Since the last update, students at Dauphin County Technical School in Harrisburg, Pa., have made great headway in their restoration work on the 1967 Pontiac GTO project car. They’ve done so much to the car that they decided to show it off at the Carlisle (Pa.) Fairgrounds during the 27th annual Spring Carlisle (April 23-27).
The visit of the GTO and four of the six students who are working on it delighted many classic car enthusiasts. Show patrons appreciated the project car, being completely restored by the students and sponsored by Carlisle Events and Ames Performance, which was displayed near the stage.
There was a steady stream of interest in the car, and many collectors discussed it with the students, some reminiscing about their own similar cars, others hoping to be able to purchase the GTO when it’s completed. Many of those who stopped to look at the car said they’d been reading about the project in High Performance Pontiac.
Some of the recent work completed on the car includes installing the rear taillight panel and front fenders, as well as the windshield and the dash. The pieces around the windows have been bent and the windows are ready to go in.
“ Basically the car’s about all roughed out,” says Macchioni. “We just have to finish it up. We’ve got about another month and a half (before the Carlisle All-GM Nationals).”
The one part of the car that the students are not working on themselves is the engine. Denny Knaub’s UCF Machine Shop in Carlisle, Pa., has completed rebuilding the GTO’s original high-performance engine. Now the engine is just waiting to be placed back into its home.
After this school year, the same six students will return to the auto shop in the fall, then as juniors and a senior, to finish the restoration. “Hopefully by the end of this school year, all the sheet metal work will be done, and it’ll just be a matter of testing it up, finishing the filler work and getting it ready to spray it,” Macchioni said.
Some of the most challenging work that the students have yet to do will be working around the rear window and installing the package tray in the trunk. However, other difficult items during the restoration have gone more smoothly than expected. “They thought the bottom of the windshield would be hard, and that went right in for them,” Macchioni said. “So they were pleased with the way that went together.”
Although the students have been working on the car since October 2002, they’re still excited about it.
“I’m not tired of it yet,” said Cleary. “I still enjoy it.”
Macchioni said that “every day they’re learning something new. They ask good questions. No one is complaining about working on the car yet. They’re still eager to work on it.”
Weyant worked on the left quarter panel of the car. “That was an enormous amount of work,” said Steve Ames. The quarter panel had been improperly put in place in the past, and Weyant had to “work his ass off on that,” Steve said. “He did not get discouraged. After he got done with the left quarter panel, he asked Joe if he could do the one on the right, because now, he’d figured it out. That’s great. That’s exactly what we want to see from these kids.
“All of them are doing well,” Ames added. “Joe and the students are approaching this very, very well, in the right direction. … It’s everything that I hoped it would be.”
Other Pontiac enthusiasts are also getting excited about the project. Macchioni said that some people who read about the GTO restoration have called him at the school, others have sent e-mails, and one man even visited the school to see the car. “They’re just really enthused about the project and the students working on it,” Joe said.
Although they love the process of restoring the car, the students also can’t wait until the project is completed. “I just want it to be finished,” Weyant said. Dodge and Thomas look forward to painting the GTO, and Thomas said she’d like to take it to the drag races.
The students plan to use the experience they’re gaining in the “real world” as well. “It’s helping us,” Thomas stated. “I still want to work with cars,” Sprucebank said. But if he doesn’t have that opportunity, he realizes that “the skill I got from this shop I could use in iron work or something.” Cleary agreed: “I could go in precision metals or something like that.”
At Spring Carlisle, Carlisle Events purchased a sand blast cabinet (approximate value $900) from TIP Tools of Canfield, Ohio, for Dauphin County Technical School’s auto shop. QUOTE FROM JOE
The project car was donated by the Carlisle Automotive Classrooms Foundation (CACF). CACF is a nonprofit organization founded by Carlisle Events in 2001 to help high school students get hands-on experience restoring classic vehicles. This year’s project car is co-sponsored by Steve Ames of Ames Performance, Marlborough, N.H.
The work-in-progress will also be on display at Carlisle All-GM Nationals (June 13-15), and then Fall Carlisle (Oct. 1-5).
Eventually the money from the sale will go directly into the Carlisle Automotive Classrooms Foundation so that other students may continue to benefit from hands-on car restoration. The foundation will also donate some of the proceeds to Dauphin County Tech. in the form of new equipment for the school’s auto shop.
As Steve Ames, member of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization, says, “Remember, the youth of today are the future of the hobby – ‘Take a kid to a car show.’



Students’ Restoration of ’67 Pontiac GTO Continues Students visit Spring Carlisle with car Excerpted from Carlisle Productions press release By Becky Kunzman
Since the last update, students at Dauphin County Technical School in Harrisburg, Pa., have made great headway in their restoration work on the 1967 Pontiac GTO project car. They’ve done so much to the car that they decided to show it off at the Carlisle (Pa.) Fairgrounds during the 27th annual Spring Carlisle (April 23-27). The visit of the GTO and four of the six students who are working on it delighted many classic car enthusiasts. Show patrons appreciated the project car, being completely restored by the students and sponsored by Carlisle Events and Ames Performance, which was displayed near the stage. There was a steady stream of interest in the car, and many collectors discussed it with the students, some reminiscing about their own similar cars, others hoping to be able to purchase the GTO when it’s completed. Many of those who stopped to look at the car said they’d been reading about the project in High Performance Pontiac. Some of the recent work completed on the car includes installing the rear taillight panel and front fenders, as well as the windshield and the dash. The pieces around the windows have been bent and the windows are ready to go in. “ Basically the car’s about all roughed out,” says Macchioni. “We just have to finish it up. We’ve got about another month and a half (before the Carlisle All-GM Nationals).” The one part of the car that the students are not working on themselves is the engine. Denny Knaub’s UCF Machine Shop in Carlisle, Pa., has completed rebuilding the GTO’s original high-performance engine. Now the engine is just waiting to be placed back into its home. After this school year, the same six students will return to the auto shop in the fall, then as juniors and a senior, to finish the restoration. “Hopefully by the end of this school year, all the sheet metal work will be done, and it’ll just be a matter of testing it up, finishing the filler work and getting it ready to spray it,” Macchioni said. Some of the most challenging work that the students have yet to do will be working around the rear window and installing the package tray in the trunk. However, other difficult items during the restoration have gone more smoothly than expected. “They thought the bottom of the windshield would be hard, and that went right in for them,” Macchioni said. “So they were pleased with the way that went together.” Although the students have been working on the car since October 2002, they’re still excited about it. “I’m not tired of it yet,” said Cleary. “I still enjoy it.” Macchioni said that “every day they’re learning something new. They ask good questions. No one is complaining about working on the car yet. They’re still eager to work on it.” Weyant worked on the left quarter panel of the car. “That was an enormous amount of work,” said Steve Ames. The quarter panel had been improperly put in place in the past, and Weyant had to “work his ass off on that,” Steve said. “He did not get discouraged. After he got done with the left quarter panel, he asked Joe if he could do the one on the right, because now, he’d figured it out. That’s great. That’s exactly what we want to see from these kids. “All of them are doing well,” Ames added. “Joe and the students are approaching this very, very well, in the right direction. … It’s everything that I hoped it would be.” Other Pontiac enthusiasts are also getting excited about the project. Macchioni said that some people who read about the GTO restoration have called him at the school, others have sent e-mails, and one man even visited the school to see the car. “They’re just really enthused about the project and the students working on it,” Joe said. Although they love the process of restoring the car, the students also can’t wait until the project is completed. “I just want it to be finished,” Weyant said. Dodge and Thomas look forward to painting the GTO, and Thomas said she’d like to take it to the drag races. The students plan to use the experience they’re gaining in the “real world” as well. “It’s helping us,” Thomas stated. “I still want to work with cars,” Sprucebank said. But if he doesn’t have that opportunity, he realizes that “the skill I got from this shop I could use in iron work or something.” Cleary agreed: “I could go in precision metals or something like that.” At Spring Carlisle, Carlisle Events purchased a sand blast cabinet (approximate value $900) from TIP Tools of Canfield, Ohio, for Dauphin County Technical School’s auto shop. QUOTE FROM JOE The project car was donated by the Carlisle Automotive Classrooms Foundation (CACF). CACF is a nonprofit organization founded by Carlisle Events in 2001 to help high school students get hands-on experience restoring classic vehicles. This year’s project car is co-sponsored by Steve Ames of Ames Performance, Marlborough, N.H. The work-in-progress will also be on display at Carlisle All-GM Nationals (June 13-15), and then Fall Carlisle (Oct. 1-5). Eventually the money from the sale will go directly into the Carlisle Automotive Classrooms Foundation so that other students may continue to benefit from hands-on car restoration. The foundation will also donate some of the proceeds to Dauphin County Tech. in the form of new equipment for the school’s auto shop. As Steve Ames, member of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization, says, “Remember, the youth of today are the future of the hobby – ‘Take a kid to a car show.’