[dhutton]

I bought this car a few years ago local to me. It was in rough shape and although a PHS documented GTO just about every hint of it's GTO heritage had been stripped. I decided it would be a good candidate for a restomod build since the original engine etc were long gone. Originally a 4 barrel 4 speed car.

Details of the build are:
LS1 with Pat G custom cam and AFR heads
Built T56 six speed trans and LS7 clutch
Edelbrock headers and 2.5" exhaust with X-pipe
C6 Z51 front brakes, LS1 rear brakes
SPC upper and lower control arms with Bilstein shocks and SPC springs
DSE quick ratio steering box
Hellwig front and rear sway bars
12 bolt posi with 3.73 gears
Currietrac upper and lower rear control arms
Spectra EFI tank with SARD surge tank - two fuel pumps with Aeromotive controller
HRE 545 wheels - 19x8.5 and 19x10
Vintage Air
New Relics power windows
Wireless remote door locks
AAW upgrade harness

I did all the work including the body work and paint etc in my shop. Took well over 20 patches to fix the floors, trunk quarters and roof etc. The color is Brandywine and the paint is House of Kolor Kandy Base.

I know the purists will not like this build but given the state I got it in I think it could have had a lot worse fate. It simply was not practical for me to try to put it back to original.

[Andre]

I generally lean towards stock cars, but I can certainly appreciate this car, and would not mind owning it.

[rohrt]

Nice looking car.

Bet it drives like a dream?

[dhutton]

Originally Posted by rohrt

Nice looking car.

Bet it drives like a dream?

It is a fun car to drive. It corners exceptionally well and the bump steer corrected AFX spindles and steering arms make a real difference. Stops on a dime too. The front and rear control arms all use solid bushings and Johnny joints which make for precise handling. I am able to run -.5 degree of camber and 6.5 degrees of caster which is on par with modern cars.

I requested a cam with a lot of torque over a broad range and it seems to have delivered along with the AFR 205 heads. It easily gets over 20 mpg cruising at 70 mph with the A/C on.

The only complaint I have is the noise from those pesky vent windows. I replaced the seals but they are still noisy. I am thinking about sealing them shut

Thanks,
Don

[bill ryder]

I am a purist and you ride is beautiful. GOOD SAVE!!!

[64woodwheel]

Originally Posted by bill ryder

I am a purist and you ride is beautiful. GOOD SAVE!!!

X2, Awesome body work. It's invisible.

[Tenney]

Cool car - bet it's a blast!

[BertMac]

Beautiful car...as far as the vent windows, I feel your pain..one solution that someone told me was remove the vent windows and have a door glass cut..I didn't do this and have no real idea how hard it is to fit a different glass.

[Tom Vaught]

B-Man will be impressed.

Tom Vaught

[goatman65]

That is exactly the color im hoping to 'try' to paint my 65 within the next month.

Im going to use a Shimirin base called Nova Orange instead of gold or silver.

This will be my first attempt at a Kandy job. Any tips you can share with me?

[Chipless]

Wow. Incredible workmanship!

[dhutton]

Originally Posted by goatman65

That is exactly the color im hoping to 'try' to paint my 65 within the next month.

Im going to use a Shimirin base called Nova Orange instead of gold or silver.

This will be my first attempt at a Kandy job. Any tips you can share with me?

Plan for a long day in the booth. Black sealer followed by three coats of silver followed by four coats of KandyBase followed by three coats of clear. A couple of days later it was wet sanded and two flow coats applied. Then it was cut and buffed.

Because it is not a true candy it is not as hard to apply. Same rules apply as for any metallic paint. Avoid tiger striping by spraying with a wide fan and vertical, horizontal and diagonal passes. Use the recommended temperature reducer and allow sufficient flash time betwee coats. The HOK paint is prone to dieback so uniform coverage is key. Don't skimp in door jams etc. Four good coats everywhere.

This was my second paint job and first attempt at the KandyBase. If I can do it, I'm sure you can. I found a couple of good videos online. One I remember had a guy painting a BMW the same color.

This is not inexpensive paint. I used all HOK products and I think it was around $1500 after shopping online for the best price.

Any questions let me know. Good luck.

Don

[goatman65]

Thanks for the info. Ive watched a lot of youtube vids also. One of a 57 BelAir which was done with the Nova Orange basecoat is where i got the idea to try the orange instead of silver or gold.
I would like to know about how much paint did you use? Im thinking 3 quarts of orange base and 6 or 7 quarts KBC Brandywine.

[dhutton]

Originally Posted by goatman65

Thanks for the info. Ive watched a lot of youtube vids also. One of a 57 BelAir which was done with the Nova Orange basecoat is where i got the idea to try the orange instead of silver or gold.
I would like to know about how much paint did you use? Im thinking 3 quarts of orange base and 6 or 7 quarts KBC Brandywine.

That sounds about right but I would go with the 7 quarts of KBC. This probably goes without saying but you can't "panel paint" this stuff. The car needs to be assembled and painted all in one pass. Walk the whole length of the car each pass. You will be tired at the end of the day...

Don

[goat1964-2004]

Very Nice, Love the stance !