a Bonneville. The tripower was supposedly stolen years ago, and it was a 3:23 posi. Notice the snow tire, smiley face and bullet holes on the fender and door! Did I mention I love a good challenge?
Below is the other side. Looks kinda like a Dalmatian huh? Hey Kenny G. see the rust along the back side of the side window? That's one of the pieces I was talking about that I need to replace.
The inside was kinda rough. Notice the rust along the bottom of the dash and then trust me that there was only 4 inches right in front of the speaker hole the was not rusted all the way through. Under the window on the right, you can see what was about a 3 inch gaping hole. Check out that CB radio harness! The floors look badly rusted but the only parts of the floor I've had to patch is right under the pedels and under the seat brackets. I don't even want to talk about the month spent on the vent areas.
My Aunt and Uncle cut out and send us a cartoon from the Minneapolis/St. Paul newspaper called "Pluggers". It's about a community of bears that just do things with what they have. Call it Good 'ole boy engineering if you will. Stuff my dad is good at and I love. (Our air compressor is an air tank off the brake system off a semi, a F@#$ York AC compressor and an electric motor with a regulator and electrical pressure cut-off)
The body hoist is composed of two come-alongs. One going up to a big branch on the pine tree and the other to a my now defunct basketball goal(It's INDIANA!) which is an old surplus telephone pole. I ran back and forth between a ladder up the pole and the roof of the shed ratcheting the body up. And NO I didn't forget to run it over the emergency brake cable!!! I meant to do that!
Now THAT's an engine hoist. It's hard to see, but there is a trailer hitch at the top left, a boat winch runs the cable and the 12 ton hydraulic jack raises and lowers the boom. Did I mention the boom is telescopic? HOMEMADE, courtesy a neighbor down the street!
It took me three weeks to fully dismantle the car, and get the body off. Parts are now scattered in the carport, garage, a neighbor's garage, my parents basement, my apartment living room, my apartment balcony storage closet, and quite often my car.
VROOOOM!!!
And the chassis is done. Well almost, still need to put the 1" sway bar on the
rear. BTW, I put the HO-Racing front disk conversion on. I got it from our old club
president, and right now I'm a little worried about being able to align it and not hit the
beautiful metallic coated Hooker Super Comps sitting in the basement.
Got the car September 8th 1996 and the body went back on at Thanksgiving. Seems someone didn't like my car in the alley. The city said my car was "Junk" and a "Unlicensed, Inoperable Vehicle" Bwaaahahahahaha. The city was real good about "giving me time" to get the chassis done and the body back on so that I can get the car in the carport by winter
Hey, little boy wanna RACE???!!!!
Found a tripower in pretty tough shape at the Dennis Pontiac swapmeet in Columbus, OH. I
spent a lot of time fixing and cleaning it up. Not bad for the first time. I should have
the engine back from the shop soon. I'm dropping a 455 crank into the 400. In the next few
days I'll try and put up all that I'm doing to the engine.
About two months into the 65, I saw a documented 64 GTO originally Grenadier Red, Black
interior, Tripower, manual, 3:08 for sale in the Trader again. It was a pseudo basketcase,
it had all the body work done (guy paid $9,000 just in body work!) and needed an engine
(again, no 3X2 included), and the interior put in. He had a ton of extra parts from
a '64 tempest and a turd 65 Bonneville 389. Took out a loan and got it all for $6000
and hid it from my dad. I gave it to him for Father's day this year. About a month
before I gave it to him, we found out he had really wanted a red car when he bought his
64, but all they had was black. Personally, I like black better, but this car will
be red. Every now and then I need to remind him that I still have the title.
He is always saying that he is going to stick a couple schwitzer turbos on there.
Smartass.
