Here’s where the project ...
Here’s where the project started.
What does it take to stand apart from well-built Pro-Touring cars and Restomods? More mods…where you can see them. Barry Penfound of Elyria, Ohio, has built his business around creating modern concept custom cars for clients. For his personal project, he decided to employ all he had learned from past builds. “Having already built the ’59 Buick LoSabre, ’64 Cadillac Cambiar, and ’63 Chevrolet Impala SportsRoof, which were well-received by the public and media, the idea was to build a ’64 GTO using modern technology and make it a fun, street-driven performance car,” Barry explains.
Purchased 15 years ago for $5,000, the 99,000-mile ’64 Goat retained its factory 389 four-barrel engine, Muncie four-speed trans, 3.55-geared 10-bolt rear, tach, and a host of comfort options. Barry’s goal was to transform it from a tiger into a Sabertooth tiger.
Once the GTO was delivered to Trackside Automotive in Avon, Ohio, plastic media-blasting removed the factory Nocturne Blue hue to reveal the metal repair that lay ahead. It’s easier to call out which body panels weren’t replaced. The roof, A-pillars, and cowl are original; the doors, fenders, and decklid are used; and most of the other sheetmetal is new from Goodmark Industries.
The taillights shine through engine-turned panels, the bumper and backup lights were filled, and visible bolts were removed.
After the fresh metal was welded in and body worked, multiple coats of PPG DPLV2 epoxy primer were applied and block-sanded. B.S. Creations in Mansfield then applied PPG V-Seal DAS3025 sealer followed by four coats of Deltron 2000 base in PPGTO Blue—a custom color developed with Frank Jemiola, a color stylist at PPG—and finally PPG Glamour Clear. The paint was wet-sanded using 1,000-, 1,500-, and 2,000-grit. Presta products were employed for polishing by John Lasky and Dean Sadowsky to reveal the shine.
The most striking aspects...
The most striking aspects of the front end are the single headlight plus HID driving light on each side, and the fabricated grilles with engine-turned and slotted inserts. The hoodscoops are functional and a hood tach was added. Less obvious changes include the shortened and filled bumper with bolts removed, the smoothed license plate area, the cowl panel with slots only as wide as the hood’s “ironing board,” and the single wiper.
Advanced Plating rechromed the bumpers. Some of the trim, like the wheelwell moldings, was chromed and some was simply polished, all by Grafton Metalfinishing in Grafton, Ohio.
Chuck’s Custom Design in Amherst, Ohio, created the interior. Striking red vinyl adorns the custom covered seats and fabricated door panels that host engine-turned inserts, ’51 Chevy armrests, and ’59 door handles and window cranks. There’s also a one-piece headliner; matte red paint on the dash, tops of the doors, and trim areas; and an ACC carpet. The dashpad is modified, the lower half of the dash is filled, and the defroster vents were redesigned to match the hoodscoop shape.
The console-mounted Custom...
The console-mounted Custom Auto Sound stereo features a six-CD changer, an amp, and two 6x9, two 3x5, and one 10x4-inch speaker hidden behind the dash, kick panels, and rear seats. The controller for the Ridetech suspension is on the right.
Trackside Automotive installed a Ridetech air suspension system to ensure precise handling and an easily adjustable ride height. Upper and lower StrongArm tubular A-arms reside up front. ShockWave adjustable air springs, commanded by a RidePro e3 fully programmable electronic control system and adjustable aluminum shocks, are at the four corners. Drop spindles were sourced from Fat Man Fabrications. The steering box and linkage are from Flaming River and feature a 12:1 ratio for quick maneuvers. An Art Morrison Enterprises 4-Bar rear clip was installed and modified to fit with the 12-bolt (it’s made for a 9-inch) and Ridetech ShockWaves. The clip’s tubular upper and lower control arms locate the rear, and a diagonal link kit provides lateral control.
An SSBC Tri-Power system with red-powdercoated, three-piston aluminum calipers and 14-inch slotted rotors deliver the whoa.
Longtime HPP readers may recall the buildup on the GTO’s engine, “21st Century Tri-Power,” which ran in the July and Aug. ’09 issues. The original powerplant was bored 0.040-over, stroked to 449 ci, and built by Weber Racing Equipment in North Ridgeville, Ohio.
Four ’68 GTO bucket seats...
Four ’68 GTO bucket seats wear diamond-quilt inserts using metallic blue thread. A ’64-style console, modified to fit the Richmond Gear shifter, splits the front buckets, and a parcel shelf with a vinyl “waterfall” separates the rear.
North Hollywood Speedometers...
North Hollywood Speedometers restored and refinished the factory gauges in red and they are set in a custom engine-turned insert. Chuck’s Custom Design transformed the stock black interior into a one-of-a-kind cabin in red vinyl. Craft Customs in Rockwall, Texas, leather-wrapped the custom steering wheel. Controls for wipers, lights, and such were relocated to the bottom of the dash.
Diamond-quilt panels hide...
Diamond-quilt panels hide the Ridetech equipment and the batteries, and show off two 12-inch woofers.