1964 Pontiac GTO NHRA B stock competitor

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Very good work to save and improve the engine Mark!

I agree with the others as many would have bought or stolen an engine block from another kit but you saved this one in style!  Two thumbs up! ??

[MarkJ]

Thanks, Francis. It was kinda fun in a way.  

[1972coronet]

Nice save on that purloined Poncho powerplant ! That work alone is worth a million in prizes ! 

I remember building that GTO when it was new (1984 ? 1985 ?) , but haven't attempted another build of it ( not out of disinterest ; just haven't bought one in 35 years ) .

But , I digress...

Keep up the outstanding workmanship !

[Gloozalot]

You feel ok Supertex?  I had to look through this twice just to make sure it was you building a squirt racer.   I knew it was the right guy though, when you scratch-built the entire half of the engine-----only you.   Like always you got me trying to guess which car this is so.........is the car gonna be white?  and was the driver named Bill?    I'll keep watching 'cause no telling what you might scratch build next.  I'm still waiting for you to scratch build some air---------I figure you already got an idea how, you just haven't figured out what to use.

[MarkJ]

Thanks John and George. George the reason i'm building this here drag racer is because it is the sister car to a build I did in 2018. I dont know if you remember it or not. These cars were fond memorys of my youth back in 1964. My friends father would take us on Saturday or Sunday afternoon to the local drag strip to watch these two brothers, whose father owned a Pontiac dealership in the area,. fight it out for stock eliminator trophy at the end of the festivities. They always ended up being the last two competitors, even though they were in different classes.  I'm not sure, but I think the GTO won just as many trophy's as the big brothers Catalina won. Of course he got a head start because he was b stock and big brothers car was a stock. The big brother did manage to win the national championship back in 1963 with the big Catalina. That was a fun summer for sure for me and I've always wanted to build these models to remember it. Should not be too much longer till this one is done.

[Tortuga Kustomz]

This project is coming really good so far, i have the same kit in my stash and i'm thinking on build it as an altered wheel base dragster, i don't have one in my collection, looking forward to see more of this project

[MarkJ]

On 12/10/2020 at 1:46 PM, Tortuga Kustomz said:

This project is coming really good so far, i have the same kit in my stash and i'm thinking on build it as an altered wheel base dragster, i don't have one in my collection, looking forward to see more of this project

Sounds great Marcos. Looking forward to seeing it.

[MarkJ]

Got the engine primed and started on the headers. Did a lot of painting yesterday because the weather was outstanding for down here in the humidity capitol of the world. Painted the Body , Frame and interior tub and all the things that go inside of it. 

[Gloozalot]

OK Supertex, with what you told me, I guess I'll forget about "Bill" and pick "Don and Roy".   I guess I was kinda different from everyone else back in the good old days, when the fuel stuff pulled up to run is when I would go for a dog and coke.  When the stockers pulled up, I got as close to the line as I could just to watch the launch and see the driver try to rip the shifter outta the floor on the first shift.   I saw one of those brothers once later on in a funny.  That was the only time I ever saw either one in person.     Keep Glooin' and I'll keep watching.  

[MarkJ]

22 minutes ago, Gloozalot said:

OK Supertex, with what you told me, I guess I'll forget about "Bill" and pick "Don and Roy".   I guess I was kinda different from everyone else back in the good old days, when the fuel stuff pulled up to run is when I would go for a dog and coke.  When the stockers pulled up, I got as close to the line as I could just to watch the launch and see the driver try to rip the shifter outta the floor on the first shift.   I saw one of those brothers once later on in a funny.  That was the only time I ever saw either one in person.     Keep Glooin' and I'll keep watching.  

Ok, George. Yes, the older brother was in a horrific crash in his funny car which was totally engulfed in flame but some how he managed to make it out ok. I didnt follow  them much after the sixtys but in my research for the build I found out about  the crash. I ended up buying a house about 5 miles  north of the drag strip and on saturday nights you could  hear  the fuel dragsters, funny cars , and Art Arfons green monster jet car.  I think the drag strip closed in the eightys or ninetys and a new one was built in Baytown to take its place.  The front entrance to a Walmart is where the old drag strips starting line was. Its the one I shop at now.  The area has completely changed since that neat summer of 1964.

 

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, MarkJ said:

Yes, the older brother was in a horrific crash in his funny car which was totally engulfed in flame but some how he managed to make it out ok.

Are you referring to Don Gay, Jr.? His crash was at Bandimere Speedway. I was there, that day. It was a horrible fire. He never raced after that. His grandmother put the kibosh on that.

[Tortuga Kustomz]

Awesome work

[MarkJ]

On 12/11/2020 at 6:35 PM, Straightliner59 said:

Are you referring to Don Gay, Jr.? His crash was at Bandimere Speedway. I was there, that day. It was a horrible fire. He never raced after that. His grandmother put the kibosh on that.

Ok, I got confused. The son of the older brother was in the funny car crash. It happened in 1989. I finally watched the video and it really wasn't much of a crash but the resulting fire was horrendous and he was truly lucky to have survived.

Edited December 13, 2020 by MarkJ

[MarkJ]

Finally finished the engine. 

[wrenchr]

That engine turned out great!!

[MarkJ]

21 hours ago, wrenchr said:

That engine turned out great!!

Thanks, Jason. Glad its finally finished. Now I get to polish the body. No matter how well you spray duplicolor paint it always comes out dull. 

[TransAmMike]

2 hours ago, MarkJ said:

Thanks, Jason. Glad its finally finished. Now I get to polish the body. No matter how well you spray duplicolor paint it always comes out dull. 

Concerning the Duplicolor, I had the same dull finish until I sprayed it at humidity in the low 40's and temp in 60's. Just saying.....

[MarkJ]

I got it polished but i'm going to have to decant some paint and touch up a few spots. It looks more blue in person. A lot of the edges will have b.m.f. on them too, which will help

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by MarkJ

[TransAmMike]

Looking good Mark! I don't know what color I thought it would be but not what I expected ?

[MarkJ]

On 12/15/2020 at 10:49 AM, TransAmMike said:

Concerning the Duplicolor, I had the same dull finish until I sprayed it at humidity in the low 40's and temp in 60's. Just saying.....

Mike, its almost impossible for us to get those conditions in gulf coast texas. If we ever get 40 % hunidity the temperature would not be that high. And if we did get 40 % humidity its usually after a cold front and the wind would be blowing pretty strong.

[MarkJ]

2 hours ago, TransAmMike said:

 Looking good Mark! I don't know what color I thought it would be but not what I expected ?

Thanks , Mike. I remember it being a color called yorktown blue poly which is a light silver blue color.  The closest thing I could find was a honda color called Avignon blue metallic  duplicolor.  Its pretty close but not completely accurate. a picture below shows yorktown blue on a  1964 GTO 

Edited December 16, 2020 by MarkJ

[Jack L]

25 minutes ago, MarkJ said:

Mike, its almost impossible for us to get those conditions in gulf coast texas. If we ever get 40 % hunidity the temperature would not be that high. And if we did get 40 % humidity its usually after a cold front and the wind would be blowing pretty strong.

Mark I am not far from you , I got me a humidity gauge ,your correct not may days with less than 50%

[TransAmMike]

Color is darn  close Mark.  As for the humidity, lived most of my life in New Orleans area so I understand the humidity issue.  Not so bad up here south of Nashville but still an issue during the summer.

[MarkJ]

3 hours ago, Jack L said:

Mark I am not far from you , I got me a humidity gauge ,your correct not may days with less than 50%

Yes, Jack. I hear you brother. The humidity makes are summers feel  hotter and our winters feel colder. Hardly ever get spectacular weather like people in california and new mexico get. But the californians have to sweat the fires and the earthquakes. I'll take humidity over that anyday even though we get Hurricanes which are no fun at all. 

[MarkJ]

2 hours ago, TransAmMike said:

Color is darn  close Mark.  As for the humidity, lived most of my life in New Orleans area so I understand the humidity issue.  Not so bad up here south of Nashville but still an issue during the summer.

Thanks, Mike. I guess I could have ordered the right color from that color matching company that escapes me at the moment. I ordered paint from them for the older brothers Catalina, but I would have to use my airbrush and  lately I'm just too lazy to fuss with it. Like you said, darn close, and that's good enough for me.