1965 Pontiac GTO Frame-Off Restoration. 4 Wheel Disc 400 4 Speed Low Reserve!

1965 Pontiac GTO

PHS Certified and includes all PHS paperwork

Frame-Off complete Nut & Bolt Restoration. Has been driven about 200 miles since completed this summer.

Car is all original sheet metal except for driver’s quarter…replaced due to several bumps and creases that were filled instead of fixed properly by previous owner.

Car sat for about 20 years according to previous owner (Seattle) with soggy carpets; All floors and trunk pan have been replaced. Frame is spotless and solid.

As noted, complete frame-off restoration. Less than 200 miles since completed earlier this Summer. I took it to the big local car show in June and won my division. Folks love this car. I’ve probably forgotten a few things, but here’s the overview of the car:

Originally Maroon, the new paint matches the original but is base-coat/clear-coat. One gallon of each on the car. Body was prepped by a retired autobody pro; a hammer and dolly guy. Has numerous primer coats (epoxy and polyester) and was repeatedly block sanded before being painted. The only bondo in the car is a skim coat in a couple places to make the factory lines cleaner. No rust repair to the body was needed. The gaps are excellent. I did the color sanding starting with 1200 and finished with 2000. You could still sand it again…there’s plenty of clear on it. Buffed with 3 grades of compound and finished with a hand glaze and a carnuba finish wax after a couple months of curing.

Interior was originally black, but I prefer Parchment. Has maroon carpets and package tray. Car was originally a 389 4 speed; now it’s a 400 (1967 block 40 over) and a date correct Muncie M-20 (rebuilt) with what I believe to be the original Hurst Competition Plus shifter, which I refurbished (disassembled, cleaned, greased). Car now has power steering, power 4 wheel disc brakes, and a 1966 GTO am/fm radio that sounds great (rebuilt). New antenna and in-dash speaker.

Most replacement, refurbished or new parts came from OPGI, Ames, Summit Racing, and/or The Parts Place. I have the receipts. I did the mechanical and electrical work. Engine machine work was done by a local Pontiac specialist; I did the engine assembly, etc. Runs great (I haven’t opened it up yet); starts great.

New Softseal weather-stripping throughout

Engine, as stated, is a 1967 400, with rebuilt 6X 4 heads, shaved just a hair. With new flat top Speed Pro pistons compression is about 9 to 1; perfect for pump gas. Has the revered Summit 2801 hydraulic cam, great thump, smooth idle. Crank was polished but did not need to be cut. Standard size Clevite rod and main bearings. New Cam bearings. New Melling oil pump. 60 lbs oil pressure cold/30 lbs at idle hot. Also, I used the expensive ($50) new-style neoprene rear main seal instead of the standard rope seal. These don’t leak!

Original flywheel was polished; RAM clutch. No chatter; smooth operation.

Engine balanced with flywheel and harmonic balancer installed. Very smooth going down the road.

Comp Cams roller tip rockers; new valve springs; hardened valve seats.

Edelbrock dual-plane aluminum intake (painted Pontiac Blue) with a new Summit Racing QuadraJet (780 cfm) and auto-choke.

Summit Blueprint HEI electronic distributor with MSD Wires.

Rebuilt Power Steering Pump and new pitman arm (car was originally manual steering and brakes)

New fuel pump; new aluminum high-flow water pump with clutch fan. New fan cowl. All new belts and hoses.

New Tuff Stuff heavy-duty starter; New Bosch alternator. (These are new, not rebuilt).

New motor and transmission mounts.

All new Moog and TRW suspension components front and back: A-arm bushings, tie rod ends, trailing arm bushings, idler arm, new body mounts, new upper and lower ball joints, and a fresh front-end alignment. All new shocks.

New Thrush 2 ½ inch aluminized turbo exhaust system with Pypes stainless downpipes. (love the Thrush mufflers). I have used the major brands and all have a lot of noise/hum at highway speed; there is no droning with these mufflers. Great sound!

New OPGI front and rear bumpers

New Headlight bezels from The Parts Place

Original Tail/Trunk Trim (excellent condition, but not absolutely concourse quality). I repainted the trim with the correct satin black. No pitting. Same with tail light bezels; original metal and not replacement plastic from China.

Restored original front Grille inserts along with front and trunk GTO bezels. All GTO lettering and 6.5 Liter fender badges are new reproductions.

New wheel opening moldings; original rocker panel trim (showing their age…but most people will never notice…still, want to be clear that not every single piece of this car was replaced…though most were).

Original side windows. New Vent window latches. All windows have been adjusted, some rollers were replaced, all go up and down as they should. All new fuzzies and rubber seals (except vent window rubber which is fine).

New windshield and rear glass. Professionally installed with original stainless/chrome trim that I polished.

Rebuilt wiper motor, new blades. Works great.

All electrical items work (except the horn…that’s my complaint to Ididit! I have a feeling it’s a minor adjustment, but Ididit was really no help at all…that’s another story.)

New Ididit Tilt Steering column with original refurbished steering wheel

Restored gauge panel, new lens, new padded dash. New pedal pads, new brake light switch. All gauges work (new gas tank float needs to be removed and bent to register fuel level….the gauge and the sending unit both test fine but the float was incorrectly set at the factory. I will do if I can find the time and can burn some gas from the tank…it’s a 30 minute job).

New Gas Tank, new straps, and Sending unit

All 4 Headlights are new; Parking and Turn signals work like new, as does dome light. New high beam switch.

New M&H Electric original reproduction fuse box, dash harness and engine wiring. Tail light wiring is fine, original. New headlight switch; new ignition switch; original one-speed wiper switch (but the new wiper motor is a 2 speed…couldn’t find a one-speed replacement).

New heater core and re-cored original Harrision radiator. Heater/defroster/fan all work perfectly. Heater box was restored.

New glovebox liner and grab bar with GTO logo.

Restored Seat Springs, new seat foam, and pro-installed replacement Seat Covers thru OPGI. New Door panels, arm rests and chrome bases. I installed the headliner and could have done a better job; but it’s good for an amateur. New Trim Parts loop carpet. New Maroon seat belts.

Frame restored and painted satin black with an enamel hardening agent.

New 4 speed sheetmetal hump, original style shifter boot and plate, new Hurst shifter ball. Shifter is original I think. I disassembled and greased it. It shifts ok, but not as tight as a new one. Fine for everyday use.

New CPP Master cylinder and proportioning valve; In-Line Tube 4 wheel disc brake kit.

New brake lines and fuel line.

Front disc brakes will accept 14 inch wheels (rears require 15 inch wheels)

New parking brake cables and hardware. Parking brake works.

Classic Instruments Tachometer and Auto-Gauge gauges. Speedometer works.

15 inch Goodrich/Silvertown Redline Tires mounted and balanced on 15 inch stock GM steel wheels with good original Poverty Caps (a few minor scuffs if you look very close). Wheels are painted correct maroon.

Refurbished trunk; new mat; correct spatter paint; spare tire; refurbished original (?) bumper jack.

Rebuilt Muncie M-20 4 speed transmission date code 1965. New bearings, synchros, and seals. Shifts like butter thru a new RAM clutch.

Original 3.23 posi rear (Saf-T-Trac). I replaced the original ball-bearing wheel bearings (evidence this car was never abused….the differential was spotless when I pulled it apart…not even an axle seal leak!). I installed the new style wheel bearing/seal units along with inners. Ring and pinion, and posi unit show no wear and make zero noise on either acceleration or deceleration. Also installed a new pinion seal (though again, the original seal did not leak after 52 years). Correct posi anti-friction additive was added to new gear oil.

New Napa Heavy Duty u-joints

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few things. Though there are a couple things that could be improved, this is basically a brand new car. I am asking less than most would ask for a GTO of this quality. Luckily I can do most of the work myself which cuts down on labor costs significantly. Email me thru eBay for more information. I've been selling on eBay since it began and maintain a 100% positive feedback score. I've been involved in the car hobby for over 50 years, starting out as a kid in 7th grade learning from a master to restore A-Model Fords and then moved to GM vehicles (mostly Chevys). I've only kept 2 of my restorations in the last 10 years, a 55 Belair and a 66 Chevelle resto-mod...both are award winners. I prefer to build them than to own them. This car's reserve is thousands of $$$ less than most GTOs of similar quality at auction. Car is located 20 miles south of I-90 near Missoula, Montana. I can help load the car on transport. Thanks!