Flying Tigers - Pontiac GTO

New Goat
Heeding the old line about age before beauty (though we'll leave it to the eyes of the beholder as to which of two is actually the more alluring), we'll focus on the '65 first. It was a childhood memory that drove Weiner to this extensive project. He longed to recapture it by rebuilding a 1965 model with a 389ci Tri-Power V-8.


Weiner wasn't concerned about restoring his GTO to a numbers-matching, factory-spec car. It needed to both handle and look markedly different, like a modern car. He tackled the cosmetics first and suspension upgrades last. That included having Mike Face Custom Paint in San Bernardino, CA apply the spectacular Tiger Gold Pearl, a custom mix using House of Kolor paint.


Since that brilliant hue also covers the dash and many other interior components, Weiner chose gold carpeting normally found inside a Porsche. Following the carpet job, he had the original seats reupholstered by Katzkin Leather. He chose Parchment Pearl Leather, and preserved the stock "off the shoulder" Pontiac pattern. The result is an interior that looks stock, but is truly custom, especially since leather was not available on the GTO in 1965.


At this point, the project hit a snag. Weiner found that he had to replace the original numbers-matching 389 block due to severe cracks in the water jacket area that had evidently been repaired many years ago. He chose to use a vintage 421ci, 376 horsepower WJ block instead, which looks visually identical on the original 389. It preserves the correct period look, while generating in excess of 450 horsepower.

Inside Track
Since the car is more of a boulevard cruiser than a hard-core hot rod, the internal mods from Jim Van Gordon of Van Gordon Racing emphasize reliability and simplicity over extreme performance. In addition to having the block decked and the cylinder bores punched out .040 over, Van Gordon installed hardened valve seats to enable the engine to run on unleaded fuel. The cylinder heads are correct 1965 casting number "77," which were used on the 1965 389 GTO and 421 HO engines. The intent was to create a factory-style, 1960s vintage high-performance engine build that would look stock, but pack a bigger punch than a regular 389.