The GTO is one of those cars that inspire nicknames; in this case its a rather unfortunate one: The Goat! In this episode of Hot Rod TV we check out the resurrection of a Goat
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00:00 Come with us, we're going to check out the GOAT.
00:12 Today we're hanging with Original Parts Group as they restore a '68 back to factory perfection.
00:18 '68 cars are always a little bit of an interesting project because you're not really sure what
00:23 you're going to get into.
00:24 It's a challenge, especially when you're trying to go back to factory original.
00:33 It is a challenge, but when the OPG guys finally see it, well, stay tuned.
00:38 Man, it's awesome.
00:39 It was a Pontiac engineer named John DeLorean who
01:08 named her in Italian, Gran Turismo Omolegato.
01:13 Roughly translated, that means it's a certified Grand Touring car.
01:17 Well, to cut through all that, her biggest fans just up and named her the GOAT.
01:21 There's a big love for this muscle car, and nowhere is that love bigger than at that automotive
01:26 institution known as Original Parts Group.
01:28 Currently, they're in the process of restoring a '68, and Tony over at OPG remembers what
01:33 it was like when it first arrived.
01:36 The car was in pretty good shape.
01:38 I can't believe it.
01:39 It's amazing.
01:40 It's a '68 GTO, and no floors or trunks, and the frame and the braces and all that.
01:46 Frame was all right.
01:47 No problems with the frame, no damage.
01:50 Everything was in good shape.
01:54 How lucky is this guy, rebuilding a killer ride with a whole warehouse of great gear
01:58 at his disposal?
02:00 OPG has Joel restoring this car because it's the kind of machine they specialize in.
02:04 Classic GM favorites that are as popular now as they were back in the day.
02:09 As far as our decision making goes to restore the vehicle, it's really what our product
02:15 line dictates.
02:17 Some parts, like the doors, have received a few new pieces from OPG.
02:20 The edges look fantastic.
02:22 I would have never known you'd skin this.
02:25 It's a mix of original and new.
02:27 And the reproduction nose.
02:28 Now, this is a fairly new product for Original Parts Group.
02:30 It looks pretty good.
02:32 And that nose will hold that GTO split grille, along with those hideaway headlights.
02:37 Returning to the interior, the plan is for more new gear.
02:41 But now we have that Ivy Gold interior going in place.
02:44 Oh yeah.
02:45 It's really going to have a nice unique look to it when it's all done.
02:48 I can't wait to see it.
02:51 This guy's going to make sure this goat looks great.
02:55 I like it.
02:57 We're going to start off today, pre-assembling some of this stuff on the GTO.
03:00 We've already done the frame loft part of it, had all the body and paint done.
03:05 This is a great place to begin, so let's do it.
03:09 Today we're going to put the firewall pad into it, which then we can put in the heater
03:14 box easier, and then we can put in the fender wells.
03:18 And that unruly and cumbersome firewall pad installs easily when you've got the right
03:22 tool.
03:23 Just check out this little gadget.
03:25 It came up with the tool to go in the middle of it and to drive the whole thing inside
03:29 the firewall pad.
03:31 With these tools and these parts, this GTO will be a rolling tribute to classic muscle
03:36 cars, being remade in the spirit that first put it on the road.
03:39 Everything here is strictly by the book.
03:42 This build's unique because they're following the build sheet exactly.
03:45 This car's going to be one of a kind because everything is going to be to factory, which
03:51 most cars aren't.
03:53 And that notion is cool with the entire team.
03:56 After all, some will say that you really can improve upon an original model GTO.
04:00 Personally, I like restoring them back to original specs because not a lot of people
04:06 do it anymore.
04:15 We have the build sheet.
04:16 It's a well-documented car, so it's kind of, you know, we're trying to make it as close
04:21 to how it came off the assembly line, which gets to be a challenge in the parts deal.
04:28 Most of it's here at OPG.
04:30 They've reproduced in a lot of products now, you know, original parts group has a lot of
04:35 stuff available compared to when we were doing this 10 years ago.
04:40 Places like OPG make it possible to keep old cars from ending up in the salvage yard.
04:46 And it's just made it tremendously easier to restore these things.
04:52 And that's a good thing because what would the world's muscle car lovers do without places
04:56 like OPG?
04:57 A shop that can make an old ride new.
05:01 It's a place that lets you hang on to your four-wheel dream.
05:05 And it all started with this guy, his story, and the rest of our build when we return with
05:10 more Hot Rod TV.
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05:12 (whooshing)
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