GTdriver
New Member
:cheers: Hello everyone and Merry Christmas. I've been a member for a few months now but just not active. I'm here because I now own my dear long ago deceased Grandmother 1966 Dodge GT. All white with bucket seats, slant six, automatic and only 26k miles on it. It's in very nice, if not perfect, condition. Grandma bought it new just before she retired. Soon after she bought it she became a diabetic and was soon too blind that she couldn't drive. When Grandma passed 20 years ago my aunt inherited it along with Grandmas house. Auntie was a hermit and never drove anything. But she would not turn loose of the car. It just sat there in Grandma's garage. At least it was parked under cover. When Auntie passed away about 10 years ago my Mother inherited everything. She had it completely gone through by a mechanic to assure everything was in working order, drove it around the block and parked it. She didn't like it. No power steering! So she left it parked in the driveway because she moved into the house and had too much stuff stored in the garage to leave room for cars. I put a good cover on the car and tried to care for it as best I could but she would not let me take it home. I stopped caring for it a few years ago because I was becoming obsessed with it. I just had to let it go for my mental well being. This year we had to put my 88-year0old Mom into a home for Alzhiemer's. I now own the car and have it cleaned up and running nicely. 10 years under a cover in the California sun was not kind to it. It took weeks of gentle scrubbing with Soft Scrub cleanser to remove the stains in the white paint. There were may other issues to resolve but it's coming along nicely now. So that's the story of Grandma's Dodge GT. And make no mistake about it. It will always be Grandma's Dodge.
Now a little about me. I'm 67 years-old and looking at retirement from a long career in the SolCal aerospace industry. Born in Hermosa Beach, and growing up in SoCal it was almost manditory that I be a car nut. The car culture through the 50's, 60's, and 70's was an intergral part of our manhood. If you didn't know how to change you own oil "you must be a little swishy". I cannot remember how many cars I've owned. Easily hundreds. Currently my passion is my 1985 Pontiac Fiero GT with a Camaro 3.4. She's lowered 2", rolls on 17' wheels, brakes upgraded to Dodge Viper 13" rotors and Corvette calipers. Custom leather interior, digital dash and a great sound system. Future plans are for a Cadillac 4.9 v8.
I have no interest Hot Rodding Grandma's Dodge. She would not approve. But I do want to upgrade it wherever I can to make it more comfortable to own and drive. In SoCal it should have A/C. 15mpg is unacceptable. I'm looking at fuel injection. She definitely needs some suspension work. Sits too high in the front and leans so much when I turn that I think I'll fall out of the seat. Disc brakes (at least in the front) would be nice. And an indiscrete sound system would be greate. But I'll never get rid of that "All Transistor" AM radio. No tubes in that baby!
So here I am with my first Dodge and my first slant-six. I'll be relying on all of your experience for guidence on preserving Grandma's Dodge.
Merry Christmas to All.
GTdriver in L.A.
Now a little about me. I'm 67 years-old and looking at retirement from a long career in the SolCal aerospace industry. Born in Hermosa Beach, and growing up in SoCal it was almost manditory that I be a car nut. The car culture through the 50's, 60's, and 70's was an intergral part of our manhood. If you didn't know how to change you own oil "you must be a little swishy". I cannot remember how many cars I've owned. Easily hundreds. Currently my passion is my 1985 Pontiac Fiero GT with a Camaro 3.4. She's lowered 2", rolls on 17' wheels, brakes upgraded to Dodge Viper 13" rotors and Corvette calipers. Custom leather interior, digital dash and a great sound system. Future plans are for a Cadillac 4.9 v8.
I have no interest Hot Rodding Grandma's Dodge. She would not approve. But I do want to upgrade it wherever I can to make it more comfortable to own and drive. In SoCal it should have A/C. 15mpg is unacceptable. I'm looking at fuel injection. She definitely needs some suspension work. Sits too high in the front and leans so much when I turn that I think I'll fall out of the seat. Disc brakes (at least in the front) would be nice. And an indiscrete sound system would be greate. But I'll never get rid of that "All Transistor" AM radio. No tubes in that baby!
So here I am with my first Dodge and my first slant-six. I'll be relying on all of your experience for guidence on preserving Grandma's Dodge.
Merry Christmas to All.
GTdriver in L.A.
