Fresh nut & bolt frame off restoration with 150 miles since completion. The asking price Their have been two owners during this GTO restoration. The 1st owner, during the restoration stage, was actively involved in the restoration scene with a company that provided new sheet metal and restoration paint supplies for classic cars. He was able to procure services from other restoration shops at wholesale rates, between $40 and $50 per hour, in exchange for his body panels and supplies. Because of this arrangement and his desire to have near perfect GTO, the restoration shops were given the luxury of being allowed to spend all the time required to do a top-quality build. Also, the 1st owner had access to an English trained master metal fabricator with over 40 years’ metal shaping experience who expertly reskinned the doors, trunk and metal finished the original front hood. Based on invoices and bills provided by this 1st owner, which are not complete but represent maybe 90% of the initial build cost, he had spent over $55,000 on this GTO (most of this when the Canadian dollar was at or above par to the American dollar). Converted to “retail” rates and accounting for some good old fashion “horse trading” a normal client would have spent $65,000 or more just to the painting, rolling chassis stage. This was his dream car but unfortunately life happens, health changes, finances change and the project stalled for 10 years. As a friend of the first owner I agreed to buy the unfinished project and promised to finish it in a manner that befit the car he envisioned.
To finish the GTO, we were faced with many missing parts, unfinished mechanical and electric systems plus the assembly. If anyone tells you that they are 90% complete on a restoration, at a rolling chassis stage, they are not telling you the truth. I spent a further $25,000 on the GTO plus an extra 500 – 750 hours of my and good friends time finishing the car with the expert help of Zeebs Restorations in Chestermere Alberta Canada. We did some upgrades to make the car better suited for todays roads and conditions because realistically stock GTO’s do not make good touring cars (3:55 rear gears and a 3-speed automatic are no fun at 85mph). The Wilwood brakes, the Hotchkis suspension, the Autowire electrical harness, the 700R4 4 speed automatic transmission, rebuilt with new crown & pinion 3:55 gears, 17” Rally Wheels with performance tires, Flowmaster 2 ½ inch exhaust are just some of the safety and performance upgrades made to this GTO. The interior, done in the original red color, was the work of a talented upholstery specialist who made everything fit and work like new. The paint, which is roughly 12 years old, was near perfect but we did respray the front fenders to repair some deep scratches that a professional polish could not remove. We have had to rebuild the hideaway headlights with mostly new components, we had to add the hood tach as original, we wanted a tilt column, we wanted a completely hidden modern sound system with Bluetooth, Sirius Radio and multiple amps. All of these changes require any cutting or mutilating of the GTO and all can be reversed back to original, if one desires to do that. Where we need custom brackets or fabrication Zane at Zeebs Restoration stepped in. All electrical mechanical upgrades were either supervised, validated or performed by Zane’s dad, who has over 40 years as GM trained mechanic and automotive vocational teaching experience. This is a home build car and I have the bills to back this up but be realistic this is not a Chip Foose or Kindig- It-Design restoration (I’m also not asking a 7-figure sale price).
When I completed the GTO, as promised, I offered it back to the 1st owner and while he was overwhelmed by the quality of the finished product he just could not afford it at this point in time. This is not my first “Restomod” build but truthfully, I’m a Camaro or Mustang type of guy (I have built a Restomod of each of these cars, a few are in Canada and the others are in the USA). I like finding the cars and the build process but once done I’m looking forward to another build, which usually takes me 2 – 4 years to complete. At $35,000 USD, I am covering my costs but nowhere near the $80,000 plus dollars put into this GTO. We just debuted the GTO at the World of Wheels show in Calgary Alberta and it won 2nd in a very competitive class against numerous "show queens" costing much more than we are asking. The beauty of this GTO you can actually drive it to the ice cream shop with the wife and kids, take in proudly to local and regional car shows and compete with the best and or tour down the highway at 85mph in comfort with the knowledge that you are not stretching the limits of this GTO. This will be a fun car to enjoy knowing you are not into this car for big money (you could not reasonably replicated this for twice the money).
We do not need help marketing this car and trades will not be considered. For American buyers we will assist in the transportation process, up to a maximum of $1,750 USD (based on 5% of the current asking price). We will arrange to deliver the GTO, in an enclosed car hauler, to any destination in the continental USA (up the a limit of 5% of the final agreed to sale price). I look forward to discussing the virtues of this GTO with any serious buyer.
