tberg

HI Jim,

I also have a '68 Verdoro Green GTO that has had a complete exterior restoration.  Now I'm starting on the interior where my gauges are so cloudy and dark I can't read any of them and would like to change out the whole cluster as well.  So, I'd love to see the answer too.  I have several great cars (including a fully restored and modified '72 De Tomaso Panntera, but the '68 goat in Verdoro Green is my favorite design of all time.

Just beautiful.  I'm envious.

Thank you!

During the restoration, the shop misplaced a number of things that I reordered.  Along the way, however, they found a lot of those pieces.  One was the hood tach.  I ordered a new one, had it painted (Verdoro Green) but never installed it because they found my original.  I also replaced the original Rallye wheels with larger wheels after we added disc brakes all around.  If anyone could use these parts, I will be more than happy to donate them.  The wheels I would prefer to have picked up rathern than ship, and I'm in Los Angeles.  The tach I can box and ship.  If there is any interest, let me know.

Thanks to everyone who has been patiently waiting to see this too long anticipated car.  I am just going out the door to go get her right now, camera in hand for the reunion!  Pictures in a little while.

When the 1968 Pontiac GTO was unveiled, I was a 15 year old kid just starting high school.  I was smitten by the whole look, the Endura bumper the hidden headlights, the hood scoops, the big engine, ALL OF IT.  High school was easy and boring, and I would spend the time in class drawing crude pictures of it.  I always knew that someday I would have to have one.  And the Verduro Green color was what I wanted.  About ten years ago, I finally bought one for a very reasonable price, but it didn't have hidden headlights which were a must for me.  I did some research, and found that there was a guy up in Romeo, Michigan who almost exclusively worked on GTOs who could convert it for me, and I had the car shipped from the seller to him.  My sister lives in Michigan, as well, so when I went to visit her, I drove up to his shop and was amazed.   He had hundreds of cars in the biggest "barn" I had ever seen.  

Tomorrow (supposedly) I am getting it back from a restoration after several years of it being apart.  I have never been so excited about a vehicle, and I have some very nice cars.   But this one was my dream!

Wrongway,

Thanks for your empathy, I want to bring it home so badly.  On the good side, I received my Ram Air kit last night, so I'll get to put that on myself.  And when I had my Pantera restored and modified at another shop, it took four years and dozens of postponements and disappointments.   It seems to be par for the course.  I'm sure I'll have the GTO back in the next couple of days.

Thanks again.

64 kiwi boni,

I had certainly wanted to, and if there had been oil pressure showing, I would have.  But I was on a tight schedule yesterday, and in fact, all of this week, and I didn't have time to wait around for a tow truck  At that point I reached out to the owner of the shop who just had open heart surgery last Monday, just to tell him how disappointed and unprofessional I thought his manager was in giving me back the car in this condition.  He insisted he wanted to take care of it, so I left the car.  My reunion will just have to be postponed a few more days.

Another frustrating attempt to pick up the GTO.  I got there and buffing powder in every nook and cranny, hood doesn't close properly and needs adjustment, hidden headlights don't work, hood tachometer isn't functioning (even though I asked them if it had been tested and they said it was working), started the car and the oil pressure gauge read zero and did not move, shifter plate was missing (although we found it in the car afterwards), rear trunk GTO emblem missing.  I called the owner of the shop (who is attempting to buy the property he leases from me) and told him I was highly disappointed and that this was very unprofessional and that other car projects I had would not be coming his way.  So, another day without my goat.  Maybe tomorrow.....

Sorry the response has been so slow in coming, I've just been very busy.  The GTO was taken apart several years ago by someone else and parts were strewn around.  When they picked up the car to move it next door to the shop, they picked up what they thought was the torque converter that was laying nearby.  During the whole time they were working on the restroration of the body, floor pans, rockers, etc., the engine and transmission were out of the car, so they never bothered to check it.  Now that everything is back installed is when they realized it was the wrong one.  I have gotten it already from a transmission shop that I have used for other cars and it was inexpensive.  Yesterday, I received the last of the parts needed to finish the car (i hope!).  I am taking them over tomorrow morning and Tuesday or Wednesday, I should be driving my Goat home.  Very exciting, pictures to come soon.

Another frustrating weekend as the shop had the wrong torque converter and seems to have lost mine.  So, Monday I have to order a new one, and that should do it.  Maybe, next weekend....

As soon as it's in my hands.  Can't wait.

Can't wait to see it as it progresses.  There's a chance I get my Verduro Green '68 back today.  My heart is racing.

Today might be the day.  Stay tuned!

Update:  Engine installation was finally completed today which just leaves some cosmetic work left like exterior door handles installation of the hood tachometer, etc., and a test drive.  So, hopefully I'll have it home next weekend and will take a bunch of photos.  Can't wait!  I did participate in a Father's Day Car event last Sunday.  A group called Malibu Autobah organized a drive from Dodger Stadium near downtown Los Angeles to Malibu.  It wasn't the usual car show, 90 minute canyon run to the ocean, but was nice to do anyway on an early Sunday morning.  Limited to 100 cars with Covid 19 social distancing and masks required, there were mostly exotics, Lambos, McLarens, one Ferrari, my Pantera, lots of Porsches, etc.  I was parked next to a modern Ferrari, and you can see just how diminutive the Pantera looks in comparison as well as much lower.  My favortie picture was taken by their mobile camera crew on the 101 Freeway on the way to Malibu.  The link is below.

Father's Day 2020 Photo Album | Malibu Autobahn

The link doesn't appear to be working, so here is the photo.Father's Day Malibu Autobahn 2020.webp