Bruno17's Cool 1969 GTO

[Xplantdad]

Hi Bruce,


My car was sold new in a small town just west of Winnipeg,Manitoba. Built in Pontiac and shipped out May 21 1969. The dealer sold several ram air iv cars one of which was a 69 ram iv trans am. They had it drop shipped at Royal Pontiac so that Milt Schornak could tune it for NHRA competition at Gimli raceway in Manitoba.A short time after they got the car home they had Milt fly in to do a bobcat tuneup on their customers ram air IV and ram air III cars.


Milt recalls my car and also the fact that the owner smashed the car later that year.He also recalled that he ordered the exact same equipment and powertrain in a 70 GTO.


I was able to contact the second owner of the car who had no idea that it was a ram IV car. He bought it from a used car lot and only drove it a few years.He said that he found out later that the car was hit and they did a poor repair job and that the car kept blowing motors.I guess he didn't realize the 4.33 was still in the rear.He sent the car to the wrecker a few years ago and that's when "the call" was made to George Zapora at General Motors to see if
in fact this car was a real 4.33 gear car.


I bought the car from the gentleman that checked on the history before they were about to crush it.The fact that the car sat so long in a dry western climate explains why the car had such minimal rust. Jim Johnston of Canadian Collision brought this car back to life with a painstaking restoration.John Stefko of Stefko engines built the ram air IV to NHRA stock specs so that we could once again drag race it as it did in '69.

I hope that this exposure on this website will put me in contact with the orig owner. I'd love to hear more from previous race history and share its current status as a stock 12 second supercar..........er Pontiac. Best pass so far is 12.55/114.30 mph 1.99 60'


Hoping that we can better that mark at Mid MIchigan Motorplex this weekend.


Thanks Bruce...I'm honoured to be featured on your website.

Thanks,

Bruno


http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_1969ramairivgto001.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_1969ramairivgto008.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_1969ramairivgto083.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_1969ramairivgto105.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_1969ramairivgto104.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_69_gto.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_ramcat_beats_dragcat.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_nativityscene.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_gtoattheshop.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b156/lotsayenkopics/Members%20Rides/Bruno17/tn_ramair_iv_docs.jpg

[kwhizz]

Wow!!!!!!!! Great Job.......Love that color combo and the Red Lines http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

Ken http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

LOVE IT!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Chevy454]

I just saw this car @ MMM this weekend...it's sweeter than the pictures, and Bruno drives the thing like he hates it! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

Nice to finally meet you, Bruno... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Bill Pritchard]

Gorgeous car! Thanks for sharing http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[MosportGreen66]

Really neat GTO. I like em without hide-away headlights...
no engine shots? What a tease... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Jim Ferron]

Car sits just right!

[Chevy454]

Check it out...Bruno goin' crazy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlCeAPW0cw0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t521n1-cgeU

[ORIGLS6]

NICE!!! The stories attached to these cars constantly amazes me. Sure glad you saved her from the crusher! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Love the color and the picture at the Ass'y plant. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[Alss]

I also love the color!!! had one like it in high school..may it rest in peace http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif ..congrats on a very nice job.

ALbert

[Mr70]

Powerful Poncho. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[TDW]

Neat car. I too like the color. Nice job saving it. Looks like it runs as good as it looks.

[Tim Penton]

That is a great car with an awesome story!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[mmcporter]

Go Green!!! What a gorgeous car with an interesting history!

[bruno17]

Just got back from the factory stock race at Englishtown
and it went [email protected]!!!!!!!!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

Thanks to all that helped put this car together! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[2qwik2c]

Awesome car bruno. St James is an area in Winnipeg, always has been. Don't know why they say they say St James in the the docs instead of Winnipeg?? Where was the junk yard that it was almost crushed at??? Gimli raceway opened up years after the Bison/Keystone dragway closed in 77. Don't have any pics from Gimli just bison/keystone. Andrew.

[bruno17]

Thanks for the compliments,Andrew.I was able to contact Dave Berrier(salesman at Birchwood Motors since '64)at the dealership and he confirmed Milt Schornacks story about the connectiom with Royal Pontiac.My car was the car Dave raced at Keystone. Trophies,awards and some pics were stolen from the showroom years ago but he was going to check at home to see if he had any pics from back in the day.He told me that the car ran in the mid 12's when it was new.I'll dig up some paperwork at the office tomorrow and see if I can tell you which wrecker had it.The guy who sold it to me worked for a truck dealership.Do you have any pics of my car from keystone?

[bruno17]

I had the pleasure of meeting Denis Verrier(sorry about the spelling on my last post!)from Birchwood motors this past weekend at Performance World in Toronto.He raced my car when it was new in '69.What a gentleman he is!! Shared lots of stories with us about the car back in the day.He recalled the graphics on the trunk of the car......cartoon of german soldier holding a gun to his head with the caption "aim and fire". Guess it could have been an Arte johnson caricature of the "laugh in" character.
Guess no one has pics huh?

[Xplantdad]

Congrats...that's really cool http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[JoeG]

strong run. ......http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[P.J.]

Super nice
PJ http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Bill Pritchard]

Cool follow-up story, Bruno! Did Denis express any interest in taking the car for one more pass down the track? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[bruno17]

Thanks Bill! Funny thing......he didn't ask about making another pass but he did mention that he was far more "gentle" with her than I've been.Guess he doesn't care for all the killer burnouts on youtube.