[boomer1969]

Someone is probably going to holler at me for doing this all at once but been kinda busy and also don't know how to compress files very well. My apologies in advance.

I wanted to post some photos of the restoration of the GTO I bought in 9/2012 because several of the Forum members helped me find the car and they had asked (a long time ago) to let them know how it turned out. Also, during the restoration I used the Forum many many times for info and ideas. An example being the "1969 A-body Wheels and Tires" thread with photos like 69gtovc's car. I'm not going to bore you with the 600 plus photos taken during the process because you all have seen plenty of them before. I'll just try to give you general picture of where we started and ended up. The two thumbnails included list the items added to the car. I'll explain the "Almost" complete later.

This whole story started when I was digging thru a box of very old family photos and ran across a picture (included) of me and the '69 GTO I had toward the end of college. Since I knew this was probably the only restoration I'd do, I wanted to make it my dream car. I decided I wanted more than pure stock and a car that didn't look exactly like everyone else's (my apologies to the purests). The body shop and mechanic who helped make the dream come true would automatically start laughing when there was a decision to be made about the direction we'd take. They knew the first thing out of my mouth was going to be the "grave yard theory" (no sense being the richest guy in it).

To begin we knew we had filler in the quarters from the listing info about the car. Once we dug into the quarters we determined the car needed new full panels. Because there were other areas with contaminants under the paint that would eventually lift, I made the decision to take the entire car down to bare metal. We could then make the necessary repairs and paint it such that I'd be pleased with the results for years to come. I'm sure you all know it's quite interesting (and especially for me as this was my first restoration) to see the 43 year "history" of a car unveil itself as you peel away layers of previous work. Everything from bondo a 1/2" thick in the middle of a door panel to the multiple layers of paint on the hood bubbling up and bursting with the sound of a giant cherry bomb going off.

The car was finished this past November and I've included some photos that I took at an inlet nearby. They're not professional, but you'll get the idea. Also included are some photos taken at the company (Autogeek) where I learned to compound, polish, detail, etc. They have a really cool thing where every other Thursday you can go to their studio and work on a donor car. There I was able to learn the processes that I eventually used on the GTO. These photos, though they are actually a picture of a picture taken with my iPad, will provide a better view of the finish on the car.

The restoration "Almost" being complete that I mentioned before is because after the car was finished in November, and I finally had my first chance to drive it, the engine which had been rebuilt right before I bought the car failed. I guess I could feel not good about a professionally rebuilt engine failing within it's first 800 miles, however, I chose not to do that. I'm sure everyone has their restoration stories. Instead, I view it as an opportunity to further improve the car. So, one of the pictures below is of a 461 stroker similar to the one that will be in the car by this March. Then it's time to hit the streets looking for Corvette's, Challenger's, Charger's, Camaro's and Cobra's (just kidding of course)! Hope you enjoy the photos and thanks for the help along the way!

Picture that started me on this adventure!
Restoration:


How'd that get there?

Original color was red!

Getting there!

Now PICS


AT AUTOGEEK


Used all Wolfgang products



So fun to drive!

Must have's were cup holder and Pandora controls at my fingertips!

We affectionally call her the "Beast"



Friend picked out these plates for me!

The Future:

My Life For The Past Fifteen Months!




THE END

[johnta1]

NICE!

[Jim Perez]

Very nice job! And you say purchased in 9/2012! Wow! Didn't take long at all to complete! (Almost) LoL!

[indymanjoe]

Very well done! cup holder looks stock!

[judgeman6970]

beautiful car...looks like a "dream come true" for you, enjoy it!!!

[Drag Star Le Mans]

Looks real good in the end. The second photo probably had you scared. How thick was that bondo?

[jmt455]

Beautiful car!

[Andre]

Nice pics Dennis. The car turned out very nice! Good to see you at Chilis the other night. I'm waiting to see this car in person.

[GTO JOHN]

Den that looks amazing! Black 69's really hold a special spot in my heart. Thanks for sharing. Got any video of the engine?

[1969 Ram Air]

Beautiful car...very striking to say the least!

[smokey 1978]

very well done GREAT CAR!!!

[geeteeohguy]

Beautiful car, and done in excellent taste. VERY impressive. Your garage/shop ain't too shabby looking, either!! WELL DONE!!

[Greg Reid]

Wow...the car looks great!

[Verdoro 68]

I really like what you did under the hood. Nice and clean. Lots of nice modern touches thought the car too.

[pugslyx234]

NICE

[Sidponcho]

Dig it

[charles bledsoe]

Fantastic job! VERY nice looking 69 GOAT!!

[2002Z4CSS]

That car turned out awesome!

[boomer1969]

To answer Drag Star LeMans, the bondo was actually 1/2" thick in places. We were laughing about it because it didn't matter considering the direction I was going in. See thumbnail photo. It's one of those a picture is worth a thousand words.

GTO John, I had a video of the engine but it got wiped out when I had my iPad replaced.

[dataway]

WOW!

I am a "purist" and I think that's one of the best looking 69s I've ever seen. Not quite sure what it is, but the whole package really looks "right" to me. Just the right look.
Well done!
JohnnyB