Fitzy's GP is back!

[Fitzy]

I went to see the car today so as to assist when it got loaded and taken to the exhaust shop. The mechanic invited me under his hoist so I could see the extent of the header fit. 'Tight fit' is a favourite of mine, but we're talking TIGHT! Old starter cables not long enough now due to header placement, so new ones to be fabricated. Now have to use the compact alternative oil filter so that I can get it to fit. The collectors don't match up with the factory exhaust pipe reliefs shaped into the crossmember, so the exhaust place would have had fun playing with that. New manual steering box is friggin' sandwiched between it's mounting point on the chassis and a header pipe, BUT they look shit hot finally sitting in my engine bay. 

For anyone who's interested, a manual steering box WILL fit in the GP. I couldn't get any photos and the car won't be back at my place until after Easter but the new front coils went in along with the entire front end rebuild kit. Now waiting for idler arm & inner tie rod ends, brake hoses and some other crap to keep me busy.

Shall take some pics once things settle down.

So Kiwi, as far as headers go I reckon you oughta give it a shot fabricating them yourself. I brought my old exhaust manifolds home and had a look inside one and there's a hot air flap inside one, like a manifold pre heater I suppose. All I could think of was 'factory horsepower reducer.' Anyway, if you want to use them as a template without trashing your own, you can have them. I'm sure you want to retain your power steering but I also have a manual Saginaw 525 box now surplus to requirements. 

[64 kiwi boni]

Isn’t it fun when you go after market 🍻

these are all just little issues to work around mate 

thanks for the offer of your logs but that’s what I have  too 

including that dumb arse chock in the passenger side manifold ! Mine was justA bout shut right off and stuck too 

i do have news but you will have to pop over to my thread to find out 😀

your making great progress mate , here I am stuck working another weekend and no hope of work in my girl for the next few weeks 🙄

Edited March 26, 2021 by 64 kiwi boni

[64 kiwi boni]

mate!!"! you know we all love pictures 

got a see this progress considering the guy is billing for this work, we need to ensure he is doin a good job for ya  

[Frosty]

Both you guys are making great progress.

[Fitzy]

I need to be at the exhaust shop Monday morning to hold the car's hand as it's once again loaded onto a truck and taken back to the mechanic, so will try to remember pics.

Mechanic mentioned something about protective plates sitting over control arm bushes (can't remember if he said upper or lower) and he had to cut them off to actually get at the bushes. He then rewelded those plates. He said he couldn't work out how anyone could access those bushes with those plates in the way. I must admit I have no idea what he's on about but will get under there and have a look when I can.

I only mention it in case anyone knows of such a thing, and of course for Kiwi's benefit.

[64 kiwi boni]

That’s odd Fitzy ! The 64 is justA plain a arm construction , no protective plates 

you gotta so me a picture of them ! 

Top a arm justA shaft with bushes pressed in each end and lowers are single bushes pressed into the arm and bolted through the front member 

[Fitzy]

Mate, you need to change your avatar pic! Your poor old Bonnie looks like it's in a wrecking yard destined for the crusher. What's the interior like? They had to remove my headlining as part of it's asbestos clearance but I got a whole set of brand new asbestos free brake shoes so that sorta makes up for it. We may as well keep bugging each other for pics. Yes, I have no idea about plates in the way of bushes - maybe it was used as a Baja contender. I'll have a look at my chassis manual and see what it says.

[JUSTA6]

8 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Mate, you need to change your avatar pic! Your poor old Bonnie looks like it's in a wrecking yard destined for the crusher. What's the interior like? They had to remove my headlining as part of it's asbestos clearance but I got a whole set of brand new asbestos free brake shoes so that sorta makes up for it. We may as well keep bugging each other for pics. Yes, I have no idea about plates in the way of bushes - maybe it was used as a Baja contender. I'll have a look at my chassis manual and see what it says.

KEEP the Avatar.....Shows JUSTA how much love N work have gone into beast.   OHHH for the Love of Pontiac.

[64 kiwi boni]

12 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Mate, you need to change your avatar pic! Your poor old Bonnie looks like it's in a wrecking yard destined for the crusher. What's the interior like? They had to remove my headlining as part of it's asbestos clearance but I got a whole set of brand new asbestos free brake shoes so that sorta makes up for it. We may as well keep bugging each other for pics. Yes, I have no idea about plates in the way of bushes - maybe it was used as a Baja contender. I'll have a look at my chassis manual and see what it says.

yes it is a mess in the avatar, that's there to remind me how messed up it looked and thats how i got it from the guy for a good price !!! hahaha.

My interior is mint as mate , black on the seats and like a silver head linner, all clean and justA 1 button on the pleats has popped off , but it was in the glove box... not sure how to sew it back on .

my dash wasn't cracked at al like yours and wrongways. i am guessing it was garaged most of its life ???? 

12 hours ago, Fitzy said:

hey had to remove my headlining as part of it's asbestos clearance

what is asbestos in a head linner???? 

[Fitzy]

Wow, you lucked out there with a nice interior. Mine was comprehensively trashed except for the rear seat which I will be reusing. The asbestos component in the headlining is the insulation that was glued to the roof - I can only guess it was fire retardant.

My car was also black interior with silver headlining but I chose to go black headlining with those little stars which was apparently pre 64 only. They did a special order for me, coz I'm a bit special...

I knew there'd be some backlash about the avatar! I only said it because they are such a nice looking car and perhaps another shot of it from another angle but, yes it is indeed a reminder of how far you've gone.

For the record: I was bored yesterday so I got onto carsales.com and found a 65 GP in Victoria but it's a factory convertible, special order apparently and it looks in very fine condition for 40k. So that's 3 I know of in Oz, including mine.

[Last Indian]

On 3/22/2021 at 8:46 AM, Ringo64 said:

we lucked out. spent a week there and not a single time did it rain. some of the most friendly people we ran into there for sure. spent many long nights in pubs  

Some day, maybe!? Still have family outside of Belfast! Yes we are of the Ulsters!

[Fitzy]

I mean, really - who doesn't enjoy chugging down a pint of Guinness? Nectar of the gods. I read somewhere recently that a person could survive on a diet of Guinness and, oranges I think it was, and that's all. You know what - chuck in a plate of french fried potatoes and I'm there.

[Fitzy]

I finally have something that may be remotely interesting to post. Picked the car up from the muffler shop and it's FINALLY got that nice new spanky twin exhaust. I was adamant that I'm extremely fussy about the tips being exactly equal and the young bloke confessed that his OCD gives him grief sometimes but promised that those tips would be perfect, and they are. A nice clean factory looking fit.

Anyway, I had to quickly take these shots - I'll get better ones when it comes home to roost. Note the tight header fit. Steering box? I know you're in there somewhere..And the front of the car is now at a reasonable height. She sits dead flat and I like it, but I'd like just the slightest rake to the front. I might chuck a couple of 10mm spacers atop the rear coils just to set it off perfectly.

Lastly, I finally got around to spraying some liquid chrome on my front armrests. I've never used this stuff before, but the result is impressive. I plastic primed the armrests first and it actually almost looks like chrome.

That shot of the back of the car makes the tips look a bit wonky - it's gotta be an anomaly with the phone camera: they are actually dead even.

[64 kiwi boni]

oh wow ! nice work mate

super clean 

[64 kiwi boni]

gess  those headers look tight as!  your mecanic did well mate, and your driverside is totally different to my 64 ! 

have you run her yet ???

[64 kiwi boni]

fitzy , did you get a pic of those plates the mechanic was on about ?

[Fitzy]

No, not yet-was a little pushed for time. The chassis manual makes no mention of them, so who knows? Like I said - possible Baja contender in a previous life!

[Wrongway]

Ohhhh yeah brother! Looks great! I like the look of that chrome stuff to bro. Keep up the good work and pics lol, Im waiting with kiwi for the pics of the plates to 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Wrongway

[Fitzy]

And, no I don't want to start it because of the newly diagnosed bent oil pickup touching the crank.

Once it comes back from the upholsterer I'm gonna pull the engine and sort it and the engine bay once and for all.

[JUSTA6]

11 hours ago, Fitzy said:

And, no I don't want to start it because of the newly diagnosed bent oil pickup touching the crank.

Once it comes back from the upholsterer I'm gonna pull the engine and sort it and the engine bay once and for all.

Check your dipstick for contact.  If the inner guide has come loose it will let the dipstick hit the crank.  Short of a caved in oil pan, don't see how the oil pickup could move. Although  circle track racers do put a tack weld on the pick up to make sure it doesn't come apart.

[JUSTA6]

12 hours ago, Wrongway said:

Ohhhh yeah brother! Looks great! I like the look of that chrome stuff to bro. Keep up the good work and pics lol, Im waiting with kiwi for the pics of the plates to 

Along with the mystery plates we found this!!!

[Wrongway]

Yeah, free tools! Bonus!!! 

[JUSTA6]

4 hours ago, Wrongway said:

Yeah, free tools! Bonus!!! 

We LOVE free tools....

[Frosty]

35 minutes ago, JUSTA6 said:

We LOVE free tools....

I hope they’re Craftsman!

[Wrongway]

Ohhhhhhh I like that idea!!! lol