as requested by Brian, here is the link to some pics of my 66 GTO. These are old, but I haven't done much to the car in close to 5 years. However, I recently have finished the seats by painting and installing the backs and side pieces. I've also rebuilt the drivers door hinges and aligned the door as best as I can. Hopefully within the next month I'll finish the other door hinges and install the front clip. 1966 GTO sorry about all the popups, it's a free site. I'll come back and post pics of my W-31 later. enjoy :beer
um, yeah, you could say that. ou: I guessimate roughly 6 times the body was off the frame. and I'm sick and tired of taking it off. it ain't coming off anymore. and there's no reason for it to. um, nope. would like to have the W-31 in Stanton next year. the GTO will be modified slightly. front discs with dual circuit brake system. 16x8 torque thrust D wheels (yeah, those are factory just like Hurst rims right p ) the motor will be anything but Pure Stock. it'll most likely be a "slightly" :grin: stroked 400 with headers (yes, I said headers). I do have a complete 67 WT 400, but not sure if I want to use that. Basically what engine I want is still up in the air. It was supposed to be my summer daily driver, oh a few years ago. o No: Lately, I've also entertained the thought of selling it and getting a 70-72 GTO thats just about done (read driveable)
and the W-31. The only thing these pics won't show (other than the extent of the rust damage :grin: ) is the correct hot stove pipe I installed a few weeks ago.
Chris, Like the looks of the W-31 (meaning that it is in one piece and rolling!) Who knows, if you send it off to body shop prision now, it might be out parolled by spring! Good luck, it will be a sweet piece when you are done! :beer
chris,its not that bad,send that thing to the body shop,but tape up that motor first..nothing is worse than overspray on a fresh motor.. you keeping it the same color?
Looks good, Chris. Think you need the longer PCV pipe on the RH side to allow your air cleaner to be centered. Otherwise, very cool. Automatics are for girlie-boys. :spank:
yep, it'll be repainted code 80 powder blue you know Dave, I was wondering about that pipe. It's an NOS small block one. maybe I need to look at the several others I have and compare their length :Brow: hell, I still have one sitting on a 69 350 2bbl engine that I scavange parts off of from time to time.
I like that color combo. Pretty when done. Air cleaners were definitely centered on the 68-69 W cars. Don't know what pipe is correct, but I'd rather have it looking right. I have a few around here, too, let me know what length you may need. Should be able to guess that by positioning the air cleaner properly and see how much your current one is short. :bglasses:
Body shop prison Chris's car will definitely be in bdy shop prison for awhile The pics don't do the car justice. Basically the rear of the car will be cut off and new metal welded on. Very extensive/expensive resto but well worth it for a 1 of 714 car. Gotta love an original Chicago, IL car Matt
Body Shop prison. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: My 66 442 has been a hostage in Body shop Prison for 3 years, red W30 was for 3 years before that. Here's a pic of it taken yesterday. I had him uncover it just to make sure it was still there. Went over to drop off my brother's black 66 Cutlass for a new trunk floor. Even California cars rust out when there are design flaws (like the rear windows on 66-67 GM A bodies). Wouldn't it be easier and better quality to change the body on your car, Chris? There's a lot of good rust free shells around.
and the other 66........... How about that? Two 66 hardtops in the same garage at the sametiome yesterday. This is the plain Jane el strippo 3 on the tree Cutlass from California. See the 68 hood in the background? That's supposed to be red with black Hurst stripes. Check out the layer of dust on it. :laugh: :laugh:
There's just something about a black musclecar :TU: My 64 was originally black, but I don't know how long it'll be before it would be straight enough to be black again. :laugh: Chris, I must say that W-31 engine sure is pretty :TU:
a dealership in Joliet. Part of the sticker is still on the trunklid. Matt, it's one of 913. where did 714 come from? Do you have career HR on your mind? :grin:
Dave, We as a group had that discussion before. I think it was Tom Miller who said the 3 S theory: sh1t, shoot, shut up, IIRC. Thats all I have to say about that :Brow: :laugh:
I love it. Back in the early 1970's, the number of 69 W31's built on line was 623, and the number of 68 Ramrods was 508. There's more today than ever!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: (70's was around 1200-1400, don't remember exactly, busy with other things at that time. ) Too bad we don't have something like the PHS for Oldsmobiles. Now I know why Dr Decal sells so many W31 and Ramrod decals.
Well it has been awhile since Chris and I had discussed his car's rarity. For some reason 700 something has been in my mind. As for the rust resto/rebodying that has been cussed and discussed before and will continue until the end of time. Matt
True, it has been hashed to death, but having done: both rebodying a total rust bucket, and siamesing a rear half body onto my front half (collision damage, not rust), the car that was rebodied was the much better of the two. Door fits, squeak and rattle, etc. Not trying to start another pissing match down that well worn path, just curious why you wouldn't use that car with a new rust free shell that's media blasted on a spit, etc. Saw the car at Lansing, was once very nice. UNless you have all the jigs and assembly fixtures for the body, don't see how you can end up with the "click-shut" quality of the doors and deck lid, let alone the air noise and water leakage associated with rust repair. Whatever...................Sure it'll be nice when you're done. Great start. Friend did a 66 GTO project like the other one. Drove it to my brother in law's and started cutting away the cancered out areas (Southern Indiana car). By the end of the day, there was a rolling chassis there (motor still warm), with body sections on both sides of the driveway all the way to the street. 4 years, probably 4000 hours and probably 400 cases of Bush light later, he had a show winning car. Sold it for very big bucks. Think it would have been easier to just hang the VIN tag from the rafters and build the car around that. Used major sections from 4 doifferent cars for the main body shell, who knows how many others for doors, fenders, hood, deck lid, etc. Same path on my 68 W30, started with an almost perfect shell and frame. Had planned to use that for a resto/body change for a rust bucket 68 W31 I had, decided to build a street rod/cruiser instead. Glad I did. Different strokes and all that stuff.......................
