If the gauges appear to be...
If the gauges appear to be stock--but not--it's because the second podfrom the right is housing '66 gauges for oil pressure and water temp.The right-hand pod has a rare (read: expensive today) optional tach for1964.
SUSPENSION UPGRADES
Bruce wanted a suspension system that was much improved over the stock'64 but that lent itself to long road trips without being harsh. Tomaintain civility, stock replacement springs were employed up front with'66 GTO-with-A/C springs out back, and rubber replacement bushings wereused throughout the suspension system. A larger 1-inch front stabilizerbar from a '69 GTO and a 7/8-inch rear bar and boxed control arms from a'70 GTO reduce understeer and body roll in the corners, and more modernKYB gas shocks, painted factory gray, dampen road irregularities.
A radio block-off plate is...
A radio block-off plate is cool, and the 421 emblem is cooler. Thepresence of the hidden radio explains the power antenna on a GTO with aradio-delete plate. Bruce and Jim couldn't keep everything a secret.
Aquick-ratio 12.7:1 steering box from an '80s GM car and a steeringdampener from a '64 manual steering GTO make road chores a pleasure,while retrofitted four-wheel disc brakes provide short stops. A set of14x6 steel wheels pirated from a '69 GTO offer the proper offset to fitthe disc brakes behind them while maintaining a stock appearance.
Ridingon repro '67 GTO-sized F70-14 redline bias-ply tires again keeps thenearly stock look. (Perhaps radial redlines will be a future upgradeonce the GTO is driven on a regular basis to further improve ride andhandling.)
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
Even the shifter has a story....
Even the shifter has a story. Bruce wanted a stick with the Hurst logo,which the '64 didn't have. So Jim located a first-design '65 lever,which has the same angle as the '64 and has the logo.
Upgrades were not limited to the drivetrain and suspension. Otherfeatures include halogen headlamps; a remote trunk release from aCadillac; a '63 Bonneville trunk mat, spare tire cover, and cardboardtrunk liners; '70 Firebird hubcaps; and myriad mods mentioned in thecaptions.
CONCLUSION
To enjoy this GTO the way it was meant to be, Bruce will start drivingthe car now that the judging is over. Incidentally, the '64 did, infact, take Concours Gold at the '04 GTOAA Nats and was considered forBest Modified. But Jim says the car's Achilles' heel in that competitionturned out to be the very philosophy of its build---the modificationswere so well hidden that many went unnoticed.
Owner Bruce Ling couldn't...
Owner Bruce Ling couldn't resist the 421 badge, which tells only part ofthe story of the powerplant.
Bruce's take on theproject is that, "The car turned out great. Unless you look closely, anovice would think that it's totally stock. And yet it has an incrediblelist of mods that increase performance, comfort, and safety."
Jim sumsup the GTO by saying, "Bruce ended up with a '64 GTO that accelerates sohard it makes you swallow your tongue, and it stops so hard that youwant to throw up. Yet it can cruise from New York to Florida with thecruise set at 75 mph with great tunes and air conditioning, all with the'64's timeless styling."
Both are enthusiastic about the result, andthey have a right to be. All told, more than 40 mods were performed onthe '64 with approximately 1,700 man-hours invested, according to Jim.
So, if your tastes follow the same line as Bruce Ling's, then a templateof sorts has been provided for your next project. Let's see whatcreativity in this genre you are capable of.