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Words: Tommy Parry
Classic lines, a subtle but menacing exterior, a modern drivetrain, all the handling you could expect from a classic muscle car and plenty of presence; Scyler’s ‘68 Pontiac GTO has what all growing boys need.
Scyler grew up with pickups. His plan was to make a car that could do anything. Dedicated quarter mile cars are plentiful, but his area is devoid of drag strips. So, he picked up the car — his first ever — in Iowa and drove/floated back to Nebraska virtually without brakes.
A collection of well-chosen parts set this build apart. They aren’t the wildest items around, nor the most exotic, but they suit one another well and make a well-balanced, enjoyable car with performance in every department. Handling the propulsion is an ‘01 Camaro SS LS1. With the help of a new head and cam, Hooker headers and a 3” exhaust, it makes roughly 400 usable horsepower, which is sent through a Monster Stage 2 clutch to a T56 gearbox. Traction is managed by a Quick Performance Ford 9” rear with 3.70 gears and Moser 31 spline axles. Thanks in part to 275-section Falken RT615K tires, he’s able to make good use of the grunt available.
However, he couldn't expect to control that much power with the tired suspension and drum brakes. With 13” GTO brakes on the shelf waiting for installation, he commenced the footwork portion of the build. Up front, Scyler went for SC & C suspension with a front frame brace for improved steering response, supplemented by a Turn One power steering pump. With these additions, he felt comfortable placing the car accurately between the cones
“It's crazy how much the boxed frame flexes from the steering box. Now, much less steering wheel input needed to make the car turn,” he says.
Inside, he added a vintage air kit from an Oldsmobile Cutlass and Chevelle to work in the GTO dash. It has electric cutouts, and Scyler rigged the hood tachometer to work with the LS engine.
At the rear, PMT suspension aids in rotation and power delivery, and while the car exhibits a reasonable amount of roll for a road car, it’s quite taught when it matters. Some of that is due to a pair of Hellwig swaybars, and as the car corners as flat as it does, Scyler wisely added a set of Recaro seats to keep him stable during quick direction changes.
In the future, Scyler aims to add AFX spindles and a Hellwig Frame FX gusset kit. With the intention of putting more laps in on the road course and autocross, his modifications will certainly center around the handling side of things. Besides, with those classic lines and a menacing paint scheme, there’s not much in the cosmetic department that needs to be improved, so why not focus on the footwork?
