1968 HK GTS Monaro Project - Part 1
From when I bought it and committed to having it restored, the process has taken three years - and it's still not finished - at least in my eyes. Three years is probably nothing compared to some restos, but for this, my first project, three years has seemed more like three decades. While this stunning HK Monaro is complete - and I'm rapt with how it looks and drives - I can still rattle off a list of little, niggly, anal things I'd like re-done or changed. But having said that, it is an awesome car, as well as being a real testament to the crew who put together.
Upon purchasing the HK, one of the first ports of call was A1 Automotive, who allowed me to store the car while I decided what I wanted to do with it. An engine rebuild was necessary, so Peter Smith at A1 was charged with that task. Pete stripped out the original engine and transmission, then primered the engine bay. Pete was also a great help in showing and teaching me a few things about rebuilding engines and general car resto along the way!
Bannockburn Panel Repairs was selected to do the body. Rob at BPR does some great work, and seeing the results he achieved with a Chevy Impala fastback some time back convinced me he was the right man for the job. The rolling body went to Rob in February, 2006, where all the panel beating, body repair and a fresh suit of Silver Mink paint (its original colour) was done. Any sort of bodywork is well beyond my skills, so I was happy to leave all that to Rob and his crew.
The body appeared straight and reasonably rust-free, but there were some bubbles around the sills of the rear wheel arch and quarter panels on the near side. Stripping back the paint revealed the sort of rust and bog you'd expect. No surprises there, but what was a surprise was an almighty scar down the off side, in line with the bottom of the rear 'screen. There was also secondary rust/damage above the rear indicator on the same side. Hard to tell what had originally happened to cause the big side scar, but I'm guessing the car spun out and collected a street sign, or something similar. The hit can't have been that severe, because it was beaten out and bogged well enough so the damage wasn't really apparent.
End of part 1
Got a project you'd like to feature in JUST CARS? We're looking for all sorts of resto projects like this one to feature, so if you've created something special, share it with us! No matter what it is - from the biggest Caddy to the smallest Goggomobil - we want to see it and feature it! Send photos and information - like what's shown here - to: JUST CARS PROJECT, Locked Bag 34, Geelong, VIC, 3220. Email: [email protected] - be sure to mark your email message 'PROJECT' in the subject window. Posted photos can be returned if supplied with an SSAE.
