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Beard Bros 1966 GTO Resto / Build

6K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  bobs66gto 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi, Just wanted to start a thread on here about my 1966 GTO I bought in Tucson AZ in 2005. Drove it as is until last year then decided to do a full resto / build on it. Here are some pictures showing what we are doing as we go along. I will post updates as we progress.
 

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#2 · (Edited)
This picture is from yesterday. We ordered Goodmark doors and fenders and did alot of research to see which ones would fit the best. We put these new Goodmark fenders and doors side by side with the originals from the car as soon as they showed up and the largest dimensional discrepancy we found was 1/16" between the Goodmarks and the OEM parts. I think you will probably find 1/16" difference measuring two OEM parts against each other. Everything fit up well when we mocked it up and I am very pleased. The hood and grill header panel are OEM NOS items I managed to talk someone into selling. The Goodmark parts will require very minimal bodywork to get the gaps and edges even and to make them perfectly smooth. I ordered them from LKQ, our collision parts supplier for aftermarket sheetmetal.
 

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#16 ·
I'm late to the party on this one :) Love your work so far. If you prioritize performance over originality then aftermarket heads are the way to go. They have advantages: they flow better, they have hardened exhaust seats so that they tolerate unleaded fuel better, and being aluminum you can get away with more compression --- just to name the big hitters.

One strong recommendation: If you do choose to go aftermarket aluminum, do NOT buy them "ready to run" with valves and springs already installed. There's a reason that the price delta between bare heads and "ready to run" heads is so small. Guess what it is....

The way to go is to buy bare heads and send them to a GOOD cylinder head person to have them outfitted correctly with good valves and good springs, set to the correct pressures and installed height for the cam you plan to run. Witness:




Bear
 
#6 · (Edited)
nice car. Im fascinated by your temporary wooden front wheels. Is there any reason why this was more useful than just mounting a couple old steel wheels during the build? I mean, Its obvious they save space for working around, but anything else I'm missing?
Edit: Ok it just occurred to me you may have been experimenting with the stance? Using different diameters to check the stance?
 
#7 ·
They were required because of the large 13" rotor disc brakes we installed. We did not have an old rim large enough on the backside laying around to clear the brake calipers. Also you are correct, we do use different diameter wood mockups to figure out the wheel & tire sizes for stance, wheel offset and clearances.
 
#20 ·
Advantages of aftermarket aluminum heads:
  • Hardened valve seats (friendly for unleaded fuel)
  • Aluminum - can tolerate more compression than cast iron without getting into detonation
  • Can be "worked" to outperform even the best factory heads
Disadvantages
  • Actually "need" more compression due to them not holding heat as well (same reason they aren't as prone to detonation)
  • Cost - especially if you have additional port work done
  • Don't look factory
When I first built my engine I was running a pair of real #722 Ram Air IV's on it. Unfortunately, one developed a crack (long story) and I wound up replacing them with a set of 72cc Edelbocks with 'entry level' professional port work. The heads are gorgeous, and they make more power than my RA IV's did. However at "car shows" whenever there are knowledgeable Pontiac people in attendance, no one Ooooo's and Ahhhh's over the Edelbrocks like they did over the 722's. They're just not as sexy.

Tip: which I said in a previous post. If you go with aftermarket, do NOT buy them ready to run with springs and valves included. Buy them bare and have them outfitted by someone who knows what they're doing. There's a reason that the cost difference between 'bare' and 'ready to run' isn't very much.

Bear
 
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