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'67 Goat Therapy

3K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  geeteeohguy 
#1 ·
There are days when it's just a sheer pleasure to own and drive this thing!

I live in the Wine Country of Northern California (Santa Rosa, to be exact). Every few days I have occasion to pop over into the upper Napa Valley into the town of Calistoga, for business. Yesterday, I had to make such a trip and decided it would be a great day to take my '67. The day was beautiful (low 80*s) and the sky was crisp and clear. I called my dad (now 71) and asked if he wanted to ride along, as my wife was at work and I thought dad might want to get out of the house.

The road over the hill is twisty, rough in parts, smooth in other parts, partly wooded, sparsely inhabited and all in all a really nice drive. I gotta say and so would my dad... What a GREAT car! Regardless of age, this car is incredible. I just can't believe there are no squeaks, rattles, pops, klunks or wierdnesses of ANY kind. Doesn't pull at all, stops on a dime and of course the torque makes it fun as hell! Just a complete and utter joy to drive!

I've been dealing with a chronic illness of late and am hopeful to be on the mend, the therapeutic value of driving this car can't be overstated to me. The bonus was getting to spend some time with dad.

Cheers all!!!

Chuck
 
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#3 ·
sounds like a win, win, win to me....actually just thinking of driving mine through that landscape gave me chills....did it not feel like you were back in the 60's with no one in sight around you? And people ask "why would you spend all that money on an old car"....they have obviously never driven a Pontiac, there is a reason we are fanatics about our brand.....enjoy the hell out of it , there are few things in life so pure.
 
#5 ·
Chuckha, I'm a bay area native, and have spent many hours behind the wheel of either my '65 or my '67 on trips up to Clear Lake,Monte Rio, Occidental, and Jenner. My girlfriend's family had a family cabin in Monte Rio. Also, many trips out to Stinson Beach, Point Reyes, and Jenner, with the top down and the engine humming. Therapy? ABSOLUTELY!!! Keep it up!!
Jeff
 
#6 ·
GTO Therapy

Hey Chuck, I own a 67' GTO as well and live in the Greater Bay Area. I just finished getting my car back on the road. Aside from a paint job, I'm ready to take a trip to our vacation home in Clearlake. The drive through the wine country is fantastic. I upgraded my suspension and added Bilstein shocks, can't wait to see how it takes the turns through Napa Valley. You have a great looking car and hope all your drives are like the one you described. My car sat around for 8-years and recently had the chance to freshen it up and drive it. When you drive a GTO, it just makes you feel good.
 
#7 · (Edited)
And it's also pretty cool to pull up to a business meeting in one....:D Last estimate i took mine on we talked cars for over an hour as he walked around looking at every detail and he signed the contract without hesitation as i was leaving....guess he figured if i could do that to an old rust bucket over a winter with carpenters tools his Kitchen Re-model would be in good hands. He had a Ford Galaxy FX car he was getting ready to restore. Heres the kitchen, what can i say i love updating old things without destroying their integrity....it's a 1860's farm house directly across from the Monroe (shocks) Plantation. The 6" reclaimed Oak floor was hand rubbed in Tongue oil after we cleared out.
 

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#10 ·
I knew you all would get it.

...and Brian, (during a Hiatus from the corporate gig) I spent the early 90's doing kitchen remodels for a local high-end cabinet maker. Few things are more satisfying than giving people their dream kitchen.

Now, after 25 years in the corporate rat race, I'm making outdoor furniture and surprisingly am able to make a living at it.

Cheers all!

Chuck
 
#11 · (Edited)
thanks guys, take pride in everything that bears my name....I have been a general in the remod industry for 17 years and i was schooled as a graphic artist, go figure.....i really relish working on the old victorian homes, i will try and dig up the befores of that house. I myself live in a home that i can trace back to 1862 and my children are the 5th generation of my wifes family to grow up in it. we got it from her GP's on land contract 23K with the stipulation that we would not tear it down and build a cookie cutter subdivision house. 18 years later it is almost done (kinda like our cars). That kitchen has every modern gadget in it so it was a challenge to keep the feel of the turn of the century, guess thats the same approach i took with my car. The economy has made those types of jobs almost non existent anymore as he could have bought a cherry numbers Judge for what he payed me for that kitchen.

Chuck, thats why i got away from graphic art, when it became a job i lost the passion...have done a few fine art pieces the last few years mainly as gifts for my daughters...life is good when all you have to do is please yourself.

Florida???.....I do roadtrips E....stock up on the Contreras, salt and lemons:D

the whole kitchen was designed around her antique pie cabinet
 

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#12 ·
Soooo many people these days have no or very poor taste. They just want the latest and greatest, soon to be obsolete, trend. Preserving the integrity of historic items, be it homes or cars, while rendering them useful and viable in today's world is a real art form in itself. I think I can safely say that tose on this forum are all on the same page! Great work.
 
#14 · (Edited)
things slow up here in the rust belt around october, ....tequila under a lemon tree while it's 10 degrees in Michigan, that has possibilities....:cheers. Of course i would have to trailer the Tempest down for some beach time R&R. Actually one of my storm renovation clients has asked if i could put an emergency crew together to send down for storm temps, was thinking about getting a fifth wheel to be able to do some travel work.

GeeTee, funny you mention it but i have always been of the mind that Pontiac enthusiast's were a more artistic/crafty, "think outside the box" bunch, from the brass on down (John D, Jim W, Mickey Thompson, marketing, design, engineering). And don't get me wrong a good mechanic is an artist in my book as is any "skilled tradesman" that takes pride in a job well completed. We have had to listen to "put a chevy in it, Pontiacs don't run", endure outrageous pricing since we are a rare breed and now our nameplate has been dissolved. This forum has done nothing but bolster that feeling.....Roadtrip to E's place we can all get some Pontiac therapy with a little of Mexico's best spirits and some Jimmy Buffet blairing on our radios....:cheers:party::party::party::party:
 
#16 ·
Yeah, Pontiac people are a bit more eccentric and "higher functioning" than most....the kind of guys that are honest, artistic, and interesting....not your typical "No Fear" Chevy driving block head. Funny how that works. I'm into really early cars too, (I have a'15 Ford that's all original, and it's the only brass car within my budget), and the brass car guys are pretty old these days, but they all seem to me master machinists and ultra high quality people. No thugs in the brass car crowd!! I once tried to sell my brother's MG (he had moved to New York), and the British car folks put a whole new twist on the term "eccentric"....talk about strange!!! It was like they were from the planet of No Common Sense!! Anyway, Florida's great, what's not to like about FLORIDA???
 
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