1969 Pontiac GTO Judge - Rust Bucket To Resto-Rocket

Number Four Is The Charm
Because of his health condition, he and his family moved into a condo, along with the four pallets of N.O.S. parts he had accumulated. Having all the parts inside limited their space, so Roger was determined to get them onto his GTO. In 2004, the search for another body shop began.

By a stroke of luck, Motor City Steel, a shop less than a year old, was five minutes from his new condo. This company specialized in complete restorations, and Roger's Judge was right up its alley. The proprietor was also willing to let him take part in the build, but he was limited by his health. So two 4x8 tables were reserved for Roger to detail parts. This allowed him to build his strength and stamina, something he is very grateful for.

After Motor City Steel evaluated the Judge, it was decided that a frame-off restoration was necessary and the body needed to be media-blasted. Roger was determined to complete the project now, so he greenlighted it.

A Change In Direction
Up to this point, Roger had always wanted a mostly stock-type restoration with a few mods, but his plans for the Judge changed when he became infatuated with the idea of a restomod or Pro Touring GTO after spending time on the lateral-g.net Web site.

"I remember being 18 years old and taking the GTO up to 118 mph to see what it could do. It began to shake violently, and even at my young age, I wasn't willing to risk my life any further," recalls Roger. "You become spoiled with modern cars, and since the car sat in storage for so long, I forgot just how poorly some of these old ones were made. That's one of the major reasons I went with the Pro Touring setup, for the safety."

That meant the new set of 10-year-old Cragar rims never made it onto the car. In their place, a set of staggered 18x8-inch front and 20x10-inch rear Billet Specialties wheels were used to deliver the Pro Touring look. The 4 1/2-inch front and 5 3/4-inch rear backspacing ensures that they tuck into the wheelwells nicely. Nitto NT555 tires are proven performers, and 235/40-18 fronts and 275/35-20 rears were mounted to the large wheels. The stance was achieved with 3-inch OPG lowering springs, QA1 Stocker shocks, and Global West tubular upper and lower control arms in the front and rear. Also installed is a set of B-Body spindles, Global West Del-A-Lum bushings, and a 1 1/8-inch front sway bar.

Baer Track system brakes up front feature 13-inch drilled and slotted rotors and the 12-inch drilled and slotted Touring system augments them in the rear. Stainless hard lines and braided flex hoses are responsible for the fluid delivery. These braided flex hoses won't expand under high braking pressures like a standard rubber hose, making them a great option for performance cars. A Level III Hydratech Hydroboost Braking Unit ensures efficient power assist. With the stance set, the steering was upgraded with an AGR quick-ratio 12.7:1 steering box and power steering pump. Suspension, steering, and braking upgrades delivered a high level of control and safety.

Under the hood came Pontiac power with a 0.060-over 428 that produces 475 hp thanks to a pair of ported Ram Air IV heads Roger purchased around the time he bought the Judge. It boasts forged TRW pistons, forged SD-455 rods, and a factory 4.00-inch stroke nodular iron crank.

An Edelbrock Torker intake manifold and Barry Grant 750-cfm carburetor feed the monster. Roger even eliminated the vacuum actuators for the Ram Air system to allow more air in. He turned to MSD for his ignition needs, using the Pro-Billet Distributor, Digital 6 ignition box, coil, and wires. A set of 2-inch primary Hooker headers and a Stainless Works 2 1/2-inch exhaust system pass the spent combustion remains.

Unfortunately, since the engine was assembled by friend Bill Schultz over 15 years ago and it sat in storage while Roger battled to have the car properly restored, he can't recall all the parts that were put into the engine, such as the cam specs.