Get Your GTO Done Right

Currently accepting your GTO / Pontiac project car

I'm currently accepting frame-off GM restoration projects, specializing in Pontiac GTOs. You won't see a Ford or a Mopar in my shop - only GM vehicles. For those of you die-hard GM guys, you know what I'm talking about - you don't want a Ford guy doing your GTO. It's a totally different world. I'm taking complete frame-off GM (GTO, Buick GS, 442, Chevelle, etc.) restoration projects only; I'm not accepting partial jobs.

...or let me find your project car for you

I frequently have project cars available, and I know where others are - just waiting to be purchased and restored. If you'd like to have a classic car built, but don't have one yet, I'll find you a car and build it for you! Please contact me for details.

Why you want me to do your project

For starters, this has been my full-time job my entire life. I have 25+ years of experience working on, finding parts for, and restoring GTOs and other GM vehicles. Because of this, about 75% of the entire job is done in-house - I have a very good local machine shop that has a dyno, it's a father/son family-run business that does excellent, high-quality work. Rear ends are rebuilt in-house, and everything that goes into your car is inspected and installed by me personally. This ensures the highest quality.

I'm also a perfectionist, having very high standards for the vehicles I build. Now don't get me wrong; there's no such thing as an absolutely perfect car. I've been to all the shows, and there's something that can be picked out about every car out there that's just not quite right. Keep in mind that these were assembly-line production cars made to drive, not a piece of art like they are now. Even the cars that came new from the factory had many minor flaws in chrome, trim, detail, etc. The idea when doing a restoration is to come as close to perfect as possible - that's what I do.

Because of this, I don't cut corners when I'm doing restoration work. All body work is butt-welded wherever it's visible, I use the best parts available (including genuine GM parts instead of reproduction whenever possible), and I handle the complete job from start to finish, so you know it's done right.

You will be kept up-to-date on the progress of your vehicle throughout the restoration process. I will be taking pictures throughout the process, and will provide you with a CD of the photos when the project is completed. Should you so desire, I can e-mail you or provide you with a web link to the photos as the project progresses as well. You'll be able to see your project from start to finish, every step of the way.

If you've got a project that you want done....

If you've got a project that you're looking to have done, we need to sit down for a few hours on the phone or in person. We will have to discuss all aspects of your project, including:

Communication

Communication - I only work with and for reasonable people that are capable of communicating well with me. Communication is a critical component of this process, as things can and do happen that affect how the project will proceed. I do my best to ensure that communication won't be a problem. When we're talking about the project initially, I'll be evaluating how well we seem to communicate to ensure that there won't be snags in the future. In the 25+ years I've been working on cars, I've found that there are certain people that just shouldn't be working together; if I foresee that that's going to be the case I may politely choose to decline your project.

Parts

We need to hammer out what all your vehicle needs, and what it's going to take to get those parts together. I certainly don't mind if you have parts or have a source for parts, but I reserve the right to exercise final discretion regarding what parts actually make it on your car. Many people will sell you parts that they say can be replated, rebuilt, fixed, etc., when in reality there's no way it's possible. I don't use sheet metal with swelled seams, because those are one step from being rusted out. I've been at this long enough to be able to identify those issues, and ensure that all parts that make it on your car are high-quality. If you're interested in cutting corners and having the cheapest resto job possible, I'm not the shop for you; I'm not interested in building a car that's going to start falling apart and/or rusting in a few years.

Labor

We'll need to discuss what all needs to be done to the car. This will likely depend on the quality of the parts as well. I'll give you an estimate of what it's going to take to restore the car, and what all will have to be done.

Timing

I can usually give a good ballpark figure of the time required to complete a project. Some of timing will obviously depend on the parts; if we're having a difficult time locating a very rare hood or date-coded motor part the time required will increase accordingly. If a shop that's handling the replating on your bumper gets backlogged, obviously I won't be able to proceed on schedule. There are certain delays that are just part of the process. The bottom line on timing is that I will be working hard to get your car completed as soon as possible, as long as parts are available.

Price

Price will be figured based on estimated average market costs for the parts at the time the job is taken. Upon seeing and agreeing to the pricing for the job, I request that you ensure that the money will be available when needed. My payment terms are very standard - 1/3 when the project is started, 1/3 when the engine and drivetrain are completed, and the other third when the car is completed. Occasionally, we may find that the market for the parts you require has changed significantly, and parts cost may increase. You will be notified immediately if this occurs, and we'll discuss how to handle the situation.

Want To Get Your Project Started?

In order to get started, I'll need to physically see your car. I can give you a ballpark price based on your description and a bunch of digital pictures, but until I'm actually looking at the car and going over it I can't tell you exactly what will need to be done.

This is due to the many "unseens" that can be present on a 30+ year old vehicle. There are doors where you strip the paint off, and the door is full of bondo, therefore it's junk and needs to be replaced. I don't use sheet metal with swelled seams, as rust will come back and then your car will be junk. Until you pull the body off, you don't know if the frame is good - there can be cracks and bends. I've seen it all.

If this is the case with your car, there will be extra costs and we'll have to discuss it and deal with it. Again, as long as we're communicating, we shouldn't have problems - I'll call you with the information, and we can discuss how to proceed.

The bottom line of this process is that I will be doing everything in my power to ensure that you get the best possible job done for your money, period.

Sound good to you? Send me an e-mail!

E-mail is the best way to get ahold of me. Send me an e-mail at dale@gtoman.com with information about your project, and I'll get back to you. Thanks!