Good morning all, This will be my build thread for tracking the rolling restoration of "Lucy", my '67 GS. I've had the car for about two years now and had been driving her regularly while also replacing//upgrading her along the way. I've gotten so far as to swap in Wilwood discs on all four corners, all new wiring harness and electrical components, and an M23 Muncie w/Gearvendors Overdrive. Unfortunately, after driving the car a few thousand miles, the head gasket has started to fail on the 1970 455 right between the #4 and #6 cylinders. So back in September, I tore it down, and put in a new gasket (with the help and wisdom of several people on this board). When I got the motor apart I could see that the deck surfaces had been scorched. So once I put it all back together, she started right up and ran better, but was still down on power, and still smoking from the exhaust... I needed a rebuild. So, in recent months, I have coordinated with Jim Weisse and sent him the deposit for a 482ci roller with a Stage 2 top end. Jim tells me the motor should be assembled sometime around May. But in the meantime, I'll be cleaning, updating, and upgrading the front half of the car. So here's what's on the agenda: -Engine Swap -Power steering pump rebuild -Steering Box rebuild w/quick ratio upgrade -Media blast & repaint the engine bay -Front bumper straightened & rechromed (already complete) -Stage 2 headers & 3" exhaust I'm doing almost all of the disassembly myself, and some of the installation. But I'll be having a local restoration shop do a fair amount of the final assembly. I'll have A LOT of questions for you all since I'm a very novice mechanic. Here are some pics from before I started the tear down: *That handsome stud in the last picture is my father posing with his own '67 GS back in the early-mid 70's.. which was my inspiration to find this particular car.
Tear down has been underway for a couple of days now, and there's not much left but the engine block. However, I think I'd like to pull the inner and outer fenders, along with the core support so I can have it all media blasted and painted. Would you guys please provide your wisdom on the following: Power Steering: My power steering was working and sounding just fine. However, the pump is covered in fluid (although it never dripped on the floor). The pulley is still attached. What's my best course of action here? Steering Shaft: The steering felt find when I was driving the car, but the steering shaft above the header looks aweful.. should I rebuild this while I'm in there? Replace it? Paint it? -Picture attached to try to show the condition. Core Support: The incoming engine will make 550-600hp, so I'd really like to fit a larger radiator in the car. Has anyone here opened up the factory core support to fit a larger radiator? Or is there an aftermarket solution that fits into these cars without much modification? I have my eye on "Champion" radiators. They call for an AE571 to fit my core support. But I'd really like to fit an AE161. Any suggestions?? https://www.championradiators.com/product/AE161 Headlight Bezels: Has anyone restored the old pot-metal headlight bezels? There seems to be gray paint, black paint, and chrome in a very small space... How does a guy get these looking fresh again?
I don't know the answers to your questions, but am watching this thread. Your 67 GS is a sweet looking car!
Looks great nice plans... About your radiator.. I got a 67 also the factory Harrison is long gone.. I got a Made in Mexico (brand unknown) 4 Core... I do live in the PNW temps dont get to high... The rad keeps the temp well within the 180 range..... Before buying a new Rad, I'd have your local radiator shop take a look at what you got... And see just what he can do.
If there are unpainted areas that should be chrome, find the most pit free headlamp doors. Send these to a chrome shop that does pot metal. Each pit must be hand filled. The more pits the more the cost. There is no need to cut up your core support.
Good luck on ur build. What make is the wagon in front of ur dads 67? U might have to get one of those too.
94IDI (Jared?) Tell me more about your Dad's 67 GS400. Details, where he bought it, where he lived when he owned it, any other pics? Was it a 4 speed?? Here are a couple pics of My Mom and Dads Burgundy Mist 67 GS400 they special ordered and bought new in South West lower Michigan. They sold it in 1973 with 27,000 miles on it. Looked for it for years. They sold it to a couple in town, who in turn sold it to someone from out of town, but have no idea where it went.
Two things I notice right away. Upper belt reveal moldings that Mom got not really knowing what she was ordering, door edge guards, , and trailer hitch that Dad pulled my Grandpa's boat with. It may not be the same car, but you hardly ever see Burgundy Mist 67's, and two with upper belt reveal moldings, door edge guards, trailer hitch, and being in Indiana not too far from Three Rivers, Michigan??
Sometimes it's what is not ordered. No vinyl top. That's big. Not so sure on the white pinstripe - it doesn't look to have that or the road wheels.
By the mid to late 70's, it could have been repainted to stripes eliminated. I was under the impression pinstripes were standard on a GS400, either white or red depending on body color. Mom and dad had a pair of black steel wheels with snow tires on the rear that went with the car. Car in photo could have the spare on in that photo?
Just an update folks. All the running gear is out of the car, and I’m hoping to get it all on a crate and headed up to Jim Weisse this week. I’ll be pressure washing the engine bay today to determine whether it needs disassembled and sandblasted... or if I can simply put a coat of chassis paint on in its current condition. Also may get around to cleaning up the parts I don’t need and posting them in the marketplace here on the site.
I’m ready to start ordering cooling and fueling parts so two questions: Actually I’m re-asking one of the questions COOLING: -Does anyone have experience cooling +500hp with a stock sized radiator and electric fans in one of these ‘67 (or older) cars? FUELING: -Jim has already pointed me toward 1/2” “Aeroquip” hose to move fuel around. But can any of you personally recommend a replacement fuel tank AND upgraded fuel pickup that will feed the new engine? thanks in advance, fellas!
Thanks Rick! It was in there so tight that I thought it might be pressed in. But once you confirmed that it was threaded, I just put my purse down and tried turning it like a man... that worked pretty well.
Update for anyone interested: the project snowballed a little..... Still waiting on TA Performance to get caught up on Stage 2 head castings (no ETA yet). But since I've been waiting, I've removed everything forward of the firewall and took her down to the frame rails. I stripped the rails, core support, and firewall down to bare metal and coated with Eastwood primer and then covered that with Eastwood Chassis Black. Since my hands were idle from not having an engine to install, they got busy and ordered a quick ratio gear box and complete UMI Stage 3 front suspension with Viking coilovers and additional frame brace sitting in the garage ready to be installed.
Here's a quick update. The UMI boxes have been sitting in my garage for a couple of months now and I finally cut the tape and opened them up today. This is my first experience with UMI but I've been impressed this morning with the quality of the packaging, and the quality of the parts. I'll try to keep you posted on how it actually feels when I get it on the road.
Good morning all, It's been awhile since I posted here so I figured I'd drop an update for anyone interested. Progress has been stalled for awhile due to the supply chain shortages around the country. The last thing I'm waiting on is a camshaft. Once that gets to Jim, he'll finish assembly and we'll be underway again. In the meantime, I've stripped, primed and painted the firewall, frame rails, and inner fender wells Eastwood Chassis primer//paint. Installed a tubular Stage 3 suspension from UMI with shimless Uppers, and Viking Coilovers. Then installed Ridetech drag link and tie ends with billet adjusters along with a rebuilt quick ratio gear box from Hector. I'm hoping that those changes along with the Wilwood discs and the new motor from Tri-Shield performance will make it a pretty fun driver//weekend racer. Here are a few pics of it's current state... They're a little blurry though because they're snapshots of a video that I took for a friend. I just haven't been able to figure out how to upload video here. -Jared
