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Home      Gallery      Andy K's 1968 GTO
 
Agena Blue
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Andy's 1968
 
The car was purchased in November 2003. The previous owner had it for 22 years.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The frame and lower side of the body were painted with Por15 a rust preventative paint it is also chip resistant.  The engine with the car was a 350 with a automatic tranny and the shifter still had a Firebird emblem on it so we knew this was not correct.  We purchased a 400 short block from Denver CO. it was assembled with an arma-steel crank and aluminum pistons so we had a good start to our engine.  I found a rebuilt set of 670 heads on E-Bay and had them sent in (they are 67 heads but dad has them on his 67 H.O. and we knew they would do)  The cars PHS docs show it was a 4 -speed car and most of the parts were still there (just held out of the way) so we bought a m-21 from a GTOAA member in Ohio, actually we purchased a lot of parts from him.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The car was painted at L + M Autobody in Ulysses (Potter County) Pa.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here is a finished engine shot, it is styled after dads 67 HO with the open aircleaner but that is how I like it. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The restoration began immediately by myself and my dad Art Kear.  We hung the body from the rafters with come-a-longs and chains.  I spent a long time under here scrapping off old undercoating and dirt.  The driver and passenger side floor pans were replaced along with both rocker panels and a few patches here and there. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here is the car the day we started the engine.  I put many miles on the dirt road with the car in this condition. Dad's 67 and his WS6 Trans Am are in the background.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here is an interior picture. I recovered the seats installed a new dashpad, and carpet all from Ames Performance.  Everything that we could fix ourselves we did and we were quite pleased given the budget we had to work with.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here is my 68 and Dad's 67 at his house in Potter Co.
 
The restoration took around 2 1/2 years and we still pick a project every winter to change or add.  I don't think these old cars are ever finished there is always something that needs attention. 
I look forward to club events and local shows and will drive my car almost everywhere the guys want to go.  
 
 
 
REGIONAL CHAPTER