ANY vehicle restoration project WILL be a learning experience, both in
mechanically specific items on the particular vehicle AND in some "one
year" items on the particular vehicle (which can look completely
identical to a similar part on another vehicle from the same maker OR a
different year of the same generation vehicle . . . but aren't).

YearONE is a long time vendor for muscle car restoration parts. In
beginning the project, if you have a relative that has a business, they
might set him up with an open charge account so you can order parts
cheaper than possibly otherwise.

One somewhat flaky thing is that if you buy enough at one time, you can
make the "business discount" look like it's more trouble than it might
be worth. At least, that's the way it was about 15 years ago.

In the mean time, there have been other restoration parts vendors come
onto the scene, many of which supply YearONE with parts for resale. For
carpets, you can use Auto Custom Carpets in GA, for example. For other
interior trim items, you can use Legendary Interiors. Both of these
companies supply correct OEM interior items worthy of the best correct
restoration project as they are "production correct" items.

There are also a few GM-specific magazines yo might check out for other
vendors. One used to be "Pontiac Enthusiast" magazine. Seems like
there's also "Pontiac Performance" or something similar. You can
usually find them at Barnes&Noble or online. They'll have advertising
in them that you migth not find other places.

There is also a soft back book on GTO Restoration, with similar titles
for Chevelles and such. I know that in a few instances, there CAN be
errors in these publications, for whatever reason. Typically, though,
these errors might only be meaningful if you were going to do a 10%
correct restoration. They can be helpful for general information,
though.

In the Pontiac-oriented magazines, you'll also find information on shows
at the local, regional, and national levels. Attending one of them
BEFORE you jump off into the project can be highly helpful . . . or it
could be a deal-breaker too.

KEY THING is to make sure that you're going to build YOUR dream car or
your son's. I know of one case where a local body shop guy searched for
a '66 Mustang for his high school age daughter to have for graduation.
He searched dilligently for a good one to rebuild. When it was getting
close to being done, he mentioned to her that it was going to be hers.
He thought she would be thrilled to have such a car . . . WRONG! She
wanted "a new car" rather than one that wasn't, didn't matter if it was
a vintage Mustang, she wanted a new car. Needless to say, he was
crushed and later finished the car and sold it.

So, get the Pontiac magazines, find the GTO clubs' websites, plan to go
to the local and natioanal show events (where many vendors will also be
in the swap meet or vendor midway area!), and THEN test the waters to
see if your son might be interested in what you propose to do.

Personally, my favorite GTOs were not the first years, but the '66-'67
years. In the earlier years, as I recall, "GTO" was an option package
on a LeMans, but in the years I mention, it was a separate model.
Learning how to read VIN numbers from back then can be KEY in
determining if you will be buying a real one or a clone. Same with
Camaro Z/28s. "Realness" can inflate the price somewhat, so be an
informed shopper.

To me, forget eBAY for vehicle purchases. You can use it as a shopping
tool to see what the market will require price-wise, but do NOT purchase
a vehicle online unless you talk to the seller and you can see some
extensive pictures. Going to the car meets and talking to people who
have done what you are considering doing can be helpful in knowing what
to look for when inspecting the potential vehicle for purchase.

You can probably be better off shopping on Craigslist for the area you
might be in or near. Generally, with lower costs, you'll find
"distressed sellers" rather than otherwise. Hence, the prices will be
more reasonable AND you can more easily travel to look at the car and
dicker with the owner . . . if it's what you might want.

Rather than get a higher priced real GTO, you might consider a more
normal LeMans hardtop. Prices will be less for purchase and you might
take a few "liberties" with the restoration that would otherwise hurt
the value of a real GTO. Even if it might have a Pontiac 350 rather
than the 400, it'll run pretty good and get better fuel mileage, due in
part to the fact it can have more normal rear axle ratios than a
"performance car" of the same year. In other words, if you want to
profile and make a little noise, it'll cost less to get there. Even if
you find a really nice car with little rust, it'll be less than a rough
GTO, I suspect, while offering the same enjoyment factor . . . possibly
even more as "a sleeper", kind of like the later LeMans GT-37 cars.

Getting your son involved in the project is KEY as he'll be learning as
he goes, too. IF you can get the car hobby spark lit in him, it can be
even better . . . especially for USA vehicles.

Perhaps, after finding a nice car, it'll be "your car", but you can ask
him to do research and see how to reasonably proceed with the project.
Key thing is "bang for the buck" in upgrades and modifications. The
basic things would be to get the body fixed up and then the mechanicals
in order. ALL of these things can be highly Pontiac-specific, athough
the general platform was shared with Chevy, Buick, and Olds.

Happy Hobbying!

C-BODY