View
2
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
“A Tradition Of Performance” Website: www.gtoaa.org
President Bob Alexander (970) 221-0754 2950 Neil Drive, Unit 10 Fort Collins, CO 80526 president@gtoaa.org
Club Store & Board Member Robert J. & Connie Maher 5829 Stroebel Road (989) 781-0807 Saginaw, MI 48609-5249 clubstore@gtoaa.org
Legend Editor & Board Member Tom Szymczyk phone (856) 439-0314 30 Sandhurst Drive fax (856) 866-9003 Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054-6206 legendeditor@gtoaa.org
Board Member & Past President Bill Markowski 1341 Stolle Road (716) 652-1911 Elma, NY 14059-9734 73tech@gtoaa.org
Membership Coordinator / Board Member Beth Butcher P.O. Box 213 (970) 493-3932 Timnath, CO 80547-0213 membership@gtoaa.org
Chapter Coordinator / Commercial Advertising / Board Member John & Diana Johnson (573) 581-8013 620 N. Jefferson Mexico, MO 65265-3217 chapters@gtoaa.org fax: (573) 581-6486
Chief Technical Advisor Steve Lucas 230 South Hudson (630) 964-8508 Westmont, IL 60559-1936 techadvisor@gtoaa.org
Feature Editor Jim Sternburgh (AKA Jim Stern) 3820 Ohio Ave. Unit #5 (630) 258-2615 St Charles, IL 60174 featureeditor@gtoaa.org
Webmaster Sean Mattingly 335 East 360 North (765) 608-1109 Anderson, IN 46012 webmaster@gtoaa.org
Concours Judging Chairman Jon Wacholtz 706 13th Avenue SW (507) 433-5201 Austin, MN 55912-2726 gtojon@smig.net
Convention Coordinator Steve Hedrick 3676 Morgan Way (636) 942-4020 Imperial, MO 63052 convention@gtoaa.org
1964 Mike Schulz (952) 472-2125 4878 Edgewater Dr Mound, MN 55364-2006
1965 Scott Tiemann (517) 647-2433 11817 E. Grand River Portland, MI 48875
1966 Marvin Minarich, Sr. (815) 467-0381 26265 West Highland Drive Channahon, IL 60410
1967 Terry Weiner 409 Ronnie Drive Buffalo Grove, IL 60089-1151 (847) 952-1800 ext 3004 (days)
1968 Ed Dreksler (352) 622-3281 2208 N.E. 40th Terrace Ocala, FL 34470-3171 ed68gto@aol.com
1969 Kevin Beal (603) 313-9696 PO Box 367 Marlborough, NH kevin@amesperf.com
1970 Quint Stires (603) 903-0142 26 Kingsbury Street Keene, NH 03431 Qstires@yahoo.com
1971 Dan Jensen (517) 647-2474 & 72 11929 E. Grand River Portland, MI 48875-8444
1973 Bill Markowski (716) 652-1911 1341 Stolle Road Elma, NY 14059-9734 73tech@gtoaa.org
1974 Terry Doolittle (541) 476-4280 543 Serenity Lane Grants Pass, OR 97526-9795
2004-06 Jonathan Schwenn (414) 687-6470 735 Longwood Drive Algonquin IL 60102 jon@LS1gto.com
Judges Jon Wacholtz (507) 433-5201 706 13th Ave S.W. Austin, MN 55912-2726 concours@gtoaa.org
GT-37 John Sawruk 667 Oxhill Court White Lake, MI 48386-2336
Paint Gary Cave (301) 868-3483 & Body 7805 Ferry Avenue Clinton, MD 20735-1702
Differentials Position Open
Volunteers may send resumes to Steve Lucas, Chief Tech Advisor
Exhaust Systems Gardner Exhaust Systems 15 Glenn Pond Drive Red Hook, NY 12571 (845) 758-8003
Engine Interchange & Heads Ronald Rocchi Pontiac Performance Engineering 9444 N. Marion Morton Grove, IL 60053-1258 (847) 966-0998 pontiacron421@comcast.net
Carburetors Jon Hardgrove 204 East 15th Eldon, MO 65026-2524 (573) 392-7378 (8-5CST)
www.thecarburetorshop.com
VENDOR DISCOUNT PROGRAM Participating Companies
A&M Soff Seal 800-426-0902
The Paddock, Inc. 800-428-4319
Performance Years GTOs 800-542-7278
Warpath Restoration Parts 440-845-4612
Year One, Inc. 800-950-9503
The Legend
Tech info
Magazine subscription: USA $30 per year, Canada $33 US funds, all others $40 US funds. Send subscription request to GTOAA, PO Box 455, Timnath, CO 80547-0455. Visa & MasterCard accepted, add $2.00. Send card number, expiration date, and signature. Missing newsletters or change of address: direct correspondence to Beth Butcher, PO Box 213, Timnath, CO 80547. Include membership number. Copyright 2007. Chapter publications may reprint articles with appropriate credit. GTO Association of America, Inc. is a limited liability, non-profit Colorado Corporation, tax exempt under Internal Revenue code section 501(c)(7). The Legend is published monthly for $30 per year USA (Canada $33, foreign $40) by the GTO Association of America, PO Box 213, 4324 Dixon Street, Timnath, CO 80547. Second class postage paid at Timnath, CO 80547, USPS # 013-191. POSTMASTER send address changes to The Legend, GTOAA, PO Box 213, Timnath, CO 80547.
GTOAA TECH ADVISORY STAFF online: visit www.gtoaa.org, click on "Tech Advisors"- links to PY Forums
1 March 2007
IN THIS ISSUE Volume 25 Number 3
March 2007
1 Officer & Staff Info 2 First Gear Tom Szymczyk 3 From The Prez’s Pen Bob Alexander 4 Chapter News Review John Johnson 5 Production Numbers John Sawruk 6 Factory Faux Pas Jeff Lovich 8 Spending In Scottsdale Tom Szymczyk 9 Goats On The Block Chuck Catalano 10 Cover Car Feature Terry & Sheron James 12 Prom Nite Gateway GTO Club 14 Popular Vote Class Chart 15 Meet General Info 16 Meet Schedule of Events 17 Meet Registration Form 18 Meet Activity Selection 19 Club Store 20 Little GTOs Tim Sickle 22 Like Mother, Like Son Bill Vantuono 24 New Additions Curtis Knauss 25 Chapter Directory
26 Classifieds
I Went To Barrett-Jackson And All I Got Was This $22 Hat
Elsewhere in this issue, you will find a one-page article about my journey to Arizona to check out the major Janu-ary auto auctions. I certainly could have written much more, but this magazine has other contributors that deserve space as well. So I’ll throw in a few more thoughts here that I didn’t have room for on page 8.
First, if you’ve only seen Barrett-Jackson on TV, you will be astounded at the sheer size of it in person. The only way to take an all-encompassing picture of it would be from an airplane, which, by the way, they also sell there, along with motor homes that cost more than my house.
This event is much more than a car auction. It is an extravaganza of automotive overload. It’s the Hollywood of car auctions, where anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Four dollars for a soft pretzel, five bucks for a slice of pizza, $30 for admission (that’s on Thursday – it’s higher on Friday and Saturday) and a baseball cap for $22 were all I could afford.
Still and all, I got to see 1,200 cars I wouldn’t see back home, and some that truly knocked my socks off. This is a GTO publication, but I have to mention that those ’55-’57 Thunderbirds done by Amos Minter may be the nicest restora-tions I have ever seen. (Note to John Sawruk: in the December issue, the word “Mustang” appeared in these pages, now “Thunderbird.” What is this world coming to?)
Say what you will about Barrett-Jackson and the showbiz atmosphere and the hype and high prices, but that’s how you get on TV for 40 hours with some-thing as common as a car auction.
But Wait, There’s More I also spent some time at the Russo
& Steele and Silver auctions. While not exactly polar opposites of the scene at Barrett-Jackson, they did offer a more low-key and personal atmosphere. At Barrett, the ticket booths are jumping with people swiping credit cars, endors-ing travelers’ checks, and the lines are 12 deep all day. At the others, you are greeted by two ladies in a little tent – one takes your $15 and hands you a ticket, the other lady takes the ticket and stamps your hand. And I seem to remember paying only $1.50 for coffee.
Russo & Steele had a large number of really great cars, many of them Pontiacs. While they didn’t have 50 Hemi cars and 100 big-block Corvettes like Barrett-Jackson, they did have some high-end machinery that brought some high-end money.
At least on the day I was there, the Silver auction didn’t have any of the blockbuster type vehicles, but plenty of interesting (and actually affordable) rides. There was a decent selection of non-GTO Pontiacs, and had I been “in the market,” I might have actually found something to buy there. Maybe next year. Tell Us What You Think
If you have an auction experience, whether from Arizona or one of the many other auctions throughout the country, tell us about it. Send me an e-mail or a letter. Your thoughts, sugges-tions, complaints, comments, letters, and ideas are always welcome. My e-mail address is LegendEditor@gtoaa.org. and my phone number is (856) 439-0314. Have your people call my people, any-time up to midnight Eastern Time. Op-erators are standing by.
The Legend 2 March 2007
With spring just around the cor-ner, it’s time to start thinking about car shows, drag races, cruises, and other warm weather events. For those of us living in areas with four seasons, it’s always a welcome sight to watch the weather forecast and see the high temperatures increasing above 50 degrees. This winter in Colorado seemed exceptionally se-vere with a blizzard just before Christmas and what seemed like measurable snowfall almost every week. My GTOs have been in hiber-nation since early December and it’s certainly time for some weekend driving or a car show or cruise.
Speaking of car related matters, have you registered and reserved your room for the National Meet this June? Time is passing quickly and June 26th is only four months away. For those of you who enjoy surfing the Internet, check out the GTO As-sociation of Central Ohio (GTOACO) website. There you will note the latest information regarding the 2007 Meet including a schedule of events, a map of the area around the host hotel, and even a satellite photo of the area encompassing the event. This photo will give you a great idea of the layout of the show site and the relative proximity of the host hotel to the other two nearby ho-tels that are basically next door. I recommend that you frequently check the GTOACO website at www.gtoaco.com for the latest Meet information. I hope to see you in Columbus in June.
Great news! The GTOAA Membership Directory project is just
a few months away from completion. I send my sincerest “thanks” to the 1,000+ members who responded to the e-mail from Harris Connect. I also appreciate all of you who took the time to answer the mailed ques-tionnaire and provided photos. Originally, I hoped to have a sample directory to display at this year’s Meet; however, that goal was a bit optimistic. Currently, Harris Con-
nect is projecting completion of our project in September. Shortly there-after, those of you who ordered a di-rectory should receive it. Your con-tinued support of this project will en-sure its success.
In November of last year, John Johnson mailed a chapter survey packet to over 40 GTOAA chapters. With that in mind, I want to thank the chapter officers for their timely and accurate completion of the sur-vey. As a reminder, this process is the key element in determining chap-ter eligibility and thus insurance cov-erage eligibility. Last year, ap-proximately 40 chapters met the eli-gibility requirements. I hope to see that number increase this year and
hopefully, within the next 3-5 years, we’ll see 50 affiliated chapters.
On a final note, please keep sending those “tech” related ques-tions to Steve Lucas or the appropri-ate Tech Advisor. I would sure like to see more “Mr. Goatwrench” arti-cles in The Legend. Also, don’t for-get that you 2004-2006 owners and enthusiasts have a valuable resource in our Tech Advisor for those GTOs, Jon Schwenn. If Jon doesn’t have an answer, he will likely be able to di-rect you to someone who does.
Well it’s about time for me to close for this month. On behalf of myself and the Board of Directors, thanks for your membership in and your continued support of the GTOAA!
“…have you registered and reserved your room for the National Meet this June? Time is passing quickly and June 26th is only four months away.”
ConcouNation
If you woucours Judgbeen a Coing AssistaConcours Jon Wache-mail: conor AssistanWarling (3normanwaby May 1, your prefeand particiJudge or J30-40 peolook forwain Columb
The Legend 3
Call For rs Judges At The als In Columbus ld like to be a Con-e this year or you’ve ncours Judge or Judg-nt in the past, contact Judging Chairman oltz (507) 433-5201, cours@gtoaa.org t Chairman Norm
03) 233-9109, e-mail: rling@comcast.net 2007. Please indicate rence for model year pation (Concours udging Assistant). ple are required. We rd to working with you us. Thank you.
March 2007
by John Johnson, GTOAA Chapter Coordinator
Have you ever wondered what other chapter newsletters have in them for articles? I know that many chapters participate in a newsletter exchange, but not all do. As I re-ceive probably as many chapters’ newsletters each month as anyone, I do see a lot of different articles. However, since I don’t get all the newsletters (and I’m supposed to!) I sort of figure that the majority of the GTOAA members reading this are not getting them either. Which brings me to my original question, what’s in the other newsletters? A brief review through the last couple of months of the newsletters that I get yields the following articles.
First and foremost, most chapters include a letter from their President. One of the most intriguing ones got right down to the point – “What is the will of the club?” Apparently chapter participation has dropped off, and/or there is concern that there are members who are not happy with their chapter leaders, but they have not offered up any positive sugges-tions, or constructive criticism. Placed in a situation like this, it’s no wonder that the President is asking for member input, and I hope that he hears from that chapter’s members (HINT, HINT). This brings up a similar theme, noted in the next para-graph.
Other chapter Presidents ask whether their members will step up and volunteer to help out with chap-ter duties. Whether it is by contribut-ing an article in the newsletter, host-ing an event at their home, or helping out with another event elsewhere, a
recurring theme seems to be that the rank and file members are being asked to step-up and do something. To paraphrase the late President John F. Kennedy, “… ask not what your chapter can do for you, ask what you can do for your chapter…” I think most chapter officers would agree that if more rank and file members would speak up and help do even just one or two things a year, their jobs would be much less frustrating, and the chapter would benefit greatly.
Many chapters list the minutes of their last meeting, some are in great detail, and other newsletters have very minimal information. Notes about unusual vacations, weddings, funerals, and upcoming events are frequent. Classified ads are com-mon, some chapters seem to have a great number of them, others have very few. Commercial advertising by sponsors varies greatly also. This is a potential source of revenue for the chapter, at a minimum this might help pay for the costs of the printing of the newsletter. The Cruisin’ Ti-
gers are probably the best at getting advertisers for their newsletter, and their classified ads are also very plentiful. As a side-note, I am con-stantly amazed that both GTOAA and chapter members do not take ad-vantage of the “free” classified ads that are made available to them. I know many GTO-ers are looking for parts for their car, and also have at least a few other parts to sell, yet they do not advertise, even when it’s free.
Many chapter articles contain in-formation about planning for future shows, and again, requests for volun-teers are frequently seen. I will note some chapters already have commit-tees assigned and have posted lists of the participants (anyone out there from The Goat Herd reading this?), but this level of participation is in the minority. Other chapter articles re-port on past cruises and shows, and I do note that some of these events are associated with charitable work and donations for worthy causes.
“…a recurring theme seems to be that the rank and file members are being asked to step-up and do something.”
And then there are the articles about the chapter members’ cars. And my, oh my, how good some of those cars are, they are simply breathtaking! From the double-blower 1970 that was a major source of conversation at the GTOAA Na-tionals this summer, to a stunningly restored 1966 modified GTO with ti-ger-striped valve covers, the atten-tion to detail is breathtaking. Other cars resemble my 1970 GTO con-vertible – a nice driver that is similar to the level of many other GTOs. Sadly, there will also be an occa-sional photo-feature on some GTOs
The Legend March 2007 4
(or Firebirds or Grand Prixs, or other Pontiacs) that are just rusted shells of cars that have been left sitting out-side for years.
From time to time, there will be technical articles in the chapter newsletters, and we try to feature the best of these in The Legend. A re-cent example of this is the article on electronics that was in the November issue, written by Larry Metzger of the Delaware Valley Old Goat Club. Many chapters have re-published ar-ticles copied out of regional or na-tional magazines, and while these are usually an excellent source of infor-
mation, I would urge the newsletter editors to be sure they do not run afoul of copyright issues.
Finally, in the past months I have seen a large number of recipes for numerous yummy foods, but I’ll chalk this up to the holiday season, which has just past. I also saw a lot of planning being done for parties and elections. Some newsletters noted that they needed volunteers to help out with these functions, and this ties back into the theme of need-ing the general membership to step up and take on some responsibil-ity(s). From newsletter editor to
Chapter President, there are jobs that need to be filled. And with this con-tinuing thought, I will once again suggest to the general membership, please consider volunteering to help out in your chapter. I know it’s too late to really consider this to be a New Year’s Resolution, but it’s probably easier to volunteer to work at the chapter’s local car show regis-tration table for three hours than it is to lose weight!
John Johnson (573) 581-8013 chapters@gtoaa.org
John M. Sawruk, P.E., GM Pontiac Historian
GTOAA and POCI member Carl Dickson, Jr., having discovered he actually got a response to a question of his in print (with his name at-tached), decided to try again.
This time Carl asks why Pontiac can’t be more specific in breaking down production numbers. He uses an Oldsmobile article from Muscle-car Enthusiast as an example. This article gives data on the ‘69 442 bro-ken down by body style and trans-mission types.
Carl, the answer probably lies in how the “home” Motor Divisions kept the data to begin with. Pro-cesses were not necessarily standard-ized between divisions at the time. I have even recently discovered that the BOP (Buick-Olds-Pontiac) as-sembly plants may have used differ-ent IBM broadcast codes than the home plants, probably due to com-plications from their product mix.
I have actually gotten letters from people saying, “I have a ‘69 (fill in the blank), in this color, with this color vinyl top, this color inte-rior, this engine and this list of op-tions. How many were made exactly like this?” Well, this data is not computerized, and when I have writ-ten back saying we have no way to tell, I have – for real – gotten letters telling me I am a lazy, no good so and so of questionable heritage. (I’ve blotted their names from my mind prior to shredding their letters).
Some very low volume vehicles can be manually reviewed. For ex-ample, the low amount of real ‘69 Trans Am convertibles or real ‘71 Judge convertibles makes this more manageable and possible. Addition-ally, some vehicles were invoiced by other parts of GM, like GM of Can-ada, so we don’t even have the data in one place.
Let’s use my own 1971½ GT-37 as an example. First of all, despite intense research on my part over many years, I still don’t really know how many ’71 models were made versus ’71½ models. My car is probably one of one, based on option content. For example, it has the heavy-duty (HD) frame, HD battery, HD radiator, heated rear window, Formula steering wheel, ride and handling package, performance rear axle ratio (3.55 Saf-T-Track with 4 pinions), etc. However, I have no way of proving for sure it is one-of-one without manually going through all the thousands of Pontiac and GM of Canada invoices.
We are still very fortunate that Pontiac information is available through Pontiac Historic Services (PHS).
I hope this explanation helps.
The Legend March 2007 5
Jeff Lovich
Serious restoration enthusiasts rely heavily on factory literature when researching original fit and finish. As-sembly manuals, shop manuals, dealer brochures, factory advertisements, and other period literature are invaluable sources of information on these topics. However, many, if not most, of these resources were printed before the cars were in production in order to promote the cars as early as possible to potential buyers.
As such, it is not uncommon to find pre-production parts, finishes, decals, and accessories on cars in dealer brochures. At other times, the factory had plenty of time to correct earlier mistakes but didn’t, for reasons under-stood only to them. A short list of some of the shortcom-ings in the factory literature on GTOs is presented in this article. Photo of 1964-style mechanical Tri-Power linkage as
shown in 1965 and 1966 GTO dealer brochures.
1964 GTO dealer brochure 1. A beautiful Nocturne Blue GTO is shown driving
away in the middle of this brochure. A quick inspec-tion of the taillight assemblies shows a car that does not have the valleys between the chrome ribs painted in maroon to match the taillights as on production ve-hicles.
2. The back page shows a set of exhaust splitters with no seams on the stainless steel tips as in production. Were the seams airbrushed out by the layout team or did the factory produce a custom set of splitters?
1965 GTO dealer brochure 1. The first inside page shows a Fontaine Blue GTO
from the side. The chrome tail panel between the tail-lights does not have the raised letters that spell out “Pontiac” as in production 1965 GTOs.
Photo of pre-production seamless exhaust splitters as shown in the 1965 dealer brochure.
2. The accessory page shows what looks to be another pair of “seamless” exhaust splitters.
The Legend March 2007 6
3. The accessory page shows a Tri-Power set up with rare 1964 mechanical linkage, not the slotted rod as-sembly that was used on 1965 GTOs in production.
Pre-production His and Hers shifter and console from the 1967 dealer brochure. Note the use of 1965-1966 ribbed console lid instead of wood grain.
4. The accessory page also shows a four-barrel air cleaner with a domed top, not the flat top used in pro-duction.
1966 GTO dealer brochure 1. Again, as in 1965, the factory photo of the four-barrel
air cleaner on the accessory page has a dome lid. In fact, it is the same photo as in the 1965 brochure!
2. The Tri-Power photograph in the accessory section is also the same photo as used in the 1965 brochure, again showing the rare 1964 GTO mechanical linkage, not the slotted rod assembly used in production.
3. The eight-lug wheel option that was never released on production 1966 GTOs was shown on a car and in the accessory section.
1967 GTO dealer brochure 1. The accessory page shows a Hurst Dual Gate console
with a ribbed 1965-1966 console lid. 1968 Pontiac dealer brochure 1. The page showing the eight-track tape player for
GTOs actually shows a big car setup. 1969 GTO dealer brochure
1. The Ram Air air cleaner shown in the section docu-
menting a magazine road test of a Limelight Green
GTO has a shape entirely unlike that used in produc-tion GTOs. Although I’ve never seen an original Ram Air III 1969 Firebird 400, the photo may show one of those as it’s the same as presented in the Firebird 400 section of the brochure on a subsequent page.
2. The section regarding the Judge in the same brochure is full of weird pre-production parts as is widely rec-ognized among enthusiasts. The striping, decals, spoiler, and air cleaner are all different from produc-tion parts. The photo of the shifter shows what looks to be a bench seat version despite other photos show-ing bucket seats in the test car.
3. Equally strange in the same brochure is the photo of a Firebird with what initially looks like two hood tachs: one on the driver’s side and one on the passenger’s side. Closer inspection of a photo of the same car with the hood up shows a “dryer hose” assembly at-tached to one “hood tach” that appears to be a Ram Air induction setup attached to the air cleaner snorkel at the other end. Did that actually make it into pro-duction on 350 HO cars?
These are just a few of the discrepancies I’ve noticed
on flipping through the dealer brochures above. There are other examples like the factory photo of a 1967 GTO available through www.gmphotostore.com that shows 1968 “GTO” decals on the quarter panels of the car. Take a closer look at your factory literature and I bet you’ll find other examples.
Pre-production domed air cleaner lid for four-barrels as shown in 1965 and 1966 GTO dealer brochures.
The Legend March 2007 7
This 4-speed ’67 GTO convertible with Hurst Wheels and factory AC in Gulf Turquoise was the prettiest Goat we saw at Barrett-Jackson on Thursday. It sold for $76,000.
by Tom Szymczyk
“Hey, that looks sort of like the car we saw outside, only the paint is much better and the chrome looks great!” someone said. “That’s because it is the same car we saw outside – the lighting in here makes even flat gray primer look ten feet deep. You don’t think these guys get silly money for cars by making them look normal, do you?” I replied.
This past January, Gerrie and I had the opportunity to be in Scottsdale with fellow GTOAA member Frank Balsama and his wife Diane during the big auc-tion week. We spent some time at three of the significant events. Barrett-Jackson
Yes, many of the cars you see on TV at Barrett-Jackson are as magnificent as they look on your home screen. I would estimate that 25% of the cars there really are drop-dead gorgeous, amazingly perfect examples of automo-tive art. They are as fabulous as they appear on TV. The rest are pretty much like the cars you might see at your local car show or cruise night – some really very nice, some average, and some that could use a little TLC.
But they all look tremendous during their three minutes “on the block” in front of the Speed TV cameras. It’s all about presentation. The stage lighting at Barrett-Jackson must be about a million candlepower. Paint, chrome, everything just glitters. Craig Jackson & Co. has perfected the art of making good look great and great look spectacular. The rest of Barrett-Jackson is an amazing ex-perience, and I urge everyone to try to attend at least once in your life.
Russo & Steele In my semi-expert opinion, a larger
percentage of the cars at Russo & Steele were in the top-notch category. With fewer cars overall than Barrett-Jackson, that might be expected. Not to mention that since Russo & Steele allows re-serves while Barrett is strictly sell-it-or-buy-it-back-yourself, many owners of high caliber vehicles might gravitate to an auction where the car won’t be sold if it doesn’t meet the seller’s price expecta-tions. Anyway, the overall quality at Russo & Steele was quite high.
A highlight at this event was one of the seventeen 1971 Judge convertibles ever produced. It was dark green with a black top and interior, honeycomb wheels, an automatic, and lots of docu-mentation. Unfortunately, the car didn’t meet its reserve and was a no sale, so we didn’t get the precedent setting GTO price I was hoping to see.
As you can see on the next page, may GTOs at Russo & Steele did meet their reserves and some sold for serious money. Charles Miller, a member of both the Garden State (NJ) GTO Club and the Cactus (AZ) GTOs, worked at the Russo & Steele event with many members of the Cactus club and we are hoping to have his “insider’s view” re-port for you soon.
Silver Auction There might have been only one or
two GTOs at this event, and I didn’t see them sell. In fact, as it was raining and the cars were driven on stage soaking wet and without the benefit of the kind of lighting available at Barrett-Jackson, hardly anything sold while I was there. I did see a 1990 El Dorado sell for $2,000 if that’s any indication of how the bid-ding was going on Friday. Maybe Sat-urday was better there.
Three different auctions, three dif-ferent experiences. All worthwhile.
The gap between the Endura nose and the fender on this bright yellow “Judge” at Barrett-Jackson was big enough to put your hand in.
The Legend 8 March 2007
by Chuck Catalano
January 2007 brought to life the start of the 2007 collector car auction sea-son. And with four major auctions, all held in the Scottsdale, AZ area in the same week and an early January auction in Florida, the auction market started off with a bang.
The world’s biggest collector car auction, Bar-rett-Jackson, held its 36th Annual event in West-world while at the same time lesser known and certainly less promoted auctions were conducted by Russo and Steele, Sil-ver Collector Car Auc-tions, and RM Auctions.
Since you probably did not get enough of the Barrett-Jackson auction on television, here are some of the GTOs sold there and at two of the other three Scottsdale area auc-tions. (RM Auctions did not have any GTOs for sale). The prices listed are the actual sale prices at hammer.
At the four auctions in the Scottsdale area there were 51 GTOs for sale, 36 of them at Barrett-Jackson. There was a ’71 Judge convertible (I of 17) for sale at Russo and Steele but the car did not sell. I tried to find out the high bid on this car but so far I haven’t been able to. I’ll let you know if and when that information be-comes available.
Year Body Style / Description Auction Date Sale/High Bid
1964 Conv, Red/black, auto, 4-bbl, # 3 condition Kruse, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Jan 07 $26,750 Sold
1964 HT, White/blue, avg paint, weak detailing. Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $27,000 Sold
1964 Red/black, 45K miles, frame of restored Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $57,000 Sold
1965 Conv, yellow/black, frame off, Hurst wheels Russo and Steele Jan 07 $55,500 Sold
1965 HT, turquoise in & out, 3x2 added, 4-spd Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $29,000 Sold
1965 Conv, Dark Blue, 4-spd, 3x2, very nice Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $68,200 Sold
1966 HT, turquoise in & out, auto, 4-bbl, avg car Kruse, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Jan 07 $18,000 Sold
1966 Conv, red/red, AC, 3x2, PS, PB, #2 car Russo and Steele Jan 07 $53,000 Sold
1966 Conv, yellow, 3x2, nice paint, weak eng Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $49,000 Sold
1966 Tiger Gold, 1970 455ci eng, A/C, PS, PB Russo and Steele Jan 07 $14,000 Sold
1966 Clone, Red/white, 326 eng, automatic trans Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $14,500 Sold
1967 Conv, Gulf Turq, Hurst Wheels, #2 cond Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $79,500 Sold
1967 Conv, Plum Mist/black, auto, solid #2 cond Kruse, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Jan 07 $34,000 Sold
1967 Conv Red/black, CA car in great shape Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $61,000 Sold
1968 Conv, Triple black HT, freshly restored Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $57,000 Sold
1968 Conv, White/white, decent condition Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $30,000 Sold
1969 RA IV conv, 4-spd, NOM, full restoration Russo and Steele Jan 07 $90,750 Sold
1969 GTO Judge clone, black/black Russo and Steele Jan 07 $14,500 Sold
1969 GTO Judge HT, beautiful Carousel Red car Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $88,500 Sold
1969 Conv, Red/red, RA IV, auto, all restored Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $150,000 Sold
1970 Black 455 HO conv, 4-spd, frame off Russo and Steele Jan 07 $126,500 Sold
1970 Gold/Tan, auto, hood tach, frame of Russo and Steele Jan 07 $32,725 Sold
1970 Judge, White/red, #’s match, restored Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $117,000 Sold
1970 Judge, Red/red, 4-spd, excellent condition Barrett-Jackson Jan 07 $60,000 Sold
1970 Judge HT, Polar white, beautiful condition Russo and Steele Jan 07 $60,500 Sold
The Legend 9 March 2007
Cover Car Feature Terry & Sheron James’ 1968 GTO Convertible
by Terry & Sheron Jamesedit & comment by Jim Stern
fowe‘6thiShvivretchAr
coSh“WGTthrornosh
Th
Portions published 7/12/96 in the Springfield, Illinois State Journal Register Used with permission
1968 was a very good year, not only r Pontiac, but for the James family as ll. Motor Trend Magazine named the
8 GTO “Car of the Year” and good ngs were unfolding for Terry and eron James as well. Terry had sur-ed the ‘68 Tet Offensive in Vietnam, urned to the U.S. and was to be dis-arged from the Air Force in Tucson, izona that year.
Returning from overseas, with his mbat pay saved, Terry and his wife eron decided to buy their first new car. e went to Quebedeaux Pontiac, the O dealer in Tucson, Arizona; went ough the options available and just
dered it. Knowing what we know w, almost 40 years later, we probably ould have ordered the Judge converti-
ble with Ram Air, but that didn’t mean much to us at the time”, Terry recalls. Sheron remembers not really negotiating the price, just going in and ordering it. “The salesman probably loved us,” she said!
The convertible was ordered in red, with a white top and interior, no air and a 400 ci, 350 hp engine with a four-speed transmission. When it came in, they re-call dressing up to pick it up, Terry in his suit and Sheron in her best dress. A 1965, 289 Mustang was traded in for it; the total price was $4,400. When the proud couple returned to their apartment, they took pictures of their first new car, not knowing some forty years later they would look back and be glad they did.
As the years passed, the James fam-ily concentrated on work and raising a family. Having moved back to Macomb, Illinois, their first child, Holly was born in 1970. By 1973, being responsible parents, they decided having a converti-ble and a little girl just was not a safe combination. Of course, back then if you wanted a new car, you had to trade the old one in, and that is what they did. Trading for a new ‘73 Monte Carlo at Woodrum Chevrolet in Macomb, they
received $1,200 for the “used” GTO. The GTO becoming a collector car was the furthest thing from their minds at that time.
Fast-forwarding fourteen years would find the James family relocating to their current home in Athens, Illinois. The muscle car interest was just begin-ning. The year was 1987. Terry commented that he wondered whatever happened to their GTO and said he would sure like to find it. Sheron, being the supportive wife said, “Let’s try and find it!”
e Legend March 2007 10
Cover Car Feature Terry & Sheron James’ 1968 GTO Convertible
Thus began a long search that had Terry and Sheron trying every trick in the book to locate the elusive car. First, the VIN number and all the paperwork on the purchase were gone. The search included going back to the Pontiac dealer in Tucson to see if their records went back that far, the answer of course was no. Then on to the insurance company that had insured the GTO, same answer.
They had a picture of the car with a license plate number that gave them an-other chance. A check with the Secre-tary of State records came back indicat-ing the microfilm for that period had been destroyed. They then found the person who purchased the car from the dealer. He sold it to another individual; they also found him but then the trail went cold. That owner had no idea who had purchased it from him. It was not looking good at that point.
Then in 1991, their luck changed. Terry and Sheron were back in Macomb, Illinois and returned to Woodrum’s Chevrolet to purchase another vehicle. Sheron, out of the blue, asked the sales-man if their records went back to 1973. He said he thought so and would do some checking. Two weeks later, the paperwork from the purchase in 1973 was in their mailbox, including the VIN number! They held their breath until Terry, who worked for the Illinois State Police at the time, could run the number. There was the vehicle information; the current license plate for the car was REDGTO2. Records indicated it was registered to an owner in Liberty, Illinois, a small town about 80 miles from Athens.
The next step in the odyssey was how to get the car back! Terry remem-bers it like it was yesterday, “I called the
owner and asked if he owned a red 68 GTO, he said he did and that he shows it.” I said, “How would you like to show it with the original owners standing with it?” They were invited over to see the car, which was housed in it’s own sepa-rate garage, it looked great. When the owner opened the glove box, there was the original owner’s manual. Inside in Terry’s handwriting was the mileage when new tires had been purchased. The car still had the original windshield, a 1968 “wheel tax sticker” was still in the lower left corner of the glass (and still is). What an exciting day that was, but the best was yet to come.
As can be imagined, the discussion of “would you like to sell the GTO?” came up in conversation. The owner was not interested in parting with it, but did promise if he ever did sell it that Terry and Sheron would have the first opportunity. He said he was planning on saving the car for his daughter who was one-and-a-half at the time.
Terry and Sheron left not thinking he would ever part with it, but were pleased to see it still running and well cared for. They did keep in contact with him for the next several years. To add to the irony of the situation, when they told a good friend that they had finally found the car they had been searching for, he said, “The owner is my cousin!” Terry said, “You sure could have saved me a lot of work!”
Finally, on June 9, 1996, the call came in. Terry was working in the yard when Sheron went out and said, “Here is the call you have been waiting for!” A price was negotiated and finally the quest was complete. The previous owner said he felt guilty not driving it and enjoying it and he knew how much
they loved the car. Terry and Sheron feel very fortunate the car was in the hands of someone who not only took care of the car, but was also true to his word.
Since that fateful day, the GTO has had some notoriety. A story on their quest was featured in the Springfield, Il-linois State Journal Register not long af-ter it was brought home. The car was the 1998 April feature car in the national American Muscle Car Calendar. Its pic-
ture also appears in Mike Muller’s book “Motor City Muscle.”
Terry and Sheron continue to enjoy their GTO and are active members of the Heart of Illinois GTO Club and the GTO
Association of America.
Hopefully this happy ending to a story that took years to complete will inspire others to search and find the GTO of their dreams. Our best wishes go to Terry and Sheron along with a word of thanks for sharing their story with us and providing the excellent pic-tures. Do you have a GTO story to tell? Would you like your GTO featured in The Legend? For details of how to pro-ceed please contact: Jim Stern / Feature Editor 3820 Ohio Ave. / Unit #5 St. Charles, IL 60174 Phone: (630) 258-2615 E-mail: featureeditor@gtoaa.org
The Legend March 2007 11
by Tom & Terrie Oxler and Mark Melrose
The Gateway GTO Association of St. Louis held “Prom Night, Groovin in the 60s,” on Saturday, October 28, 2006 at a Knights of Columbus Hall in St. Charles, Missouri. The weather was perfect and couples arrived in their GTOs dressed appropriately in prom attire, sixties retro look, fifties poodle skirts, etc.
As couples entered the Prom, they were announced and photographed entering through the balloon arch. The Prom Hall was decorated with Lava Lamps and Slinkies at each table and poster sized photos of the Gateway GTO members when they were in High School. My, how we have changed!
Club member Marty Howard
was our DJ for the evening, and ac-tual records were spun. Music from the 50’s and 60s got many a member on the floor with songs such as Stand By Me, This Magic Moment, and Just One Look. The dance floor was full to the great sounds of The Twist, Lo-comotion, YMCA, and the Hokey Pokey! There are six couples in the club that were high school sweet-hearts and they were honored with a special dance.
A king and queen were crowned, Tony and Shirley Bezzole, who were celebrating 45 years of marriage. Tony is a “founding father” of the
GatewaTony nattendethis wa
o
Terry And Gail Schott
The Legend 12
Tony and Sue Tost
y GTO Club and neither or his Queen Shirley had ever d a Prom in high school so s a very special event.
Doin’ the Locomotion
March 2007
G Do lackhavOriwwandinfosugMuT-3 Othapponlcorconparbota GnaltureGTmi$ ThewiththaclastoranicaGTbumpro Her 1)
2)
3)
4)
5) 6) Ge
Mark and Saundra Melrose
The evening was punctuated with Trivia Contests where partici-pants answered questions such as: Who said, “Ask not what your coun-try can do for you, but what you can do for your country?” Prizes in-cluded Lava Lamps and 8 track tapes of the Beach Boys.
A little before midnight the bar closed, the music ended, the lights went dim and the GTOs peeled out of the parking lot. There were un-confirmed reports that several GTOs of various vintage were spotted parked at remote locations after the Prom. While some members may have found their way to “backseat heaven” once again, there were no reported calls to the rescue squad for the jaws-of-life to get them out of their cars. Some things we learned in high school we actually remember.
Tom and Terrie Oxler (a/k/a Mr. and Mrs. GTO)
The Legend
New service available from TO Originality Consultants©
you already own a GTO and wish to learn more about its originality or thereof? Are you considering buying a GTO? Pontiac enthusiasts e a new service to help assess the originality of their cars with GTO
ginality Consultants© (www.gtooc.com). As advertised on w.ultimateGTO.com, GTOOC will examine digital photos of your car provide you with a detailed assessment of its originality based on the rmation you provide. GTOOC© specializes in GTOs, as their name gests, but they also appraise the originality of other Pontiacs from the sclecar Era of the 1960s and 1970s including LeMans, Tempest, 7, GT-37, Trans Am, Firebird, Formula, Grand Prix, etc.
er services can tell you about the mechanical condition of a car or raise its value. GTOOC© focuses on documenting originality. Many
ine listings show cars offered for sale with the wrong block code, in-rect heads, intake manifolds, carburetors, power steering pumps, soles, paint colors, interiors, improper finishes, and other major de-tures from original. These modifications can detract appreciably from h the originality and value of a classic muscle car. If you are restoring TO and want to know if you have the right parts to complete an origi- car, they can help. Also, the smart buyer should be aware of depar-s from original before buying. With the price of musclecars today,
OOC© could help prospective buyers avoid making a very expensive take!
proprietor of GTOOC© is Jeff Lovich ("Dr. GTO") a fellow enthusiast over 30 years experience with GTOs and other Pontiacs. During
t time he has owned 26 GTOs and a variety of other Pontiacs and sic cars. He is one of the few people acknowledged in the GTO Res-tion Guide for his contributions to the book, and he is a regular tech-l contributor to The Legend. Being a hobbyist with two current
Os, he maintains a complete library of reference books, dealer al-s, dealer brochures, factory parts manuals, and shop manuals to
vide assessments.
e are some reasons why you should use GTOOC©:
Excellent documentation is available from another source that tells you how your car left the factory. The difference between a car when it was new, and the same car 40+ years later, is like the difference be-tween your birth certificate and the vital statistics on your driver’s li-cense: a lot has changed! If you already own a GTO, do you know that it has original parts and finishes? This information is particularly valuable before you start a restoration. You wouldn’t buy a $35,000 horse without a certificate of health from a veterinarian. Don’t you want to assess the originality of a 360 horse GTO before you pay? If you are buying a GTO or other Pontiac musclecar as an investment, there are three major factors that you must consider: originality, origi-nality, originality! It’s your money! Make a fully informed decision before buying. GTOOC© sweats the details so you can make a wise choice.
t the information you need by visiting their web site at www.gtooc.com.
March 2007 13
Timothy Sickle gtoguy@verizon.net GTOAA #9015
For those of you who will be at-
tending the ‘07 GTOAA convention (and no, it’s not too early to begin talkin’ about it!), here are some sug-gestions for the beginnings of that winning contest model that you are intent on bringing to enter the newly revamped model car contest.
Traditional plastic GTO kits should be readily available for model years ‘64, ‘65, ‘66, ‘67, ‘68, ‘69, and ‘72. But what about something dif-ferent? Read on.
For ‘07, there are several kits be-ing re-released. From Mono-gram/Revell, both the ‘69 Judge and ‘91 Firebird Formula are set to return as a 2 ‘n 1 kits, meaning spare parts (most likely wheels and tires). The ‘70 T/A will also reappear, but I’m told it won’t say ‘Trans Am’ (some-thing about SCCA licensing fees, no doubt!), and a limited reissue of the Pro Stock Firebird (last-gen) for you racers.
Meanwhile, RC2 (ERTL), lists the ‘65 GTO among their 2007 re-leases, and a reissue of none other than Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick’s “Super Judge” funny car.
You will notice in the photo sev-eral choices suitable for 10-year-olds, juniors, and adults alike. For
10-year old and younger entrants, the three GTO kits shown at the bottom of the first column (Decoy, Serpent, and Black Ice) are 1/32nd scale snap kits, with peel and stick markings.
For older, more experienced modelers, there is an assortment in-cluding limited run GTO racers (‘70 Super Stocker, and ‘63 Funnier Farmer Tempest), stock and modi-fied GTOs (‘66, ‘67, ‘68, ‘72, & ‘04) and Judges (’69), a ‘movie star’ car in the guise of the xXx ‘67 GTO, and
full-size Poncho power in the form of a ‘60 Bonneville (convertible or hardtop), and your choice of a ‘65 2+2 Cat, Bonneville or Grand Prix, or a ‘70 Bonneville convertible with speedboat. Or, maybe a hot ‘68 Firebird 400 or second-gen T/A (both ‘70 and ‘78)?
You will notice in the photo a bit more of a competition theme, with a few stockers thrown in. We’ve got the last-gen Firebird Pro Stocks of “The Professor” WJ and Mark
The Legend March 2007 20
Paw
ck Bowties are pres
’t even scratched the
you have any questions about any-thing in this column, you can reach me at the e-mail address listed above.
These kits can be purchased at local hobby shops or online sites like Hobby Heaven or Model Empire (www.board.modelcarkits.com) and (www.modelempireusa.com).
Maybe next month, we can take a look at some pre-finished and die-cast class possibilities.
uk contrasting nicely with the older Firebird racers of Jerry Eckman and Rickie Smith.
Some other unique Pontiacs not shown ‘69 Firebird 400 and T/A hardtops, ‘77 “Blackbird” and ‘79 10th Anniversary T/As (AMT/ERTL). From Revell-Monogram, we have ‘78, ‘94 (25th Anniversary) and ‘98 T/As (the latter being the perform-ance-oriented WS6 model).
Last but certainly not least for something completely different, we have the twin-engined Raider’s Coach. It did run twin Pontiac mills, even though fat blo
ent in the kit. Also, please notice the lack of
the Monkeemobile in these photos.
Rest assured I have one, I just couldn’t find it at the time of the photo shoot!
Plenty of choices, I think you’ll admit, and we haven
Model Car Contest surface as far as more limited
resin kits are concerned. For further details, contact me on this issue. If
As usual, if you run across some-thing that has not been covered in this column (diecast or plastic), I’d love to hear about it. Thanks to all of you out there who have respondedwith comments and Goat finds. Questions? Suggestions? You know where to reach me. As always, have fun buying, building, and/or collect-ing. In closing, remember—the Great One STILL rules (in several scales!).
The Legend 21
Changes At This
Year’s NationalsAs mentioned in last month’s“Little GTOs” column, we havechanged the categories for en-tries to the model competition atthe convention. They will nowbe “Pontiac kits” and “pre-finished/diecast Pontiacs.” Eachcategory will be broken downinto three age groups. That means we won’t have an“Other” class for cars besidesPontiacs – no Chevies, Fords,Dodges, or Hondas. GTO mod-els will compete with Firebirds,Bonnevilles, Grand Prixs, Ventu-ras, and any other Pontiac-bodied car. Non-Pontiacs willnot be eligible. Why would we separate pre-finished and diecast from plasticassembly kits? The answer issimple. With the explosion ofdiecast and pre-finished kits outthere, not to mention those ofyou who like to modify diecastcars, it puts someone who buysan unpainted plastic kit anddoes all the work to add color toit and assemble it at a competi-tive disadvantage. Someonecan place a prefinished modelon the table next to a kit (thatcould have conceivably takenthe builder weeks to finesse intoshape) and win an award overthe kit, depending on the subjectmatter and execution. With the pre-finished/diecastclass, these cars can competeon an even keel with each other.So plastic assembly kits willcompete only with plastic as-sembly kits, and prefinishedplastic or diecast models willcompete with each other. Don’t forget – Pontiacs Only!
March 2007
Contemporary Goat Stories by Bill Vantuono
Michael Sawicki spends many happy hours blasting around Long Is-land, NY, in a trophy-winning, 500-hp, Midnight Blue Metallic, 6-speed 2005 Pontiac GTO. His mother, Lorraine Rosen, isn’t very far behind in her modi-fied Torrid Red 2004 Goat.
In this case, however, mother knew best.
When the 2004 GTO was in-troduced, Lorraine was in the market for a new car. She was originally interested in a Pontiac G6, but her husband Eric Rosen convinced her to try out the GTO. As Mike tells it, “They brought the car home in October 2004. At first, I wasn’t terribly interested in it. It was definitely better than some of the other options she
had talked about, but, like a lot of other people, I was very unhappy at first with how the new GTO had turned out. I was very much into drag racing my heavily modified 1998 Camaro Z28, and the GTO just didn’t do anything for me.”
However, as soon as Mike got be-hind the wheel of his mom’s new Goat, his opinion “changed completely.” While slower than his Camaro (which had been modified for high-11-second ETs), “it was worlds ahead as far as ride quality and handling,” he says. “By that time, the Camaro really wasn’t any good at anything except standing on the gas pedal in a straight line with your hair on fire. Driving the GTO made me realize how much of a rattlebox the Z28 is. As time passed after I first drove the GTO, I became progressively less and less inter-ested in my Z28. The GTO just flat-out made it look bad.”
By May 2005, Mike decided that it was time to move onto something better than his rattlebox Chevy. He put the Z28 up for sale and started looking
The Legend March 2007 22
Contemporary Goat Stories by Bill Vantuono
around for a Midnight Blue Metallic GTO with a 6-speed. By July, he found one locally, and felt fortunate, as only 566 6-speed 2005 GTOs in that color had been built.
“Ever since I brought the GTO home, I’ve never looked back,” says Mike. “I owned a Mustang and another Z28 prior to the ’98, and the GTO is by far the most fun. In retrospect, I’m glad that first drive in my mom’s car con-verted me from just another typical new GTO-hater—there are too many as it is—into a proud owner.”
Mike’s GTO has undergone several serious performance and appearance modifications. The exhaust system fea-tures 1-3/4-inch American Racing long tube headers with a 3-inch catted X-pipe and Magnaflow mufflers. On the intake side, a Lingenfelter cold air kit feeds a valve train equipped with a mild Comp Cams camshaft bought through Texas Speed and Performance (www.texas-speed.com/shop), Comp 918 springs and chrome moly pushrods. The cam specs out at 224 degrees intake and exhaust duration (@ 0.050), with a 0.567-inch lift, intake and exhaust. Lobe separation is 113 degrees .
Vette Doctors of Amityville, N.Y., (www.thevettedoctors.com) performed a custom dyno tune. The GTO’s 6.0L (364 cubic inch) LS2 is now topping out at 404 HP and 387 pounds-feet of torque at the rear wheels. “I was very surprised to see numbers like that from such a small cam,” Mike says. “With an esti-mated 18% drive train loss, it works out to be right around 492 flywheel horse-power!”
All that power looks real sharp. Mike added a set of Boyd Coddington (www.boydcoddington.com) 17x8-inch model F22 billet wheels, custom cut for the car and custom powder coated with a charcoal grey center. He dressed up the nose with Autocross grilles from the fac-tory GTO Sport Appearance Package, and a high intensity discharge headlight conversion. On the rear, a lip spoiler from JHP Vehicle Enhancements, Aus-tralia (www.jhp.com/au), replaced the factory spoiler (this required filling in and welding the stock spoiler holes in the deck lid and then repainting it).
Mike also trimmed about 100 pounds of weight by replacing the fac-tory front skid plate with a lightweight aftermarket unit, and removing—of all things—a trailer hitch bracket from the rear end. This 15-pound piece, which is bolted to the chassis, is neatly tucked away on top of a plastic panel just be-hind the rear fascia. Future plans include suspension changes “to try and reign in the horsepower,” as well as some custom paintwork, probably pearl ghost flames.
The end result is a good-looking, tire-scorching yet refined GTO that is, to borrow a quote from Stan Rarden, “a blast to drive.” “The trip computer tells me the car is still getting 24 mpg at 70 mph on the highway,” Mike says. “Drivability is very close to stock, with just a tiny bit of idle quirkiness on rapid
deceleration. There’s power all over the place, with 325 pounds-feet available at the wheels at just 2,300 rpm. Midrange punch is great, and the top end rips!” As of this writing, Mike hadn’t raced the car, but he says it “can handily outrun a well-driven C5 Corvette.”
Don’t forget mom’s 2004 GTO. Lorraine Rosen has dressed up her Tor-rid Red ride a bit, adding Autocross grilles and black/grey custom pin strip-ing, chroming the factory 17-inch wheels, converting the rear fascia to the 2005-2006 GTO appearance (complete with a factory dual exhaust and split out-lets), and installing a K&N cold air in-take.
Yes, mother still knows best!
The Legend March 2007 23
Performance Years is now carrying diecast parkingthe 1971-72 model years. They claim that they arediecast chrome plated bezels, part number RPF71Balso carrying door molding and trunk molding clip sGTOs. The door molding clips have the moisture bthe end clips have the retaining flaps as well as thetensioning” back flap and hardware. The trunk molthe green anti-corrosion coating and include hardwaCall them at 1-800-542-PART (7278) or order onlinwww.performanceyears.com.
The Legend
Now available from Ames Performance is a new old stock 55 AMP alternator for 1966 - 1970 GTOs. This GM part number 1100700 was used with all A/C equipped cars and heavy duty charging systems from ‘66 to ‘70. Ames states that they have the "XB" pick code marking, correct finish and plating, and are date coded 9E12, (May 12, 1969) or 9F2, (June 2, 1969). Ames says that they have limited quantities of these. They are part number M246N and available at $199. Call Ames at 800-421-2637 or reach them online at www.amesperf.com.
light bezels for show quality . They are
ets for 1967 arrier seal and “anti-rattle / ding clips have re.
e at
24 March 2007
GTOAA Chapter Directory by State Reflects Updates Through January 31, 2006
AZ Cactus GTOs, Inc. 5546 East Shangri La Road Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Thom Mohr 480-991-6106 thomohr@globalcrossing.net www.cactusgto.com
CA Inland Empire GTO Club 7269 Cosenza Place, Alta Loma, CA 91701 Thom Trafford 909-489-6968 got67goat@msn.com www.iegtoclub.com
CA Southern Cal Gathering of Goats 1566 North Perry Drive Placentia, CA 92870 Debbie Tharp 714-524-3789 gtofamily@sbcglobal.net www.scgg.com
CA Tri-Valley GTO Club 20116 Archwood Street Winnetka, CA 91306 Herb Silvers 818-888-7421 fabfan@earthlink.net www.trivalleygto.org
CO Classic GTO Association of Denver PO Box 745092 Arvada, CO 80006-5092 William Lewis 303-644-3240 wgmllewis@esrta.com http://clubs.hemmings.com/denvergoats
CO Northern Colorado GTO Association 655 Zuni Circle, Fort Collins, CO 80526 Jay Robinson 970-226-1974 president@ncgtoa.com http://www/ncgtoa.com
CT Connecticut GTO Club 82 Hockanum Drive East Hartford, CT 06118 Rob Heim 860-568-2887 pres@ctgtoclub.org www.ctgtoclub.org
DE GTO Club of Delaware 40 Worral Drive Newark, DE 19711 Frank Messick 302-737-4657 frank69gto@comcast.net http://gtocd.tripod.com
FL Sunshine State GTO Association 6763 Turtle Point Drive Lake Worth, FL 33467 Douglass VanKnowe 561-630-4802 dugtrudy@bellsouth.net www.ssgtoa.org
GA Southeastern GTO Association 2236 Chimney Springs Drive Marietta, GA 30062 Den Sanford 770-594-8754 denjulsanford@aol.com www.segtoa.org
IA Pontiac Club of Iowa PO Box 31065 Des Moines, IA 50310 Randy Kroneman 515-255-0990 rkroneman@aol.com www.pontiacclubofiowa.com
IL Cruisin' Tigers GTO Club PO Box 695, Westmont, IL 60559 Sylvia Heidlauf 847-548-2634 president@cruisintigersgto.com www.cruisintigersgto.com
IL Heart of Illinois GTOs 8961 Tamarac Way, Bloomington, IL 61704 Tom Raufer 309-827-2867 president@hoigto.com www.hoigto.com
IN Indy GTO Association PO Box 487, Noblesville, IN 46061-0487 Bill Sanders 317-770-6409 sanders.bill@insightbb.com http://clubs.hemmings.com/indygto/
IN Northeast Indiana GTOs 3910 Thornton Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46733 Jay Konkle 260-492-2297 NEIGTO@comcast.net http://home.comcast.net/~neigto/neigto.html
KS GR-888'R Wichita GTO Club 1422 Briarwood Place, Derby, KS 67037 Art Meadows 316-788-6429 ameadows@cox.net www.wichitagto.com
KY Louisville Pontiac GTO Club PO Box 99185, Louisville, KY 40269 Bill Receveur 502-327-8613 bill@realmconstruction.com www.goattraks.com
MA Pioneer Valley GTO Association 258 Lower Hampden Road Monson, MA 01057 Paul Bourbeau 413-267-5834 hisandhers67gto@aol.com www.pioneervalleygtoassociation.org
MD Royal GTOs 705 Baylor Road Glen Burnie, MD 21061 Tom Somerville 410-798-8863 tasom@comcast.net www.royalgtos.com
ME GTO Association of Maine PO Box 521 North Waterboro, ME 04061 Robert Farwell 207-247-3233 bojomaine@psouth.net www.badgoat.net
MI West Michigan Classic Pontiacs 4285 East B Avenue, Plainwell, MI 49080 Gary Trama 269-345-2202 gtoman27@comcast.net no chapter website
MI Woodward GTO Tigers 38532 Beecher Sterling Heights, MI 48312 Joseph Kozlowski 586-242-4336 joe@eat-at-joes.net www.gtotigers.org
MN Land of Lakes GTO Club PO Box 574, Osseo, MN 55369 Myron Moy 952-955-1138 myron.moy.j06b@statefarm.com www.LOLGTO.com
MO Gateway GTO Association 450 Muirfield Drive, St. Charles, MO 63304 Tom Oxler 636-928-5548 toxler@prodigy.net www.gatewaygto.com
NC Carolina Classic Pontiac Club 228 Laurel Creek,Bessemer City, NC 28016 David Winfrey 704-923-8083 davwin66@bellsouth.net http://clubs.hemmings.com/ccpontiac
NC Tarheel Tigers Pontiac Club 6513 Hammersmith Drive Raleigh, NC 27613 Jim Ranieri 919-510-9881 Pontiacs4me@nc.rr.com www.tarheeltigers.org
NC Performance Pontiacs of the Carolinas 6 Wetherborn Way Greensboro, NC 27410 Tim Joseph 336-545-9465 ncjoseph@bellsouth.net www.performancepontiacs.com
NJ Delaware Valley Old Goat Club PO Box 295, Hainesport, NJ 08036 Mike Laskowski 610-357-4913 mrdetail65@hotmail.com www.oldgoatclub.com
NJ Garden State GTOs 12 Fox Court, Oakland, NJ 07436 Harold Murray 201-405-1158 murelec@optonline.net www.garden-state-gtos.org
NM Land of Enchantment GTOs 6704 Orphelia N.E. Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109 Donald Fitch 505-821-5490 donsgt37@msn.com www.loegtos.com
NY Electric City GTOs PO Box 4825 Schenectady, NY 12304-0825 Joshua A. Doret 518-788-1456 ragtop66gto@yahoo.com www.electriccitygto.com
NY Long Island GTO Club PO Box 276, Levittown, NY 11756 Amy Perciballi 516-695-4775 president@ligtoclub.com www.LIGTOClub.com
NY Western New York GTO Club 50 Cramer Street North Tonawanda, NY 14120 Brian Mertens 716-692-1564 tigerpaw65@aol.com www.wnygto.com
OH GTO Association of Central Ohio 13791 Cable Road, Pataskala, OH 43062 Jim Evans 740-927-5302 gtoaco71@columbus.rr.com www.gtoaco.com
OH Ohio Valley GTO Association 6442 Jayfield Dr., Hamilton, OH 45011 Jeff Teague 513-737-9139 jteague@cincin.rr.com www.ovgto.com
OK Oklahoma Ram Air Warriors 4713 South 94 East Avenue Tulsa, OK 74145 Steven Hoog 918-260-0151 steve@empgmc.com www.empgmc.com/orw/orw.htm
OR Goat Herd GTO Club of Oregon PO Box 1071, Clackamas, OR 97015 George Boeckel 503-659-7790 djudge70gto@aol.com www.goatherd.com
PA Greater Pittsburgh GTO Club 4 Carlisle Drive, Irwin, PA 15642 Jim Mastroianni 412-373-0334 GTOTA1@comcast.net www.greaterpghgto.com
PA GTO Association of Pennsylvania 2509 Kesslersville Road Easton, PA 18040 Chris Wismer 610-250-8628 cwwismer@yahoo.com www.gtopa.com
PA Susquehanna Valley GTO Tigers 513 Chickadee Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 Doug Warble 717-975-9126 lemans6878@yahoo.net www.geocities.com/svgtotigers
TX GTO Association of North Texas PO Box 800, Keller, TX 76244 Darrell Roach 817-431-1888 gtodash@verizon.net www.gtoant.com
TX Gulf Coast GTOs 14906 Ferness Lane Channelview, TX 77530-2315 David Silarski VP 713-451-6003 president@gulfcoastgtos.com www.gulfcoastgtos.com
WA Northwest GTO Legends PO Box 66559, Burien, WA 98166 Stefan Fafnis 253-862-6864 pontiacshack@hotmail.com www.northwestlegends.com
WA Radioactive Redskins Pontiac Club PO Box 6234, Kennewick, WA 99336-6234 Steve Carlson 509-582-6475 carlsons@3-cities.com www.pontiacs.org/rrpc/
WI God’s Country GTO Association N3922 Hwy 22, Rio, WI 53960 Ed Spyros 920-992-3682 espyros@amfam.com www.godscountrypontiac.com
WI Original GTO Club PO Box 320141, Franklin, WI 53132 Larry Lorenz 414-466-2300 jmogto@aol.com no chapter website
PltioLe
The Legend 25
Updates Or Corrections ease send changes or correc-ns to Chapters@gtoaa.org andgendEditor@gtoaa.org.
March 2007
Recommended