Code 722 Ram Air IV heads were rebuilt mostly stock and the 67cc chambers put the squeeze at approximately 10.75:1 compression. A proper 041 cam bumps the 2.11/1.77 (now stainless) valves through factory 111/432-inch diameter pushrods and 1.65:1 stamped rockers to the tune of 308/320-degrees duration with .516/.516 lift. The famed R/A-IV aluminum intake manifold with separate cast-iron crossover supports a correct Q-jet carb, and ignition is handled by a stock GM distributor with the help of an ACDelco coil sending the jolt down to ACDelco plugs through Packard date-coded wires. For correctness, David says, "I found the right plugs for the era with the green ring and all that crap around them." After combustion, N.O.S. R/A-IV exhaust manifolds evacuate the chambers of spent fumes and deliver them to the atmosphere through a Gardner reproduction exhaust system.
To harness the power, a Centerforce clutch and factory flywheel connect the owner-rebuilt M21 trans to the engine, and the factory 4.33 HD Safe-T-Track rear ensures the revs climb quickly on the road.
With the major parts ready for reassembly, David and Dan began on the body. Since the front sheetmetal was missing and there were a few rust-outs in the trunk and floorpans, the duo had some work ahead of them. Once all the dents, dings, and rust were removed, the body shell was prepped for paint.
Starting with four coats of NCP250 primer, Dan block-sanded the sheetmetal with a succession of grits until the shell was straight. Two coats of DP90LF sealer were next, followed by four coats of PPG's DBU Liberty Blue. Wet-sanding with 600-grit was performed between each coat. DCU2002 clear followed with four more applications. After the body was mated to the frame, the front sheetmetal, doors, and decklid were treated to the same painting procedures. Finally, 1,000- and 1,200-grit wet-sanding and a final polish provided a healthy shine.
Once the outside was looking great, it was time to make the inside match. Using a carpet and interior kit from Ames, David installed the rugs, seats, and door panels. Details are represented in their original factory glory, down to the signal-seeking AM radio and Rally gauges, the odometer of which indicates a mere 28,469 miles-a number that won't change much. Since its inception into the show circuit, the GTO's annual mileage consists of backing it on and off the trailer. While some might take issue to resigning this still-great GTO to trailer queen status, David has a daily driver '69 to thrash on, and the Ram Air IV '69 to earn him some bragging rights.
With the GTO finished, we asked David what he thought of having a near factory perfect GTO. "It's awesome," he says. "Let me put it this way. We have crummy weather up here, so I have the GTO in a bag. One day, when I needed to get to the area above it, I had it outside running in the driveway, out of its bag. I took one look at it while I was working and thought, 'That's a beautiful @*&@*%# car. I need to call Danny and tell him!' I'm a firm believer that even after the fact, you need to call the guy and tell him you're appreciative."
But judging by the ever-growing number of trophies on his mantle, he's not the only one who appreciates it. David's GTO earned a Concours Gold (483 of 500 points) and Best Restored award at the 2005 GTOAA event in St. Louis, while at the Indian Uprising, he walked away with a First Place. Not bad for this resurrected $150 parts car!
 Edged-out fresh front sheetmetal...  Edged-out fresh front sheetmetal was bolted on, aligned, and prepped for paint. David used his parts car for the N.O.S. parts and useable stock parts that it came with for a source of front clip pieces. |
 With the GTO on the rotisserie...  With the GTO on the rotisserie and stripped to bare metal, you can see the shell was fairly rust free to begin with except for the floors and the lower quarters. |
 The chassis was completely...  The chassis was completely reassembled using mostly N.O.S. and original parts and is ready for remounting of the body. |
 The restored chassis meets...  The restored chassis meets the restored body shell. |
 Completely gutted for the...  Completely gutted for the resto, the interior refurbishing begins. |