Fitzy

Oh they are FUNNY. We need this to take our minds off the crumbling dinosaurs in the garage demanding attention.

If only Terry had split the difference and had a 65 Grand Prix. Then I'd have someone to talk to.

I found my car's original build sheet wedged inside the back seat backrest, up against one of the springs. Frosty kindly decoded it for me.

I agree. I have one of these on two of my cars. Works a treat - simple, cheap and will at least slow down any thief who wants your pride & joy. On the GP I have one of these on the negative post and a keyed isolater on the positive. Although I would feel genuinely sorry for any jerk who actually wanted my car, I'd like some cash before they take it.

Hilarious. If I wasn't so fat my sides would split. Note: I am no fatter than the rest of you.

Wow - what a productive day it was today. First up: the light switch decals for my Isuzu Pickup arrived so I superglued them in place and gave the switches a misting of clearcoat to spruce 'em up. The old switches had been sun damaged, so I filled the aperture in each switch with body filler first. I also gave the speedo surround a light coat of satin black and then a clearcoat. Some jerk on ebay tried to sell me a second hand set of binnacle switches for $300. I hope he goes hungry. This is Isuzu Forever, isn't it??? Next in line was El Poncho. I started to remove my old wobbly timber veneer from the interior bits & pieces. New kit arrived from Ames on Friday. For anyone who may remember, I made the fatal error of varnishing the new veneer bits prior to glueing them in place. Lordy - what a mess. The next morning they had all curled up and even though I clamped everything down when I attached them, it was a disaster. GP stop light switch. Damn thing would never sit in place with the result of eternal brake lights. I did what the factory should have done and ripped out the useless little bracket that is captive in the pedal shaft, and sliced up a 1/2" UNF nyloc nut to keep it slim and now it's fixed - using a nut each side of the pedal shaft. Whilst on a roll, I had a go at the dash top. It never sat right because of excessive padding, so I pulled the vinyl cover off just enough to slice enough padding away. It now snaps into place like a factory one. Gonna take a break tomorrow. Will chuck the missus in the car and off we go to Port Douglas to swan around as if we're loaded. We'll go for a swim too. Thankfully, I will NOT be posting pics of me waddling around the beach scaring children.

I think they're saying that not all cars have the bypass wire. You really need to consult a factory wiring diagram AND as Wrongway suggested, ask the techs at Painless. It sounds like the ignition switch wiring is your only real problem.

Hi Cathy, I am also potentially going to go the so-called Painless route so am interested to hear of your troubles. In addition to what the guys said, just about all GM ignition switches shared a common configuration of coloured wires. It's the pink & yellow ones that determine how your car starts & runs. I THINK yellow is the 'start' wire and pink is for when it's running, or vice versa. The ultimate test is with the switch off, you should have zero power going anywhere except for clock, courtesy lights, brake lights & headlights. ACC position should give you radio & cigar lighter and maybe wipers & blower. Get a factory wiring diagram (or look it up online) and try to replicate that. The Painless supplied ignition switch plug should simply plug in and you're good to go but if the car has ever been played around with prior to your ownership, you don't know what's happened under the dash. Is the wire to the R (or sometimes 'I') terminal on the starter solenoid in the right place?

You know about Ames, of course. There's Frank's Pontiac Parts, OPGI, The Parts Place and a number of obselete NOS parts purveyors online. Don't forget ebay and Craigslist. I used to simply try several generic search terms, like '1965 Pontiac' and then put on a helmet and dive down the first rabbit hole. Hours of your life are ready to be consumed.

Hi Rick, I have already decided to bypass the original ammeter. I have an aftermarket gauge cluster sitting under the dash that includes a voltmeter - that's good enough. I have read horror stories of old ammeters failing and of smoke emanating from under the dash - who needs THAT shit going on? It's raining today so there goes mowing the property. I guess I will look at the car and try to figure out what route to take re wiring. Oh, and my car is already slightly modified so even though it's matching numbers (should have done the LS thing, in retrospect) I'm quite okay with a little deviation from stock.

I wonder what exotic powder went up the noses of the front end stylists? That imposing chrome snout is faintly Edsel like. In direct contrast, I love the way the rear lights meld into that very stylish rear bumper. Perhaps the two groups of stylists weren't talking to each other. When you're sailing out past Mars in a psychedelic funk, who cares what the guys doing the other end of the car think! She's gonna be a beauty when you clean her up.

Thinking, thinking...I read through the installation instructions - 136 pages, thank you. They are well written, clear and cover just about every contingency you're likely to come up against. I am sorely tempted. Too busy quaffing beers right now to even think about it. 7 days without beer is good for the liver, but anathema for the soul. I picked up the Frosty Memorial Tacho today and the dude had pulled it apart but was scared off by the sealed guts of it. He said they couldn't get a response from it, so now I'm wondering if I (or someone properly qualified) can retrofit a modern digital mech to the old skool needle & face. I'm going to email Lionel Otto Instruments in New South Wales. This guy is the Gauge God. If he can't get it to work, nobody can. The first attached pic is what is inside a 60's chrome shelled tach. The next ones are the sealed workings containing the black magic. Somewhere along the way, somebody has decreed that Pontiac blue engine paint is the correct hue for backlit gauges. Fortunately, I have one and a half cans of that stuff still laying about, so I'll zap it like I did the speedo. Big day tomorrow, starting with bottling beer and then mowing, brushcutting and hacking down foliage. If I'm lucky, I MIGHT get to look at the car on Thursday.

I'm about to fly out later this morning but whilst 'at work' I ordered some relays, got some cabling size recommendations and thanks to Rick for embedding the new harness idea in my head. I had a look and there are some crazy cheap prices out there for generic harness replacements but Painless do a GM fullsize generic one for about US$250, which I think is a fair price. I have already downloaded the installation instructions and they'll make light reading on the flight back home. I will assess and decide once home. By the time you add up the cost of cables ($20 a 30m roll) & ancillaries, it might (MIGHT) be smarter to simply do the whole car at once and then it's done forever. I'll be sure to bore the tits off you with what I decide. In any case, there'll be some amusing pics coming with me being strangled by miles of wire - like a cat playing with a ball of yarn.

As a courtesy to any other electrical dummies out there, this link provides an excellent short easy to understand overview of automotive wiring. https://www.ogaled.com/how-to-select-the-right-wire-for-automotive-applications.html

Yep, I remember your Road Runner. My starter (like everything else) is new and works fine, so I'll leave IT but will defo replace the thick wire that feeds into the car - 60 years of engine heat have probably done it no good at all. I'm at work! That means I sit in an airconditioned bus waiting for the odd radio call whilst everyone else melts in the insane heat & humidity. A good time to do some relay research. You reckon 30A for the headlights & blower is good enough?

Well, of course. I didn't think that the solenoid is one big relay. I saw someone else do it and thought it might be a good idea. That's only 3 relays then - sweet.

My turn. The exact same thing happened to my rebuilt 389 but not due to broken stud. Turned out to be a faulty Mellings lifter - a global problem. I replaced the lifters with Johnson HyLifts (from Butler) and a set of Crane roller rockers. As the boys said, I checked all rocker studs, eyeballed the cam lobes and checked the seating of all valve springs. All mine were replaced by machinist and spring heights checked then & by me subsequently. Strangely, the same thing happened prior to engine rebuild on the same cylinder - I have to assume a faulty lifter then as well. If you go aftermarket rockers, be sure to adjust valve clearances as per manufacturer's instructions - not the original Pontiac way. TwoLane's harmonic balancer suggestion makes perfect sense - check that too.

Yep - that's the plan. Better to carefully take resistance readings than pull wires out. At work right now, so researching guage sizes & relays when I can. Apparently, one relay for both low beams & one for the highs. Horn came with it's own relay and I was going to include one for starter, wipers & blower motor. Can you think of any more (or less?) Car has no other big power accessories. 12ga wire seems to be the default with 16 or 18 for the high amp stuff. Opinions?

I had too much money and was very happy so decided I needed a black hole to pour money into. Whilst in Canada on holiday I picked up a book that was a collection of old car advertisements, and in there was an ad for the 65 Grand Prix. I knew that was what I wanted. Upon returning to Oz I started looking. Would you believe it - the ONLY 65 GP I've ever seen advertised in Oz was for sale. I knew it was mine even before I called the owner, and so it's now mine, warts and all. Nemesis one minute, object of lust the next. The perfect (expensive) paradox.

Come on you guys, it's not all about beer and Asian cuties serving up inedible animal based snacks - there are Pontiacs at stake. Today was a supreme run around getting lots of things organised. Procured a Dymo labeller and some clear shrinkwrap to clearly identify my new wires. Took the Frosty tach & my fuel gauge to a place called Cairns Instruments. He looked at the ancient items that I deposited on his bench as if he'd never seen similar items before. This was when the alarm bells started ringing. He wouldn't delve into the innards of the fuel gauge and agreed to look at the tach to make sure it worked. I then took my dashpad to the best upholsterer in Cairns who refused to do what I wanted to it for fear of the adhesive not holding afterwards. I am really fed up with this friggin backwater of a two bit town. It's no place for a classic car, unless you send every damn component 2000 miles south where you might find a professional. So now once again I'll need to do every damn thing myself. Whatever. Still need to research what sort of wire I'm going to use. Wasn't game to talk to any more so called professionals so will research what I can myself.

Plenty of beer related comments there: for JustA, no there's no such thing as a Vegemite drive thru, Silly. For Kiwi: a box of beer? Really? A crate of bottles? Here, if it's cans, it's a slab. Stubbies (or longnecks) it's a carton. For Rick: VB (Vomit Bottle) is the default bogan choice. I used to get the most dreadful hangovers from that shit, but it was defo the most flavoursome beer around - bit like a liquid Marlboro. I still like Melbourne Bitter but I make my own beer so those days of exorbitant prices and hangovers are mostly over. For the record, a cooler is a stubby holder here in Queensland. I feel naked if I'm imbibing and don't have one, another reason to keep a few handy. And to TwoLane: yeah, I've been to PI before and I quite liked San Miguel...plus the endless little cuties who were serving it to me...and the beer. For a true assault on your taste buds, try SP Lager. It stands for South Pacific but the more common term is Swamp Piss! I saw things in Angeles City that I can never unsee. Good times.

Oh my God - that reminds me...I locked myself out of my pickup a few weeks ago. There I was, in the rain with an appointment looming. With a piece of packing strap I got it, but it took 30 minutes of manipulation and swearing. There is now a spare key hidden under the car. Now where are my pants?

He meant 'cartons.' Kiwis struggle with English. I'm so proud to say that the 'box' of wine aka 'cask' was an Australian invention. How patriotic I feel to know that we drink wine out of boxes, although for the more discerning consumer we also have bottles although no longer with corks - takes too long to open! We wanna open up wine like you do a Pepsi. Hey, at least we didn't invent the drive thru hamburger concept - you guys can take the credit for that. Never before in history have humans been able to not expend one single calorie in order to ingest many thousands only minutes later, and then not burn them off. Instant burgers and boxes of wine - what an age we live in. Pontiacs? What Pontiacs?

Don't you worry- I haven't touched a thing since removing the dash. It will be a long carefully thought out process. I thought I might start with the handful of wires that feed the back of the car - will test for resistance and will disassemble and test all connections before doing anything drastic. I removed the ignition switch two days ago and it looks to be fine - no corrosion, no gunk and has always worked. I believe it to be the original factory item. Okay - I need to reiterate that I was never happy with the state of the wiring. This has little to do with the charging issue- it's to ensure reliability of all electrics. I just thought if I'm going to keep doing things half arsed, I'm going to continue driving something half arsed. The alternator & reg will be tested in due course. Sure, you can come over. I work 7 on/7 off so by the time I return from work, you'll have it fixed? 2 boxes of beer??? What are we gonna drink after the first day?

Yeah, thanks Rick. I'm looking to make it a custom job so as to hide all the engine bay wiring and avoid unnecessary junctions as the wires pass through the car front to back. Also, it's a pretty bare bones vehicle so a generic factory harness copy will likely include plenty of extra wires that I won't need. I also intend making the entire job as neat as possible - something factory harnesses never do as it's all about keeping costs down, which is of course fair enough. I appreciate the suggestion and can I say I always loved El Caminos - they were what should have been available to Australians from the get go instead of the bland 6 cylinder workhorses we were forced to buy.