Doubling back to comment on this '68 GTO with the "endura delete" option.

The steel front bumper could be chosen if a person desired, but was forced on the early builds destined for hot climate regions due to durability and paint adhesion concerns. I *think* it was also forced on cars with any special paint options, like Playboy Pink.

Our '68 had the endura front bumper painted probably four times within the first year because we couldn't keep paint on it.

It was a popular (and attractive) feature. We took our car to Florida on vacation and had a little trouble navigating through town because people would flock around trying to catch a glimpse of that front end.

K

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...2&d=1566917267

I remember, too, that during a visit to Rock City on Lookout Mtn (probably that same trip) they had put a "See Rock City" bumper sticker on the car while we were enjoying the view.

Dad was pi-i-issed. Now I see why.

K

This was also the car that we took to a local petting zoo (Mott Farms, in Flint).

As we were exiting we saw a goat sitting on the hood of a car in the parking lot.

"Oh look" we said. "There's a goat on the hood of that car".

As we got closer we realized that it was the hood of OUR car.

We thought that was hilariously funny: A goat on the hood of our goat.

Dad did not think it was hilariously funny.

K

BTW: I was probably 60 years old before I realized you could touch the painted surface of a car with your bare hand and not have something terrible happen.

I'm still a little standoffish about touching the thermostat in the house, though.

We had a lot of trouble with the headlights on that car, too, for some reason.

I remember sleeping under an overpass in Ft Wayne Indiana on more than one occasion, waiting for it to get light enough to continue, because the headlights quit working.

K

I missed the battery in the trunk upon first viewing.

Our GTO already had the battery relocated to the trunk when we picked it up. I suspect it was done in the PMD garage, because the car did not spend much time at Royal before we picked it up IIRC.

The original install was a little shady, as they just took the front fender bracket and modified it to work in the rear. We made the more rigid welded construction early on at the behest of the NHRA tech inspectors, who were not comfortable with the original setup.

[It is now, once again, not NHRA legal since rear mounted batteries are now required to have a master electrical cutoff switch accessible from the outside. I am loathe to do that.]

For some reason the battery would go dead often. Since dad worked second shift he would not be available to come jump us if we were out in the evening, so mom would have to call a friend or a tow company to get us going.

I remember sitting the in back hollering "The battery's in the trunk! The battery's in the trunk!" while the tow truck drivers approached the driver's window.

The tow truck driver would look annoyed, like "lady can't you shut this kid up?". He would then pop the hood, root around a bit, and then return. "Lady - where is the battery in this thing?".

Sheepishly, mom would say "well - the battery's in the trunk", as if to say: the kid knows what he is talking about.

K

You can see the battery installation blocks the location for the spare tire and jack tool hardware.

The car was delivered with three 7.75 whitewalls and one 7.75 redline on the ground, and a 7.35 whitewall loose in the back for a spare.

K

After 45 years I finally gave up on hauling around my signature rally wheels.

After much agonizing and gnashing of teeth I chose the wheels shown on this truck.

I though about a wheel more similar to the ones on the SS racer, for a little more nostalgia look and as a nod to the kidney bean openings in the rally wheels. They were, however, a lot more expensive, perhaps a little more mass, and a lot more wheel showing.

I hope I made the right choice. In the end I saved nearly 90 lbs with the switch to aluminum wheels and lightweight race bucket seats.

K