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Southeastern GTO Association
...a chapter of the GTO Association of America
www.segtoa.org
Check Out SEGTOA on FACEBOOK
August 2017
Volume 31, Issue 8
Celebrating
our 31st
Year!
Inside this issue:
Next Event 1
President’s Message
Officers & Board 2
SEGTOA Save the Date
3
Holy Smoke Car Show
5
Hubcaps & History 6
Pontiacs in Pigeon Forge 2018 Housing
7
Tech Tips 8-
12
Book Review 13
Classifieds 14
Resources 15
Tiger Tales
Next Event:
SEGTOA Picnic
Saturday, August 5
Red Top Mountain State Park
Shelter #7
10 AM - ??
2
2017
Officers &
Board Members
President
John Link
Treasurer
Larry Snyder
larrysnyder1594@hotmail.
com
Membership
Danny Finkelstein
Newsletter
Jim Andrews
jb6733andrews@
etcmail.com
Meetings
Ernie Stephens
Webmaster
Craig Dean
Board Members
Bob Immekus
Chuck Giraud
Steve Weisbarth
Chris McPherson
chrismcpherson218@
gmail.com
Mike Walling
mwalling@
leitransportation.com
President’s Message
We had a great turnout for our July Meeting (Acworth Cruise-In), finally a beautiful day to get those Pontiacs out! It’s unusual to have 2 events only a week apart, but the SEGTOA Picnic (August Meeting) is this Saturday, August 5th. So bring your appetite and come to “our” spot (Shelter #7) at Red Top Mountain State Park on Lake Alatoona. If you have kids or grandkids, there is a beach for swimming and FUN. And they can help eat the Bar-B-Que. We may even have a dessert or 2 (which they can sample after I’ve had my fill).
SEGTOA won some awards at the GTOAA Nationals and we’ll discuss them at the picnic. See you Saturday!!
John Link
President
3
SEGTOA—Save The Date!
2017 Events
Saturday August 5 SEGTOA Picnic — Red Top Mountain State Park
Monday September 4 Holy Smoke Festival Car Show
Saturday Sept. 15 Hubcaps & History — Old Downtown Marietta
October Tail of the Dragon overnight trip
December SEGTOA Christmas Party
The Annual SEGTOA picnic is Saturday August 5 at Red Top Mountain State Park,
Shelter #7. This is the same location that we have had for the past 3 years. SEGTOA will
handle the cost for the food & drink through Williamson Bros. BBQ. SEGTOA members
and their guests are welcome to bring their favorite picnic food to share with the group.
And, of course, bring your Pontiac! Directions are on page 4.
On page 4 is the flyer for the Holy Smoke Festival Car Show at Johnson Ferry Baptist
Church on Labor Day, Monday September 4th. Club member Bo Dunn coordinates the
car show part of this festival. It’s BIG! Food vendors, stuff for the kids, and of course,
many cars. It’s at 955 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, 30068. FREE Registration starts
at 9AM, awards are at 1:45PM. Cars and trucks only, 1986 and older.
Hubcaps and History is a nice smaller show in Old Downtown Marietta. We usually get a
pretty good group at this show, and it’s always a good time. See page 5.
The annual Tail of the Dragon overnight trip is shaping up for late October. We’ll provide
informational emails as the dates approach.
Hotel info for Pontiacs in Pigeon Forge 2018 is on page 6 for those of you who want to
get in early to score a primo room at the Music Road Hotel. This is one of the best all-
Pontiac shows you’ll ever attend.
The picnic and Christmas party are the two biggest SEGTOA events of the year, and we’d
like to see them get even bigger. The more people we can get at these events, the more
fun they are. The Tail of the Dragon overnight trip never disappoints, and we’d like to
see a few more cars and people for that one as well. If you have any ideas for club
events, please shoot me an email!
Ernie Stephens
Events Coordinator
4
SEGTOA Picnic
Saturday, August 5
Red Top Mountain State Park
Shelter #7
From the north or south on I-75, take exit 285 and go east on Red Top
Mountain Road. Follow the signs to Shelter #7. See you there!
5
6
7
8
Tech Tips: No 69/70 Hurst Dual-Gate Shifter? WHY???
By Jim Racela
Many 69 and 70 GTO owners wish they had a Dual Gate Shifter like the 67 and 68
GTOs. They do not realize that essentially, they do! If you have a 69/70 GTO with a factory auto console shifter, it is a Pontiac RALLY SPORTS SPEED SHIFTER. This shifter
operates similarly to the Hurst Dual Gate Shifter installed in the 67 and 68 GTOs. Although there is no physical dual gate on the console as in the earlier models, a
Pontiac version of the auto/manual shift linkage is installed. Notice that the shift slot is wider than the shift lever.
To test yours, start the engine. With your foot on the brake, pull the shifter back into
Low. Now simply push the shifter to the right. You will noticeably feel it move over. (see
NOTE below). Your GTO is now in “manual” Low gear! Let go of the brake and hit the gas. Wind out low gear as much as you want. Then again using pressure to the right,
push the shifter forward into 2nd gear. Wind out 2nd and then again using pressure to the right, push the shifter forward into 3rd gear and watch that 396 Chevelle disappear
in your rear-view mirror. You can now truly “Turn it on, WIND IT UP, Blow it out, GTO”!
To return to automatic mode, simply push the shifter back to the left into “D” (Drive).
NOTE: IF the shifter does not move to the right after placing the shifter in Low, the factory linkage may have been replaced so be careful shifting until you know for sure.
The “manual” side on the right prevents upshifting more than one gear at a time as it
has positive stops between each gear shift. On the normal left side pattern, it is of course possible to shift manually also, but the shifter can be moved from Low all the
way to Neutral without the positive stops. You can easily miss a gear this way when
trying to manually shift quickly. The worst case would be to inadvertently shift into “neutral” at high revs when trying to go from “S” (2nd Gear) into “D” (3rd gear) on the
left side.
Why did Pontiac stop using the Hurst Dual Gate in 1969? With the GTO and the A-body car sales eroding year to year along with having to compete with stripped down
musclecars like the Road Runner, the cost of the GTO overall had to be reduced. The Hurst Dual Gate shift linkage along with its fancy Dual Gate Console panel and shifter
meant higher cost as they had to pay Hurst for the parts and the license. So Pontiac designed their own “dual gate” style linkage with their own shifter and console insert.
What is strange is that Pontiac did very little advertising of this “standard feature” on
the floor shift automatic optioned 69 and 70 GTOs. A few ads had a picture of the
console and shifter along with a confusing description of how to use it. Many ads did not. Operation of the “Rally Sports Speed Shifter” was not even mentioned in the 1969
Owner’s Manual.
Continued on Page 7
9
Tech Tips. Continued
Since Pontiac was in effect copying the Dual Gate linkage, the lack of advertising may have been a concession to Hurst, as Pontiac was still using the Hurst 4 speed shifter and
linkage in their car lines and Hurst was selling their Dual Gate Shifter over the counter at Auto Parts stores. By the way, Hurst still sells the Dual Gate Shifter to this day.
Hurst first introduced the “Dual Gate Shifter” in 1964. One unique feature was a key and
lock, preventing use of the manual side. This feature later became an option on the shifter.
This line was taken from an early Hurst ad credited with coining the nickname “His &
Hers Shifter”:
“With this key on his personal key ring, it prevents the use of the competition gate by
the curious parking lot attendant, or the little lady. No chance of them over-revving the engine waiting for the automatic to shift”
Hurst often used the street nickname of “His & Hers Shifter” in ads although it was
officially branded as the “Dual Gate Shifter”. The Hurst key and lock option was available until 1969 although not available in a 67 or 68 GTO.
One other interesting line was in an early Pontiac ad introducing the new 1969 GTO
Judge. It said this right after the paragraph detailing the Judge engine options:
“Like a fully synchronized, floor mounted 3-speed cog-box. A close ratio 4-speed with Hurst shifter (yea!) and a 3-speed Turbo Hydromatic (boo!) are also in the hopper if you
care to order same.”
With his big smile and a twinkle in his eye, I can almost see Jim Wangers cackling as he
wrote that ad line! Maybe even HE did not know about the Pontiac Rally Sports Shifter, but I doubt that. It was more likely because he loved driving a 4 speed and was an
NHRA National Champion using one. It would also get people talking about that GTO Judge ad.
One more thing, I believe the 69/70 Firebirds with a “400” engine had the Pontiac dual
gate shifter if the optional console automatic was installed. The 71 and 72 GTOs and Firebirds may have it too, I am not sure but it is worth testing if you own one of those
cars.
That is all for now. We look forward to seeing you at the Club picnic. Ed Bellair with his 68 GTO and John Link with his 69 GTO have graciously volunteered to demo the
differences between these two shifters for anyone interested.
Hope to see you there!
- Jim Racela
10
Tech Tips: Seat Belts and Retractors
By Paul Sorrels
My 1965 GTO has the custom seat belt option. The lap belts and the release
mechanisms are correct but the two floor mounted seat belt retractors are different, like from two different kind of cars. I knew which of the two was correct for the car, but I
was unfamiliar with the shape of the other one.
I have been to about a dozen swap meets but have failed to find the correct retractor I
need. Most folks who have seat belts for sale have the whole set and are not about to sell me one retractor. I saw an ad in the latest Hemmings Motor News from a guy selling
early GTO interior items. I contacted him but he sells all his seat belt stuff to "The Seat Belt Guy." I then contacted "TSBG" and he said both of my retractors are for the
passenger side and the oddball one was from a GM car with standard seat belts. He had a driver side black custom seat belt retractor with a damaged belt so I sent him the
oddball retractor and he put the good belt from it on his driver side retractor and now
my seat belts are correct for only $40.00, including freight. I now pronounce him the "Seat Belt Guru" and the man to see about seat belts. His name is Jesse Grooms,
(757) 365-4919 or [email protected].
Tech Tips: Another “What the !?!” Moment
By Jim Andrews
This goes back a ways, and I’ve shared it with a few people already, but I figure the rest
of you might get a kick out of it.
Year before last I lowered the front end of my ‘67 GTO. It was a fun process if you’re
into that kind of thing, and I do enjoy all things mechanical. After installing the springs and adjusting the side-to-side height, it was necessary to re-aim the headlamps. I had
replaced the leveling screws a few years back, so it was going to be a fairly straightforward process. Or so I thought.
Marking out the aiming diagram found in the ’67 Pontiac shop manual with electrical tape on the inside of the garage door, I lined the car up with the center of the door, 25
feet away (I have a really long garage). The first three headlamps were done within a few minutes. The fourth one refused to cooperate. No matter how I turned the screws,
that fourth one simply would not line up. After fighting with it for a good 20 minutes, I’d had enough. Taking a hammer, I smashed the headlamp, sending shards of glass all
over the garage floor. Just kidding!
Removing the trim ring, headlamp, and bucket, I examined the bucket. I’ve worked in the automtive supply end of things for many years, and I know a Ford part number
when I see one. This one was stamped right next to the Ford oval. What the?!? I ordered a replacement bucket from OPGI. They’re pricier than Ames and NPD, but it was
very high quality, fit perfectly, and that high beam was finally in its rightful place.
11
Tech Tips: Suspension Upgrades
By Jim Paumen
I decided to install new rear upper control arms with bushings, rear boxed lower control
arms with bushings, a rear sway bar, and Bilstein gas shocks on the front of my 1967 Tempest.
I started the project by installing the Bilstein shocks in the front. The hardware kit that
came with the shocks is universal so it didn’t include the lower J-clips needed for a GM A-body, so I ordered the shock mounting kit from Ames.
I put the rear of the car on 3-ton jack stands, placed a floor jack under the differential carrier for stability, then removed the bolts for the right upper control arm and removed
it. Having the jack under the carrier proved invaluable when it came to lining up the control arms with the bolt holes.
Next was to remove the upper control arm bushings in the differential pumpkin. This
turned out to be the most difficult part of the project, as I had watched an episode of
“All Girls Garage” where they claimed a bushing removal kit can be rented from any
auto parts store. Hogwash! The kits at the auto parts stores are designed for removal of
ball joints and universal joints. They do NOT contain the correct parts necessary for
control arm bushing removal (I rented 3 different kits); hence, I had to order the correct
kit from Hotchkis (see pic). I put the kit in place and proceeded to remove the first old
bushing using hand tools. After I removed the
first bushing about halfway, the nut suddenly
seized on the 8” long bolt so I had to carefully
cut the bolt head off to remove the bolt. I was
unable to find a replacement 8” long, ½”-13 fully
threaded, grade 8 bolt at any hardware store, so
I ordered one from McMaster-Carr in Douglasville
for a whopping $13. I removed the bushing the
rest of the way, then reversed the process to
install the new bushing (see pics). I decided to
be smart and apply a light coat of grease on all
parts of the bushing removal/installation kit for
smoother operation. It worked wonders. I then installed the new upper control arms.
Next task was to remove and replace the lower control arms, a simple bolt-on operation.
Lastly, I installed the sway bar. Note: Ames Performance claims that some cars
require the shim kit. Mine did not.
Not sure how much I would’ve paid for labor had a shop done the work but was glad I
did it myself, just for the experience and to remind myself that having the proper tools
helps considerably. I’ve noticed more overall firmness/stability in the ride but have only
driven the car once since the install.
Continued
12
Suspension Upgrades, Cont.
Removal of old bushing
New bushing, old bushing
Installing new bushing
New bushing installed
13
Book Review:
How to Rebuild and Modify Rochester
Quadrajet Carburetors
By Cliff Ruggles
Published by CarTech, Inc.
Quadrajunk. Quadrapuke. We’ve all heard the various derogatory terms for the
venerable Rochester (or Carter) Quadrajet carburetor. Those names are undeserved,
and probably originated with people who simply needed some advice on how to properly
rebuild and tune their QJets. If you’ve never experienced that kick in the pants when
those monster secondaries open, you’re missing out. Is it the same kick you get when
the outer Tri-Power carbs open up? I can’t say, but I’ll never trade out my Quadrajet.
If you own a 1967 and later 1st generation GTO, most came with a Quadrajet. And you
probably know Cliff Ruggles as the ultimate authority on Quadrajets. I know for a fact
that club members have sent their QJets to Cliff for rebuilding and adjustment.
His book covers it all: the history, how they work, how to rebuild them, how to select
one if you’re looking for a replacement, how to tune for the best performance, and
modify and tune for racing if you so desire. He presents all the topics in plain English
(though I got a little sleepy at his discussion on air bypass circuits). It’s as in-depth as
you want to go, and jam-packed with valuable information.
As a member of both Cliff’s Quadrajet forum and the maxperformanceinc Pontiac forum,
I see frequent mention of the Quadrajet bog or hesitation. This hesitation can occur on
the primary side or the secondary side. The primary bog is usually off-idle, that is, at
initial take-off from a stop, and is usually caused by an issue with the accelerator pump
being incorrectly adjusted or not delivering a sufficient volume of fuel as the primaries
open. The secondary bog occurs on acceleration from cruising speed, and can be caused
by the accelerator pump, but also by the rate at which the secondary air-valves open.
Since my ’67 GTO is “slightly” modified, I’m always looking for that extra little punch
when when I ‘get on it.’ I had reduced my air-valve spring tension so the flaps opened
immediately at the first crack of the secondary throttle plates, and I was experiencing
that hesitation. According to Cliff, if the air-valves open too quickly, that sudden rush of
air causes a lean condition that results in the dreaded bog. Sure enough, when I
followed his recommendation of 1/2 turn of tension on the spring (which is what the
Pontiac manual also recommends) the hesitation was gone. Cliff (and those Pontiac
engineers) know what they’re talking about.
Cliff’s section on race modifications is probably not for most of us. It’s hard core drilling
out passages and physical modifications that cannot be undone. But if you want the best
performance out of your stock Quadrajet, or are looking for a replacement unit, this
book is worth much more than the $16.29 it costs on Amazon.
- Jim Andrews
14
SEGTOA CLASSIFIEDS
‘67 GTO Parts for Sale
Gas tank
4 - G70-14 Wide Oval Red Line tires, bias-ply, off rims
Larry Greer
Cars for Sale
67 GTO Older restoration. Montreux Blue, Factory air, PS, PB, original engine. Nice. $27,000 67 GTO in primer. 455, turbo 350. New wiring harness and Big Disc setup available. $15,000 67 Tempest. OHC6, second owner. Parts to convert to Sprint (4bbl, dual exh.) $3000
74 Ventura 350/350, Factory Air, Power Steering $3500 63 Bonneville. Second owner. $5000
All prices negotiable after inspection.
Lee Lamb [email protected] 678-936-6481
Wanted: 1960s Vintage GTO
Rick Adams
404-797-4316
Parts Needed
66/67 AC Parts. Condenser with brackets, hoses, lower brackets for AC
radiator air deflectors.
Contact Ernie at [email protected]
For Sale:
Be Cool Aluminum Radiator P/N 62266
For ‘66-67 GTO Automatic up to 700 hp
Jim Beil - 602-377-3547
15
GTO Parts & Services Sources Thank You to Jeremiah Riggio, Bob Mohalley, and Jim Racela for tracking down some useful on-line sources for GTO parts and services. Hopefully these will prove useful to you in keeping your GTO looking like a proper time machine!
General Info http://www.oldride.com/library/pontiac_gto.html http://ultimategto.com/cgi-bin/statsexplorer.cgi?year=1968&f1=vinmatrix Carbs http://www.scgg.com/carbs.html http://www.carburetion.com/quadnumber.htm Engines & Heads http://www.spottsperformance.com/engineid.htm Radios http://www.wonderbarman.com/codes.html Wheels http://www.pontiacserver.com/wheels.html#rally2 Pontiac Tripower http://www.pontiactripower.com/catalog/1965-tripower Pontiac Literature
http://www.gt-37.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=191
Engine Color Reference
http://www.pontiacpower.org/enginecolor.htm
From member Jim Racela:
The first link is a listing of copies of original brochures for classic cars. The 2nd is a link to an
example, in this case a PDF file of the available accessories and prices for 1966 Pontiac full car
line. (Aside to John Link: Sorry buddy, but there isn't anything listed under the 1969 Buick category!
Darn!)
http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-bin/pub9990289237970.cgi?categoryid=9990289238012
http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/members/
AardvarkPublisherAttachments/9990414098658/1966_Mini_Accessorizer_Catalog.pdf
Resources
From club member Ernie Stephens:
SEGTOA members have the opportunity to join the North Georgia Car Club ngautoclub.com. The
club was formerly known as the Lockheed Martin Auto Club. Lockheed Martin is no longer affiliated
with the club and it now operates as a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). North Georgia Auto Club is
located on Atlanta Road, Marietta Georgia and it features three (3) work bays, an extensive tool
collection, tire changer, tool check out opportunity, 3 phase air compressor, brake change
rack, and oil change rack. New membership dues are only $75.00 annually!
16
Tiger Tales is published monthly by the Southeastern GTO Association.
SEGTOA is a chapter of the GTO Association of America (www.gtoaa.org), the premier organization for GTO enthusiasts. Each month GTOAA members receive The Legend magazine, a Golden Quill Award Winning publication. SEGTOA is also associated with Pontiac Oakland Club International (www.poci.org). POCI members receive their monthly magazine Smoke Signals.
SEGTOA is an organization dedicated to the survival of the Pontiac GTO, LeMans, and other classic Pontiacs. SEGTOA is open to anyone who shares our common interest in GTOs and other Pontiacs. We enjoy monthly Chapter meetings, including cruises, car shows, picnics, technical sessions and other fun activities. Our members hail from four different states! Members and their spouses, significant others and children are invited and encouraged to attend each monthly club function.
Club Membership Dues Dues are $20 per year, payable January 1st each year. New members receive a $10 discount on membership their first year. SEGTOA dues requirements are waived for all active military. Membership in GTOAA and/or POCI is required for all members joining after 2007. Members must be in good standing to attend meetings, with the option to bring their membership up to date at any scheduled meeting.
Membership application is available on the SEGTOA website.
Checks should be made payable to Southeastern GTO Association and mailed to Larry Snyder, 1594 Greyson Ridge, Marietta, GA 30062-7203
SEGTOA Technical Advisory Panel
The members listed below have volunteered to share their special knowledge with other
members. Please feel free to contact these involved members.
1964 Doug Askew [email protected] 706-453-2234
1965 Jerry Hamilton [email protected] 706-754-3194 (home)
1966 Bob Immekus [email protected] 770-686-4592 (cell)
1967 Steve Pullen [email protected] 404-402-4917 (cell)
1968 Ed Bellair [email protected] 770-826-2534 (cell)
1969 John Link [email protected] 404-578-8973 (cell)
1970 Kenny Simpson [email protected] 770-277-1626 (home)
1971-1974 BJ Benton [email protected] 678-414-7135 (cell)
2004-2006 Paul McGinnett [email protected] 770-653-0365 (home)
