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Since my 67 is a driver, I keep putting of any major renovation. I had been watching for a 66 Chevelle SS to build for a few years and couldn't find anything in a reasonable price range, so I picked up a basket case 67 GTO a year ago. I live near Stillwater, MN and the car was in Minot ND. I left home an a beautiful, sunny day and when I got to Fargo, ND the weather clouded up and it started snowing. I learned from the radio that I 94 across the state had been closed at Bismark because of zero visibility and drifting. I had originally planned to go west to Bismark and then straight North to Minot. Instead, I turned North at Jamestown on 2 lane County roads and finally got to Minot.
This is I94 between Fargo and Jamestown. The wind was blowing so hard from the North that it would push the pick up sideways across 2 lanes before I could get it to grab the ice again.


This is after I turned off on a county road, it soon narrowed to 2 lanes for the next 160 miles. At times, it was just 2 tire tracks for both directions thru a drift but at least I was headed into the wind and it didn't push me around as much but it sucked all the fuel out the tank in a hurry !!!


Here's the car after I got it on the trailer and got to a motel for the night. Thankfully, it had stopped snowing while I was there and the plows were able to clear the roads around town. The motel was so damned noisy and cold that I couldn't sleep so I got up and left for home at 1:30 AM.


I decided to take a different route home, so I went straight East out of Minot on US 2 to Grand Forks. I came across this about 3:00 AM. I didn't know this. The signs leading into town advertised a visitor center with free coffee. I couldn't get anyone to open the door, so I had to go across the street to the truck stop for coffee.


Once I got to Grand Forks, I found a truck stop and slept for a couple hours. The storm that I had run into on the way there had spread all across the state and into western MN overnight and I fought icy, drifted roads all the way across US 2, down I29 to I 94 and East back to St. Cloud, MN where they finally cleared up and I was able to go 65 mph with the cruise on. Before that I had spent MANY hours at no more than 45-50.
Finally, 1200 miles later, in the driveway.

What a trip that was! Glad you made it there and back safely. GTO's are cool cars, good luck with the project. Any thoughts on the direction you want to take it, stock resto, resto mod, PT, drag or ??

I love those GTO's!!! Someday, I'd like to own a 67 or 68 GTO vert.

FYI, it looks like I'm planning a roadtrip next week, with a dinner stop in Fargo, next day working in Grand Forks.
Anyone wants to hook up along the way, lemme know.

I washed all the salt off the car and trailer the next day (had to return the trailer clean).


Here I let the car roll back against a tire on the forklift and drove the trailer out from under it.



It was snowing a lot and cold when I was in Minot looking the car over. It had been presented as in much better condition that it really was and I ALMOST came home without it. The seller felt bad about that and started throwing more parts in the deal and lowered the price 1k. I finally agreed to take it for $1500... I figured the tags and title were worth that much. Here's what I found when I got to inspect it closely.



The frame rails behind the rear tires had been grafted on from another car as was the section of trunk floor that held in the gas tank.





The frame had been re-enforced the same way under the doors and at the front body mount area with pieces of another frame. Presumably from the same car that the rear sections and the trunk floor came from. The REALLY scary part is there was much evidence to indicate the car had been driven for some time after these "repairs"....





Once I removed the front clip, the frame broke off under the firewall...




Kinda looks like a Camaro subframe.


Here's where the steering sector bolts go thru.

Yikes....

Guess they did not use "Rusty Jones" on that car Mitch. Time to go frame hunting.....

Kev

Awesome car but holy cow!! I have never seen a frame rust like that before.

Did that last March, Kev. Drove 14 hours to Aline OK for the frame and then to Tulsa that evening to meet a guy the next morning for a 66 front clip. The only thing I could use from the clip was the core support, which I needed too, so I sold the rest after I got back.
The drive to OK was MUCH more pleasant that to Minot. Here's the Kansas Turnpike between Emporia and Wichita.


Here's the frame all loaded up and ready to go. They don't see many snowmobile trailers down there...


In Tulsa for the front clip.


I made up a set of lights for the back of the frame before I left home from a roll of trailer wire and a plug that fit between the trailer and vehicle harnesses. Good thing too with so much overhang. There was a cop in a little town in KS that followed me all the way thru to see if they worked.


I also bought the rust free RH door and cowl to frame mount from the body that the frame came from.



The car had sat in the same place for so long in that yard that the wind blowing the weeds had worn the paint off the door !!!


I helped the yard man remove the body from the frame and we screwed the mounting bolts and front suspension off with a wrench !!! The frame had a light coat of surface rust but once I washed it at home I found it still had factory paint on it. I sand blasted it in my driveway and built a trolley to store it until I get it painted and the suspension installed.

Nice job Mitch! Should be a nice looking Goat when you get done with it!

Mitch...

Wow..what a difference in frames Any more progress on that car?


Kev