The wiring systems of the 1964– 1974 Pontiac GTOs are probably closer in complexity to a Model T Ford than anything currently in showrooms. While that may be true, wiring systems are still a point of fear and loathing among many restorers of Pontiac GTOs and other muscle car era machines. The truth is, it […]

This portion of the restoration is where the fruits of all of your hard work start to come together that pile of parts begins to take shape and start to look like a car.   This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, HOW TO BUILD MAX-PERFORMANCE PONTIAC V-8S. For a comprehensive guide on this […]

The interior portion of your res­toration is as much about percep­tion as it is about reality. How well the interior turns out reflects on the quality of the rest of your GTO’s res­toration. The good news is that this is one portion of the restoration that you can likely do yourself, and just about everything […]

Whether a stock restoration, a weekend cruiser, or modified for maximum performance, the vehi­cle’s braking system is hands-down the most important system. When I brought my first Pontiac restoration project home many years ago, my dad said, “I don’t care how fast this car goes; it damn well better be able to stop.” With that, […]

Pontiac’s transmission offerings for 1964–1974 GTOs were similar to the transmissions offered in other Pontiac and GM models. Transmis­sions were sourced from Muncie, Saginaw, GM’s Hydra-Matic Division, and even Dearborn (Ford). In addi­tion to 3- and 4-speed manual trans­missions, Pontiac also offered 2- and 3-speed automatic transmissions. This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, […]

All 1964–1974 Pontiac GTOs used some version of what we now refer to as the “traditional” Pon­tiac V-8. It was produced from 1955 through 1979 and a modified version continued for another two years. By the time the GTO rolled around, the Pontiac V-8 had a decade of improvements under its belt and a special […]

When considering options for painting, you may end up with even more questions. If you had been undecided about the level of your res­toration, perhaps waffling between an upper-end, driver-quality car and a true concours-level effort, choosing the paint and exterior finishing will likely help sort that out. As with just about everything else, it […]

Good bodywork is the founda­tion of a quality paint job. You can’t have one without the other. How many times have you looked at a shiny, new paint job at a distance only to inspect it up close and find a visual nightmare of poor panel align­ment, waves, and sanding scratches? This is the result […]

When evaluating your particular car for restoration, be sure you have a realistic expectation of the project, your skill level, and your intended use. This assumes that your car will be restored as a weekend driver/ cruise night car and not necessarily for concours competition. Hence, you need to define the level of res­toration you’re […]