Owner Insight:

When my Dad returned from Vietnam my mom had bought him a 1966 GTO. He loved that car and would talk about it often while I was growing up. He always loved cars. Throughout the years, he owned many cars , and  modified them with engine upgrades, better tires and rims, etc. Some of the cars he owned were a ‘72 Chevelle, a ‘74 Duster, a ‘70 LeMans, an ‘85 Corvette, and a ‘71 Corvette Stingray.

About a year before my father passed away, he started talking about buying another 66-67 GTO. He looked online and around town but never found what he wanted. About a month before he passed, he and my Uncle Larry found a 1967 GTO that he really liked and he bought it. When I first saw the car I fell in love with it. It was a beautiful dark teal, with a near perfect interior. The car had a few mechanical issues, and the paint was a little rough in some spots, but it was still a looker, and a nice starting point.

Unfortunately, my dad’s health began to decline quickly and he only drove the car twice. The first time was when he purchased it and drove it home, and the second time was after he was very ill and knew he did not have much time left. On one hand it’s sad that he didn’t get to enjoy the “Goat” for long, but I’m happy that I was able to go on what would be his last ride in it and see him smile. After my dad was very ill and could not get around very well, I would go to the garage and start the GTO and his 71 Stingray up so he could hear them run. We had family in town visiting him and they said his face would light up with a big smile every time he heard them run.

My dad was a hot rod kind of guy for sure. He loved his cars, loved working on them and transforming them. When my dad passed away in July, I ended up with the GTO, which held a special place for me since he had it when I was the only child at the time. I still have pictures of me sitting on the trunk of the car, and washing it when I was a kid.

After my dad’s passing, when things settled down a bit, I needed to get some work done on the GTO. The brakes were almost non-existent, it was overheating a bit, it needed electrical and suspension work, and most worrisome, the engine was making noise. Minimally, I knew that it had a bent push rod or two. I wanted to find a shop that worked specifically on older hot rods / muscle cars. I did not want to have to keep bringing the car back over and over for repairs. I wanted someone who knew these vehicles well and had the resources, knowledge, and expertise to repair them correctly the first time.

I ran into someone who also owned a 67 GTO and asked him if he could recommend a shop and he mentioned having some work done at Fantom Works. I did some research online and determined that they were the right shop for the job. After Dan and his team got the top end of the engine apart, they found that there was more damage than I had suspected. Dan gave me an initial estimate to minimally address the needed repairs, but we also discussed the possibility of rebuilding the engine at this point and also addressing the other issues with the car. Dan never acted as a salesman trying to increase my bill, he just informed me and gave me his opinion. I had originally planned to do a little work at a time, perhaps having the car to the point I wanted it in a year or so. I went home that night feeling a bit overwhelmed with the decisions at hand. I discussed it with my wife, Kristine, and she said “Why don’t you just get everything fixed at one time so you can start enjoying the car.” After my jaw hit the ground, I happily agreed that was the way to go.

I met with Dan a few days later and we prepared a complete “to-do” list and he provided me an estimate. I added on some new items, such as tires and rims, a new exhaust system, a cut and buff of the paint, and refinishing the engine bay to name a few. One of the things I appreciate about Dan is that he gave me a low estimate and a high estimate, so I knew up front where my total might land based on performance options I chose for the engine, as well as any unforeseen issues. From this point on, I was SO excited about getting the GTO into prime condition. I could not get the car off my mind, thinking about it from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed.

Dan kept me posted on the progress of the car along the way, and always gave me a few different options to choose from when it came to parts. When I picked the GTO up I could not believe how amazing it looked. It was a good looking car before, but now it looks amazing. I could not believe how much better the paint looked, and what a difference the tires and rims made. The car has an awesome stance now. When I heard the GTO start the first time I was blown away. Between increasing the engine to a 455 with all high performance parts and the new exhaust, it gave off a nice, deep rumble. Driving the car is a blast, to say the very least. Everywhere I go I get compliments from young and old, men and women, thumbs ups, waves, and people even ask to take pictures of it. It’s a classic, beautiful car and you just don’t see many ’67 GTO’s on the road anymore.

I love this car, and it means a lot to me because it was my dad’s and now it will be around for many years to come thanks to Dan, Rob, Steve, Spencer and the rest of the FantomWorks team. These guys are car guys, like my dad. My dad would have really appreciated Dan and his team’s passion for cars, and I know he would have been amazed with the transformation of his GTO.

–Al O.