Next, MCR's body shop and paint department applied PPG Omni 243 spray poly and followed with block sanding with 120-240 grit, PPG NCP Corrosion Resistant Primer Surfacer, and more block-sanding from 240-400 grit. The final steps in paint preparation were sealing all of the body seams and bolt-on panels with 3M 08300 Tan Seam Sealer, masking the vehicle, applying a single-stage PPG DCC Gray as a paint sealer, wet-sanding with 800-grit, then power washing and drying.
After a fresh remasking, MCR applied four coats of PPG DBC 9300 Black basecoat, followed by four coats of PPG DCU 2002 clear. Additional wetsanding involved 1,200-3,000 grit, followed by 3M Perfect-It final polishing.
Project Tip: How can you get professional results for your project, even if you have a much tighter budget? "Cleanliness and high-quality products are the answers, even if you're doing the paint yourself," Arendt said. "You don't want to be putting product on top of contaminants or you will ruin the finish. In addition, I can't say enough about using the best-quality primers, fillers, and paints that you can buy. Saving a couple of dollars on the materials will show in the results.
Interior
MCR took a team approach to the interior, and allowed six or seven project members to offer suggestions on how the cabin should be designed. "We wanted a beautiful, yet classic-looking interior, with modern leather, and with a strong Pontiac personality," Hudson said. For instance, "We kept the shape of the dash and dash pad, but the gauge panel and gauges are completely different." The remainder of the cabin accoutrements are best seen and described in the captions.
Project Tip: "Make sure the gauge collection you choose has all the instruments that you're looking for, before you buy any of them," Hudson said. "We had chosen a set of gauges we really liked, until we learned the manufacturer didn't make a tachometer in the same style. We had to start over."
The custom work even extends...
The custom work even extends to the taillights, where MCR swapped the factory bulbs for a Lambert Enterprises flush-mount lighting system, consisting of eight rectangular panels, each housing 96 LEDs, hidden underneath the clearcoat of the rear tail panel, and incorporating a plastic diffuser panel. All eight panels light up for the taillights, the four outside panels light up for the brakes, and the four inside panels are utilized for the turn signal indicators.
One look inside the trunk,...
One look inside the trunk, and it's easy to see the custom wheel tubs that allow this GTO to run 18x9.5 billet Rally IIs. Note the two batteries in the Schwartz Performance Optima trays and the trunk-mounted amp and speaker systems. This GTO has so much electronic equipment that one battery just wasn't enough.
From the exterior, this GTO...
From the exterior, this GTO still resembles its factory siblings in many ways. MCR went to great lengths to preserve the beautiful bodylines and augmented them with 33 percent tinted glass, restored brightwork by Paul's Chrome Plating, and rechromed front and rear bumpers from Keystone. As a class project, students at the Chippewa Valley Technical College came up with their own twists on the classic GTO emblem design and presented MCR with a selection of the best. (See the chosen one on page 46.) "Presenting a real world challenge with the possibility of the finished product appearing in a magazine turned out be an engaging curriculum for these future machinists," MCR's Jermy Cortner said.
Make A "Wheel Good" Choice
For this project, the owner wanted a Pontiac-looking wheel, which prompted MCR to go with the Wheel Vintiques Billet Rallye II in 18x9.5 front and rear, with a 5-inch offset (front) and a 4-inch offset (rear). They're wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 245/45R18 (front) and 295/40R18 (rear) rubber.
Project Tip: MCR suggests you measure for your needed offset correctly before you order custom-sized wheels because they may not be returnable. "There are some inexpensive tools for checking wheel offsets, so don't guess, or if you're uncomfortable with the procedure, ask a local tire shop to determine the correct measurements for you," Hudson said.
Owner's Comments
We've heard from the builders of this '67 GTO, now we'll hear from its owner. "Before I started the project, it struck me that I owned a '67 GTO but that wasn't what I wanted," Hutchens recalled. "I wanted an '09 automobile that looked like a '67 GTO. With that said, you can understand why I went to such great lengths to build my GTO. I wanted to build a new car with all the new technologies that are available today, but retain the classic '67 body style and look.
"I am totally satisfied with the construction portion of this restoration, but what I'm really pleased with is MCR's ability to take my idea and turn it into the automobile that we see here. For someone who's not a gearhead like me, my best suggestion is to contact a company you can trust, like I did with MCR, who can take your vague concept of what you want and turn it into an actual automobile."
Conclusion
Starting back up on your project is a whole lot simpler when you take some solid advice from the pros. You may not ever go to the extremes of the GTO buildup featured in this story, but we're certain the challenges faced by its builders and the solutions they developed and implemented will help you succeed in your next project.