Restoring a Barn Find 1969 GTO Judge: Bodywork and Engine Teardown

Barn Find GTO Judge Restoration Begins

• 💡 The team begins the ambitious restoration of a 1969 GTO Judge, a true barn find from North Iowa, which was wrecked in the 1970s.
• 🔍 After discovering original paperwork, it's confirmed to be a real deal Judge package car, despite some cosmetic discrepancies.
• 🧼 The body has been stripped to the chassis, and the underside has been shot blasted to address rust and cancer.

Sourcing Quality Parts from Ames Performance

• 📦 The first shipment of parts arrives from Ames Performance Engineering, including inner quarter panels and trunk floor sections.
• 🎯 Ames Performance is highlighted for its transparency in catalog descriptions, indicating part quality and fitment.
• ✨ New sheet metal, including trunk floor and quarter panels, arrives with pre-welded braces and impressive straightness.

Bodywork Progress and Challenges

• 🛠️ Initial bodywork involves patching the floor and removing the front cross brace to address rust.
• 🚧 Significant bodywork is underway, including sanding the roof, stripping the firewall, and addressing pinch welds around window openings.
• 🧩 The team tackles rust and damage, including a mouse nest that rotted out the passenger side rocker panel.
• 🚗 Replacing the rocker panel involves extensive fitting and welding, with the driver's side rocker found to be in good condition.
• ✂️ The process of replacing quarter panels is detailed, involving cutting out old sections and fitting new steel.

Engine Teardown and Inspection

• ⚙️ The chassis is separated from the engine and transmission for a full mechanical overhaul.
• 🧐 The engine and transmission are removed, and the engine is placed on a stand for inspection and teardown.
• 🐭 The four-speed transmission is found to have a failed pilot bearing, likely due to mouse infestation.
• 🔬 A borescope inspection reveals pitting in the cylinder walls, indicating the engine will require significant machine work.
• 🔍 The engine is further disassembled, with the timing cover, intake, and valve covers removed to inspect the internal components.
• 💡 The engine appears to be a 400 cubic inch V8 with Ram Air exhaust manifolds and internal baffling, suggesting a higher performance variant.
• 🔩 The crankshaft and main bearings are inspected, revealing a spun main bearing and scoring on the crankshaft journal.
• ✅ The block is cleaned and prepared for a Magnaflux inspection to check for cracks, a crucial step after potential freezing.

Chassis and Mechanical Work

• 🔧 While bodywork progresses, the chassis, engine, transmission, and suspension are being stripped down.
• 🔩 The engine and front end are removed from the chassis, which will then undergo frame straightening.
• 🚗 The team confirms the car is a real 1969 GTO Judge based on found paperwork, and will build it as a tribute clone.
• 🛠️ Mechanical components will be rebuilt, with a focus on retaining the original Judge engine and drivetrain.

Final Body Panel Installation

• 🔩 New quarter panels, inner fenders, and trunk floor are being fitted and welded into place.
• 🧩 Challenges arise in fitting the 1969 floor pan to the 1968 GTO chassis, requiring adaptation for the taillight panel.
• 💪 The team uses panel bonding and welding techniques to secure the new steel, ensuring a watertight seal and structural integrity.
• ✨ The new quarter panels are carefully fitted, with attention to body line alignment and overall squareness of the car.