The customer has some interesting mods in mind for this that'll make the driving experience that much better. A Restomod in concept but keeping the spirit of originality intact. Since this car is entirely numbers matching and complete, it'll be an interesting ride!

	Pepper Green Code 48. This car looks absolutely "horrible" in person. Yet another example of not buying cars by photos. This one, by the way, was not purchased by photos alone. I was sent to go inspect the car before the buyer forked over the " green " to the seller. The seller had been totally honest about the way the car looked so it was not a surprise.
	Even body gaps? Not!
	Looks as though this goats nose has an infection
	This bumper apparently has been bumped one too many times
	The rear quarter had patch skins installed. It shows.
	Another overview of the left
	The left quarter skin. The center body line flattens out just forward of the wheelwell.
	The original person who ordered this car must of liked green!
	Two tone green? I think the Geico Gecco would have fits trying to blend in this interior
	Rear seat appears to not have had much use. Unlucky guy, I guess!
	AM/FM stereo, nice option!
	Another reason to check out the shop who is the potential restorer. They painted the motor Corporate Blue! We have to pull this motor to repaint it to the correct color. Arrrggh!
	Okay, here we go. It is march 7, 2006 and we are off and running. Front bumper is starting to be diasassembled
	The front bumper is now removed. Notice how the front fender edge is not painted. This is another example of a poorly executed "restoration". Also known as a "tape and shoot" It really is akin to the $149 paint job centers.
	The tedious process of removing the dash begins. The first step is to remove all the trim panels and gain access to the components.Assuming the dash wiring harness is in good condition, we label each and every wire so it makes reconnecting the wires to the individual components on the dash easier when we reinstall the restored dash.
	Now the dash has been removed.
	Here is the dash all stripped down and ready to be shipped.
	After measuring the dash, we are now constructing a crate to make the long trip back and forth.
	The hood underside is now being stripped.
	The offending paint has been stripped off the Endura bumper.
	Hood was stripped and now after working the metal, the body work begins
	Passenger side fender removed and stripped. Not too bad underneath.
	The right door was removed and being stripped of its bodywork and paint. The door metal was in pretty good condition.
	The right front fender in metal etch prime.
	The GTO is losing its parts at a rapid rate.
	Stripping the trunk lid revealed body filler over rust. Not an acceptable repair. We will have to make patches for this on both sides and weld them in.
	Upon stripping the right quarter panel, we found this unbelievable amount of body filler for no apparent reason. It was not over rust but over the seam where the quarter panel skins had been welded in. A properly replaced quarter skin does not require this amount of filler.
	After working the metal where the quarter had been spliced in, we were about to do the proper bodywork.
	The green interior is now leaving the building. Its final appearance was today.
	Once we had the quarter stripped, we found the bondo filled rust lurking. We cut out the rust and will be welding in a new piece.
	Body work continues on the left rear quarter.
	The right rear quarter is now in metal etch prime.
	The left quarter has been patched with new metal and the other metal wok has been done. The body work is almost finished on the quarter. We are almost ready to put this body into prime.
	The non A/C firewall is being readied for closure
	The opening where Mr. Heater Core used to reside has been closed up. His neighbor, Fan Motor, has been evicted and will be closed up also. We will be installing Vintage Air so the owner can keep cool during the summer months.
	The body is now in epoxy primer. Next, we will start block sanding the body to make sure it is absolutely arrow straight. It is March 24, 2006 and we have the body ready for paint. Not bad considering the amount of problems we ran into!
	The  brand new Tremec 5 speed manual transmission has arrived. With a 3.27 first gear ratio and a .68 overdrive ratio, this will make the old goat a much better cruiser, not to mention the slick shifter the tremec's have. This will do away with the high RPM's that come with the old 4 speed manuals on the highway. 65 MPH should now be about 2000 RPM as opposed to 3000 RPM.
	The troublesome Endura bumper is now getting much needed attention. We have to use a very specific process to repair the cracks and damages along with a special epoxy mix to hold it all together. These bumpers are very time consuming and there are not any reproductions available.
	The hood receives its black paint on the underside.
	The engine and transmission have been plucked from their home.
	The 455 HO rear main is leaking. We will be replacing it with a new design one piece seal
	Body bushings are cracked and will require replacement.
	Once we started cleaning the firewall to prep it for paint, we found this rot lurking in the corner
	The new Global West upper and lower control arms along with the QA-1 coil over 12 way adjustable shocks have been installed. This will allow us to tune the ride and the ride height. Also, the Global West arms correct a lot of the camber issues for handling improvements
	The right side as it goes in. Just like building a big model.
	Once we cut it open, we found the interior metal to be rotted also. A couple of patches took care of that.
	Another view of the suspension with the sway bar installed.
	Since the rear main seal is leaking, we have decided to upgrade to the neoprene rear main seal instead of the old rope seal. It turns out that the new rope seal has different composition and makes it easier to leak. It requires removal of the crankshaft and some modifications.
	The rear main bearing is at .020 and we will replace them while we have the crankshaft out. Overall, the engine looks good inside.
	QA-1 rear shocks, Global West upper and lower control arms and new springs bring up the rear to finish off the suspension.
	We had Python Restoration restore our seatbelts. They rebuild the buckles, rewebbed everything in the sandalwood color we requested and made sure everything matched. Turnaround time was about 4 weeks.
	Now that the crankshaft is back from the machine shop, it has been installed along with a new oil pump. The bottom end is buttoned up
	After repainting the motor in the correct color, installing a new HEI distributor, new clutch and the 5 speed Tremec transmission, it is ready for installation into the chassis
	The motor and transmission are now resting comfortably in their home.
	The body has been edged in the factory Pepper Green color folowed by a clear coat
	The doors also have been treated to a liberal dose of Pepper Green
	The fenders also were treated with Pepper Green
	The doors have been installed and a preliminary alignment done. The radiator support and radiator have been installed
	The Tremec transmission is a little larger then the Muncie 4 speed. A little floor surgery will be in order. Consider it a floor "lift"
	The Vintage Air evaporator has been installed
	A/C compressor is installed
	Accessory assembly continues
	Transmission tunnel having new fabrication done to it in order to fit the slightly larger dimensions of the Tremec transmission
	Body mounts and lines are being changed. The body has to be lifted to properly replace the lines and the mounts were tired, so it was a good time to do both. With today's ethanol blended fuels, it is a good idea to replace the fuel lines with stainless steel.
	The underside is being buttoned up.
	The front sheetmetal is installed.
	The Vintage Air is now being installed under the hood.
	The transmission tunnel has been formed and is being welded to make it one with the factory floor.
	The dash has arrived from the west coast after being restored in the factory sandalwood color
	Another view of the restored dash
	The bodywork on the floor has been completed, the stock shifter has been adapted to the Tremec transmission and the original console has been test fitted to ensure everything fits as it is suppose to
	Another view. Looks like a stock 4 speed setup, right?
	Remember how poorly the Endura bumper fit? That was the norm for these vehicles. Getting the nose to fit requires an enormous amount of work.
	Another view of the continuing fitment.
	Now that the Endura bumper is fitting perfectly to the fenders and hood, we can prime it.
	After much wet sanding and utilizing our proprietary process to keep these bumpers in shape for a longer duration of time, it is base coated to check the reflections to ensure we have a perfect surface.
	Look how nice the lines are.  Over two and a half days went into getting the bumper, fenders and hood to fit perfectly. The results will pay off, however.
	This is the latest Vintage Air control panel. It is slimmer in design and the knobs are backlit. This panel makes the installation possiblities much greater then their standard panels.
	Here is the restored dash installed. This color will make the interior much more pleasant to look at.
	Another view of the dash.
	Fresh out of the booth
	Another view of the paint job
	Right rear view
	Wet sanding of the car has begun
	Seats have been rebuilt, repadded and recovered. Unfortunately, the lighting was not great at the time we took the pictures in our parts dept.
	Rear seats and side panels restored
	New chrome and backs
	Front assembly has begun
	We have installed the new convertible top, rear spoiler, rear bumper and exterior moldings
	New door panels and components. This color certainly goes better with the Pepper Green exterior.
	New center console and carpeting have been installed. Front seats along with reconditioned and rewebbed seat belts have been installed. We will be installing the new Formula wheel soon. Notice the stock shifter. One cannot tell it has a Tremec 5 speed lurking underneath. 2000 RPM in 4th gear reduces to 1200 RPM when shifted into 5th gear. What a great way to save fuel and reduce wear to the engine.
	View of the engine compartment
	Rear side trim panels, rear seat and seat belts are now installed.
	New kick panels made for speakers along with a new thick rim Formula wheel have been installed. The interior is finishing out nicely.
	The rear spoiler does not sit flat on the rear spoiler. We are grinding some of the spoiler pedestal in the center to make the contour match the trunk lid.
	Now we have installed Wheel Vintiques Rallye II 15x8 and 15x7 wheels with '69 lug nuts and center caps. The wheel wells now are filled nicely and the car looks much better
	Left side view
	Rear view
	Right rear view. We will be installing the trim rings after we deliver it to the customer. He wants to see how it looks without the trim rings. Once they are installed, it scratches the paint.
	Judge stripes were added at the customer's request. These stripes would be correct for this color.
	Left rear view
	Engine callouts were installed on the spoiler sides
	Interior ready, customer will be adding his own stereo system
	Overall view