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In the March 2010 issue of The Legend
Tuesday - March, 02 2010 |
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Posted by:
William Vantuono |
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| The GTOAA’s Susquehanna Valley GTOs chapter gets the spotlight in the March issue of The Legend. Chapter member Terry Barnett's Brazen Orange 2006 Super Mod is featured on the cover. This supercharged, personalized six-speed beast puts out a “conservative” 568 rear-wheel horsepower and 518 foot-pounds of torque. Don’t open the hood in direct sunlight without sunglasses!
How many car clubs have had not one, but two shows rained upon? Last year’s weather in the Northeast was not kind to many events, and when the Susquehanna Valley GTOs had to postpone its Aug. 22 Second Annual All-Pontiac Show, President Vic Schreck thought, “This won’t happen a second time.” Well, a nasty Nor’easter hit on Oct. 17, the rain date! Neverthless, about 40 Pontiac die-hards showed up with their cars in the driving wind and rain. Some pizza, hot drinks and great cars made for lots of fun. Better weather next year?
Those going to the GTOAA 2010 Nationals in Wichita will be pleased to know that our very gracious host chapter, the GR-RRR 8’R Wichita GTO Club, will have its own club car display and not enter the popular vote competition. Turn to page 7 to see the 18 GTOs you won’t be competing against. And speaking of the Nationals, get your registration and hotel reservations in ASAP—space is filling up.
The GTOAA’s sponsorship of the Matt Connolly Motorsports no. 21 GTO.R in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series is another March highlight. Check out this remarkable racecar, the team behind her, and the special team apparel you can purchase through the GTOAA Club Store.
Also in this issue: Yes, there were a handful of 2010 Pontiacs built—20 2010 Soltices, including three Heritage Editions. Somehow, these cars left GM’s Wilmington, Delaware assembly plant with 2010 VIN numbers! Steve Schaeffer compares two brands of aftermarket performance exhaust systems, Pypes and Flowmaster. GTOAA Membership Coordinator Beth Butcher answers all the questions you may have about your membership (including a few that perhaps have not occurred to you). And Tim Sickle, in “Little GTOs,” shows us what the GeeTO Tiger would look like in a 2004-2006 body. Fascinating!
All this and more in the March 2010 issue of The Legend, the GTOAA’s award-winning monthly magazine, and the only publication devoted to The Great One from Pontiac! |
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In the February 2010 issue of The Legend
Thursday - February, 11 2010 |
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Posted by:
William Vantuono |
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Larry Turner’s Barrier Blue 1966 GTO hardtop, a frame-off restoration that began as a rusty hulk, is featured on the cover of the February 2010 issue of The Legend. Turner’s Tiger is a real head turner, with its Rally I wheels, parchment interior, and beautifully detailed engine bay. The restoration took just over two years, and Larry and several friends did most of the work themselves.
Convention Corner 2010 is getting more and more detailed. “What To Do in Wichita,” by Gary Gibbs, has lots of useful information on dining, recreation, and sightseeing. Plus, there’s all the expected meet information.
Are you a fan of the modern-day GTO? Then you won’t want to miss NorCal Goats Secretary Colin O’Brien’s report on Goat Run, an annual October event in which owners of 2004-2006 GTOs participate in a long-distance, cross-country cruise from various locations in California to Las Vegas.
Need help with replacing a troublesome ignition switch on your 1969-1970 tilt-column steering wheel? John W. Green provides a detailed explanation on what to do, complete with close-up photos and website links for hard-to-find parts. And, Tim Sickle’s “Little GTOs” column goes really little this month with a feature on Green Light Collectibles 1/64th scale new GTO releases—a 1970 hardtop and a 1967 convertible, both available in several colors.
All this and lots more in The Legend, the only national magazine devoted exclusively to Pontiac’s Great One! |
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GTOAA “takin’ to the track” with Matt Connolly Motorsports
Monday - January, 25 2010 |
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Posted by:
William Vantuono |
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On Jan. 30-31, the only GTO.R competing in the Grand American Road Racing Rolex Sports Car Series ran wheel-to-wheel with other GT Class racecars as well as Daytona Prototypes in road racing’s premier event, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona – and the GTO Association of America was along for the ride!
  The Matt Connolly Motorsports (MCM) no. 21 GTO.R, sporting a striking white with blue and orange accents paint scheme, displayed the logos of two new sponsors – a2z Racer Gear (“Apparel Inspired By Legends”), and the GTOAA – as she roared around the high banks and twisting infield road course of Daytona International Speedway, her LS2 V8 powerplant propelling her at speeds approaching 180 mph, on Pirelli racing tires. GTOAA members and chapters, you can join in the thrills of the Rolex Series and help support one of Grand American’s top-tier teams, and the 21, a remarkable racecar with a remarkable legacy.
  The GTOAA's new-generation logo on the 21 is only part of the Association’s participation in the “big leagues” of Grand Am road racing and professional motorsports. For the 2010 season – the GTO.R’s final under a special Grand Am waiver (normally, GT Class cars can compete for a maximum of three seasons after the factory vehicle has ceased production) – the GTOAA has entered into an exciting partnership with MCM and a2z Racer Gear, which makes an attractive line of retro-style racing apparel. The company has produced a line of MCM apparel featuring the GTOAA’s new-generation logo, including two styles of jacket and a polo shirt. A portion of the proceeds from apparel sales benefits MCM, and also benefits the GTOAA. (There is no cost to the GTOAA for this sponsorship.) In addition, the MCM crew is outfitted in a2z uniforms featuring the GTOAA logo. The merchandise will be sold through the a2z website, the GTOAA Club Store, the Grand Am website, and at the track during races. Click here for the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series schedule. “We’re thrilled to sponsor Matt Connolly and the GTO.R,” says GTOAA President Bob Alexander. “It’s a great opportunity for the GTOAA to gain additional national exposure and attract new members, and provide enjoyable racing experiences for chapters and individual members. MCM is one of the premier teams in the Rolex Series, and the GTO.R is one of the most successful Pontiac racecars in professional motorsports of all time. I encourage our membership and our chapters to support Matt and his team.” One way to do that, and have an unforgettable experience in the process, is to participate in one of the GTOAA-members-only events that Bill Vantuono is arranging with Grand Am at several races, including Watkins Glen, Virginia International Raceway, Lime Rock Park (Connecticut), New Jersey Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio, and Miller Motorsports Park (Utah). These events, which are being arranged with GTOAA chapters, feature a car corral (show area) and a parade lap of the track, plus hot laps in the pace car with a professional driver. In many cases, race tickets will be included. “Last season, we did an event at Watkins Glen, and everyone had a great time,” says Vantuono. “Our Susquehanna Valley, Western New York, Pioneer Valley, and Garden State chapters were represented, and it was a lot of fun driving our classic and new-generation GTOs on the race course. Matt Connolly was a great host, and he and his team were very appreciative that we came out to support him. He’s really looking forward to seeing his fellow GTOAA members at as many races as possible this season.” Following this season, the 21 will be available to a collector interested in acquiring and preserving a famous racecar. “She’s got a great heritage, winning Rolex Series team and manufacturer titles as the no. 64 in 2006, with Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards driving her for The Racer’s Group,” says Connolly. “This GTO.R is unique: She’s got a GM factory VIN, and is one of only two in the world. (Andy Lally, Marc Bunting, and R.J. Valentine piloted sister TRG GTO.R no. 65 to the driver’s title in 2006. Valentine acquired the 65.) Rather than transform her into a different racecar next season, I want the 21 to remain a GTO. I deeply appreciate the support the GTOAA is giving me. We’re going to do our utmost to have a successful season, and your support will help make that happen.” Coming soon to the GTOAA website: Matt Connolly Motorsports Report, which will provide race results, team news, photos, and other information on MCM and the no. 21 GTO.R. |
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In the January 2010 issue of The Legend
Sunday - January, 03 2010 |
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Posted by:
William Vantuono |
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| Juiced-up GTOs – as in orange juice — fill the pages of this month's issue of The Legend,, starting with Steve Disch's wild Super Mod cover car. Known by several names – “64-06” and “Frankengoat” among them – Steve's hand-built creation is a complete 2006 GTO rebodied with a 1964 convertible skin. With mostly minor modifications (and one major one, relocated front wheel openings to accommodate the ’06’s 109.8-inch wheelbase), Steve’s bright orange creation combines the power, comfort, handling and reliability of the ’06 GTO with the classic lines of the original ’64 GTO. See it in the magazine, and at the 2010 Nationals. It redefines Resto Mod!
The orange theme continues with “Orange Peel Out,” 757GOAT chapter member Steve Cauffiel’s Carousel Red ’05 Super Mod. Steve says his twin-turbo, 500-plus-hp GTO is “worthy of The Judge namesake.”
Speaking of The Judge, the legend lives on in the Jim Wangers Signature Edition GTO, a Carousel Red (a.k.a screaming orange) creation from Big 3 Performance. It's a new car utilizing 1969 GTO sheet metal, a Corvette C6 front suspension and a 505 cubic inch, 680-hp Butler Performance Pontiac mill, among other goodies.
Also in this issue: A Convention Corner 2010 feature on this year's GTOAA Nationals, Little GTOs, and an article on 1968 walnut shift knobs.
All this and more in the January 2010 issue of The Legend, the GTOAA's award-winning monthly magazine, available exclusively to GTOAA members. |
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