65 gto straight axle

Real cool Falcoon Zettle. Looks like you just pushed it in from a downpour! Hows the website coming along? Love to see more pics of your cars.

 

BTTT!

Just thought I'd bring this thread back due to the fact that I'm finally going to be starting my gasser project. Gonna be using an axle form a 54 GMC. Debating on whether to cut the whole front clip off and weld new rails in or just cut the front crossmember out after welding in new X-braces.

Gonna start by lifting the body off this week. The car was already stripped to clone a Lemans into a GTO. Saved me a lot of work! It sat in the woods for years. I noticed it offered as part of the deal on an ebay auction for the Lemans/GTO clone. I emailed the guy to let me have it if the buyer of the Lemans didn't want it.
I'm hoping to build a short gantry on wheels for suspending the body just high enough to roll the frame out or to clear the frame if I want to roll the body out for work. A friend of mine that owns a body shop is letting me do the project there and wants me to use only 1 space, of course. I thought this gantry would be the best way to go. Here are some pics... nasty pile of crap right now but by sometime next year it should be done. Hopefully I'll even make a few passes down the 1/4 at Lebanon Valley in NY.

I'm hoping it comes out half as nice as yours Zettle!!

The plans are to run a Pontiac stroked 455 motor (around 575-600 hp), 4800 stall converter, reversed pattern T400, a 9" with 4.30's, 16 x 8 Ansens out back and 15 x 4's out front. Should be pretty wicked. gonna be race only.

Gotta come up with a good name!

Any suggestions anyone??

 

Sweet,

Good luck.

Keep us posted - love this stuff.

A guy I know locally has a 63 Tempest with Pie-Crust slicks and the nose high stance. I don't think he runs a straight axle though. It does see street life occasionally, but he has run a half hearted effort down the 1/4 and pulled a low 14. Last I knew he was building a 421 (non-SD) that would put him in the 12 second neighborhood.

I'll see about getting pics sometime...

 

Awesome project, keep us posted!!

 

Ok! Will do.

Thanks,
Phil

 

I saw the henry run in bowling green it was bad ass.

 

Got a few things done on the gasser project. Gonna try and post a few pics for you guys. Some of the beginning stage of the front frame area. Man is the body bad but I can still save it. Pics of the body soon. I ended up taking the frame to a fab shop I know and they used a couple pieces of angle to form a box for each rail. And a 2" x 3" cross beam drilled with 2" holes thru both walls. Next I'll be setting up the front end for the straight axle. Also one pic of a tank I made that'll be mounted out front.

 

Finished the floors and tail panel. Started the frame boxing/bracing...

 

Doesn't get any better than that, great progess on the build Phil!

 

Thanks man. Much appreciated.

 

great burn out ,wish i still had my 65 candy red over silver base 400 4spd the 389 had been retired by prevouse owner ill get another some day

 

Gas tires and Oil, ,have you used the frame boximng kit we made yet, if so send some pics!!

 

Thx for the compliment old injun!

Yes I have man! I'm heading out the door for the weekend to go to Worcester Mass to the New England Summer Nationals. I'll get you some pics early next week.

Later...

 

Here are some pics of what I did up to about April of this year. Had to stop at that that time due to a nasty divorce. Gonna start again after the summer.

Doug - the kit was excellent. Had many compliments, but no bites unfortunately. Beautiful craftmanship on the entire kit. Do you think I can get away with swiss cheesing the outside edge of the frame rails?
It'll have a full cage.
Phil

 

There were three trim levels in 65, Tempest was the base, LeMans was the middle, GTO was the top. Since you won't have the fancier trim, you'll have a Tempest on your hands.

My first car was a 65 Tempest 4-door (216 c.i. six, powerglide, 0-60 in 16 sec!). Watching with appreciation.

 

Nice Frame work. Just remember that the factory had some problems with swiss cheesing back in the day. They put too many holes in the frame and when they were on the track they found that they would break at critical points. Some ended up rewelding braces in to beef them back up.

 

Thx Zettle. I'm too into summer right now to even look at my project. Newly divorced and partying my arse off! LOL

 

Actually, he won't. Pontiac didn't make Tempest hardtops, only post 2 and 4-door cars, although they did make some GTO's and Lemans post cars. Of course, he can put whichever trim he wants on the car, but it most likely started its life as a Lemans hardtop with a 326. Cool idea all the same!

 

Well, I'm back on it again. Here are some more pics. Did work on the firewall, both sail panels, the trunk gutter and both front and rear windshield gutters. This thing was in piss poor shape but it's starting to turn the corner now. Gonna put the frame back under it to start the front suspension, rear wheel wells, then the steering column, seats and then the roll cage.

 

This is just wrong, confusing to the ricer crowd.

 

Brilliant job.

Will you be running a 57/64 Pontiac Posi with leaf springs?

Factory unaltered wheelbase?

Retain a back passenger seat?

Thank you.

 

Thanks, no on the rear with leafs. I'll be running a 9" and coil springs with the rear wheels in the factory location. The quarters will be radiused. I might shove the fronts forward a couple or so inches. Just going to use two race buckets and no back seat. I'm trying to keep the overall cost down on this thing and it's still going to hit 18-20k. That's with me doing a lot of the work.

 

Hey..
And where might the "cooler" go?
Pontiac Slim

 

Under the hood connected to my fuel line! LOL
Annnnd one in the trunk!

 

Hello:

Would a model year street 1964 GTO Straight Axle build be accepted and believable?

Of concern is period correct accuracy and if in fact there did exist A/FX style 1964 GTO's or if they arrived after.

In addition, whithout build sheet how is the Lemans decoded from the GTO for years 1964/65?

Please input and thank you again.

 

Here is a FX 64 GTO.

 

Thanks Injun!!!

Please verify is this pic of the Farmer Beswick 64 GTO does have a straight axle.

Factory Wheelbase or Altered?

It is difficult for me to tell.

 

Hey Phil..
Any time frame as to completion date?
Pontiac Slim

 

Beswick's '64 GTO "The Mystery Tornado" was never altered or straight axled. He had some light springs in the front. When he took off from the line the front end would raise up so in still shots like that one it "looks" like the car had a straight axle.

 

Late Spring to early summer Slim.