After forming this club and serving as President for a couple of years, I enjoyed my 65 red GTO until the mid 90's. With my kids begining high school, and my businesses taking up a lot of my time at that point, I sold it and have been having withdrawal symptoms ever since.

I've always had at least 1 collector car since then. Some of you remember my 11,000 mile 4 speed 63 Grand Prix. It was very sweet. I finally let it go in early 2000. Then I found a 1700 mile 56 Chevy 210 2 door. Yep, that's right, only 1700 original miles. I kept it for a couple of years, but with my foot and leg problems it was hard to drive, it being a 3 on the tree.

Then I picked up the 65 Catalina 2 door Sedan (currently for sale). A year later in 2005 I found the 65 Catalina convertible. Many of you saw it down at the BOP that year, blown engine and all!

Since 2000 I was looking for the right 65 GTO. Everything I would come across would either be way over priced, junk, have the incorrect engine, be painted the incorrect color, etc. As most of you know, I'm pretty hard to please.

Late last year, a teal turquoise 65 was listed on Ebay. It was a purported frame off resto, PHS documented tripower with the column shifted auto ( I know, it's not a four speed, but remember I can't drive a manual very good). Very nice looking car in the pictures. The only problem was that I had two cars already and no space or cash for another. I had been trying to sell the convertible for a while with no results.

I happened to see a friend of mine who deals in a lot of collector cars. He advised me to contact a dealer friend of his who might be interested in the convertible. Well, the stars were aligned as that dealer had just sold 40 cars in November and was looking to buy! He came by and looked at the convertible and a deal was struck.

Now, I had already contacted the owner of the 65 while the auction was running asking him several questions and getting his phone #. I contacted him again and the car was still for sale. After viewing about 50 pictures, swapping about 20 or so emails and several phone calls, a deal was struck for him to deliver the car to me. I was thrilled to have a 65 GTO back in my life.

He delivered the car a couple of weeks ago. Although this car was a frame off resto, there are frame off resto's and there are 'frame off's'. Well, lets just say that this car has been driven a LOT. I knew this and I was not surprised. I got what I paid for in todays market.

For the future, the car is coming back apart.   Photo 1   Not completely off the frame, but down far enough to make the changes that I'm going to make and thoroughly detail the car.   Photo 2   The pics show 1 1/2 day of work by my helper with me more or less just telling him what to do.   Photo 3   A week later, I'm still laying on a heating pad trying to get over just standing around in the shop for 2 days!

The car is not going back 100% stock. I know some of you are fainting! I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag as to what I'm doing with the car, only a couple of club members know at this point. Let's just say it will be very interesting.

I would like to think it will be ready for the BOP, but at this point I doubt it. We'll see.

Jerry Hamilton
Feb 25, 2008