"Dedicated to keeping the classic Pontiac engine alive."
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"Rome wasn't built in a day" and neither was Dave Hoekenga's 1965 GTO. Like so many of us, Dave fell in love with the '65 and that passion fuels him to work on it as time and money allows. Dave's car is a "I did it" frame off restoration. He's painsakingly done just about everything himself...and he is to be commended for it. His labor of love is in its' eighth year and still going strong. Dave plans to show the car this year at several Michigan car show events!
Dave's GTO was really a mess when he first got it, a real eyesore according to him (and his neighbors). In fact, the sheet metal was so bad that he eventually scrapped and replaced all of it with better body parts from another '65. Only the frame was saved and provides the foundation for the strong 455 motor. The car's exterior is GM white. It is a base coat/ clear coat system that he and a friend applied. To get that show car lustre he spent over 50 hours wetsanding and buffing the finish. On the inside Dave installed the headliner, carpeting, new dashpad, and painted everything else in gloss black to match the seats and trim. The stock console is slightly modified to accept the B& M ratchet shifter--"a lot of work but worth it,"says Dave. He also laments, that he wore the hats of a mechanic, bodyman, and electrician to avoid paying the "big money to get it done." Well, in eight years of wearing these hats, he's learned a little about Pontiacs and is a good source to contact if you have a similar project contemplated or underway. By the way, this cool '65 GTO is streetable, as the tech data below indicates. Performance is impressive as well. If you have questions or curious to learn more, feel free to contact Dave Hoekenga at: DATHOE@aol.com |
| Engine | 1970 455 HO block, 4 bolt mains | |
| Bore/ Stroke | 4.15"/ 4.21"; .+030" overbore (462 cid) | |
| Deck height | untouched | |
| Heads | 1973 400 4X, milled .020", unported 95 cc | |
| Valve Springs | H-O Racing double springs VS-51 | |
| Rocker arms | Comp Cams Magnum Roller tips 1.52 ratio | |
| Pistons | TRW forged +.030"; 9.25 cr with 4X heads | |
| Rings | Sealed Power, stock replacement | |
| Rods | stock, reconditioned | |
| Crankshaft | stock, .010/.010 under; Pontiac full length windage tray | |
| Camshaft | Ultradyne, 231 intake 239 exhaust @ .050"; 288/296 advertised duration, .491" lift intake, .513" lift exhaust with 1.52 rockers; lobe separation angle108 degrees | |
| Bearings | Clevite 77, all clearances set to factory ram air specs | |
| Oil Pump | Melling 60 lb., new pump drive shaft | |
| Fuel Pump | Stock factory high volume, 3/8" line from tank to carb, inline filter | |
| Intake | 1970 stock cast iron, 9799068, untouched, 1 " spacer plate | |
| Carburetion | 1976 Quadrajet 800 cfm, drilled primary butterflies for better idle | |
| Exhaust | 3 tube headers into 2.5" pipe with H pipe, 2.5", Flowmaster 3 chamber mufflers | |
| Ignition | HEI, 1976, spring kit installed, 10 degree initial, 24 mechanical, 34 degrees total in by 2400 rpm, adjustable vac advance, 9 degrees | |
| Transmission | THM 400, B&M shift kit, Art Carr 11" 2500 converter, B&M Starshifter | |
| Rear gearing | 1971 Buick 8.5 10-bolt limited slip, 3.73 gear, 1966 axles with bearing retainer | |
| Suspension | SSM lift bars; all polyurethane bushings; adjustable racing shocks front and rear; Moog coil springs front and back; rear upper control arms are boxed | |
| Tire/wheels | BFG drag radials, 275-60R15 (28"diameter); 205-65R15 on the front; Weld Draglites, 15x6 front, 15x8 rear with 5.5" backspacing to make up for 1" wider late mod | |
| Weight | 3725 pounds without driver | |
| Performance | Best performance on BFG Drag Radials: 12.994 @ 102mph; 60' time, 1.82 seconds; 660" time, 8.21 seconds. Thunderbird Raceway, Michigan, temperature a sultry 85 degrees with no wind. | |
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