To all the classic GTO owners here, I offer these tips which I have learned over the past few years.
Gas Pains
Is your classic GTO hard to start? Mine was. Whenever my GTO would sit for more than a few day, starting it was a real chore. At first I thought it might be a leaking carb that was letting all the fuel evaporate out of the bowl and it would have to refill when I tried to start it again.
Turns out, check the rubber portions of the fuel line. Old fuel lines can become dry and cracked. Although they may not leak, they can suck in air through the cracks.
Think of it as a straw in a glass of water. You can draw water up in the straw and put your finger over the end, and the water will stay in the straw. But, lift your finger and the water drains out. Same thing can happen in your fuel line. Air can be drawn in through the cracks and the fuel in the lines will drain back to the tank, thus leaving the lines empty and causing the car to be fuel starved when trying to restart. Besides the fire issue of dry cracked fuel line, this could be a good reason to check and replace those old hoses.
Cheap car cover.
But a set of king size waterbed sheets. If you don’t know, a waterbed top sheet is sown together with the bottom sheet at the foot. If you fold back the top sheet, you end up with a piece of soft cotton cloth nearly 170 inches long. Not quite enough to cover the whole car, but for $20 bucks, it’s a cheap alternative to a custom fitted cover. Great for keeping the dust off while the car is in the garage.
Engine Cooling
If your classic GTO is missing the upper core support filler panel? (bridges the gap between the top of the core support, and the header panel) Get a reproduction piece. It will funnel the air through the radiator instead of up and over it, significantly increasing the airflow and helping to keep your engine running cooler.
Fire!
Always have a fire extinguisher in your car. I have heard many stories of fire breaking out due to leaking fuel lines or cracked electrical wires. It's a small price to pay for a little peace of mind.
I can see clearly now.
Did you know you can use Mequire's Mirror Glaze to polish your glass? Yes, you can. Does a great job of taking off film and grime and leaves your glass clean and clear.
Pretty Up your exhaust.
Nothing bugs me more than driving down the road behind a classic car, only to see the muffler clamps hanging down from the exhaust pipes. The U shaped clamps that everyone uses are easy to install and do the job. However, try this little detail. Instead of putting the "U" upside down, with the bolts at the bottom, turn them right side up and put the bolts at the top. I know it's a little harder to get the bolts tightened, but a little extra effort goes a long way in making your ride that much better. It's all in the details!
Make it a stiff one.
When I restored my GTO, I discovered in the trunk there are stiffening bars attached between the inside of the quarter panels and the top of the inner wheel well. They add strength to the quater panel and keep it from buckling in, should someone lean on it. One of mine had seperated from the quarter panel and was hanging loose in the trunk. Fearing warping the quarter by welding it back on, we used construction adhesive to reattach it. Worked great, and it has not come loose in the last 2 years, despite many hard launches and wheel spinning. A cheap fix for an unusual problem.
Shine it Up.
For a cheap, effective, and quick detail of stainless trim, exhaust extensions, and chrome, buy a container of stainless steel wipes (for appliances) in your grocery store, and throw them in the trunk. They are cheap and do a great job for a quick detail of all the shiny stuff.
Make it a Smoothie.
If you don't have a concours 100 point restoration, replace all the rubber suspension with poly urethane. It's not that expensive, less than $400 for the whole car, front and rear, and will make a world of difference in how the car rides and handles.
I had debated about doing this because I had heard stories of owners complaining about the "stiff" ride or that the urethane creaks and moans. From my expirience, nothing could be further from the truth. As for the ride and handling, the car handles closer to a modern car than you could imagine. Stiff ride? No way. It's called compliant. I don't fear bottoming out any longer, or taking a corner with a bit of velocity. try it, I think you will be amazed.
Just thought I would share these with all my fellow goat herders.
Feel free to add to the list.
Russ
Gas Pains
Is your classic GTO hard to start? Mine was. Whenever my GTO would sit for more than a few day, starting it was a real chore. At first I thought it might be a leaking carb that was letting all the fuel evaporate out of the bowl and it would have to refill when I tried to start it again.
Turns out, check the rubber portions of the fuel line. Old fuel lines can become dry and cracked. Although they may not leak, they can suck in air through the cracks.
Think of it as a straw in a glass of water. You can draw water up in the straw and put your finger over the end, and the water will stay in the straw. But, lift your finger and the water drains out. Same thing can happen in your fuel line. Air can be drawn in through the cracks and the fuel in the lines will drain back to the tank, thus leaving the lines empty and causing the car to be fuel starved when trying to restart. Besides the fire issue of dry cracked fuel line, this could be a good reason to check and replace those old hoses.
Cheap car cover.
But a set of king size waterbed sheets. If you don’t know, a waterbed top sheet is sown together with the bottom sheet at the foot. If you fold back the top sheet, you end up with a piece of soft cotton cloth nearly 170 inches long. Not quite enough to cover the whole car, but for $20 bucks, it’s a cheap alternative to a custom fitted cover. Great for keeping the dust off while the car is in the garage.
Engine Cooling
If your classic GTO is missing the upper core support filler panel? (bridges the gap between the top of the core support, and the header panel) Get a reproduction piece. It will funnel the air through the radiator instead of up and over it, significantly increasing the airflow and helping to keep your engine running cooler.
Fire!
Always have a fire extinguisher in your car. I have heard many stories of fire breaking out due to leaking fuel lines or cracked electrical wires. It's a small price to pay for a little peace of mind.
I can see clearly now.
Did you know you can use Mequire's Mirror Glaze to polish your glass? Yes, you can. Does a great job of taking off film and grime and leaves your glass clean and clear.
Pretty Up your exhaust.
Nothing bugs me more than driving down the road behind a classic car, only to see the muffler clamps hanging down from the exhaust pipes. The U shaped clamps that everyone uses are easy to install and do the job. However, try this little detail. Instead of putting the "U" upside down, with the bolts at the bottom, turn them right side up and put the bolts at the top. I know it's a little harder to get the bolts tightened, but a little extra effort goes a long way in making your ride that much better. It's all in the details!
Make it a stiff one.
When I restored my GTO, I discovered in the trunk there are stiffening bars attached between the inside of the quarter panels and the top of the inner wheel well. They add strength to the quater panel and keep it from buckling in, should someone lean on it. One of mine had seperated from the quarter panel and was hanging loose in the trunk. Fearing warping the quarter by welding it back on, we used construction adhesive to reattach it. Worked great, and it has not come loose in the last 2 years, despite many hard launches and wheel spinning. A cheap fix for an unusual problem.
Shine it Up.
For a cheap, effective, and quick detail of stainless trim, exhaust extensions, and chrome, buy a container of stainless steel wipes (for appliances) in your grocery store, and throw them in the trunk. They are cheap and do a great job for a quick detail of all the shiny stuff.
Make it a Smoothie.
If you don't have a concours 100 point restoration, replace all the rubber suspension with poly urethane. It's not that expensive, less than $400 for the whole car, front and rear, and will make a world of difference in how the car rides and handles.
I had debated about doing this because I had heard stories of owners complaining about the "stiff" ride or that the urethane creaks and moans. From my expirience, nothing could be further from the truth. As for the ride and handling, the car handles closer to a modern car than you could imagine. Stiff ride? No way. It's called compliant. I don't fear bottoming out any longer, or taking a corner with a bit of velocity. try it, I think you will be amazed.
Just thought I would share these with all my fellow goat herders.
Feel free to add to the list.
Russ