64 Pontiac GTO - Basket case to beautiful (I hope)

My thoughts are that the car was rear ended at some point.
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Hi R/T -- Thanks for your comment.

You may be right. It has clearly been in more than one wreck. The front left has a replacement fender and some pretty good metal straightening to the core support. The left quarter also had a front to back crease that had been partially repaired but the metal remembered and it showed up again during the straightening. Then you have the right quarter - which I never saw - but must have been pretty bad.

I don't think that it took a flat hit to the rear though. The tail panel is factory straight with no signs of repair, the left wheel house is undamaged, and the damage to the original trunk lid was localized in the forward right corner. Also - unless the frame was replaced I would think the rear cross member would show damage.

Honestly - it seems like past bodymen did more damage than the wrecks. I'm amazed the car wasn't totaled - as all of the accidents had to have occurred between 1964 and 1987. Most of that time it would have been just another used car. I would love to find some past owners and hear stories about this car.

This car has had a tough life - in addition to the wrecks, it has also clearly been raced pretty aggressively. The control arm attachments have been repaired from the classic failure associated with putting these A-bodies on slicks. The project came with an M-22 that was in the car when the PO got it and bits and pieces from a Vertigate.

You obviously chose the right guy to get this work done.
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No doubt about that. I thought I knew some good body/metal guys - but Cam is in a different class. Now I have to up my game to do the car justice.

Thanks again for your comments. Talking with folks in forums like this helps to keep me inspired.
 
Back then, wrecks got fixed. A total loss was much more rare than now. Frames were repaired and sometimes replaced. Repairing panels was much more common than replacement. This is the reason that 99% of the older cars and trucks I work on have filler, metal patches, and holes drilled for a dent puller.
 
Wow, is all I can say!
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Coming from you Sir - that is quite a compliment. Your Dart convertible thread is an inspiration.

Thanks to Texasking for the explanation - this must have changed by the time I had my first accident in the early-90s.

Just for fun - here is a look at the tail end of the car.

Backend2.jpg

Backend1.jpg


Thanks everyone for their comments and following along. I do sincerely appreciate it.
 
I had seriously considered doing a 1966 GTO since I owned one in the early 70s. However, I have a soft spot for Mopars and opted for my 1968 Plymouth GTX project.
Love seeing the progress on this build and looking forward to seeing it painted.
 
However, I have a soft spot for Mopars and opted for my 1968 Plymouth GTX project.
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I understand that...My brother had a '68 GTX in the late-80s. It had a hot 440 and a 4-speed - and would really get with the program. For Mopars - my favorites are the '66/'67 B-bodies. A '67 GTX is one seriously beautiful car in my opinion. I just love the roofline and tail end of those cars.

BTW - You are doing some incredible work on your '68 GTX. I enjoy and find inspiration in your build threads too.

I have a soft spot for 64 GTOs
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Clearly I do too. That is one beautiful '64 you posted Mr. Hutton. Honestly - I don't think '64s are the most photogenic GTO. But in person there is just something about them that really flips the switch for me.

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to comment.
 
Just a little update on this project...4 gallons sprayable of SPI red oxide arrived last week without issue. Cam continued working on the metal and finished the patch panel for the rusted area around the gas filler.

RustPatchFinished.jpg

RustPatchFinished2.jpg


He set out to fill two large holes in the firewall (from an old-style aftermarket A/C unit) - But got a surprise when he stripped away the primer and filler. The top of the firewall is patched and beat up. Luckily the cowl escaped damage. So another set of patches to fabricate.

FirewallPatch1.jpg


FirewallPatch2.jpg


FirewallPatch.jpg


The upper portion will get fixed up too. With some warmer weather in the forecast - it might time out well to get that epoxy laid down.

Thanks for following along...
 
Hi Everyone -- It has been awhile since I updated this thread. But we are back to making progress on this project. It turned out the damage to the firewall was really nasty - but Cam has got it under control. The cowl seal area had to come out.

Firewall_Cutout.jpg


Firewall_Cutout_DamageDetail.jpg


It looks like somebody pounded it up with a carpenter's hammer. After straightening this area out - the cowl seal piece had to be fabricated. It has a pretty complicated profile.

Firewall_Cowl_Patch.jpg


To deal with the recessed profile - Cam had a set of Pullmax dies made. They worked out well as you can see.

Pullmax_Cowl_Dies.jpg


Cowl_Seal_Patch_2.jpg


Cowl_Seal_Patch_1.jpg


Cam then joined this patch to a flanged lower section to create a new panel for the upper firewall. Here are some shots of fabrication of that panel and the test fitting prior to being welded in.

Cowl_Seal_Patch_Fab.jpg


Cowl_Seal_Test_Fit_1.jpg


Cowl_Seal_Test_Fit_3.jpg


Honestly - I am endlessly amazed at this kind of fabrication and metal finishing. Anyway -- This is the current state of things. Hopefully this is the last of the big metal work and the car will be coming back to me soon.

Thanks for following along.
 
So...over a year since I updated this thread. The whole time I have been holding off - thinking any day now I would be able to post that the car was back with me and progressing. Unfortunately - I still can't say that.

Lots of reasons for that but slow-going no doubt.

We left off with the firewall in the middle of repair and a short list of to-do's after that...

Here is how the firewall worked out (mostly). I forgot to get a picture of it welded in.
Firewall_Patch_Final.jpg

Cowl Seal Patch Installed 6.jpg


After the firewall patch we returned to the left side quarter. We had thought that it straightened out OK despite the damage. But Cam decided to use his new set of splines to compare one side to the other. That led us to realize the two quarters were not the same shape. Rather than chasing the damage out of the old metal - Cam decided to replace it by making a large patch panel from scratch.

Here is what that looked like...
FabQtr1.jpg

FabQtr2.jpg

FabQtr3.jpg

FabQtr4.jpg

FabQtr6.jpg

FabQtr7.jpg


That brings us pretty current with the situation at this point. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the update. Thanks for following along.
 
Some more of Cam's work on this...Man - I can't wait for him to get finished with his part. I'm so excited.

Attaching the wrap around at the tail end of the quarter.
DrQTpatchEndAttached.jpg

Welded up and in blue for metal finishing...
DrQTpatch1.jpg

Wetted and oblique view - Man that is straight.
DrQTpatch2wet.jpg

Trying it out for fit...
DrQTpatchSide.jpg


DrQTpatchFromBack.jpg
 
With better weather finally coming our way - I am about to start back on getting some of the smaller parts done so they are good to go when the car is ready.

Right now I'm working on the tail light housings and fuel door. This is what they look like on the car. Restored properly they should be black around the outside, Marimba Red (a metal red/marron) between the ribs in the center. The letters are filled with white. Even new these castings had adhesion problems. (Reproductions are available but they are insanely expensive...)

They are cast pot metal and develop blisters or bubbles under the chrome.

Backend1.jpg


I have one extra so I selected the worst one for my experiment. I removed the old, wrong, black paint with cheap lacquer thinner.

Tail Light Pait Softened.jpg


Tail Light Clean 2.jpg


Then I drilled out the bubbles down to clean metal...leaving little half round divots.

Tail Light Drill.jpg


Tail Light Drilled.jpg


I'm looking for advise at this point.

I think my next step would be to epoxy prime the everything but the chrome parts that remain unpainted. Then apply filler (can I use glazing putty?) sand - prime again. Then into the color coats. Maybe I should use some kind of adhesion promoter?

What do you think?
 
Apply the 2-part glaze over the epoxy the next day or up to 7 days without sanding the epoxy.
Only use adhesion promoter if needed and not needed anywhere on outside of the car with epoxy
 
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