So you've been thinking about restarting your long dormant Pontiac project. Maybe your mind is set on the biggest engine you can build, electronic fuel injection, multi-piston caliper brakes with pizza-pie-sized rotors, wide and meaty low-profile tires, a leather-laden interior, and a wish list of modern electronics to make even Santa Claus jealous.
On the other hand, classic or concours may be what you're looking for, with your goal to bring your Pontiac back to showroom new-duplicating the factory look down to its minutae, including assembly-line paint overspray, date-coded belts and hoses, accurately-recreated factory assembly markings, and bias-ply tires.
Or you may desire something between the two extremes. Perhaps you're loyal to the GTO's classic look, but want it to accelerate and handle better, and are considering some tasteful engine mods, aftermarket suspension bolt-ons, and bigger and wider wheels and tires. Regardless of which route you take for your Pontiac's buildup, it's easier if you can pick up some tips from seasoned professionals. Over the past months, HPP has shown you how Jeff Hutchens of Springfield, Missouri, had Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and Wheeler Dyno Service in Blaine, Minnesota, transform his '67 GTO into a 1,073hp twin-turbo Pro-Touring road rocket, capable of taking on some European exotics. Though the build of this GTO is extreme, the challenges faced and their solutions can help you avoid obstacles, or easily overcome them, when you build your Pontiac, regardless of the style, budget, and goals of the project.
From The Frame Up
Once a plan was in place, MCR's next step was to determine whether Hutchens' stock frame could handle the rigors of the radical project. "We had to pack so much stuff under the hood and into the chassis that there was no way the factory frame could accommodate our plans," Jim Hudson, MCR's Assembly Shop Supervisor, told HPP. "For the average person, an aftermarket frame is really unnecessary. For 80-90 percent of all projects, a stock frame with aftermarket bolt-ons will provide exactly what you're looking for."
 |  With the hood off, it's easy...  With the hood off, it's easy to see the IA II 505ci powerplant equipped with twin Turbonetics 72mm turbos. This monster puts out more than 1,000 hp, and the engine is pure Pontiac. A custom-built Bell Intercooler cools the incoming charge and a Be Cool crossflow radiator cools the block and heads. |  Looking underneath, it's easy...  Looking underneath, it's easy to see the attention to quality that MCR put into this buildup. A custom 3-inch exhaust system features modified Hooker Super Comp headers, and Summit smooth-tube stainless-steel mufflers. Notice the QA1 coilovers, which are used front and rear. |
Project Tip: So what is the primary criterion for determining if your project can use the factory frame or it needs an aftermarket unit? "High-speed handling" is the answer, according to Hudson. "You can get great steering, braking, ride, handling, and launching from bolt-on components on your stock frame at a much lower buy-in price, but if you are determined to get the absolute finest in all areas of performance, there's no comparison between the rigidity of an aftermarket chassis versus a factory frame."
The nice part of the Schwartz aftermarket frame is that it came pre-assembled with tubular upper and lower front control arms, Mustang II rack-and-pinion steering, QA1 coilover shocks, Wilwood 14-inch-diameter rotors with six-piston caliper brakes, and a 11/16-inch solid sway bar in the front. Out back is a four-link setup with tubular control arms, QA1 coilovers, a Moser 9-inch rearend with an aluminum center section, a Detroit Locker True-Trac, 3.73 gears, and 31-spine axles.
Project Tip: If you use a stock frame, however, as most HPP readers will, many aftermarket components will bolt-up without any welding or modification, allowing you to improve in all areas of your car's steering, ride, handling, and response. "The great thing about using a factory frame is that you don't have to upgrade all of your suspension at once," Hudson advised. "You can do your brakes one season, the front suspension the next, and the rear suspension after that, until you are happy with the final results. This way, you can save money, as you're improving the quality of your ride."