Cover Feature Joe Farside - Constant...

Cover Feature Joe Farside

Even though I am a proud

member of the South Jersey Pontiac Club, I can't say I have a deep love for all Pontiacs like many of you can. However, I can say I love this 1975 Trans Am. The story will explain the many reasons why later.

Along the way I have devel-oped a deep respect and apprecia-tion for Pontiacs. I extend deep gratitude to Jim Vertolli, as he was responsible for me becoming a member of this club. In the fu-ture I hope both my daughter and son-in-law will both become members.

This 1975 Pontiac Trans Am was ordered new by my sister An-toinette in June 1975. The reason she loved the Trans Am was never clear to me. By then I had already owned a '69 Mustang GT and I was on my second Corvette con-vertible .... which I still have.

My little sister "Net" as we called her, came to me with her wish and I would never deny Net anything she wished! I was eight and Net was six in 1960 when our father died when he was just 36.

My mother worked two jobs thereafter, so Net and I lived most of our lives alone, but together. When Net told me of her wish, we went to Dave Cole’s Central Pontiac on Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Camden, NJ.

The photos on page 8 show ALL of the original documenta-tion, proving this car is 100% original in every way including the build sheet, confirming the car was shipped to this dealership in Camden, NJ.

Net wanted the Cameo White with the blue hood bird and decals with the custom white interior, so that is what she ordered. I had to co-sign for her. She was 21.

(Trans Ams were only available in four colors in '75 - Buccaneer Red, Sterling Silver, Stellar Blue, and Cameo White.

There were 27,274 total Trans Ams made in '75. There were 20,277 with the 400 CID motor and Turbo 350 transmission, which this one has. There were another 6,140 with manual trans-missions. There were 857 of them made with the 455 HO motor, all with manual transmissions.

This was her first new car of her own. Evidently, she planned on keeping it forever .... she just never told anyone. Never ga-raged, it was last inspected in 1999. At that time, it had 106,233 miles on it.

Upon inspection failure it went into Net's backyard. Even with her modest means, her goal was to save enough so that her cherished Trans Am would some-day be restored to new condition.

Since Net had no children of her own, she loved both of my children as if they were hers. There was always a special place in Net's heart for her niece Jackie. She knew I planned to someday give my Corvette to my son.

Net decided to make her own wish to make the Trans Am new "like the day she got it from the dealer" and give it to my daughter Jackie. In her mind, then both kids would have a restored car!

story continues on page 6

PMD Excitement 3 April 2015


continued from page 3

Net was one of those really good people that God put on this earth just because he needed some good people. She was as genuine and innocent as anyone who was ever on earth. She taught kindergarten.

In January 2009 she was diag-nosed with bronchitis. By November 2009 she was dead from lung cancer. Net never smoked, drank liquor, did drugs, and never uttered a curse word. Her school placed a portrait of her in the hall near her classroom in an ef-fort to keep her spirit alive.

While sitting with her during the grueling chemo treatments, the topic of her Trans Am surfaced a few times. While none of us expected her to pass away so quickly, I made the promise to Net that I would make her car new "like the day she got it from the dealer" and give the car to my daughter Jackie.

After a 4-½ year "frame-off " res-toration my promise was realized. Net's Trans Am is now in Jackie's name and registered in West Chester, PA where she lives. My wonderful wife Karen endorsed and

supported this project in its entirety. Karen was as close or closer to Net then she is with her own sisters.

As we approached four years into the restoration, Jackie (31) gave birth to twin baby girls, her first children. Her excitement for her Trans Am got sidetracked. But, her husband Keith is having a lift installed in their ga-rage so that when the T/A arrives

there Jackie will see the car and think of her Aunt Net every time she goes into her garage. The cover photo and the photo on this page show a com-memorative front tag with the mes-sage "In loving memory of Aunt Net." The tag will be on the car forever.

No expense was spared on this project. My close friend, Rick Graiff, owns his own auto service shop in Vineland. Rick was the expert in charge of directing me through this project. Yes, this is the same Rick that started his career at Vertolli Pontiac in the late ‘60s. Jim Vertolli referred to Rick in his story of his '58 Pontiac.

I have known Rick for over 40 years. He is referred to by many as a master auto mechanic and the best motor builder in Vineland. Rick has built well over 1,000 motors. He was the only mechanic to ever work on the Trans Am when my sister owned it. So, he had more than a casual interest in this project.

He gave me the keys to his shop, where the car lived through much of the 4-½ years. He directed me each step of the way as to what to do, what order to do it in, including selecting the quality ex-perts I would need for each step along the way: the machine shop (Doug's), transmission, fabrication, bodywork, and painting. Of course Rick person-

ally performed all of the mechanical work: front end, suspension, brakes, fuel, motor building, and installation.

Former South Jersey Pontiac Club member Butch Jillson refinedthe bodywork and applied the new Cameo White paint. Many of you know of Butch's work. I have a file with every receipt for parts, labor, and service in chronological order. I did not keep track of my personal hours however, but I was personally in-volved doing the work each step of the way.

DOCUMENTATION

• Bill of Sale • Original title (7-25-75) and NJ li-

cense plate • andwritten order Salesman's h

sheet with mine and Net's signa-tures

• eceipts: one for deposit and Two rone for payment

• nual general in-Black owner's maformation. Red/orange owner's manual operating instructions.

• Build sheet proving originally aT/A and confirming receiving dealer

• nsumer information pam-1975 cophlet

• ear radial tire guide (this Goodycar still has the original spare tire in the trunk - never used)

• lope Important documents envewhich all of these documents came in

• aintenance schedule Pontiac mfolder

• ty info on 1975 Pontiacs Warran• Original key with the knockout

still in it, along with the GM lost key tag

• provisions of public law Importantregarding the warranty Assortment of photos de• tailing the 'frame off' process (page 8)



MECHANICAL • The motor was balanced, blue-

printed, bored .030 over. It has a high performance crank and oil pump. Comp cam with roller rock-ers, stainless steel push rods and locks

• Holley 750 dual feed double pum-per and Carter high performance fuel pump

• Completely rebuilt rear is a 3:23 positraction.

• Completely rebuilt Turbo 350 Transmission with 2500 - 2800 stall torque converter

• Suspension, steering, coil springs, shocks all 100% new

• Brake system 100% new • Fuel tank and lines 100% new • Flowmaster 'shallow' mufflers

#932556 with an aluminized 2-inch exhaust system

• Original equipment Goodyear 70R15 solid raised white letter tires on the stock Rally II wheels

• New heavy-duty radiator with both a mechanical and custom electric fan

INTERIOR: • Rebuilt original AM/FM Delco ra-

dio with 'modern' stereo kit to ac-cept iPod, CD, and XM receiver with four 200 watt speakers

• New carpet installed over custom insulation

• New headliner • GM NOS console lid • Dash, console, kick panels, seats

and upholstery, upper and lower door panels, visors, seat belts, are all repaired and refinished original parts

• All original gauges work and per-form like new

• Power windows and door locks mo-tors are rebuilt originals. Door windows and rear (defogger) win-dow all original

• Wire harnesses (all three) are origi-nal

• Original spare tire and Jack refin-ished and installed in original posi-tion

In summary, unlike Jim, I never planned to enter the Trans Am in car shows. However, I did enter it in about a dozen shows in 2014 earning nine awards. The interest in this car was overwhelming! The popularity in Trans Ams and in particular this one caught me very much by surprise.

I discovered that 1975 is a very rare year for a properly restored T/A. This is primarily caused by the front and rear (especially front) bumpers being destroyed and unavailable. In addition the body style was very sus-ceptible to rust. The hood is limited to '74 & '75 also.

The 1976 model began a string of years that had most parts interchange-

able through 1981, which made all those much more readily available and much less expensive.

At the urging of many, and the expert advice offered by John Con-trevo, I may take it to Hershey in Oc-tober 2015 for judging by the AACA. Getting an award there would be a de-fining moment for this car and the reason it is alive today. I feel blessed to have been able to complete this project.


Cover Feature Joe Farside - Constant...

Documents

Transcript of Cover Feature Joe Farside - Constant...