Students at Dauphin County Technical School's automotive technology department have been working on the 1967 Pontiac GTO for a few hours a week for almost two school years. The frame-off restoration is progressing more quickly now after a delay due to a change in the teaching staff. Instructor Roy Klinger began working with the students in mid-November 2003. The restoration project was made possible by the Carlisle Automotive Classrooms Foundation (CACF) and Ames Performance.
When the restoration is completed, you'll have the chance to purchase this remarkable restored goat. The 1967 Pontiac GTO packs a 400-cubic-inch-output engine with a four-speed transmission and many unique high-performance options.
CACF is a nonprofit organization founded by Carlisle Events to help high school students get hands-on experience restoring collectible vehicles. This year's project car is co-sponsored by Steve Ames of Ames Performance, Marlborough, N.H., which is supplying almost all of the parts needed for restoration.
Dauphin County Tech School juniors Nicholas Fachler, Tom Cleary, Kelsey Thomas, Scott Dodge and Andrew Sprucebank and senior eremy Weyant have been working on the car since the beginning, and other auto tech students have lent their skills as well.
At the Spring Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet & Corral, April 21-25, many show attendees stopped and examined the frame that was here on display. Many comments were made about how uncommon it was for teenagers to restore a muscle car like the GTO and what a great job they were doing.
Roy Klinger described the students' progress up to that point: "To give new life to the GTO project, we started the frame. Since the car is so unique, the students and I feel it deserves some extra-special care in ensuring that not only the body and paint are top notch, but the frame, drive line, steering and brakes be restored as well. The students have done an excellent job preparing the body so far.
" All of the students pitched in to remove the body from the frame and began scraping and wire brushing the worst of the grease undercoating off of the frame. After that, we sent the frame off to Rick Hoover (a local restoration specialist) for sandblasting. Rick sandblasted the frame, and we were on our way to painting.
" But before we sprayed anything, we contacted Steve Ames of Ames Performance to help guide us in ensuring we used the correct colors on the frame and all of the suspension components, from the chassis black to Natural Spray Gray. The students are learning the importance of the fine details of putting this car back to its original splendor.
" It is taking a long time, but the reward of having the vehicle look and drive like new is worth every hour of time invested. The suspension, being short arm-long arm design (SLA) system and parallelogram steering system, is very similar to some modern-day vehicles.
" The frame and suspension system have proven to be a great learning tool. Also, the careful assembly of the freshly painted parts has been a great recruiting tool for new students who are considering the program.
" After the Spring Carlisle show, we hope to set the body back on the frame with the engine and transmission in place and will very quickly see the engine bay and interior parts of the car come together.
" During this whole process, Russ Gross of Russ' trim shop has been demonstrating to the students how to disassemble, repair and recover the front and rear seats, using meticulous care to produce a high-quality show-winning interior.
" The complete project has been an excellent asset in teaching students the importance of quality and craftsmanship."
Lisa Leathery, Carlisle Events' director of event planning and management says, "The students have taken this project so far. When I think back to what this car looked like when it first rolled into the Fairgrounds, I am thrilled to see the level of work that they have already completed. They still have a lot of finishing work ahead of them, but when it's completed, this 1967 GTO will be a real show stopper."
Steve Ames agrees that the students are doing a great job: "The car is on track to be an extremely high-quality restoration. It'll be a marvelous street-driving vehicle - a car to be enjoyed, not a trailer queen."
It's also a great resource for the students. "It's a chance for the kids to learn something that wouldn't otherwise be available to them." Ames said. "The chance for the kids to take a frame that had surface rust and bring it back to pristine, like-new condition is extremely rewarding."