[bignate]

Here is a '66 GTO hardtop I just had fall in my lap. It's been in a barn about 5 miles from my house since the late '70s.

I believe its an original Martinique Bronze with black interior and black vinyl top car.

I'll be ordering the PHS as soon as possible.

It has it's original 335hp engine but somebody put a two barrel and manifold on it. It's a 4-speed car with console. It has rear defroster, Rally gauges w/tach, sport wheel, door edge gaurds, luggage lamp, underhood lamp, roof rail and reading lamps, remote mirror - drivers, non-glare inside mirror, AM-FM radio, hazard warning switch, Soft-Ray glass all (rear window was replaced with clear), and Rally I's

It may have other options but these are the ones I've seen so far.

I think it has the complete lamp group and mirror group but I haven't looked close enough yet, I don't wanna get inside the car because the interior is nasty.

My plans are this one is going to take priority over all the other projects I have going on. It's going to be resto-modded slightly. It will be restored interior and exterior in the original colors. However it will get a power steering/power disc brakes conversion, and a mild 421 Tripower motor with a Richmond 5-speed overdrive and a 12-bolt. I'm also putting 15x7 and 15x8 Rally II's on it.

Sorry I took the pics with my phone and they didn't turn out very well.







Nate

[The Boss]

Nice find - a little banged up but ready to live another day!

[nodwyer]

Good luck with the rebuild.

[GT182]

No bad at all. Good to see another Martinique Bronze GTO out of hiding.

And I see it has the air deflector wiper blade on the right side. Looks like the driver's side to but I can't really tell. Not many of those seen around. I have a pair that I held on to from back in the 70s that are on my GTO.

[Satyr1966]

Nice color combo! My first '66 was a LeMans with that combination. It was a sharp looking car. Keep us posted with your progress. Best of luck with it. Jerry.

[charles bledsoe]

Nice find Bignate!! Good luck with the restore. What will you do with the original engine and transmission? If interested in selling please let me know, I've been looking for an original 66 GTO block, heads, and 4 speed transmission for my 66 Vert.
Thanks.

[bignate]

Originally Posted by GT182

No bad at all. Good to see another Martinique Bronze GTO out of hiding.

And I see it has the air deflector wiper blade on the right side. Looks like the driver's side to but I can't really tell. Not many of those seen around. I have a pair that I held on to from back in the 70s that are on my GTO.

Yep it has both, I also have two more sets on the shelf that I found in a local scrap yard.

Originally Posted by charles bledsoe

Nice find Bignate!! Good luck with the restore. What will you do with the original engine and transmission? If interested in selling please let me know, I've been looking for an original 66 GTO block, heads, and 4 speed transmission for my 66 Vert.
Thanks.

I'm planning on keeping the original drivetrain in case we ever decide to restore it original some day. Any modifications I make will be reversible.

Nate

[SR-71]

Are there remains of any of the original decals under the hood?

[Barzini]

Some guys have all the luck. What a nice find. Good luck with your restoration.

[Greg Reid]

Nice. I hope to get to mine SOME day!

[400 4spd.]

Nice find!!! I wish every one I do started out that good.

[bignate]

Looking this thing over I'm pleasantly surprised how solid it is for a WI car. It has the typical lower front fender/ lower door spots, but it is only going to need some small patches in the trunk corners by the wheel tubs and some small patches in the lower rear wheel opening. The wheel houses, trunk extensions, floors, and quarters are pretty nice. I do have a good passenger fender to replace the one that's pretty banged up.

However, the interior is a complete gut job, and it's a shame because it looks like it was a beautiful interior when it was put in the barn. The chrome on the dash cluster is still shiny under the layers of mold, mildew, and mouse pee.

I will have my work cut out for me restoring the original console (I work at a chrome shop that specializes in pot metal restoration), as the carpet was moist a lot and started eating the die cast below the shifter bezel and at the front mount.

The original sport wheel is not cracked, however the woodgrain is all worn off. We have been using our "Grain-It Technologies" kit to paint on the grain then we clearcoat them. This is not factory correct but it looks real nice.

Nate

[Greg Reid]

I suppose that it being kept inside spared you the typical roof problems under that vinyl top.

[charles bledsoe]

Glad to hear you are not doing any permanent changes to your car. Personally I prefer them to be all original as the factory made them. Slight mods and keeping the original parts to be put back on one day is one thing, but there are some folks who discard original parts for modern ones. Everyone's different. Can you post contact info for the "Grain-it- Technologies" kit? My wood wheel sounds like yours, mine is a light tan color, but there are no cracks so it doesn't need a full restoration where they take it down to the wire and re-mold the plastic. Nice find on the 66! Enjoy the restoration.

[Old Blue 66]

Wow. That's the same color as my car. Maybe I missed it but what color s the interior? I like the plans you have for it. A lot of guys would do a stock restoration on a car with those kind of options.

[bignate]

Originally Posted by Old Blue 66

Wow. That's the same color as my car. Maybe I missed it but what color s the interior? I like the plans you have for it. A lot of guys would do a stock restoration on a car with those kind of options.

Black interior

In this day and age where it's not just your own competence behind the wheel that you have to worry about but the 16-18 year old girl in mommy's Honda driving with her knee because both hands are occupied by her cell phone (don't get me wrong young guys as well as more mature people do the same thing). I believe having a car that handles and stops well is key to avoiding her terrible driving. For me I drive the wheels off my cars when they are running, so manual drum brakes and manual steering just isn't gunna cut it.

I'll be using a Moser 12 -bolt with their "Impala/GM Truck" housing ends (which use Ford big bearings) which will allow me to run '65-'82 Corvette rear brakes. When combined with Wilwood's calipers and Duntov Motors' two piece rotors you have a very well designed brake package that isn't too heavy and fits inside 15" wheels. For the front I'll either use the Camaro JL8 brackets to again use the Vette brake parts or I'll modify some lower control arms to use '69-'82 Vette spindles and out fit them with the Wilwood 6-piston calipers and Duntov Motors J-56 brackets and 2-piece rotors. These pieces were good enough for LeMans in the '70s so I think they will be up to the task of stopping my GTO quickly. And before anybody says anything about other bolt on disc brake packages, the Corvette rotors are the only 1 1/4" wide rotors I know of that fit 15" wheels. I like the thicker rotors.

The rear suspension will use the Currie Curectrac control arms with their jonny joints in the housing, and the SC&C/Spohn pro-touring sway bar package. The front will be SPC uppers and lowers ( with the lowers possibly modified for c-3 Vette spindles), Hellwig 1 5/16" tubular sway bar, and a modified center link w/ dropped steering arms on spindle to approach near zero bump steer.

The nice thing is is that this all can be reversed be cause it all simply unbolts and stock parts can be reinstalled.

Nate

[400 4spd.]

You've done some homework.

[bignate]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

You've done some homework.

Yes I have done a lot of research on suspension and brake design. I've also got a race car chassis builder/suspension guy in town that has been working on late model asphalt cars that need to turn both ways, who has agreed to help me out with this project.

Nate

[b-man]

Hi Nate,

Looks like a great project, nice car you have to start with.

I see your suspension mods are very similar to what I have on my '64 Tempest: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=610357

What engine and transmission do you plan to use?

Bart

[bignate]

Originally Posted by b-man

Hi Nate,

Looks like a great project, nice car you have to start with.

I see your suspension mods are very similar to what I have on my '64 Tempest: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=610357

What engine and transmission do you plan to use?

Bart

Bart your build is what turned me on to the Currectrac and SPC control arms. I like the AFX spindles but I'm set on using the 3rd gen Vette brakes. Between Wilwood's aluminum calipers and Duntov's two piece rotors, the package is light and fits 15" wheels.

Motor and trans: .060 over 421 with 240 ish cfm "670" heads (I think I bought those from you as cores), SD "Stump Puller", and '66 Tri-Power with later big base electric choke center carb. Trans will be the Richmond 5-speed OD.
Nate