I feel ya, I sold a 1979 Trans Am tenth anniversary 400/4 speed, and a sterling silver '75 Trans Am 400/auto that I would love to have back

Awesome thread Greg, love the pics. I wish I could do restorations for a living. Would love a '62 Pontiac Catalina.

 

That is the best kind. Love the sleepers. My '76 Trans Am was a sleeper. I built a healthy RAIII for that thing, modified the trans and axle and made everything look stock. Sure would baffle folks when they would see the car run 12's at the track and look totally stock. The exhaust note kinda gave the secret away though....was still a fun car.

 

Awesome first car. In the mid-80s we bought a '65 Goat from a little old lady. I think we paid $1500 for the car. It was in near perfect condition. 4 speed, dark blue and running 78 series tires still ...(those things didn't last long.)

A while back my wife and I were sitting with some friends and we each tried to recollect in order all the cars we owned over the course of our lives. I thought I went through my list with no omissions but then when the others recited their list I remembered some cars that I had forgotten about. Funny how that happens. It still was a fun game to play....

 

my 66 7 litre is a sleeper also. looks like grandmas 6 cylinder go to the store car, especially with the passenger side tail pipe hanging down and the driver side pipe tucked up. it also helps that most people have no idea what the little 7 litre badges mean.

 

That makes two of us. I saw one a few years ago for sale. It was a convertible with the 421 SD and 8 lug wheels. At the time I thought his price was ridiculous.....if I knew then what I know now I would have bought the car on the spot. I think I have some pics still...

 

Oh YES... Thats a gorgeous car. Love the agua marine blue paint. A 421 SD would be a dream come true.
I would be happy with a non SD car so I have a good excuse to drop in a Jim Butler engine.

Seen this one at the Turkey Rod Run in Daytona last thanksgiving.

 

Very nice! Good hard work pays off in the end.
Here is my 53 GMC pickup.

 

I suppose we're not going too far off topic. We're still talkin' 'Super Duty', right?..... Pretty cool knowing there's a few Pontiac enthusiasts here.

 

those old pontiacs were tanks. i had 3 of them, all venturas. two 59's and a 60
i paid $25 each for the 59's, and $50 for the 60.
the first 59 bit a tree head on at 45 mph, and the radiator did not even leak. the second 59 lasted about 4 months before the carrier bearing ripped out of the frame. i sold both of them for $100 to the same guy who made one out of the two.
the 60 only was on the road for less than 3 weeks when i got t-boned by a 53 chevy.
totaled the chevy, bent the pontiac's frame. i drove it to a junk yard where they gave me $150 for it, and a ride home.
and i walked away from the crash without a scratch.

 

Holy crap ! I thought I was looking at a episode of OVERHAULIN!!! Great job I remember my brother had one of those in black! Nice car till he whacked a deer a 60 mph!! boy what a mess!


Smokie

 

Nice, very nice

 

Greg Great Job on the bubble top !! I don't know how you found time to go to work since it sounds like and looks likes a ton of hours of labor to bring that old car back to life. Dad has to be very pleased with the job and I love the plan to keep it in the family.

My dad had a '73 M/B 450SL (grey market/ from Germany) that I was never allowed to even touch it as a teenager. But by the early 90's it needed some serious TLC and my dad allowed me to do floorboards, rockers and complete repaint. I was working in body shop at the time for at least 10yrs at the time. It turned out beautiful but I still was not allowed to use the car. Well after another 10 yrs of trying to talk him out of the car. He finally gave in and the car was MINE a cherry '73 450SL with 57k and it sat in my garage under a car cover. I drove it only a few times a year it was my baby until about 6 yrs ago when it burned to the ground in my garage. I was heart broken and it proved my father right. I should have never been allowed to have the car.

One last thing you guys brought up old T/A's and GTO's well all I can say is there is a place in my heart for them too. Many stories I could tell but I tell this one. Back when I got out of the Navy in '84 I lived north of Tampa and I would drive by a junk yard that had a '69 GTO sitting there. I talked the guy into selling it to me for $400. I put a battery in it and drove it home. I went though the motor 400 HO #YS did the brakes I also put a tri power off a '67 GTO on it and drove it for a few years with the body looking like it came out of a junk yard. It was a true sleeper That car landed me in jail a few times 30 days, 90 days and lost my license for 3 or 4 yrs. I ended up painting the car and selling it to pay legal fees. Mind you I had never gotten a DUI but speeding, racing and running from the cops type of things.

 

Great job on that Chevy

 

Wow Nice!!! So did your dad work for Buck O'reilly? I used to mow Buck's lawn when I was a kid.


I am amazed at the number of old cars and trucks sitting in backyards all over Tucson. I've seen quite a few in decent condition but nobody wants to part with them. I really, really miss my 442 convertible.

 

Nice! If that were my truck, I'd throw a coat of clear right over that patina and call it good. Maybe paint the wheels black and get some new chrome lug caps and chrome the grill. So many ways to go with those trucks. The GMCs were always my favorite compared to a Chevy truck.

Do you know where to get the white letter decals for the oil filter canister? I need that for my '55 Bel Air. It came with the accessory oil filter from the factory and when the factory installed that item it was painted black with white letters. The dealer installed canisters were blue/orange with black letter decals. I can find the black letter decals fairly easy....just not the white.