It’s no secret that it isn’t easy being a New Jersey firearm owner. We battle gun control activists, all branches of our State government, and most recently, ourselves. With the reduction of permissible magazine capacity from 15 to 10 rounds, firearm owners, Second Amendment advocates, and others have voiced concern from “the sky is falling” to “so what?”
I’m not in either camp. I do not believe the sky is falling, nor am I indifferent to the new restrictions on our constitutional rights. That said, powerful voices within the Second Amendment community are seeking to warn that the sky is falling. Many call this fear mongering, and I agree. It may be an attempt to rally the troops, so to speak, but I don’t think that is the outcome or the intent of the warnings.
Members of the pro 2a community have seen warnings of varying severity as of late. There have been warnings of mass raids on those who own firearms capable of accepting large capacity magazines. There have been warnings that Governor Phil Murphy must conduct raids for fear of political retribution. There have been articles posted speaking of searches of homes without probable cause (during a search for terrorist bombers). There have been threats that people are facing consecutive 18 month prison terms and aggregated sets of $10,000 fines totaling 115 years in jail and a million in fines.
Let me say that I disagree with the new restrictions on our constitutional rights, disagree with recent court opinions upholding these restrictions, and support the advent of a system that would allow from the permissible carry of firearms in New Jersey.
Full disclosure, I can’t call this legal advice as I can’t predict every scenario, but I can offer some perspective and try and quell some of the fear that has been heightened over the last few days. That’s not to say that there should be no fear, the government has just infringed on our constitutional rights and our Governor and Attorney General are hostile to our cause, but the onslaught currently occurring, is making people think tomorrow is the day my local PD raids my home because I own a Glock 19 or a Beretta 92fs.
As we stand here, on the eve of many of our friends turning into criminals for doing nothing more than inaction, and we stand here having had our constitutional rights limited, illegally and against our will, I thought people could use another perspective. A perspective on seeking to help some of us figure it out, and not scare some of us into hiding or moving out of state and reducing the size of the community here to support the Second Amendment.
We, those of us on discussion groups and forums, are among the most educated gun owners in the State. There are hundreds of thousands of gun owners in the state, but Facebook groups and forums have 2,000 to 10,000 people participating in the discussion. Quite honestly, I’d expect Joe Schmo gun owner, who got a pistol after watching the expendables because it looked cool, who really has no idea about the mag ban or his Second Amendment rights, to run afoul of the law before any of us do. That said, I hope, that any person who unknowingly or mistakenly brings a “large capacity magazine” to a range or gun club, is told to take it home or throw it out, and not have the police called on them. I can’t imagine any range that did that would be in business long anyways.
I have a hard time with someone, especially someone knowledgeable, suggesting that the simple act of owning a gun that can accept large capacity magazines, is grounds for large scale raids. That IS fear mongering. Raids require search warrants. Search warrants require probable cause. Probable cause has to be determined by a Judge, yes a New Jersey Judge, but a Judge nonetheless. It’s not some willy nilly standard. There have to be proofs of the illegality, descriptions of the items they are seeking, and enough facts, specific facts, to overbear your fourth amendment rights. I have participated in a large amount of search warrants, from the drafting of the affidavit, to appearing with the officer in front of a Judge, defending search warrants on motions to suppress, and challenging searches based on the fourth amendment. I would not approve an officer seeing a judge, nor would I ever expect a judge to approve a search warrant based on the following:
“John Doe is a resident of New Jersey. In 2009, he purchased a Beretta 92fs, a 9 millimeter pistol. That firearm is capable of accepting a magazine that contains more than 10 rounds. Based upon the previous, we believe that we have probable cause to believe that he has a large capacity magazine.”
Even in New Jersey that isn’t going to fly. It’s probable cause to believe, not a hunch. Without more, that’s simply a hunch. That isn’t to say that information won’t be part of an application for a search warrant, but there must be more. Someone witnessing a large capacity magazine, posting photos of their large capacity magazines to social media, or bragging about keeping them or using them could certainly further the quest to search a home. What I find sad, is with specific knowledge of what is required for a search warrant, people are still stoking the fires of fear regarding mass raids.
A general understanding of New Jersey sentencing law, or even common sense demonstrates that no one is actually facing 115 years in jail or a million dollars in fines for possessing non compliant large capacity magazines. That doesn’t mean that those sentiments aren’t being floated around the 2a community. The law prohibits the possession of magazines over 10 rounds just like it prohibits possessing hollow points outside of the limited exceptions of title 39 of our criminal code. Not even New Jersey would allow for punishment per bullet, a 50 round box allowing for a maximum sentence of 75 years or a super dangerous box of 525 .22’s hollow points allowing for a maximum sentence of 787 years in jail. Similarly, simple possession of 50 large capacity mags will not get you 75 years. With very limited exception, fines other than mandatory ones are not doled out very often in Superior Court. I’d say I’ve seen 10 defendants receive discretionary fines in my career of thousands of cases in Superior Court, and never, ever, have I seen the maximum fine levied. That said, with no record and being a lawful gun owner, possession of a prohibited device such as a large capacity magazine is a fourth degree crime, which means that there is a presumption of non-incarceration. Having no record, a person is more likely to have pretrial intervention or probation than face the grim prospect of 18 months in prison, let alone 115 years. I’m in no way saying I agree that it should be illegal, but likely punishment potential needs to be kept in perspective and not allowed to run amok.
A suggestion was also made by a prominent voice that exigency would allow for warrantless searches of homes. In support, an article was cited Related to the 2013 Boston bombing, though oddly making no mention of the bombing or the search being for the bombers. To place that into context, several people, including an unsuspecting law enforcement officer were murdered. Hundreds were maimed, hurt, and mutilated. The police were on a manhunt for a terrorist who literally blew up part of Boston, not an illegally retained Glock magazine. It’s pretty imbecilic to think that their ulterior motive was to nail unsuspecting gun owners.
Instead of stoking the aforementioned flames of fear and telling people to prepare for mass raids for non-compliant magazines, It might be more instructive to inform people, many whom do not posses sophisticated knowledge of the law, with some of their rights.
If Law Enforcement Officers show up and ask to see your weapons or gun safe, you are free to say no. That is your home and the fourth amendment guarantees that you shall be free from unreasonable searches and seizures in it. Be careful though, as well trained Law Enforcement are very slick. They will try their hardest and may say anything to get into your home if that is their mission. They can’t arrest you for not consenting, but they sure might bluff. That’s all it is, a bluff.
If Law Enforcement ask you questions such as “do you have magazines that are non-compliant,” you are free to remain silent. Don’t lie, just be silent and say I don’t wish to speak with you. It is easier said than done as police are instructed on how to manipulate targets to get them to allow searches, waive miranda, etc.
If the Police threaten that they will get a search warrant if you don’t consent, tell them ok. They have as much a right to attempt to obtain a search warrant as you do to deny their request for a consent search. It’s an absolute they will get in and search if you consent. It’s not absolute that they will be granted a search warrant, and if they do, you can challenge it later in court.
If people are worried about parts of the law, they should speak directly with a lawyer about their particular situation so that they can get accurate advise. That’s my 2 cents, feel free to disregard, I won’t force anyone to do or believe anything, I just want you to know their are other informed opinions out there that aren’t total doom and gloom.
About me: I’m a proud supporter of the Second Amendment, a criminal defense attorney and Managing Attorney at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, and a former Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor who ran the County gang, gun, and drugs task force. See my Blog: An American Thinketh
Gun Retailers
Brownell's - Brownell's is continuing their 3 coupon codes, offering discounts + free shipping.
Faxon Firearms - Up to 50% off select parts for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, 15% off M&P Slides/barrels.
Natchez Shooters Supplies - is offering 4 promo codes for Cyber Monday. 10% off $49.99+, $15 off $150, $25 off $250, and $35 off $350. Promo code "DO181122. "Alternatively, there is Free Shipping on Orders over $150 or Free Hazmat for reloading components. (FH181122)
Palmetto State Armory - Perhaps the best deals to be had this season! Whether it is ammo deals we previously discussed or $170 AR-15 uppers, this is the place to shop. Looking for an AR for under $350? Buy this kit and use your lower or add one! (and pin the stock, change out flash suppressor). A LOT on sale.
Rainier Arms - If you are looking for something a bit higher end or more unique, Rainier Arms' Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale may be worth a look.
Sportsman's Guide - Is offering up to 50% or more on many items. The caveat is, the best deals are only for members. If you are not yet a member or a customer, you can use a $20 gift card with $100 order, or $50 off $200. There is also the "Big Bang" event with savings on new firearms, ammo and optics.
AR Parts
Aero Precision - Cyber Monday Doorbusters & 15% off everything else! One such deal is the M4E1 lower with lower parts kit, $99 versus $174 regular price.
Ballistic Advantage - Offering up to 35% off various parts such as their Sub-MOA guaranteed barrels. Free onyx patch with every order. Plenty of blem and closeout parts for extra savings!
Other Stuff
Amazon - While we buy a ton of stuff on Amazon, we generally don't think of Amazon for gun related purchases. I was thus pleasantly surprised to find some really good deals on reloading accessories like the Hornady brass tumbler, just $27.99, 63% off of the retail list price of $74.81! Best of all, it comes with 100 Free Bullets, by mail, from Hornady. We discussed this deal yesterday here. Other big savings deals are items like the Caldwell Lead Sled, Lead Sled 3, and GunVault Biometric Speedvault.
AR500 Armor
FREE Shipping on orders over $99
excluding targets
Tiered Discounts
10% Off @ >$100
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30% Off with Coupon Code: CYBERMONDAY
Can be combined with Free Shipping
Up to 40% Off + Free Shipping
Plate Carrier Packages
Armor Packages
50% Off all Targets
7 New Products
4 New Carriers
2 New Plates
Tactical Stockings
Link To Sale
BerettaUSA - Cyber Monday Savings at BerettaUSA.com! Spend $250 Or More And Get 30% Off Your Entire Purchase Using Promo Code: BF18! Offer Valid 11/26 Only. One triple dip promo was on magazines, which we discussed yesterday.
CrossBreed Holsters - Is having their biggest sale of the year with 20% off everything or 30% off and free shipping on orders over $150!
LifeProof - LifeProof is offering 50% off Bluetooth Speakers, 50% off all clearance and 25% off all other cases and accessories. Add in free shipping!
Bottle Breacher - Remember that cool bottle opener you saw on Shark Tank? There are Cyber Monday deals! Can make a good gift or stocking stuffer for non-gun people.
As I am getting a bunch of these emails I wanted to put a central place for gun related deals out there.
If you are looking for a quality holster, now is a good time to shop at Crossbreed.
Starting today through Saturday the 24th.
Starting today, all Founder's Series holsters are 25% off.
On Wednesday the 21st, Designer Series holsters will be added to the 25% off. Finally, on Friday, Ankle holsters will be added with 40% off!
Visit CrossBreed Here
Well..... it is done....
Pretty Master is out.... more functional for my purposes in....
Slightly more braking force, but still not enough to lock wheels..... will have to rebleed again...
More travel in pedal, which I wanted
I can now fill master properly
Well, the weather finally broke today..... and I decided to at least get GTO set-up to make next change....
This will be another chapter in upgrading brakes....
Car was originally a 4 wheel manual drum car..... that was quickly changed years ago to what was basically a 1970 Front Disc setup.... still no power assist. Result was not acceptable, but I drove it for a few years like that. What was wrong is that I used a 7/8" bore master cylinder which came recommended by most forums/threads/project threads to be the proper size. Well...... although a 7/8" master will put out plenty of pressure, it lacked pushing enough fluid volume for the big piston front disc brake calipers, result was a mushy pedal that in the end did not deliver enough braking force.
After a few years of driving it that way.... and a few close calls. I made the decision and broke down and added a power booster for added stopping force. Now everywhere I read says that with Power Brakes.... go up to a 1 1/8" Master cylinder bore. Plenty of fluid flow and although gives less pressure, that will be made up by the booster. So that is what I installed ..... a 9" Booster and a Wilwood 1 1/8" Master. Result: Car stops VERY well now, but still wont lock brakes, so there is still more improvement to be had.Plus the pedal is very hard with very little movement. The other issue is, the Wilwood Master is a beautiful piece but is really not designed to work with a Power Booster since on a GM car the booster makes the whole setup angle upward. With the design of the Wilwood master, you cannot fill up the reservoirs past halfway. After speaking to a Wilwood rep, he agrees, their masters are better suited for manual brakes where the installation is horizontal. But I drove it this way for a few years keeping an eye on the fluid level.
But now its time to give me a little piece of mind and replace the Wilwood master with a normal GM/Delco master that I can fill up properly. I am also going to go down from the 1 1/8" to a 1" bore master. This should give more pressure then the 1 1/8" master but still give me enough flow to work with the GM Disc caliper setup. This should also soften the pedal up a little to allow for more modulation under spirited driving....
So this afternoon I setup car on my lift and got her ready for surgery tomorrow....
Well..... I am quite excited. I guy emailed me last year that he was writing a book about muscle cars and was interested in photos of my GTO. So I emailed him quite a few photos, and then pretty much forgot about it, thinking it was either a joke, or I didnt make the cut.
He emailed me tonight, and said my car made the book. So I ran out to Barnes and Noble and bought it.....
I am pretty stoked...
https://www.amazon.com/Detroit-Muscle-Factory-Lightweights-Purpose-Built/dp/161325301X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510885602&sr=8-1&keywords=detroit+muscle
Took my AR-47 to the range today for the first time since completing it figured id share it with yall!
some pics
Two vids
shooting it pt 1
shooting it pt 2
Overall i am Happy! Out of 200 Rounds shot today only had two non fires, after striking each round 3 times each to get it to fire, came to the conclusion its not the rifle but the round/primer issue as all the other went off with ease.
I read alot of ppl saying the 7.62x39 AR's were "problem Childs" but i didnt have any problems. Just do your research. :-)
If you catch me at the range dont be skerred come say hi. im friendly ;-)
If you do not have plans..... and you enjoy cars, there are 2 great 50's 60's "car parties .....
One is Lead East at the Hilton in Parsippany.... but the one I am going to be at this year is the
Dead Man's Curve show at the Sheraton in Mahwah
http://deadmanscurveusa.com/main/current-events/
https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://deadmanscurveusa.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Tri-Fold-Brochure-08-15-17.pdf&hl=en
Starts Thursday at Noon and runs nearly 24hrs till Sunday night...
Cars, Music, Food, Vendors, etc....
Weather permitting I will be there Thur to Sat night....
If you come.... look for me and stop by....
Figure I would do a current entry....
I have been dealing with a No Start, No Crank Issue at times with the car. Seems to happen after longer drives, obviously with everything getting heat soaked under hood....
I would go to leave a Cruise Night and I would get NOTHING...... when it happened last year 2-3 times, there was not even a click from the starter. I already had a Powermaster Mini Starter, but I bit the bullet and bought a new one, and sent the old one back to Powermaster to have it rebuilt.
Fast forward to this year...... thinking I had the problem solved. I went to a cruise night in Flemington 2 weeks ago.... 90+ min drive. Got there, started to rain..... went to leave after about an hour and No Start, No Crank....... crap. After a few minutes like always, it cranked fine and I headed home. Pulled into the garage, turned it off and tried to restart..... Click...... crap.
Frustrated, I headed into the house and would deal with it in the morning. Well, as usual, it started fine in the morning, but I check battery voltage.... 13.2v sitting, and only dropped to 10.5v while cranking, not bad for a 15+-year-old Optima Battery. So I felt battery was not the issue. I highly doubt the new starter was an issue. It was time to look in other directions..... wiring and grounds...
Well, I removed the positive cable that runs from Battery to Starter..... this was a nice fancy Steel Braided 4ga battery cable. Well, it looked like hell now, with plenty of green corrosion coming through the steel braiding, plus I found upon searching..... 4ga wire might be good for today cars, but will not carry enough amps for older muscle cars with larger engines.
So instead of trying to find larger gauge battery cables the correct length..... Time to learn another skill. So I went ahead and made up my own battery cable. and then made up an additional ground cable.
The new cable is very high grade and is 2ga.
Just got done installing it...... Now, lets hope for the best....
Well..... Time to wrap up the paint job portion....
Car was done.... in about 90 days, start to finish, quite an accomplishment for something that was supposed to be a "side job" ....
Thanks for everyone who took the time to read through this..... any questions, please ask away....
Pictures will say it all...
With the roof done, it was time for the main color. All I can say is the painter wanted perfection. He even did the right side over, because he was not happy with the first application....
Enjoy the pictures...
So yeah..... when I was searching for my GTO..... I wanted either White or Silver with a Black Vinyl roof..... and I was happy with the look.....
But..... a few years before I painted the car, I went to the Atlantic City Car Auction and walked past a 67 GTO in the Convention Center that was a beautiful light blue and a painted white roof..... I had never actually seen a Two-Tone GTO, and upon further investigation found that you could order the cars like that, and the factory two-tone cars left the vinyl roof trim and just used paint instead of vinyl on the roof.... It really was a neat look.... And I vowed to try the look on my car whenever I had the car painted. It was an easy decision because I would be retaining the trim, and if I hated the look, all I had to do was scuff the roof and lay down the new vinyl roof....
When I made the decision to do it..... I got a TON of flak from everyone that I was crazy..... that it would not look right.... but I stuck to my guns..
Well, when it came out of the paint booth with the roof painted.... I was sold 100% that it would be staying that way. Once the car was completely painted, everyone actually apologized and said it was an awesome look. To this day..... I really think it's what sets my car apart from other cars as shows and cruise nights....
So as you can see by the pics, I had uncovered some issues that were covered by trim. Once removed and blasted, the ugly came out. Areas of rot - Bottom of both front fenders behind front wheels, Bottom of 1/4's behind rear wheels, Panel behind the rear window, and finally the rear sail panels on each side of the rear window. All common areas of trouble for this type of body style. Good thing is, all areas the aftermarket has addressed with prefabbed patch panels....... Except for the Sail Panels. But one thing my body guy did was not use the whole patch panel, he cut down each panel to just use what was needed. The panel behind the rear window we did use the whole replacement panel, it was needed. To address the sail panels he had to do old school, he fabricated his own metal panels and welded them in, he did a wonderful job.
Once the metal work was done, the car was then sealed with Primer and made ready for paint....
Hey Y'all Figured id Share my Progress on my AR-47 Build.
Parts List:
16" 7.62x39 BARRELED UPPER - OMEGA 15" SERIES with Shark Muzzle Brake - 5/8" x 24 TPI
Upper Receiver
A4 Upper Receiver
M4 Feed Ramps
Black Hardcoat Anodized Mil-Std-171 Type III Precision Machined to Mil-Spec Tolerances
Forged From High-Grade 7075 T6 Aluminum
Mil-Spec Forward Assist and Ejection Door
Barrel
16" 7.62 x 39mm 1x10 MIDWEIGHT MELONITE NITRIDE BARREL
Gas System
Carbine Length Stainless Steel Gas Tube
.750 Low Profile Steel Melonite Gas Block
Hand Guard
Omega 15" Free Float - White T Marks on all four rails.
OMEGA / VECTOR END CAP
Shark Muzzle Brake - 5/8" x 24 TPI
First I Bought my upper from MAS Defense website. Took it to my gun shop to pin and weld the Muzzle Break As NJ Law.
Went to Gander Mountain Store Closing and picked up a nice 2.5 MOA red dot scope
Heres what it looks like it on the upper and upper on the lower
Looks pretty darn good! :-) But The upper needs some customizing done to it to fit the FDE Theme. And So Time for paint.
First I taped everything that i dont want to be FDE color.And stuffed Cotton Squares the things ladies use to remove makeup. to protect the barrel and gas tube. worked great!
Since i couldnt find any FDE sprey paint and had the Model Master FDE paint left over i said lets brush it on. Worked good on the lower parts :-) So i painted the left side of the Handguard.
2 coats on let dried for 24 hours then i removed the tape. Sorry didnt take pic of that part. but i liked how it came out for being brushed on So on to the right side and some Upper accents parts
Painted the Dust Cover and the Forward Assist
2 coats let dry for 24 hours before removing tape. Installed it on the Lower.
This is the Paint i used
I Love How it all came out! I have seen either Black Handguard or FDE color Handguard but never both. I Didnt want all black or all FDE color So i Painted the Handguard myself and glad i did. Makes it stick out from the rest of the AR-47's Handguards :-D Up close you can see in some spots that it was brushed on but other then that it looks great! Love it!
Next up Is the BCM, Charging Handle and Mags. Then Ammo and to the RANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im 90% done with the build. :-) Well i Hope Y'all Like my build so far. And maybe this gives you some ideas on colors or themes or just like thats a sweet AR :-D I Will update Y'all when i get the rest parts and then take it to the range. *PEW*PEW*PEW*
The year is 2009, and little did I know it, this was going to be a huge year for the GTO.
I figured I would get a few estimates on painting the car, knowing full well, I probably would not be able to afford it. I had figured I would have to wait until I retire to paint it. But what the hell, let get a few estimates.
What I found ..... Very few people like to paint/restore whole cars, other than true restoration shops. The few guys I squeezed a rough estimate out of said it would be around $15,000 give or take..... Way out of my budget. And to be honest, with the lack of interest, I would not have let them touch my car anyway...
So backup plan for 2009... Tri-Power. Even though 1967 the Tri-Power was not available, it was common for people to swap out the Four Barrel for it. So I came across a very nice restorable 66 Tri-Power set up. About $1300 if I remember correctly. ....
At this point in time, I was a Service Advisor at a local Buick/GMC dealer, and I was enjoying my job. The Bodyshop manager Jim was an old school body man, and was a great guy, and we got along great, and he had a 65 GTO in his youth. He always said he also did not like painting whole cars, so I never approached him about mine..... But a few weeks after I bought the Tri-Power, he walks up to me in the shop.... and says...... "Hey, you wanna paint the car?" .... I was like..... wut?. And he repeated.... Let's paint it.... I said if you are serious, I just got to sell the Tri-Power and I will have the car stripped down by next weekend. He said he was serious, and that threw the whole thing into motion.
Tri-Power was sold in days.... and the teardown began. I decided to strip the car in my garage, bagging and documenting every nut and bolt. I would leave the drivetrain in, and the dashboard and headliner. Everything else will come out.... It took about a week, and it was stripped. I had one of our towing vendors pick it up on a flatbed and brought it to the dealer. The following weekend I hired a mobile Baking Soda Blaster vendor to come and blast all the paint off the car. The only downside to this process, because I had left the dash in the car, is that I had little plops of baking soda that would fall out of the underside of the dash for a few years after it was done.
These segments will be picture heavy since I documented the process nearly every day....
I am condensing these next 6 years because I do not want to bore the hell out of everyone....
I will give the highlights of what I did to the car:
Stripped out the interior and POR-15'd the floor and installed a fresh carpet set
Me and a buddy removed engine to repair the rear main seal oil leak.... unsuccessfully
In 2004, there was a change of what I wanted the car to be.... I had originally wanted to keep the car as authentic as I could, meaning Date Coded, belts and hoses, etc..... keep in factory stock. Well, I had replaced the belts, with original type belts, and also had picked up an original type hood insulation, which was a little expensive, well..... while driving the car one day, I blipped the throttle a little, and I heard a HUGE bang under the hood..... I was hoping I didnt blow the engine or something. Pulled over, popped the hood, and my reproduction dated coded belt broke and took out my brand new hood insulation.... The straw that broke the camels back...... No more paying too much money for reproduction over-seas parts.... I would make the car what I wanted to drive, and put parts on that were upgrades....
This put me on the journey of a vintage muscle car with modern type suspension and brakes..... I call it Pro-Touring lite, mostly becuase a true Pro-Touring car is a 6 figure adventure, and I had no plans to Auto-X it, I didnt want to go all out, I just wanted to make it a great road car.
Here is a list of things that made the transition:
Hotchkis Springs, Bilstein Shock, HP Rear upper and lower control arms, Pro-Touring rear sway bar, Tubular Front Upper and Lower controls arms with modern geometry, Converted stock Power Steering Box to Fast Ratio, Front Disc Brake, and added Power Booster. These things, among other small items, transformed the car from vintage boat to an awesome handling road machine.
Below I will try and put photos in order so you can see the car evolve over the next 6 years
The next installment will be the big one..... 2009.... The Paintjob....
Well, after purchasing the GTO, I was not about to dump a lot of money into it right away. I had to sort of just enjoy it, until I could work up further funds for projects. So, I just keep it to little things, or some small items to keep it on the road.
The first thing..... Whitewalls had to go, so for now, had them turned around to blackwall.
I then had to have the radiator re-cored, but I knew that was coming, and I also installed a 180deg T-Stat.
2002 season was a little more productive. Replaced the shocks with some KYB's, and sold off the 14" Rally II wheels and purchased a set of 15" ones and bought a set of BFG Radial T/A's. As you can see in the photo with the 15" wheels, the 3 different shades of gray really show up.... Just something I was going to live with, I figured a paint job would not be for many years. A few other mods for 2002 - Replaced the leaking Ram Air exhaust manifolds and modified the distributor with a Pertronix Ignition module to get rid of the points...
The highlight for me in 2002 was the winning of the Presidential Trophy at the GTOAA Regional Show. What made this special is that the guest speaker at the show gets to pick the winner of that trophy. The guest speaker was a Paul Zazarine, a renowned author, and Pontiac Historian. He was walking the show and came over to my car to talk about it, we had a great conversation about the documentation and history of the car. I had him sign the inside of the trunk lid and thanked him for the conversation. Later that night during the awards dinner, I was shocked when he came up to give his award and said my name..... I was speechless, and will always be one of my highlights of my life...
Few links regarding Paul Zazarine
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/hppp-1106-paul-zazarine-tribute/
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjGhfG3s4vUAhXD5xoKHYy2ApoQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.findagrave.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Ffg.cgi%3Fpage%3Dgr%26GRid%3D129733982&psig=AFQjCNEylzU4-uGcuU7Mb_SSbOpPztMHng&ust=1495813977120484
At this point, being a member of the local GTOAA Chapter, I would be working my way to becoming Treasurer and then VP of the club, and also being a Concours Judge for future shows....
More Later.....
Hey y'all! After Researching for months i have decided to start my build So Heres a Blog On My First Part of my Build :-)
Parts Installed:
Anderson Lower Receiver
CMMG Lower Parts Kit
Magpul Polymer Trigger Guard, Flat Dark Earth
UTG AR15 Ergonomic Pistol Grip, FDE
AR-Stoner Buffer Tube Assembly 6-Position Mil-Spec Diameter AR-15 Aluminum Black
Magpul Stock MOE FCS Fixed Carbine AR-15, LR-308 Carbine Synthetic
Phase 5 Weapon Systems Inc Extended Bolt Release V2
First i bought the Anderson AR-15 Stripped Lower Reciever.
Then I Installed the Magpul Polymer Trigger Guard, Flat Dark Earth
I Bought the CMMG Lower Parts Kit
And since i am going for A FDE Theme, I Decided to paint the Mag catch, Mag Release Button,Safety Selector and the Take Down pins.
3 Coats of white primer.
Then after 24 Hours dry time i painted them with Master Model enamal Paint in Flat Dark Earth
Then I color Filled the Markings on the Lower Receiver.
After All the paint had 24 hours to fully cure I started installing the Lower parts kit into the lower Receiver
After Installing all the lower parts kit and the CMMG Lower Parts Kit, Magpul Polymer Trigger Guard, Flat Dark Earth,UTG AR15 Ergonomic Pistol Grip, FDE, AR-Stoner Buffer Tube Assembly 6-Position Mil-Spec Diameter AR-15 Aluminum Black, Magpul Stock MOE FCS Fixed Carbine AR-15, LR-308 Carbine Synthetic, Phase 5 Weapon Systems Inc Extended Bolt Release V2
Next Onto The Upper Part. If you like it so far stick around to see it finished. Thanks for reading my first blog. :-)
So I will backtrack a little....
So I sold the 88 GT in 1999, I just was not driving it, in fear of someone scratching it, or anything. The car was depreciating ...... I decided it was time for look for my first classic muscle car. IT was between 2 of my favorites.... First choice was a 67 Pontiac GTO, ever since I was 13, I had fallen in love with the looks of the car, and at this point, I learned to really appreciate the history and feel of Pontiac. Another thing is ..... if anyone knows GM history, was that Pontiac was known for their interior appointments, especially their dashboard layouts. My back-up choice if I came across the right one was a 69 Chevelle SS 396. My grandfather worked at a Chevy dealer when I was little, and had a 68 Chevelle 4-door...... so, just sort of a connection to that body style.
I was married for 3 years at this point, and I was given the blessing from my wonderful wife to try and fulfill my dream.... so the search began....
For 2 years..... for a few hours nearly every night....
My requirements:
4 Speed
NO A/C
Power Steering
Either White or Silver
Clean driver that could be enjoyed right away, did not want a resto project.
I would search the internet.... looking a normal classifieds and also Classic Car dealers throughout the country. The neat thing was, most of the Classic Car dealers had an inquiry feature, that if you did not see what you want, you submitted a request, and they would contact you if they came across what you were looking for....
At this point in my career, I was a Finance Manager @ Saturn of Denville. Well, one day as I came into work, my Used Car Manager came over to me with a note. It was regarding a Gray 67 GTO. He said this must be for you….. The message was from Debbie Greene from Greene’s Classic Cars in Knoxville TN. And she had the car I was looking for, a Gray 67 GTO. I thought it was a joke….. For 2 reasons. One, of all the dealers I had searched online, I could not recall ever going to that website, second reason…. GTO’s were not available in Gray, the closest would be a color called Silverglaze. But I called the number, and Debbie picked up, and quickly realized, this was real. I had to ask…. How she got my name and number…. Well, it seems I had just contacted an early Internet Hacker, she said she was able to infiltrate other dealers websites and look at their inquiries from customers…. To this day…. I have no idea how she did it. The next topic we covered was the color… She said it was indeed Gray, not Silver. She said it was a Special Order Color car. The original owner ordered the car 67 Buick Riviera Charcoal Gray. More detail followed. It was a numbers matching car, very original. Car was there on consignment from 4th owner. Had tons of documentation. Price was $15,500…. Which was about $3000 over my budget, but I asked her to send photos for me, which I included below.
That night the wife and I looked at the pictures and noticed the name of the selling dealer matched her last name….. little spooky for us. At his point, I ordered the PHS documents which is a service that validates on how the car was built. It helps to see if the car is actually what the seller says it is. The info came back validating everything…. It was a true 1967 GTO that was equipped with the rare HO engine option and was also ordered under a Special Paint code….
Little background on Special Paint code cars…. Back then you could order your GM car any color from the GM palette. IF you ordered it a Pontiac NON-GTO color, the data plate on the firewall would have a “1” where the paint code would be stamped. IF you ordered a NON-Pontiac color, the data plate would be left blank. My car’s data plate is blank…
So after a short discussion with wife, I left a $500 deposit on the car. That weekend, I hopped into my truck to drive to Knoxville to see the car in person. I arrived and it was waiting for me on their showroom floor. I spent at least an hour going all over that car on the showroom, and then they put it on a lift, where I spent another hour….. and then took it for a ride. I loved it, it was what I had been looking for. I called the wife and we discussed the over budget issue…. Her response…. “ If it's what you want….. get it”
I will not hide the fact it was a very emotional moment for me….. I committed to the car, and Debbie Greene had a guy with a trailer on speed dial…. And within 2 hours… I was following my dream car home on Rt81 North…
The car came with so much documentation it was amazing…. Original Window Sticker, Protecto-Plate, Deposit receipt when original owner ordered the car, receipt when owner picked up the car. EVERY service receipt from the Pontiac dealer when the car was serviced, from 1966 till 1986 when she sold the car at Carisle Fairgrounds.
Now that I had the car in my garage, curiosity got the better of me, and I made it my mission to track down the original owner and talk to her….
So with the power of the internet and using the Service receipts, I found she was still living in the same house she lived in when she sold the car in 1986. I wrote her a letter and enclosed a current picture of the car. A few weeks later, she called. We spent an hour on the phone. I got all the details on the way she raced the car, and why the color. It was a great conversation… I asked why the color? She said she was on her way to Pontiac dealer to order the GTO and passed by a Buick showroom, and in the window was a Buick Riv in the Charcoal Gray, and fell in love with the color. You can see on the window sticker it was a $83.20 option for Special Color. She ordered the car Oct, 23 1966, I had just turned 1 year old the day before, and she picked it up right after Christmas. If you look at the window sticker, you can also see a few rare options. The most important one to me, the HO engine. Of the 80K GTO's built that year, only 12K were ordered with that engine. The Opera lights and Power Antenna were also considered rare options.
I asked her if she remembered who she sold it to in 1986 at Carisle, but she could not recall, so that was a dead end. So I decided to work my way backwards. I reached out to the 4th owner, who I met at the dealer in TN when he brought down the title...... He said it he bought it from 2 brothers that buy and sell GTO's and other muscle cars as a business..... I was able to track them down. I wanted to find out who had restored the trunk pan and taillight panel. Once on the phone, I asked the guy if he could give me some information..... he curtly cut me off saying they had bought and sold so many GTO's over the years, he would never remember the car..... I said it was a 67 GTO in Charcoal Gray. He stopped dead cold and said..... Oh man, I remember that one, We NEVER should have sold that one..... We continued with a short conversation regarding the car.
I will say, the 1st photo below makes the paint look better then it actually was in real life, as you will see in my next segment. The car at least 2 partial paint touchups, One was when the tailpanel was replaced and another one to help the painted surfaces that had faded over the years. The most original paint was near the front of the car below the pinstripe. In the sun, the car was 3 shades of Gray.....
The interior was original..... nothing had been done, and it really could be left alone, if I wanted to, but I never leave anything alone....LOL
At this point, my goal was to try and keep the car as original as possible, but making it enjoyable to drive..... for reasons that I will mention later, those thoughts changed....
I think that pretty much sums up this entry..... More to come
Its now 1988 and I have started my career in the Auto Dealership world. I am selling cars at Headquarters Buick/Nissan/Jeep/Eagle in Morristown. I quickly start making more money than I ever have.....
GM and Ford are still going head to head for the top spot and its time for me to keep pace.... We actually had 3 1987 Buick Grand Nationals leftover on the lot, I figured I would wait and buy the last one.... but I changed my mind and decided to shop around and look at my alternatives.
The first car I looked at ... Since I worked at Nissan, was the 300ZX Turbo, this was eliminated quickly, just hated the way the independent rear suspension reacted on acceleration. The next car was the Toyota Supra Turbo. I have to say, I was really impressed, it would be the heaviest of the cars I looked at, but that made it a really nice high-speed touring car. Tons of luxury and plenty of speed, but also the most expensive of the cars I was looking at. The next car I looked at was the Mazda RX7 Turbo..... My god.... I nearly pulled the trigger on this one. It was a freakin slot car and when you revved that rotary up and boost came on, it was quite impressive..... But I decided to look at one more car....
Next door to the dealer I worked at was the local Ford dealer, and my 86 GT was serving me quite well, so what the hell, let's see what these new style Fox body Mustangs go for..... and look at that, for the price those 3 imports I was looking at go for..... I could get a Loaded GT Convertible, Hey..... that would be really cool.... and the deal was sealed.....
I was now the owner of a 1988 Mustang GT Convertible ...
I drove that car for 2+ years as my daily driver and added the wheels of course and had some nice suspension work done.....
If anyone knows the auto industry, it is quite common to switch dealerships quite often..... such as the case with me. I went from Sales to going to the back and becoming a Nissan Service Advisor, then going to a couple of other dealers.... ending up at guess where............. Douglas Ford, where I bought my 86 GT
In the meantime..... my first big transition in the hobby happened. I retired the Mustang from Daily Driver status..... and bought a $50 76 Chevy Nova beater..... LOL, and yes, it was time to get my hands dirty. Had to put a little money and time to make it reliable ..... but I was learning. Rebuilt my 1st front end and rebuilt my 1st carb.
. So there I was, a Ford Service advisor surrounded by some great Ford techs.... let the mods begin!!!
We proceeded to start from the back..... Installed an Auburn Rear Diff with 3.55 gears, then a Ford Motorsport Aluminum Driveshaft. The 5 speed remained stock.
Now it was time to get serious....
My 88GT still used a Speed Density system, and if I was going to perform engine mods I had to upgrade to the newer Mass Air system, so with help from a friend who was a tech guru, we installed the Mass Air system on my car. Now I can make major engine changes and the computer would understand the increased air flow. It was now the early 90's and Ford was just coming out with the GT-40 bolt on heads and intakes for the 5.0. I decided to forgo the GT-40 heads and instead ripped the heads off my engine myself and brought them to a very highly regarded engine builder in the area. In the end, after talking to him, I basically said give em an estimate on the ultimate street head for a 5000rpm street engine..... if its too high, we will cut out some things.... He called me a few days later, and gave him the OK for it all....
I decided to leave the stock cam in the 5.0, mostly because I was not that confident on my new abilities to go that deep into the engine. So I bolted on my newly rebuilt heads, a GT-40 intake, and 1.6 Ration Roller Rockers. Also a set of GT-40 shorty headers, High Flow H-pipe with performance cats and Walker system behind that.
My 225hp Mustang was now putting out about 300hp, still with the stock cam. It was like a new car..... which leads me to a new part of the hobby.....
It was time to hit the drag strip. My buddies said..... you will either love it or hate it..... needless to say, I loved it. After quite a few trips to Englishtown and Island Dragway.... I had her doing 14.0's @ 100mph on stock street z-rated 16" tires.... 1st and 2nd gear I had no traction. We figured with slicks she would go 13.2's, not bad. I was now terrorizing my local streets and beating Grand Nationals..... woohoo!!!
I owned this car for 10years, but with it not being my Daily Driver, it only had 30,000 miles on it. I ended up rarely driving it.... 1996 I got married, and the car was just sitting in the garage.... depreciating ..... It was time to go for my dream car, a 60's muscle car, and I knew exactly what I wanted..... so the GT went up for sale. I sold it to a young kid, and warned him that this car was quite quick, and could get you in trouble quick.... Within a few months, the kid wrapped it around a telephone pole...
In the meantime..... I spent nearly every night searching for that special car......
I spent 2 years searching.....
It was 2001..... and things were about to get real....
It's 1986.... and the horsepower wars are getting warmed back up between the big 3, with Ford and GM going toe to toe as usual.
The 1986 Buick Grand National is the fastest production American car being sold in the US, and this is actually a big deal in GM, because there is an unwritten rule in GM that no car in the line up can be quicker than the Corvette. But what is even more disturbing is that the Corvette is not even the 2nd fastest car.... It's 3rd.
The 2nd fastest car.... The 1986 Ford Mustang GT. Rated at 225hp and now equipped with a 1st generation Speed Density Fuel Injection, it was quickly becoming an enthusiast favorite.
At this point..... my 160hp TransAm was getting tired.... tired of me beating the piss out of it. I also found out that I had a non blood relative that was a Sales Manager at Douglas Ford in Summit. It was time to buy my 1st NEW car....
So I ordered my 86 GT. I did NOT want T-roofs, I was still waterlogged from my TransAm roofs, so I ordered the Mustang with a factory Sunroof.
Of course, this car did not remain stock, but I left the drivetrain stock, instead, I put HUGE money into a state of the art stereo. Rims and tires were a must, and yes, front air dam and headlight covers were still in style.
This would also be the start of my street racing days.... Friday and Saturday nights would consist of prowling the roads for races. Fun times....
I drove the wheel off this car and really loved it. But I was constantly being beat on the street by those damn Grand Nationals..... So in a true competitive nature, I wanted to be the fastest, so Douglas Ford in Summit..... had a sister dealership.... Douglas Buick.
So in 1987, I ordered my Buick, but I did not order a Grand National, I wanted to be different, so I ordered a Dark Blue T-Type, with a power sunroof.... I was still slightly damp from those damn TransAm T-roofs....LOL
Here is where the monkey wrench was thrown at me.... my picking up the Buick hinged on me selling the Mustang, trading it in was not an option, I owed too much on it. So I was heartbroken when the T-Type arrived at the dealer.... the Mustang would not sell. I had to let the Buick slip away.....
So here I was in my early 20's and making some money now working full time after dropping out of college and about to make my 1st major car purchase.
This is where my car hobby hits a turning point, and in hindsight, I make the wrong choice, but I still have no regrets...
I was a car enthusiast but really just a wheelman, I enjoyed driving…. Fast and aggressive… but at this point had NO experience with getting my hands dirty working on them, and this would influence my next purchase.
I was about to spend a decent about of money on this next car, so that opened up my choices.....
The year…. Somewhere around 1985. Smokey and the Bandit came out in 1977 and of course influenced a lot of us car guys, me included. So one of the cars on my list was a 2nd generation Trans Am…
The other car on my list was a 1969 Camaro Z/28…. And what is now a car that is valued at over $60,000+ for a clean number matching car, could be bought for low to mid teens in 1985…. Here is where I might have gone wrong. A few of my fellow car buddies reminded me that car was very temperamental to be used as a daily driver. I was told the dual point distributor would alone be a headache to keep in tune. So with my very limited technical knowledge, I removed this car from my list…..
So Dad and I went car shopping, with me looking for a mid to late 70’s TransAm. On a little side note, during our shopping on car dealer row on RT22 …. I took at a 76 Corvette 4 speed… and proceeded to scare the crap out of the poor salesman….
And here is where my Father’s influence came into play….. remember, he was not a car guy… So if a 77 TransAm is nice, then a 3rd generation 1982 TransAm MUST be better…. And since this car was about to be financed by the bank of Dad, I listened.
So my 3rd car was purchased, a 1982 TransAm. It was a beautiful car, but the anemic small block chevy 305 was no Pontiac 400 that I was hoping for… 160 rip roaring horsepower.
Of course, I cannot leave anything stock, I proceeded to do things to this car. Custom rims were a must, and also a decent stereo. The biggest mod was having T-Roofs cut into it. Cost me $1200… and yes they leaked a little, but worth every cent. One of the other things I had done was having the rear window tinted, and at this point, not many tint guys could work with that window, it was one of the most complicated pieces of glass ever installed in a car. But I found a guy who could tint it with 3 strips vs. other tinters using many more. Most guys were just installing louvers, but I wanted to be different.
The biggest problem was that these early TransAms were not very durable, and with me trying to get every ounce of those 160hp to work for me, I ended up blowing up the rear twice and that weak Turbo200 trans once….
It was a great looking car…. Rattled badly, and was slow, but I still miss it to this day…
We live in a state where 2A rights have been raped by multiple levels of government for years. A state where children have been suspended from school for participating in legal, sanctioned, shooting sports activities while under the direct supervision of their parent on the weekend. I find it offensive that anyone should dare attempt to suggest that it is beyond the capability of these socialist elitist dictators to violate our 4th amendment rights while pursuing their goal of disarming citizens.
very good advice, dont forget , a warrant is limited in its scope , if they are looking for x then where would x typically be. say you give consent to say look in your safe, then please dont forget consent can be revoked at any time. look in my safe and night stand typical places where one could hide x doesnt mean look in your kids rooms etc.
Consent is always often done with a written signed form by you, this gives the officer permission and acts as proof they asked and you verbally consented .one could say write in, the scope of looking around is limited to XXXX. I never in a hundred years thought we would be talking about this in the unites states of America. well this is the peoples republic of nj. sadly shaking head. worst case read anything you sign, call your attorney. not saying this will happen but knowledge is power. It will go like any other state. wife or neighbor calls, burglary or fire investigation etc, and x is found during that.
Any officer can ask to look at anything, probable cause is needed for a warrant. unless there is an immediate threat to public safety. persons and cars basicly moveable objects are easier to search if you know what your doing, homes are tougher to obtain search warrants for, there probable cause is the bench mark. oh yes and dont forget , gray area is any adult occupant kid, wife or uncle staying over for holiday can certainly open that door and say sure come on in eben if your not home. I need to stop here, this is a public forum, the last thing we need is bad guy learning the ropes. if any other leo or attorney or anyone else care to add feel free.
You claim none of us will receive an 18 month jail sentence for possessing a 15 round mag yet that is precisely the purpose of the legislation. Murphy and his fellow totalitarians in the NJ legislature and judiciary want nothing less than eradication of legal gun ownership in this state. If that means throwing every gun owner in jail for spurious, unconstitutional crimes then so be it.
It is settled law in NJ that "When dealing with guns, the citizen acts at his peril". So yeah, perhaps some of us would get off with a fine and no jail time (and loss of the right to ever own a firearm again), but there's no guarantee and that's precisely the point. For someone whose dealings with law enforcement never extended beyond a speeding ticket, the prospect of a felony prosecution, possible jail time, and the loss of their constitutional rights - not to mention the potential deleterious effect on their future employment prospects - is a massive incentive to get on the first train out of here.
You categorize as imbeciles those who believe the intent of this legislation is to "nail unsuspecting gun owners". Given the public record of NJ courts and the legislature, it's the imbecile who believes otherwise.
very good advice, dont forget , a warrant is limited in its scope , if they are looking for x then where would x typically be. say you give consent to say look in your safe, then please dont forget consent can be revoked at any time. look in my safe and night stand typical places where one could hide x doesnt mean look in your kids rooms etc. Consent is always often done with a written signed form by you, this gives the officer permission and acts as proof they asked and you verbally consented .one could say write in, the scope of looking around is limited to XXXX. I never in a hundred years thought we would be talking about this in the unites states of America. well this is the peoples republic of nj. sadly shaking head. worst case read anything you sign, call your attorney. not saying this will happen but knowledge is power. It will go like any other state. wife or neighbor calls, burglary or fire investigation etc, and x is found during that. Any officer can ask to look at anything, probable cause is needed for a warrant. unless there is an immediate threat to public safety. persons and cars basicly moveable objects are easier to search if you know what your doing, homes are tougher to obtain search warrants for, there probable cause is the bench mark. oh yes and dont forget , gray area is any adult occupant kid, wife or uncle staying over for holiday can certainly open that door and say sure come on in eben if your not home. I need to stop here, this is a public forum, the last thing we need is bad guy learning the ropes. if any other leo or attorney or anyone else care to add feel free.
