[Andre]

The block has been hot tanked and cleaned, and magnafluxed. I will require sleeves in cylinders 7 and 8. A balanced rotating assembly with dished Ross pistons has been ordered from the Dude.
Some of the parts have returned from the powder coater. The frame should be going in next.

[Andre]

Here is a bunch of parts that have returned from being powder coated. It includes front and rear bumper brackets, new springs from Coil Springs Specialties, upper and lower front control arms, upper and lower rear control arms, pedals etc.

[Andre]

Here is a picture with the trunk floor and support braces cut out. The tailpanel has already been replaced

[Andre]

The trunk floor has been tacked in. More welding will continue after the body is placed on the rotisserre. The back window panel has been welded in place.

[mwritter]

Coming along fast!

[Andre]

This shop is a restorer's dream. There are a couple other cars that are having various restoration done on them at the same time, but my car is probably seeing 40 hours of labor a week.
Body should be in final primer towards the end of this week. It is currently on the rotessiere.

[Andre]

The body is now in final primer

[mwritter]

I just can't believe how fast this project is coming together. My '65 was in the shop for 10 weeks just getting the hood and front fenders painted.

[Bryan Jensen]

It took me amlost 8 months just to get to that point, and my body is STILL in primer

[400 4spd.]

Nice LeMans!

[Andre]

My mistake- This is the first round of primer, not the last.

[Andre]

There was very little original paint left on the car to use for matching purposes. The only original paint was under the door and quarter reveal molding, and that was not enough for the camera from the body shop's paint system to capture the color.
The camera is placed flat against the painted area, blocking out all light sources. The captured image is downloaded to the computer and it develops a formula for the paint color.

The resto shop tried getting Standox and PPG to create the formula, from the original number, but the colors that resulted did not match the paint on the car. They were not even close.

Fortunately I stumbled on an ebay auction that shows the special colors that could be ordered for '66 models. The swath was big enough for the camera to capture an image.
The resulting formula was sprayed on to a test card and clear coated.

It matches the remnants of the orignal paint dead on.

[ctgross]

Look'n good Andre! Thanks for posting that chart, I copied it for my records My car is painted Cadet Blue and I've never seen a good chart with the actual color like that, have charts with the code #'s but no color sample...til now

[bdk1976]

Andre - thanks for posting the paint chips...I saw the sheet on e-bay and almost bid on it. I don't currently have a '66 but have been intrigued by the special colors available that year (especially the three Pontiac-only, '66-only colors - Copper Blaze, Ramada Bronze, Fathom Turquoise).

Hard to believe that it took so much work to get the correct color - sounds like you would have been SOL had that chip chart not come up! Did the paint shop ever consider mixing the color up in lacquer using the original formula and then spraying a swatch of that to sample with their machine? Or is the original formula wrong even for lacquer?

ctgross - just as an FYI, Cadet Blue (code F) was a special order paint for the Pontiac line in '66, but was one of the standard colors available on Chevrolets that year, although Chevy called it "Marina Blue". You can see this color chip on the Chevrolet paint chart for 1966:

http://autocolorlibrary.com/cgi-bin/...rolet-pg01.jpg

[goatseeker]

Andre,
Did you use the replacement tailpanel from PY? It looks great - how did it fit?
The car looks like it's going to be stunning!

[Andre]

The fit of the tailpanel was excellent. The resto shop- Florida Pontiac has done several other 66 and 67 GTOs. From what I remember, the '66 tailpanel fits even better than the '67.

I'm also using the reproduction tail light bezels, as mine have been warped for over 25 years. I did remove the stainless molding to use them on the reproduction bezels.

As far as mixing the colors, I don't know if mixing it in a laquer formula would have changed the appearance of the color.

If I didn't have the paint chip or the portion of the original paint, I would have thought the ppg mix was correct, and would have just accepted that.

The main difference in the ppg mix and the original paint was the the ppg mix was not quite green enough, if that makes sense.
I had purchased red fender liners to go along with the original hurst wheels that I have, which will run Firestone Firehawk redline radials. As it gets closer, I'll decide whether or not I go with the fender liners.

[mwritter]

Can't wait to see this thing painted. When I get to my new '65, it's going to be Tiger Gold.

[FireGoat_Ben]

Looking really good!!
Mine is on the rotisserie even as we speak, awaiting a quarter panel patch, trunk floor patch and other small repairs. I am anxious as anything for mine to get done. The frame, suspension, brakes, etc are already completed. Next, I am onto the drivetrain.
You are right about the $$$$....so far I have over $4k in the frame and that is at cost from the shop it is at (real good friend of mine's restoration shop).
Sure pays to have good friends in this industry that is for sure!!!
Good luck, and keep us posted!
Ben

[Andre]

The frame has come back from the powder coaters. All that is left to be done by the powder coater is the hood hinges and the driveshaft, and portions of the Hurst Wheels.

[68addict]

that looks good!!!!!!!