250 GTO Owners Thread

[mclark999]

Hey mudjr,

I know that I've already sent these to you but thought I'd post so everyone could have a look. Regards.

 

Hey Con Brio,

 

What hardware is this (your hood latches) and where did you get it? I've been looking around the web and the Triumph Spitfire latches look like they might work. Did you consider those?

 

Thanks,

 

Michael

[Con Brio]

Hey Michael,

The latches I used came from a King Air, originally they're used as engine cowl latches. I sourced them out through an aircraft parts supplier. After looking at the Spitfire latches I couldn't get my head around how to get them to fit and function. Please keep me informed on your progress if you choose to go with them. I'd like to do another 250 and the King Air latches are just too expensive to justify using them again.

Kind Regards

[Guest 250gto_au]

Hi, Yes mine is complete here are the pics and details if your interested.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2536874

 

regards

[Guest 250gto_au]

I posted these earlier but it seems that it did not work for some reason.

this is mine with a 400 big block pontiac.

[chelle]

Nice to see another RHD GTO repl

and another unusual engine choice, congrats on a wonderfully interesting build!

[Con Brio]

Congrats 250gto au on a stunning build. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are fantastic. I was just in Melbourne for 5 days, if I ever get back to Aus I'll try and make an effort to stop by Brisbane. It would be nice to see it in person.

Cheers !!

[Filmjay]

Hey guys and girls!

I was wondering if any of you have ever actually weighed your GTO's.

 

I'm still waiting to find the right Z, but WILL still be doing a conversion.

But, while I'm waiting, I'm putting everything down on paper that I can possibly think of.

I waited until I got a good baseline budget for everything before I considered even thinking about motor options in earnest. I've played around here and there, but haven't committed to anything yet.

 

It was ALMOST gonna be the first Northstar Z since I already have a 4.0L N* in my possession.

But, after spec'ing out everything needed, I decided to leave the first northstar Z to someone with a bigger budget who can afford the extra $2000 in specialty tools.

 

But, the overall weight of the finished product is going to dictate how much power I'd like to put in the car. Yeah, I could just pick something and start cranking away, but I'd like it to be an overall well balanced machine.

 

So...has anyone ever weighed their GTO here? Even venture a ballpark guess?

 

Thanks,

[Guest liquidblackracing]

ok guys i haven't been on here in for ever and haven't really posted on this forum. any ways my dad has a 72 datson with the Alpha one kit on it or what i belive is the Alpha 1 kit. any ways he got in to a front end collision so now where getting it repainted well he wanted to get rid of the datsun door handels and get the push button kind with the hook. the only problem is i cant find them any where. i found a websight maybe 3-4 months ago with them on it but i havent found them in the past 2 days. i rember it was some fouren websight because it was in pounds. i cant tell but maybe the web sight that i looked at befor is down. any ways please please help me find it or point me in the right direction

thanks

marshall

[Zerrari GTO]

ok guys i haven't been on here in for ever and haven't really posted on this forum. any ways my dad has a 72 datson with the Alpha one kit on it or what i belive is the Alpha 1 kit. any ways he got in to a front end collision so now where getting it repainted well he wanted to get rid of the datsun door handels and get the push button kind with the hook. the only problem is i cant find them any where. i found a websight maybe 3-4 months ago with them on it but i havent found them in the past 2 days. i rember it was some fouren websight because it was in pounds. i cant tell but maybe the web sight that i looked at befor is down. any ways please please help me find it or point me in the right direction

thanks

marshall

 

Here you go...

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=96738

Good luck, they have become a real pain in the arse to find.

[Zerrari GTO]

Here is the link to the 1st generation CIVIC forum that many GTO builders used to source the door buttons:

http://www.1stgencivic.org/world/c1zr/m1/forum/viewforum.php?f=5&sid=5e2a554c71216846ff1e8399ad0f7d7b

[ZZZeee]

I have some extra buttons but they need to be rechromed. I was going to have 3 or 4 pairs done at the same time to (hopefully) save on the per piece cost and pass the dollar/time savings to others here. LMK if you're interested.

[chelle]

With a half full gas tank ours weighs 2250 lbs, but engine is aluminum, and lots of stuff has been removed or changed to aluminum.

 

I'm in a bit of a quandary at the moment as I've begun the preparation for winter modifications and can't decide how extreme to go. I'm planning on redoing the chassis to make it safer and better. This means going to round tube and lots of suspension mods. I want it lower, especially in the front, and stronger as well as more capable. Also want to replace a few panels with aluminum.

 

I am stuggling to decide, should we sell this one (in the current weird market, either will go for a lot, because of the weak dollar, or for not enough because of weak worldwide economy) and build another the way I now want to, or do I cut this one apart and make it better.

 

If I start fresh I know how I'll build it. If I cut into this one (which is more than likely what will happen) I can't decide how extreme to take it. I may go all the way with new front and rear suspension and a full tube frame, or cut out the floor and everything forward of the firewall and just make it tube chassis on the front two-thirds. Either way the resulting frame will be a lot stronger, so then I'm either putting Arizona Z car strut assemblies on all 4 corners or switching the front suspension to something else like mustang II style or new corvette pieces. The car is fun as it is, but I want it to be more.

 

Regardless what I do to the chassis I am going to make the trunk lid and hood out of aluminum this winter. Depending on my time and patience we may do the doors too. That's a lot bigger job though so who knows, maybe I just re skin them..

 

Your thoughts? would you sell and start over, or modify the existing? And would you, if the opportunity presented, when switching to a tube frame arrangement use z car derived struts or switch to A-arms and coilovers? The cost is close enough to being the same either way to really make this a difficult choice. On the front it's $3000+ for the AZC stuff and that's in the same price range as a tubular A-Arm setup with big brakes. Even a Vette setup is about the same after buying and modifying one to work..

 

The body stuff I'm doing either way as I want it to look more accurate and the aluminum panels will resolve some fit issues and make for much better looking gaps in the panel openings.

[mclark999]

With a half full gas tank ours weighs 2250 lbs, but engine is aluminum, and lots of stuff has been removed or changed to aluminum.

 

I'm in a bit of a quandary at the moment as I've begun the preparation for winter modifications and can't decide how extreme to go. I'm planning on redoing the chassis to make it safer and better. This means going to round tube and lots of suspension mods. I want it lower, especially in the front, and stronger as well as more capable. Also want to replace a few panels with aluminum.

 

I am stuggling to decide, should we sell this one (in the current weird market, either will go for a lot, because of the weak dollar, or for not enough because of weak worldwide economy) and build another the way I now want to, or do I cut this one apart and make it better.

 

If I start fresh I know how I'll build it. If I cut into this one (which is more than likely what will happen) I can't decide how extreme to take it. I may go all the way with new front and rear suspension and a full tube frame, or cut out the floor and everything forward of the firewall and just make it tube chassis on the front two-thirds. Either way the resulting frame will be a lot stronger, so then I'm either putting Arizona Z car strut assemblies on all 4 corners or switching the front suspension to something else like mustang II style or new corvette pieces. The car is fun as it is, but I want it to be more.

 

Regardless what I do to the chassis I am going to make the trunk lid and hood out of aluminum this winter. Depending on my time and patience we may do the doors too. That's a lot bigger job though so who knows, maybe I just re skin them..

 

Your thoughts? would you sell and start over, or modify the existing? And would you, if the opportunity presented, when switching to a tube frame arrangement use z car derived struts or switch to A-arms and coilovers? The cost is close enough to being the same either way to really make this a difficult choice. On the front it's $3000+ for the AZC stuff and that's in the same price range as a tubular A-Arm setup with big brakes. Even a Vette setup is about the same after buying and modifying one to work..

 

The body stuff I'm doing either way as I want it to look more accurate and the aluminum panels will resolve some fit issues and make for much better looking gaps in the panel openings.

 

 

Dream big, Chelle and build even bigger!!!

 

In one of the kit car magazines, a guy is building a GTO from scratch. From what I've seen, you are talented enough to do it. Why start with a Datsun if you can build exactly what you want? Now if I was going to do it, I'd buy a Factory Five coupe (frame only) and modify it to work with a GTO all aluminum body on it.

 

Then I'd talk to some good Chinese friends (in China), and ask them to start a business building and selling classic replica Ferarrri 3 liter v12s for projects like ours. Patents expired years ago. So far, no one's wanted to take on the Italian guys due to law suits, but if the Chinese can clone the iPhone, I don't think they'd be bothered by Ferrari.

 

You'd have a reasonably priced and very drivable, very high performance replica for a smidgeon of what an original would cost.

 

That's my 2 pennies worth. Go for it!!!

[chelle]

lol, well I don't want to get into manufacturing engines, or supporting China's economy.

I did think of buying a kirkham chassis as a starting point, or maybe the suspension bits from a daytona coupe replica, problem with that is if I kick the butt of some cobras at run and gun they'll just say only reason it ran well was it was basically a cobra chassis.. no thanks.

 

I can build a full chassis but think I'm gonna do the front 2/3rds tube chassis for this car to make it right, and sometime down the road do a complete one from the ground up, I just have to settle on suspension bits.. like do I do the rear 100% AZC and the front do I use vette stuff, AZC, or mustang II style.. and I want to make the aluminum body pieces this winter.

 

Gonna buy an english wheel this weekend see how much damage I can do to a sheet of aluminum

[Filmjay]

Chelle, check out this months Kit Car magazine (w/ blue Daytona coupe on the cover). It has the finishing touches on a dimensionally correct GTO replica.

It's a full tube chassis car and he used a McBurnie kit, modified for a more correct extended wheelbase.

You might be able to even contact Tom about it and ask him some questions as the owner brought the chassis to Thunder Ranch for help with the body install.

 

Here...found a link to the guys' blog. The article is the same, word for word. But, less pics.

http://kitcar.automotive.com/82957/0401kc-1962-ferrari-250-gto-build-up/index.html

 

...and I know you have a Columbo motor... ...though finding the 6 Weber intake might be a bit of a trick.

 

I think I'd agree with the sentiment of starting with a FF Daytona tube chassis though. But, I don't have the means to fabricate a full tube chassis car available either.

 

and although I'm quite sure you've got these links, I'll add them anyway....

 

http://www.ferrparts.com/

http://www.lascuderiarossa.com/

 

I've also found quite a few modern Ferrari V12's on ebay lately.

 

Good luck! I look forward to seeing what you decide on. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be quite the gem.

[chelle]

well, I wouldn't say it's exact... but it is pretty impressive, he widened a McBurnie nose, and has done a lot right. I have been following his buildup..I have thought a lot about using the Vette rear suspension and transaxle, problem is the thing goes awful far forward, with the front of the transaxle being right about at my hips if the seats were the right distance in forward they would need to be more than a foot apart. Plus the width hub to hub is a lot wider than a real GTO. An original GTO has a 53" track in rear and 53.1" rear. Which is super close to the Z, A C5 Vette is I think 62"

Maybe I look at a Porsche transaxle... I need to make some decisions soon I spose..

 

Those intakes for the early engines are around, the set of carbs are what is insane money.. saw a set recently for $10,000, without the intakes.

 

re the new engines, I know, bought one recently, saving for my ground up car, don't want to give up the strong running BMW 12 in the car now..

[pparaska]

Just my opinion, but if I was doing a full or 2/3 tube chassis, there'd be not one piece for the S30 or S130 on it. It'd be C5 vette or something else that

represents a modern attempt at great suspension geometry. I know, struts do well in a lot of cars, but I'd be looking at something with optimized roll (moment) center locations (static and dynamic), optimized ackerman and bumpsteer, camber curves, etc. That's not the Z, not the Mustang 2, not even AZC's stuff, since it's based off of the Z pickup points. That stuff is good, but if you are going tube frame, why hold yourself to that?

[Con Brio]

Hey Chelle, like yourself, and everyone else, I love my car. But the minute it was finished I immediately started wanting to change things. Wishing I had done them differently from the start.

Keep or sell your current project only you can decide. But build your next one from the ground up just the way you want it. Then you'll never say "Next time I want to" or "I wish I would have".

IMHO

[chelle]

well with 2/3rds tube chassis the rear struts I'd probably leave as is, config. I keep looking at a later Vette rear suspension, even without using the rear mounted transmission the amount of cutting back there would pretty much necessitate going full tube chassis. problem is the cars are so narrow that most unequal length A-arm setups will need to have the mounting points moved inboard a lot, and not leave a lot of room for what goes in between.. up front right now everything barely fits between the stock frame rails, they are 25" apart, for a 53" track that only leaves 28"/2... so 14" on each side of the engine for the A-arms, mounts, and the distance from the ball joints to the flange.. not many are going to end up that narrow. The struts on it now leave enough room, as would a narrow setup mustang II inspired setup..

Con Brio, yeah, they are never ever done. I hafta make this one better, whether we keep it or sell it, keep it and I'll be lamenting things I want to work better, sell it and I'll have to fix those same things rather than have my name associated with something I feel isn't ready..

[Filmjay]

Those intakes for the early engines are around, the set of carbs are what is insane money.. saw a set recently for $10,000, without the intakes.

 

Go with a Weber style EFI instead....

 

http://www.dynatekracing.com/fuelinjection.htm

http://www.dynatekracing.com/pdfs/dcfi-description.pdf

 

This is what I'm planning to put into mine. Albeit on a SB or BBC.

But, if you can get hold of one of the 6x2 intakes, then you could probably get the Weber throttle bodies from Dynatek. ...and I believe they're in Ohio...so not TOO terribly far from you.