Beautiful Sunday morning the wife and I were up having our morning coffee. I suggested a "GTO family fun day" .. which means I put the wife to work helping me with projects to finish off the GTO. I listed some low impact jobs we could do, trim, assembling the hideaways, installing the seat belts etc.
She checked the weather on her phone and said, it looks great for painting, only 4mph wind, high 70's, low humidity ... you should repaint that rear quarter and finally be done with the paint. I asked her if she really wanted to get involved in that kind of thing today .. she was up for it.
Then I realized ... and told her ... you realize don't you that would mean backing the car out of the shop ... which would be the FIRST time this GTO has moved under it's own power since I tore it apart in 1983. I had one of those nervous nauseating feelings in my stomach.
We committed. Pulled out the Quick Jack, cleaned everything off the roof and trunk, hooked up the battery. Cranked it a while (hadn't been started in a few months). Fired up and went to high idle, oil pressure good, no ticks, clicks, bangs, knocks or squeals. Let it warm up a while and the idle drop, clicked it into reverse and my fresh self rebuilt tranny smoothly and quietly applied the expected force to the rear wheels ... and she backed out like I'd been driving it every day for the last 40 years.
Didn't even see the Gen light on ... did a quick check on the charging voltage .. 14.11 ... using my untested self rebuilt (new diodes and bearings) original alternator. Jeez this all seems to be going bizarrely smooth.
Put the eazy-up over the car and started sanding the quarter. Got it all sanded and taped off, got out the painting gear. So I'm standing there stirring this can of beautiful Verdoro Green paint, ask the wife to turn on the shop radio .... and it immediately begins with "Magic Carpet Ride" ... the very song that my 17 year old self designated as my GTO's "signature song" ... I realized all of a sudden that the car I drove to high school graduation in 1976 had just started up and drove, and I was about to finish the paint, and with that music playing .... I had one of those "moments". I broke out in goose bumps like a turkey, I couldn't really even speak ... I held up my arm and showed my wife and looked her in the eyes. I almost had to go calm down.
Conclusion ... everything went incredibly smooth, no smoke, no noises, no leaks, temp remained spot on 188-190, 35 psi at idle, paint went on well. Started back up immediately ... clicked it into drive ... pulled back into the shop.
A pretty awesome "GTO Family Fun Day"
