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-   68-69 GTO Tempest & LeMans TECH (https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=433)
-   -   Report on the results of your help (https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=857664)

dataway 03-30-2022 06:02 AM

Report on the results of your help
 
Had a good night in the shop, lots of things went right. While working on various systems I realized mentally I was always referencing information I learned in the best forum section on PY .. the 68-69 section :)

So you will know where I am in the process, where I'm going, where I've been, I'll post some pictures, yes the dreaded large pictures.

Tonight I installed the steering wheel I restored ... was the typical cracked, split original wheel that I filled with the flexible 3M product everyone uses on the Endura (at first I used JB weld ... just the temp changes in the shop made it crack again) got it painted and looking pretty good, time will tell if it will crack again. It's painted the color is it because the steering wheels on the Ivy Gold interiors is a slightly different color than the dash/column .. more of an Olive color than the Ivy Gold.

I know there are still a lot of problems in the photos .. but I'm still in the testing phase, lots of wrong parts will be replaced before it's all done.

I transitioned from DC power supply to automotive battery power tonight. I've been using the DC power supply to a: limit the potential to fry things b: to keep and eye on current flow to various components.

Now I can run things like the blower motor at full speed, wipers on high, multiple components on at the same time etc. AND the radio works astoundingly better using proper battery power.

Probably the big story of the evening was the IMI mini-starter ... in the engine photo you can see some little electronic jumpers I was using to power things (kind of a fusible link between the battery and electrical system) ... well, that's all I ran to the starter, NOT the main battery cable. I wanted to test the repop ignition switch so I turned it to the start position expecting to just hear a solenoid click ... with that tiny wire it turned over the engine no problem, I was amazed ... yeah the little wire got kind of warm ... but didn't melt. So I'm assuming with the new 2 ga all copper cables I have coming that starting will not be an issue.

Also a photo of my GTO work space ... which is like a Where's Waldo picture .. a lot going on there ... small area, lots of stuff in it.

So ... thanks everyone for help, information, parts and encouragement.

https://i.imgur.com/wHVKzPX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GkqPX1Z.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wOoPb4f.jpg

ddcrank 03-30-2022 10:38 AM

Wow looks great. Yes we know the feeling of getting close.

OG68 03-30-2022 10:54 AM

Its looking great Data. I need to catch up.

gtohurstjudge 03-30-2022 11:22 AM

Your car is looking great........love the color combo. I'm curious why you don't just
add a reproduction wood steering wheel to your car.......wheel cracking problem solved!
and much more attractive also!

dataway 03-30-2022 11:49 AM

3 Attachment(s)
That might very well be in the cards. This is another case of ... I had my hands on that same wheel for many years so I want to keep using it.

It's a mojo thing ... I have to use enough of the original parts for mojo continuity ... then as the new parts get absorbed into the current mojo ... I can slowly add updates or changes with no danger of the car becoming a different car than it was when I bought it in 1976.

Here is a pic of the exact same dash ... summer of 1976, even has my graduation tassel hanging on the dash.

A picture of it in a barn in the 80's

A picture of it the day I bought it.

It's been a very long road.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...4&d=1648654906

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...5&d=1648655212

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...7&d=1648655278

JSchmitz 03-30-2022 11:54 AM

Nice!

You have me beat by a bit. I've had my car since '85. Mine is all apart right now also. Harder to stay on it these days. I do more thinking and less acting is seems. lol

Verdoro 68 03-30-2022 12:35 PM

Glad to see some pics, I've been wondering what the state of affairs was. Looks great!

I totally get the mojo thing with the steering wheel. My car is supposed to have the standard wheel, but I swapped it to a custom sport in the first week I had it. That wheel is staying with me.

BTW, I had the Hurst T-handle on my dual gate back in the day too.

dataway 03-30-2022 02:09 PM

Yep ... it's all about that first dreamy year .... like the first year dating your wife, kind of want to return it to that condition :)

I've still got that T-handle ..... what do you think? Put it back on? It was kind of SOP back then :)

Verdoro 68 03-30-2022 02:53 PM

1 Attachment(s)
I took mine off. I prefer the stock ball. The handle was just too bulky and the 16 year old me Mickey Moused the threads with JB Weld to get it to thread onto the shifter.

I never want to go back to those first few years! My car was a cobbled together rattle trap that couldn't get out of it's own way. No one except me and my best friend wanted anything to do with it LOL. Much better now, even if my wife still wants nothing to do with it.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1648665993

gtoguys 03-30-2022 04:20 PM

Data way, your GTO looks almost exactly like mine! I bought mine in Feb 1976. Yes I still have it. I have a 4 speed and no air. But the colors are the same. I replaced the steering wheel with a sport model,since the green one had too many cracks in it. But I would like to say, keep going and get it done. Great job so far!

dataway 03-30-2022 04:57 PM

Gtoguys, almost the same purchase date too .. I bought mine in April 76.

Verdoro ... yes I like the ball better too, I guess somethings that were 70's cool just don't cut it anymore :) I was lucky that mine was in good shape when I got it .. THEN I proceeded to destroy it with ill thought out attempts to make "faster".

694.1 03-30-2022 06:16 PM

Great looking car & great looking wheel!
Keep 'em forever ;)

gtohurstjudge 03-31-2022 03:00 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Your pics provide the ultimate nostalgia steering wheel solution........go buy
another brown lace on steering wheel cover! I love the pics you posted......I will have owned my GTO
50 years this July.......a pic from 1974......

'ol Pinion head 03-31-2022 04:30 PM

Looks VERY nice John!

Greg Reid 03-31-2022 04:33 PM

Man, I love the color combo. Looks great!
I had those same Chevy rallies on my first car, a 63 Impala. I also had one of those lace up steering wheel covers on my first 68 GTO.. ln fact, I looked for one in the last 10 years are so and could not find one anywhere... At least not the old school style with the holes in it.
I've always liked the '67/'68 Deluxe steering wheels. I've got a real good spare here that I'll hold on to even though I'm not using it for now. Picked up a 69 sport wheel a few years ago and I'm using that.

gtohurstjudge 03-31-2022 05:25 PM

I looked and there's a new in the package 1970's brown lace up steering
wheel cover for sale on ebay right now for 19.99.....there you go!

dataway 03-31-2022 05:45 PM

I'm going to keep my eyes open for a perforated one .... worse case scenario I buy one of the sold brown ones and punch all the holes myself :)

The one I had used the flat plastic wrap ... and the cover itself was just cheap vinyl pretty sure.

Jeez, now you guys have me started on another search where I won't be happy unless I find the exact same thing :)


And I always thought there were a ton of Verdoro Green GTO's with the Ivy Gold Interior, to be honest I never thought of it as a nice combination back in the day, I always wanted black.

Half-Inch Stud 03-31-2022 05:48 PM

That light green interior is one of my favorite for 1968.

Bucksnort 03-31-2022 06:45 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Speaking of those brown perforated steering wheel covers. I put this on way back in the day cause the dirty old wood wheel put a big stain on my white wedding Tux pants :-)

Dan

HoovDaddy 03-31-2022 07:37 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Nice work Dataway! Lovin' all the old pics in this thread. Sold my April Gold '68 in 1974. I like the uniqueness of the '68s.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1648769798


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