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FRAME-OFF RESTORATION GALLERY

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Let's do a frame-off on a 1970 GTO Judge hardtop     In words and pictures.

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A truly great restoration begins from the ground up. You have to disassemble the entire car and give each component special attention. A frame-off restoration is often the only way to make a 30 year-old car look like it was perfectly new. Steve & Christine Petro from Sterling Heights Michigan have such a car. Steve works for General Motors at the GM Technical Center where it all started. Steve's home email address is musclecar4@comcast.net

IN THE SHOP
CLICK-> 70 Judge resto In the shop. Right front showing the car before paint.
CLICK-> 70 Judge resto In the shop. Front. The car has been stripped of its hood, glass, and front end hardware.
CLICK-> 70 Judge resto In the shop. The front part of the frame was removed so it could be detailed. Here, it hangs in the shop.
CLICK-> 70 Judge resto In the shop. The frame was supported on jackstands while work was done to it. The brake components were detailed with the proper markings that the factory used on the assembly line.
CLICK-> 70 Judge resto In the shop. This is what you call a rolling chassis. The front end of the frame is shown here after the suspension components were installed. The frame is finished in 60% gloss black.
CLICK-> 70 Judge resto Left rear. This shows the car after painting, before the rear bumper and chrome trim pieces were reinstalled.

UNDERSIDE
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. This is a view under the driver's side of the car. You can see the emergency brake cable.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. This car has everything the correct color. It was restored to have the factory paint dabs which identified the parts to the factory workers.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. Paint dabs on passenger side front suspension.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. Paint dabs on driver side front suspension.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. Another view shows the spotless condition of the car.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. You can see the gas tank detail along with the shocks which have the correct markings on them.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. The rear end bolts have the correct natural finish. This car has the optional ride & handling package.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. The exhaust system looks brand new. Notice the bolts that hold the seats in place.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. Here you can see the driveshaft behind the exhaust pipe. The driveshaft has the proper factory dab of paint on it.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. Another closeup of the front of the engine. You can see the paint dabs on the suspension components and on the steering box. Many NOS parts were used in this restoration.
CLICK-> 70 Judge down under Underside. The car has been jacked up so you can view the rear sway bar and the clean exhaust system.

INTERIOR
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Interior. You can see what it looks like in the cockpit. Note the factory 8-track player under the dash. This car has a tilt wood wheel, air conditioning, automatic transmission with a console, softray tinted glass, rear window defogger, rear speakers, and front/rear floor mats.
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Interior. You can see the Ram Air knob at the lower left of the picture.
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Interior. Here's a closer shot of the Ram Air knob.
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Interior. This is a closeup of the dashboard. Check out the 140 MPH speedometer. The car also has rally gauges with a clock.
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Interior. This is a closeer-up of the dashboard. Here you can see the clock, climate controls, radio, and part of the 8-track player.
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Interior. The passenger seat is reclining. See the Judge emblem on the glovebox door.
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Open door. The car was restored with no details left out. You can see the "GM" sticker on the edge of the driver's door.
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Interior. Headliner!
CLICK-> 70 Judge interior Interior. Driver's door. The doors have switches for the power windows, power door locks, and power drivers seat.

TRUNK
CLICK-> 70 Judge Trunk! Trunk. View of the spair tire and jack.
CLICK-> 70 Judge Trunk! Trunk. View trunk lid and jack instructions.

ENGINE
CLICK-> 70 Judge engine Engine compartment. The Ram Air engine has power to spare. There is power steering, power disc brakes, and heavy duty 7-blade clutch fan.
CLICK-> 70 Judge engine Engine compartment. Big clear 116K file!
CLICK-> 70 Judge engine Engine compartment. Every nut and bolt received the proper attention. In the lower portion of the photo you can see the air conditioning compressor with the correct wording attached to it.

FINISHED
CLICK-> Orbit Orange 70 Judge Side view. Right side. The Judge is parked in a driveway. It rides on Goodyear Polyglas bias ply tires.
CLICK-> Orbit Orange 70 Judge Side view. Left side. Here, the owner poses for a photo.
CLICK-> Orbit Orange 70 Judge Left front view. Orbit Orange paint. The car came with bright wheel opening mouldings.
CLICK-> Orbit Orange 70 Judge Hood. The hood tach can be seen. Notice how well the hood lines up with the fender. This is a difficult alignment to achieve. Many GTO owners complain that the rear of the hood will not stay down low enough.
CLICK-> Orbit Orange 70 Judge Left rear, down low. This is a nice view of the Judge graphics and the rear wing too. Notice the "Royal" license plate frame? Steve is only 5 minutes away from the famous Royal Pontiac dealership where many GTOs were sold.
CLICK-> Orbit Orange 70 Judge Left rear, up high. This car was featured in the June 1999 issue of the GOATFINDER CLASSIFIEDS in black and white. In case you're wondering, Steve says he drives this car. If you have questions for Steve, his work email address is xz5v6k@naeng.gm.com. The car is now For Sale!

NEW- A hardcover book all about GTO's by author Steve Statham. The author did a photo shoot of this Judge after the Woodward GTO Tigers car show in July 1999. The book includes several shots of Steve Petro's Judge. In fact, its the cover car too! Published May, 2000
AVAILABLE HERE -> Pontiac Gto : The Great One by Steve Statham.
I rate this book 5 stars! This book belongs in your collection - no matter which brand of car you're loyal to. The photography is very impressive. At a recent GTOAA meet, I showed my copy to several GTO lovers. They all wanted THIS new book for its accurate text and large pictures that make you go "WOW!".

Or, here are some good engine and chassis detailing books. Just hit the GO button...
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Thanks To... logo

Steve & Christine Petro (musclecar4@comcast.net) for sending in all the pictures Thanks to Steve's Mom for assistance with image scanning. Thanks to Steve's Dad for hanging around with him at the local cruise nights.


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