Good Guys "Summer Get Together"

Gearhead was back at Pleasanton last weekend for the Good Guys Show "Summer Get-Together"

We brought Mike Provencher's 1967 Pro Touring Camaro, Cameron's 1972 Super Bee Charger, and John Berkshire's 1967 Camaro Convertible.

New Shop Manager has rolled in to Gearhead Garage!

When Jason asked me to write a blog about myself I will admit, I was concerned! Over the course of the past 20 years I have written training manuals, fire and life safety procedures, short stories, screenplays, etc., but NEVER about myself! So in a nutshell, I come to Gearhead with experience in many fields Business Owner/Operator, Automotive Repair & Refinishing, Facilities Manager, Commercial Building Maintenance, Landscape Design & Construction, Graphic Design, and all around Handyman!

My name is Paul Poms and my arrival at Gearhead was apparently long overdue. Jason has been running around like an engine with his air cleaner cut off trying to serve the needs of all the customers that bring their vehicles to this amazing and unique shop. Please feel free to stop in and say "Hello", and get ready for many new changes including regular updates to the website and blog site! Looking forward to meeting you all!

Paul Poms

Good Guys Show: 28th Annual All American Get-Together!

Had a great turn out at the Good Guys Show in Pleasanton this past March! Plenty of amazing cars including the 1969 Chevelle pictured here which we won the "Snap-On Innovation Award" for! The car is featured in the June issue of the Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette on page 164 as well.

SEMA Show 2009

We are getting settled back into the swing of things after attending another awesome SEMA show! Wow, there are some very impressive builders and creations out there. As you might know or can imagine, everyone goes all out for this event.

We were invited to display our newly completed Pro Touring 1969 Camaro RS Convertible for the guys at Custom Auto Sound--we were thrilled for the compliment as well as the opportunity to get Gearhead's name out there on the national stage.

New Project! 1973 AMC Javelin

Gearhead Garage is taking on a slightly random new project, a 1973 AMC Javelin. This rare, 2- door coupe was brought to us by the original owner and will be completely restored. Although not quite one of our usual choices (it's not a Pro Touring Camaro), it does have a good story.

The owner, who owns a car from each and every decade dating back to 1900, is having us tear it down and restore it to near new or better than new condition for one of his granddaughters. Instead of a new car, the high school student granddaughter has requested to be the new owner of Dad's former car. Good choice, as the grandfather has decided to spend more on this Javelin than he might of spent on a generic new car.

Having sat for the better part of the last 15 years, the AMC is in the process of complete tear down. Every piece is being removed, tagged and bagged. Interior, exterior, drive train, trim, etc will all be revitalized. Instructions are specific, this car will only get four non-stock upgrades: Power Disc Brakes, Throaty Dual Exhaust, Custom Stereo and Complete Alarm System.

The car is scheduled to go to American Stipping for sandblasting on Thursday 5/21. Tune in for periodic updates over the next 6 months.

We'll Help You With Your Classic Car!

Gearhead Garage is Northern California's foremost classic car authority. Among many other specialized services including complete restoration, performance upgrades, upholstery, audio, body & paint, we offer the following basic services:

•Pre and Post Purchase Inspections
•Suspension Rebuilding, Alignment and Chassis Repair
•Electrical Repairs and Custom Wiring
•Scheduled Maintenance
•General Automotive Repair
•Differential Work (posi units, gear sets, axles, etc.)
•Dual Exhaust Systems: Stainless Steel, Header Installation, CAT-BACK Systems, Aluminized Exhaust Systems, X-Pipes & Custom Mandrel Bent Piping and Tubing.

Lateral-G.net

Is everyone familiar with Lateral-G? If not, I recommend you take a look at the site. Lateral-G.net is the internet’s foremost Pro-Touring forum, a place where like-minded restorers, hobbyists and car enthusiasts alike can all come together. Whether you view current projects, check out the latest cutting edge technology or chat with other car owners and/or builders, Lat-G is a mecca for guys like us!

Various forums offer a venue for discussion about performance, drivetrains, suspension, members’ rides, new products, jokes and even random off-topic banter. You will find the site to be amusing and informative, well structured, and constantly updated. Every month a new car is featured--like Mike Bassi’s “Sledgehammer” was showcased (built by us of course).

Check out the Official g-Machine action thread showing member's rides getting thrashed on the road course, auto-x, dragstrip, and open road. If you have pictures or videos of your g-Machine or someone else's, be sure to check out this thread and post them up! You can also click on tech installation articles and bounce around through various supporting vendors.

All told, Lateral-G is one of the coolest sites on the internet for car guys. Peruse the site to see some of the baddest projects around. Look for new ideas, learn about upcoming events, ask others for advice or even post pictures of your own build. See you in cyberspace!!

Painless: The Best Choice in a Wiring Harness

• Painless Wiring Harnesses offer easy wiring for your GM muscle car.
  
  Painless Performance 1967-74 GM muscle car harnesses have a pre-wired factory style bulkhead connector that hooks up to the fuse block through the firewall in the stock location. Easy-to-install, factory original, quick connect terminals are included for the in-dash printed circuit board. Pre-terminated plugs for the ignition and turn signal switches are included.
  
  These modified 18-circuit kits include wiring for A/C, heat, brake lights, coil, horn, electric fan, emergency flashers, dash instruments, headlights, radio (constant and ignition hot), turn signals, wipers, dome light, tail lights, third brake light, charging and starting. Plus power door locks, power windows, accessory plug, electric fuel pump, backup lights/cruise control, electric choke, and power antenna.
  
  Gearhead is outfitting the following cars with Painless Wiring as we speak:
  
  69 Pro Touring Camaro Coupe
  69 Pro Touring Camaro Conv't
  69 Pro Touring Corvette
  68 Camaro Drag Car
  77 Chevy Blazer
  69 Camaro RS/SS Conv't
  
  And don't forget! We sell these parts and can get you the best deal--give us a call and we'll take great care of you!

Coys Wheels

Coys Wheels adorn many Gearhead builds. Among others, they are a popular choice for Pro Touring cars because of the classic 5 spoke style is offered in a variety of colors including chrome, polished, gun metal and flat black as well as sizes to create just the right look.

Here are some of the cars we've done featuring Coys Wheels:

1968 Camaro RS/SS Pro Touring Convertible
1969 Chevelle "SS" Coupe
1967 Camaro Coupe
1969 Camaro RS/SS Convertible
1969 Camaro SS Coupe

Custom LS & Fuel Injected Engine Conversions

Gearhead Garage is one of the foremost installers of LSx engines as well as fuel injection conversions in Northern, CA and quite likely in the nation. Here a few of our recent projects:

1968 Camaro RS/SS Pro Touring Convertible with LS2 with Magna Charger

1964 Impala SS Convertible with LS2

1972 Chevelle Coupe with LS2

1971 Chevelle Coupe with LS1 & 6 Speed T56

1969 Camaro RS/SS Pro Touring Coupe with LS7

1969 Camaro RS Z28 Replica Pro Touring Coupe with LS2 with MagnaCharger

1969 Camaro RS Pro Touring Convertible with LS2

1969 Corvette Convertible LS1

1968 Camaro Coupe with LS3

And here are a few of the fuel injected projects we've done and/or currently working on:

1968 383 Stroker with Holley Stealth Ram with ProCharger

1968 Camaro Couple with a 406ci and a Holley Stealth Ram with ProCharger

1969 Chevelle Coupe Edelbrock ProTuner with Custom Kit 700HP

LT1 TPI Engines going into 1975 K5 Blazer and 1970 Chevy SWB 4x4

Just another day at the office!

Marquez Design & Fabrication

Gearhead Garage is an authorized dealer for Marquez Design & Fabrication products. We offer their full line of billet tail lights for Camaros, Blazers, Mustangs and more. We also supply their popular billet side markers, billet emblems, billet trunk hinges, door strikers, hood adjusters and more.



Additional products now include custom interior kits: custom door panels, one piece headliners, custom dashes, package trays and trunk lid covers. Shawn Katt, Gearhead Garage's own veteran in-house upholsterer has wrapped many of these Marquez panels. We have helped with their SEMA display car, Orion, a 1969 ProTouring Camaro. Additionally, we wrapped the door panels used in the GoodGuys Giveaway 1970 Chevelle, to name a few.



Marquez products are cutting edge in style, and high quality in design. Their products offer a great way to create a modern interior feel in a classic car, as well as a much needed alternative to upgrade stock exterior trim, badging & lighting.

Ididit Steering Columns

Gearhead Garage also sells & installs IDIDIT steering columns for most any application.

Ididit steering columns are a great way to spruce up your interior while providing additional comfort and a better feel. Ididit tilt columns are adjustable to multiple positions at the flick of a lever, allowing for more leg room, easier entry and exit from the vehicle, and a more ergonomic driving posture--perfect for the Pro Touring devotees. Columns are available in polished aluminum, chrome or a natural bare paintable finish.


Ever think of getting rid of your column shift and converting to a floor shifter? Ididit columns are a simple, cost effective way to do away with antiquated, awkward column shift automatic levers and old school "3 on the tree" systems. Plus they come with all new wiring which greatly simplifies getting your turn signals, hazards and horn working correctly.


Add the convenience and reliability of a new column built specific for your vehicle. This steering column is not a universal column that requires modification of your original vehicle to install. Simply remove your old column, saving your original under dash mount as well as the original floor mount. Using one of our installation kits (see table below), install your new steering column in place of the old. Add an aftermarket wheel and the gripping surface of the new wheel will be in the same location as the original.


If you don't currently have a column, Ididit offers a full array of columns, brackets & mounts that can be retrofitted into virtually any vehicle.


Visit our products page to see a complete line of performance parts we sell at competitive prices!

1964 Impala SS Convertible Resto-Mod

Gearhead Garage finishes another custom build--this time it's an incredible '64 Impala retrofitted with a multitude of modern amenities. A complete frame-off, rotisserie restoration built with the emphasis on performance, drivability and comfort...







Check out what we've done:

• LS1 fuel injected aluminum engine, 405 hp
• 4L60E 4 Speed Automatic Transmission
• 3:31 Posi Traction Rearend
• Street & Performance Wiring Harness and Serpentine System
• Griffin Aluminum Radiator
• SPAL Dual Electric Fans
• Full Air Ride Suspension
• 4 Wheel Disc Brakes
• HydraBoost Braking System
• Wilwood Master Cylinder & Proportioning Valve
• 18" Foose Wheels (9 1/2" Rear -8" Front)
  
• Rick's Stainless Steel Gas Tank with Internal Electric Fuel Pump
• Custom Ceramic-Coated Headers
• 2-1/2 " Dual Exhaust System with MagnaFlow Mufflers
• Ididit tilt Column
• Dakota Digital Gauges
• Lokar Billet Pedals & Throttle Cable
• H4 HID Headlights
• Custom Audio Systems with Boston Acoustics Amplifiers and Subwoofers
• In Dash DVD player with Navigation/GPS
• Shaved Door Handles, Keyless Entry, Remote Door Poppers, Custom Alarm System
  
• DynaMat Throughout
• Custom White Interior & Upholstery

Personally delivered by Jason, the Impala has made its owner yet another happy Gearhead customer! Customer service lives on!!

Pro Touring Defined

There are an infinite number of ways to build a pro-touring car, and perhaps the single greatest thing about the pro-touring genre is the fact that the term is always open to interpretation. At Gearhead Garage, these builds are our specialty, here are a few classifications:

Pro-Touring: A classic muscle car with upgraded and updated suspension components, brake system, drive train and aesthetics, including many of the creature comforts of a new car. Built to function as well or better than some of today’s best performance cars, Pro-Touring cars are built to be driven. On the street, race track, drag strip, through cones at an auto-cross, no matter the setting, pro-touring cars are meant to be driven. [Generally speaking, late model cars are not considered pro-touring due to their factory designed suspension and brake packages.]

G-Machine: [Once considered to mean the same thing as pro-touring, the term has now evolved to mean a slightly less refined pro-touring car] A classic muscle car with upgraded and updated suspension, brakes, drive train and aesthetics, generally lacking some of the creature comforts one would find in a pro-touring car, such as cup-holders, leather seats, etc., otherwise identical to a pro-touring car.

Street Fighter: [The term is adapted from a European genre of stripped down street bikes to mean stripped down pro-touring cars.] A classic muscle car with heavily modified and upgraded suspension and brake system components, powerful yet functional drive train, and little to no creature comforts. Most Street Fighters lack A/C, big billet wheels, chromed-out engine bays and navigation systems, but sport forged wheels, a roll cage and fabricated parts. Anything not necessary to make the car accelerate, decelerate, or handle better is stripped from the vehicle. Street Fighters are Pro-Touring counter-culture at its best; drivability is sacrificed for performance and function. In the simplest of fashions, Street Fighters can be equated to street legal race cars.**

Click here to see some of Gearhead Garage's builds...

**Source: ProTouring.com, 2008

Pleasanton Car Show was a Blast!

Wow-This car Good Guys show was incredible! Many, many people came out to enjoy the beautiful weather and great show this weekend. And those large crowds got what they came for--there were over 3200 incredible cars at the show--and they did not disappoint. There were hot rods and roadsters, muscle cars and classics--all over the place. A car guys dream. Needless to say, we were in heaven...

Gearhead Garage had an area set up for our beauties--we brought the 72 Chevelle convertible, 68 Pro Touring Camaro RS/SS Convertible, 67 Pro Touring Camaro Coupe, 63 Nova SS Convertible, 69 Camaro RS/SS Convertible, 68 Camaro RS/SS Convertible and we brought the steal of a deal 66 GTO convertible that was in the Car Corral For Sale...

Check out some footage from the show...




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

1969 Pro Touring Camaro

Just got this one out of paint--triple gloss black. And it is a beauty...

Here's some of what makes this Gearhead rod one of our best Pro Touring rides yet-

• Fuel Injected LS7 427, 630 HP
• Tremec 5 spd by Keisler
• Detroit Speed & Engineering Mini tubs
• DSE QuadraLink& Subframe Connectors
  
• Moser 12 Bolt Rear End
• Vintage Air
• ATS Stainless Steel Headers
• Rick's Stainless Tank
  
• 14" Wilwood Disc Brakes
• Custom Autometer Gauges
• Recaro Seats
• Marquez Design Billet Tail Lights
• Spaghetti Engineering LED Tail Lights
• Pioneer DVD Navigation
• Complete Soundstream Custom Audio System w/10" Subs
• Painless 18 Circuit Wiring Harness
• Electric Life Power Windows

Check out the video to see more of this incredible ride-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orJMXylP2hQ


Now the real works starts---can't wait to see this one on the road. We'll keep updates coming on our www.GearheadCars.com site under "News". Check back for updates!

Vertigo at Gearhead Garage!

Vertigo is one of Gearhead's (Sacramento, CA) latest restoration projects. Arriving just 3 months ago, this hearty 1968 Pro Touring Camaro is nearing completion as a kick ass Street Fighter.

**Stripped down versions of Pro Touring cars, Street Fighters are all business, typically lacking the creature comforts commonly found in Pro Touring cars.

Here are a few features of this incredible build-

• 700 HP ProCharged 383 Stroker
• 5 Speed Tremec Transmission by Keisler
• Mini Tubbed with Chris Alston ChassisWorks 4-Link Rear Suspension with QA1 adjustable coil over shocks
• Currie 9" rearend w/ True-Trac Posi
• Marquez Design rear taillights
• Risk's Stainless Fuel Tank w/ internal Bosch fuel pump
• Custom AutoMeter Ultra-Lite gauges
• Stainless Works stainless steel x-pipe w/ SpinTech mufflers
• HydraTech Braking System w/ 4-wheel Wilwood disc brakes
• Tubular upper & lower control arms
• Hotchkis front swaybar
• March serpentine pulley system
• Custom leather interior
• Ididit tilt steering column
• Intercooler
• FAST computer controls
• Holley Stealth Ram fuelinjection system
• BeCool aluminum radiator w/ dual SPAL electric fans
• DSE 7-speed wiper motor @ billet hood hinges
• Twist Machine radiator support bars & shifter
  
• MODO innovations pedals & electric trunk release kit
• Kwik-Wire 18 circuit wiring harness
• Optima red top battery w/ billet trunk mount

Click here for more pictures of this project.

Muscle Car Power Magazine Shoots Gearhead Garage Cars

Gearhead Garage had a great opportunity to have some of our favorite cars photographed by Muscle Car Power Magazine. The shoot took place at McClellan AFB in Sacramento and we're looking forward to seeing the cars as feature spreads in upcoming issues.

The cars they shot: our red 68 Camaro RS/SS Pro Touring Convertible, red 72 Chevelle Convertible, blue/silver Pro Touring 67 Camaro RS Coupe-Sledgehammer & a beautiful 2-tone burgundy & gray Pro Touring 67 Camaro Coupe.


Stay tuned! We'll let you know when these Gearhead Cars are published!