I can add more information than what the ad contains. I know the ad is brief in the interest of not making it so long that everyone loses interest. More details on the car.
- As the ad says, this car is a conversion. The serial and cowl tag are the correct ones for the car, a 3rd week of June 64 build, Tempest Custom convert, 6 cylinder 3 on the tree. As the ad says, now a 455 4 speed. More on that later.
- I bought it in 1989 (it had been in storage since 1975). I bought it because it was such a solid car. I picked away at it for about 17 years before I finally admitted I was never going to finish it.
- When I sold it (around 2006 maybe?), the body was back on the frame, running and driving (hot wired) with absolutely nothing but the bare shell, steering column and a seat to sit on for driving!
- I sold it to a friend who had the paint and body done on it. He bought repro seat covers and had them put on. Also, he installed the numerous options I had collected for it over the years, reassembled the car and put an exhaust system on it.
- Every bushing for the body and chassis replaced.
- 66 Chevelle 12 bolt gone through and whatever it needed was replaced. (All bearings, seals, etc.)
- Installed a Trans Am quick steering box.
- Every suspension component was replaced, ball joints, tie rods, springs, shocks, control arm bushings front/rear etc.
- Disc brakes front, drums rear, all pieces replaced that I could buy.
- Completely original frame excepting I think one body mount tab had to have a small piece welded on if I remember right. This frame was in exceptional shape, solid as a rock, not scaly, etc. Also, the ends of the crossmember for the trans had soft ends and I had to weld on to them where they insert into a rubber mount (unique to convertibles)
- Replaced a right front floor pan section about 16" square because the windshield had leaked at one point and the floor there was soft. The rest of the floor in the car is still original. The 4 speed shifter hump is an original, not a repro.
- Trunk pan patches above each body mount by the wheel tub. Typical on A body. The rest of the trunk floor is original.
- A patch about the size of a softball behind all 4 wheels. All the outer sheet metal on the car is original GM other than that. There are NO repro sheet metal pieces on this car.
- The hood is a steel hood, not a glass repro and it has has no rust repairs.
- The trunk lid had a small dent right in the middle at the back. Nice solid trunk though.
- I built the 455. As I recall (remember, I did the engine likely 15-20 years ago!) it is bored .040" over. It's a 76 455 with 5C heads which put the compression around 9.4:1 , nice for a street engine. All new valves, all new springs and the springs have all been set for correct installed height, which my friend the engine builder MADE me do, something I had never done! The original components in the engine would be the block, crank and head castings. Pretty much every other piece is new, valvetrain, Ram Air IV cam, lifters, pushrods, oil pump, all bearings, everything. The tri-power is a 66 model unit, the one everyone wants! The exhaust manifolds are repro GTO HO units from a 67 which are pretty much a cast iron header with individual exhaust ports.
- As far as options, I think he has most of them listed although I think it besides all the power options listed, it has a power trunk too.
- The cool thing about this car, though purists may cringe, is the Rally I wheels (65 and up), 64 wood wheel (super rare and $$$) 65 tach and gauges (superior to the 64 idiot lights) and the tri-power!
I have not driven this car and I don't want to because I want it back bad enough already. I suspect if I drive it I will cry! With all this said, it's not a perfect car, it's beautiful but not one of those cars that you refuse to drive because it's too nice. Leave that for the show car boys with enclosed trailers who never actually drive it!
I'm sure I will recall more so I'll update as I think of it.
I lost all my pictures of it in a computer crash. I think I have one somewhere that my nephew took of it when it ran and drove as a shell, all the paint stripped off, nice and shiny!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
That's very impressive Carl. I can understand why you would want it back. A 64 GTO is on my list of favorites. Always a rare sight in Canada, even as a clone. One of my best bud's back in high school had a 65 GTO Red hardtop. It was cool for sure, but a 64 is more desirable to me. Even more so than a 69.
We are a minority but I agree with you, I think the 64 is the best one ever. The polls on the car sites always pick the 65, then I think the 67, then 69 and I think then 64 if I remember right. I love the look of them, and that interior...........oh my, how can you not like it in red and white!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
