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I have a red '65 GTO conv. that my son and I fixed up about 10 years ago. He was 14 and we thought we would find something to fix up for him to drive when he turned 16 and got a drivers license. We found the Goat and a Torino GT conv. The Torino was in much better shape but I let him pick out the project. He was smarter than I thought. Neither of us have ever regretted his choice. My wife followed me home (30 miles). The tires were slick and rotten and the top flapped in the wind. I still had to open her up on the interstate. The top and tires was not all that was shot, the engine didn't knock but it was real sick. 35 mph was it. When I pulled in the driveway and got out to admire anything that wasn't bent, my wife pulled up behind me, got out and told me to hurrry up and put it in the garage "before the neighbors saw the junky thing". I think maybe engine smoke was burnin' her eyes or she would have wanted to admire it for awhile too. After all, it was dark and it would be a long time before it looked any better. Although this was the first car we rebuilt, it turned out decent enough that we have got several thumbs up and even picked up a couple of trophies at some local car shows and cruises. Now to the subject of the "Loose Goose". It's a '68 GTO hardtop. I named her the Loose Goose because of a Loose Goose Saloon bumper sticker in the back window. I had all the project I wanted in the '65 so I had tried to talk a friend of mine into buying it and adding it to his herd of two '68 goats and '69 firebird conv. He, too, said he had enough. Two years went by and, although, I new where the car was at, I had never talked to the owner and didn't know any details about it, or if he even still had the car. When I went to check it out, I found that I worked with the original owners husband. His wife bought the car while they were dating. After they got married, he said he took it to a few local dragstrips and turned times in the low 14's on street tires and mufflers. Even though he raced the car, he is unbelievably meticulous. That probably explains why the car was still solid and had managed to rack up 92,000 miles without an overhaul. The original engine and trans had been pulled and were in the owners garage. The interior and body were in good condition, but the mayfair maize paint and black vinyl top were in need of replacement. I still can't believe I bought the car for $600. Although there are still a few details left, I finished a total restoration last summer in time to get a runnerup trophy in the "Superman" car show, here in Metropolis, Illinois. Since then, my wife and I have only driven about 500 miles. 100 of them last summer in the D.A.I.S.I (Driving Around In Southern Illinois) ralley, sponsored by the Southern Illinois Region of the AACA. I just put her in the garage a little while ago after taking her out for a little "spin". It is amazin' how fast the speedometer jumps from 50 to 80. It's even more amazin' that I bought the car. Apparently I timed it just right. Because, shortly after word got out that I became the third owner, I started gettin' calls to see if I wanted to sell her. Apparently, after my buddy looked at the car two years earlier, several other people had tried to buy her, but the owner had decided not to sell and had even told one guy he would have first chance if he ever did decide to sell. Needless to say, this guy didn't sound very happy with me when he called. PS: I'm glad I ran across your web site, it is g-r-r-reat! |
