[dataway]

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.

[ddcrank]

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

[OG68]

Its looking great Data. I need to catch up.

[gtohurstjudge]

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]

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.

[JSchmitz]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[gtoguys]

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]

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]

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

[gtohurstjudge]

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]

Looks VERY nice John!

[Greg Reid]

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]

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]

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.

[gtohurstjudge]

Originally Posted by dataway

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.

The one on ebay is the perforated one just like the one in your pic.

[Half-Inch Stud]

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

[Bucksnort]

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