need some suggestions - Lateral-g Forums

race-rodz · #1 06-12-2005, 03:11 PM

i just ended up with a new project, 66 gto, numbers matching 389/4spd. This was a car that i was supposed to be doing body and paint on for a buddy out of state. Shortly after recieving the car and starting on it (dissassembly) my buddy got busted for growing not so legal plants. well the project has been on hold for about a year... sitting in my shop being stored. I just got off the phone with him, and turns out he is going away for 4-5 years. basically we worked out a deal... the car is mine.

here is my question. the car is in the middle of a full blown restoration allready, and i would really like it to be a nice driving car, but i do not want to do anything that cant be undone or hurt the value too much. what would you guys suggest for suspension, brakes, motor, trans, etc. I'm serious contemplating putting the original motor/trans under the bench and doing an efi 455/tremec.

looking at the value of the car restored vs being a nice driver with minor PT treatment... i think its about a toss up. collectors buy cars to look at... car guys buy cars to drive. i know if i were looking to buy a real gto and had my choice of a restored original or a resto-mod driver... for the same money... i would choose the car i could drive and have fun with. BTW... when i say value... i mean real world value... not barret-jackson land value.

any input would be greatly appriciated, im not really in a position to start another personal project right now, but if i know what direction im gonna go with it, i can atleast start collecting parts

nvawgn · #2 06-12-2005, 03:19 PM

i think the easy way out would be to lower the car and tires and wheels, then you could always put it back to stock pretty quickly

**Ummgawa** · #3 06-12-2005, 03:32 PM

There is a blue 66-67 GTO from the tour, lowered with Big meats, blue. Check it out.

**Bill Howell** · #4 06-12-2005, 03:40 PM

If it is in fact a matching number car with right engine and stuff, I would have a hard time not putting it back original. However, with the 65 I am currently building, I have found there is all kind of aftermarket stuff out there for these early A-bodies. My car will be kinda full tilt protour but since you may want to go back original one day, I would be careful doing anything I couldn't reverse. Just my .02
I have attached one of Kris's renderings to give you an idea though

race-rodz · #5 06-12-2005, 04:42 PM

well i did see the blue one... and really dig it. i do have a hard time doing anything non reversable... as the car IS numbers matching with all the right parts. i am thinking about disk brakes all the way around and good power steering, swaybars... nothin too drastic prolly 17's, either TT2's or the billet pontiac rally's... i might just stick with the 389/4spd. the car was that same lighter blue color.... and will be again... just way straighter and better than foctory would have ever done.

im more curious what everybody would do for "bolt on" disk brake and suspension. i have only done one other A-body (64 chevelle)... which used B-body/hotchkiss. handles ok... bumpsteer suxs. that is why i wanna get suggestions.

thanks... keep the ideas coming

**Bill Howell** · #6 06-12-2005, 04:55 PM

As far as suspension, my car will have global west stuff and wilwood brakes. I struck a deal with global west and since they are a wilwood dealer, got it all from them. Also got QA1 set up all around. However, since it is being assembled now, I can not comment on performance yet. Any of that could be replaced if you wanted to go thru the trouble, with the rear brake set up being the hardest issue to address. But who would ever want to go back to the pitiful original single brake set up if you had good ones on the car?
Remember, those sleds are heavy, so stick with the 389 or something else with plenty cubes