1965 Pontiac GTO: SD Client Purchases 65 GTO and Discovers He Previously Owned It. We Perform a Restoration Detail and Protection. Amazing Story!!
PROJECT DETAILS:
RESTORATION DETAIL & PROTECTION
Randy Brown, a lifetime GM enthusiast and Superior Detailer client recently contacted us for help restoring the paint work and protecting his newly-acquired 1965 Pontiac GTO. We were obviously thrilled at the opportunity. What we didn't know was that Randy had a truly amazing story to share about this vehicle. The above photo shows the 1965 GTO that Randy purchased used when he was 16 years old back in 1980. Randy was forced to sell the car 5 years later as it became to expensive to own while he was in college. He received a call from a buyer and sold this car on his 21st birthday in 1985.
Many years later, Randy decided to look for a 1965 GTO to purchase. In a recent story about his search he writes,
"After many years I began looking for another one but it is difficult to find one close to mine, which was the less-common 'Coupe' or 'Post' car as they called it with a post between the side windows; they only made approximately 8K of those versus 11K convertibles and 55K hardtops. Additionally, it had factory A/C (rare for a hot rod!), was black inside and out (yeah cool), and was a 4-speed car."
Later Randy started another search for a restored 65 GTO. In the Fall of 2020 he found one very similar to the vehicle he owned. It was located at a dealer in Connecticut! The vehicle was restored, had original A/C, was a 4-speed and a Coupe. He purchased the vehicle sight unseen and had it transported down to Florida from Connecticut.
During transport Randy dug up his old documentation from the GTO he purchased in 1980 to discover that the VINs were only 50 digits apart. He also noticed that the VIN for the GTO purchased in Connecticut clearly did not match the VIN on the paperwork provided by the dealer. After contacting the dealer and careful consideration by the Inspector, he was told that the report had a typo. In fact, the VIN matched exactly to the VIN of the original GTO that Randy purchased in 1980! An almost unbelievable story, but Randy had just purchased the same exact car! It took 35 years, but he was reunited with his first-ever vehicle.
1965 Pontiac GTO: 40 Years Later
The above photos show the vehicle shortly before it came to the Superior Detailer shop. It looks great, doesn't it? We were thrilled to have the 65 GTO in the Superior Detailer shop.
Superior Detailer Exterior Restoration and Protection
The vehicle was in excellent condition when it came to us, but Randy wanted a superior exterior finish and some protection to preserve the restoration. Here is what we decided on for the vehicle:
- Paint Correction to paint work and Exterior Restoration by DA polisher and hand polish
- Paint Protection Film (PPF) on the hood and the vulnerable lower fenders and door panels
- Ceramic Coating to preserve the new finish. We decided on Modesta BC-08, which is our standard choice for classic cars like this
Paint Correction Process
Once we decontaminated the paint with our full preparation wash, we could fully assess the paint. Although the paint was in great condition, it still needed a lot of refinement and finishing to get it to show-car quality, which is what Randy wanted for the vehicle. She needed a Level 3 paint correction: full swirl and defect removal performed in 3 passes with DA polisher. The photos below show the paint defects and part of our paint correction process. The finish is flawless after our intensive process, which is in total about 22 hours of polishing, finishing, and priming work. Use the slider to fully view each before and after photo below.
As part of our paint correction process, we also hand polish the fragile exterior chrome pieces. These pieces include the badges, bumper, tail pipes, and exterior trim. The badges, front and rear trim pieces are removed and hand polished off the vehicle, which also allows for greater reach on the paint correction process.
Paint Protection Film Application
After the paint was fully restored to a Superior finish, we applied paint protection film to the most vulnerable areas. Paint Protection Film (PPF) protects the paint from rock chips and staining. We applied full custom pieces to the lower doors and fenders, and the entire hood. For this we used
Xpel Ultimate Plus PPF.
Modesta BC-08 (Ceramic Coating) Application Process
The Modesta BC-08 coating is applied to increase the glossiness and protect the paint from future damage. Our professional Modesta coatings are hand-applied by Superior Detailer's team of trained installers. We then cure the coatings via IR lamp, which hardens and "cures" the top-most layer of the coating. It then takes up to 4 weeks for the coatings to fully harden and cure. The photos below show the entire application and cure process. We cure the panels for 17 minutes each. With two IR lamps, this process usually takes 3-4 hours.
Modesta coatings are cured on our Coating/PPF side by IR lamp.
Detail is Complete!
This was a very rewarding project for the SD team. And it is a very special vehicle for the owner with an amazing story. We are so glad to share this detail and story with you. The photos below are the final shots of our finished work. We also show the vehicle, before and after, some 35-40 years in between photos. The latest photo is the owner, Randy the day he picked it up from our shop. What a treat! Use the slider to fully view each before and after photo below.
Festivals of Speed Orlando Winner
The Festivals of Speed Orlando is normally held at the Ritz-Carlton, Orlando every December. Due to COVID, the event was postponed to March 2021. Lucky for Randy, he was able to show the GTO at this event. We are always thrilled to see SD work at local car meets and car shows. And Steve has created award winning finishes for multiple vehicles over his 20+ year detailing career. Randy's GTO was ultimately awarded the Best Vintage Muscle Car Award at the Festivals of Speed event in March. What an end to a great adventure!
Thank you, Randy, for allowing us the opportunity to do our best work to your baby. We cannot thank you enough! It was truly an honor to work on such a special vehicle for our client. I hope you enjoyed reading about this vehicle and its story as much as I enjoyed working on it.
Thanks for reading!
- Kim Giramma
