Tiger Tales. Southeastern GTO Association. May Event. Friday-Saturday. May 1-2, Celebrating our 29th Year!

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Tiger Tales Southeastern GTO Association...a chapter of the GTO Association of America www.segtoa.

May Event Friday-Saturday May 1-2, 2015 Inside this issue: Next Meeting 1 President s Message Officers & Board 2 Atlanta Motorama

1 Tiger Tales Southeastern GTO Association...a chapter of the GTO Association of America Check Out SEGTOA on FACEBOOK May 2015 Volume 29, Issue 5 Celebrating our 29th Year! May Event Friday-Saturday May 1-2, 2015 Inside this issue: Next Meeting 1 President s Message Officers & Board 2 Atlanta Motorama 3 SEGTOA Save the Date 4 BOPC Car Show and Swap Meet 5 Pontiacs in Pigeon Forge 7 GTOAA National Convention 9 Why GM Really Killed Pontiac 10 Club Gear, Upcoming Events 11 Resources 12 SEGTOA Classifieds 13

2014 Officers & Board Members President John Link linkltrs@bellsouth.net President s Message Secretary Lee Lamb quixote@bellsouth.net Treasurer Mike Walling mwalling@leitransportation.

com Webmaster David Trees dlt1@cdc.gov I'm still out on my cross country motorcoach trip so I'll miss the BOPC, but hope all members will attend and support the Buick Club.

2 2014 Officers & Board Members President John Link President s Message Secretary Lee Lamb quixote@bellsouth.net Treasurer Mike Walling mwalling@leitransportation.com Membership Kim Fowler Kfowler@segtoa.org Newsletter Jim Andrews jb6733andrews@etcmail.com Merchandising Ed Downing edowning@segtoa.org Meetings Mike Walling mwalling@leitransportation.com Webmaster David Trees dlt1@cdc.gov I'm still out on my cross country motorcoach trip so I'll miss the BOPC, but hope all members will attend and support the Buick Club. I understand we had a good turnout for the Motorama in spite of the weather. Thanks to all who attended ( see article) and Mike for his great work. During my trip, I got to see the Art Car Show in Houston. Ever see a car completely covered in broken mirror pieces or a car with a giant metal spider on its roof?? That's the Houston, Texas Art Car Show. I look forward to seeing everyone in June. John Link Board Members Bob Immekus brimmekus@gmail.com Ed Bellair ebellair@segtoa.org WELCOME NEW MEMBER! Paul McGinnett Jasper, GA 1981 Firebird 2

Summit Racing Atlanta Motorama Atlanta Motor Speedway April 19-20, 2015 Though the weather was somewhat uncooperative, we had

The Pontiacs made a great showing for awards, though these aren t current club members, we re working on the first two: Steve

Slick 70: 1970 GTO Judge Taking SEGTOA club awards were the following: Best Pontiac: John Kanaly, 1988 Grand Prix Pace Car

3 Summit Racing Atlanta Motorama Atlanta Motor Speedway April 19-20, 2015 Though the weather was somewhat uncooperative, we had a good turnout of Pontiacs on Saturday, not so many on Sunday when the rain was really coming down. The Pontiacs made a great showing for awards, though these aren t current club members, we re working on the first two: Steve Mondibrown, Cumming: Early Original: 1956 Star Chief Paul Ketterer, Cumming: Euro: 1988 Fiero Debbie Brown, Bryceville, FL: Slick 70: 1970 GTO Judge Taking SEGTOA club awards were the following: Best Pontiac: John Kanaly, 1988 Grand Prix Pace Car Pontiac With the Most Options: Chris McPherson, 1955 Chieftan Pontiac Owned the Longest: Bo Dunn, 1970 GTO Best Dressed Pontiac Owner: Jim Andrews, 1967 GTO 3

SEGTOA Save The Date! Friday-Saturday May 1-2 BOPC CarShow and Swap Meet Atlanta Marriott Northwest This annual show is always a good one, and this year promises to be no different.

4 SEGTOA Save The Date! Friday-Saturday May 1-2 BOPC CarShow and Swap Meet Atlanta Marriott Northwest This annual show is always a good one, and this year promises to be no different. The central location is convenint for everyone, and the facilities are excellent. There s lots to do in the surrounding area, and of course, you can t beat the great cars that will be there. The festivities begin on Friday May 1st with reigstration from noon until 6 PM, followed by a barbecue at 7:30 with live music and cash bar. On Saturday, registration runs from 7:30 until 11AM. Judging is from 11AM to 1PM. NOTE: EVERY CAR MUST HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER! THIS IS MANDATORY! Awards presentation begins at 3PM. According to Mike Walling, there are already 70 cars registered and 70 signed up for the barbecue. Not registered? Not a problem. Print out and fill out page 6 and bring it with you. The weather couldn t be better: sunny and upper 70s on Saturday. Since we will be handling this show next year, it s important that all who attend pay attention to the details. Look for things that are done well (or not so well) and bring them up at subsequent meetings so we can be sure to be on our game next year! Road Trips! By Mike Walling I need suggestions for upcoming events for our club meetings/activities. See the following pages for May through July events. As always, we need your input to keep things rolling! 4

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8 New for 2015: Builder s class. Bring that rolling project! ALL Pontiacs are welcome! 8

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10 Interesting Reading: Why GM Really Killed Pontiac By Jim Campisano; Submitted by Paul Sorrells When Pontiac joined the Oldsmobile and Oakland in the GM cemetery in 2009, there was a lot of outrage among the faithful. The most common cry was, They should have killed Buick instead. GM s retort was that Buick made a billion dollars a year while Pontiac lost that much. This, of course, was an oversimplification. The other key reason was Buick was huge in China, where its prestige rivals that of Mercedes-Benz to this day. In fact, GM sells more Buicks there than it does in the United States. Had the General killed Buick in this country, it would have severely damaged the brand in the world s largest market or so went the corporate logic. Pontiac was in an interesting state when it was euthanized. Thanks to Bob Lutz, it had unique products that no other GM division sold, the rear-drive G8 and G6 two-door coupe and convertible among them. It also had the Solstice roadster, shared only by the Saturn subsidiary. For better or worse, the Solstice and the G8 were little more than niche vehicles, unable to sustain the division in the long run. Bottom line: In a status- and label-conscious world, the name Pontiac had about as much cache in 2009 as Rambler. And that s what killed it. True confessions: I just purchased a used 2009 G8 GT. It is an outstanding machine and I love it, though it might have the worst name in history say G8 GT 10 times fast. It s the best BMW Pontiac ever built, and it tried to construct quite a few over the years. Problem is every time I tell people I bought a Pontiac I get that look normally reserved for the guy whose cell phone is ringing I church. Some seem to feel sorry for me, like I m being punished for some unknown sin. What s that? is another common reaction. After Semon E. Bunkie Knudsen transformed Pontiac in the late 50s, it became an aspirational brand, the Wide-Track division. Bonneville. GTO. Firebird. Trans Am. In the 70s, the Grand Prix defined the personal luxury car. Laugh now, but they flew off dealer lots back in the day. Then came the bad times. Plastic body cladding proliferated (ribbed for her pleasure?). Rebadged Chevy (and Korean) compact cars. Inferior build quality. Minivans. The Aztek. A once proud division became the butt of jokes. No matter how good or interesting its last vehicles were, the Pontiac name had zero equity in the market. In a way, the brand was ultimately doomed. Having four or five divisions selling essentially the same cars in the 21st century was unsustainable. There s also infighting in the Pontiac hobby. There s a vocal camp that doesn t acknowledge anything built after 1981 because they didn t have real Pontiac engines in them. The third- and fourth-gen Firebird guys are off on their own, and GTO owners are shunned. Ultimately, Pontiac went away because no one bought its vehicles, including the very folks who professed to love them. The Pontiac faithful might recoil at the notion of an Australian Poncho, but the G8 was the last great car to wear the arrowhead badge. My only regret is I didn t spring for a GXP. Could GM have revitalized the brand to the point where it was once again viable? Anything s possible. Look where Cadillac is now, rivaling the best from Europe in performance and beating them over the head from a styling standpoint. Caddy is once again an aspirational brand, though not yet to the point where GM wants it to be. And that s a big part of the problem. Status-crazed customers would buy a Yugo for $90,000 if you put a BMW emblem on the fenders. From what I ve seen, there was no life left in the Pontiac name. (Many G8 owners add Holden grilles and emblems to their vehicles.) Could Pontiac be resurrected? Anything s possible, but what would be the point? There are too many brands to choose from as it is (with China poised to further dilute the market). Ironically, Mitsubishi, often chided as being the Pontiac of Japan, is teetering on extinction in this country. Perhaps it s best to let this once-great GM division rest in peace while we enjoy the legacy it left behind. To be Continued... 10

50 SEGTOA Static Cling window decals available $1 ea. Contact Ed Downing at edowning@segtoa.

11 CLUB GEAR Ball Cap Hat One Size Fits All (buckle adjustment at back) $20.00 ea. Polo Shirts w/segtoa Logo $20.00 ea. Men: Gray or White Sizes: S,M,L Women: White Sizes: S,M,L Also Available: BOPC Shirts in Red or Khaki only $7.50 SEGTOA Static Cling window decals available $1 ea. Contact Ed Downing at 2015 UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS Date Event May 1-2, 2015 June 5-7, 2015 July 7-11, th Annual BOPC Car Show and Swap Meet Atlanta Marriott Northwest Pontiacs in Pigeon Forge Music Road Hotel Pigeon Forge, TN GTOAA National Convention Clarion Hotel & Conference Center 11

12 Resource Page From member Jim Racela: The first link is a listing of copies of original brochures for classic cars. The 2nd is a link to an example, in this case a PDF file of the available accessories and prices for 1966 Pontiac full car line. (Aside to John Link: Sorry buddy, but there isn't anything listed under the 1969 Buick category! Darn!) AardvarkPublisherAttachments/ /1966_Mini_Accessorizer_Catalog.pdf GTO Parts & Services Sources Thank You to Jeremiah Riggio, Bob Mohalley, and Jim Racela for tracking down some useful on-line sources for GTO parts and services. Hopefully these will prove useful to you in keeping your GTO looking like a proper time machine! General Info Carbs Engines & Heads Radios Wheels Pontiac Tripower Pontiac Literature 12

13 SEGTOA CLASSIFIEDS Miscellaneous used parts from 1965 Pontiac GTO for sale Ben Hatfield Qty (251) Description 1 OE Tripower Intake Manifold 1 Power Brake Booster Custom Auto Sound Model SST Hidden 1 AM/FM Radio 1 Drive Shaft 1 OE Heater Box 1 OE Bell Housing OE 4-Sp Tunnel Hump (to be used for 1 Auto to Manual Conversion) All of the above are in good working order For Sale A-body 2 3/4 engine compartment wire/ tube straps. Appear correct, but not for concourse restoration. $1.00 each X 1/4 stainless steel panhead screws. For securing throttle plates to shaft. Set of 8 for $ AC Delco lower balljoint, new in box. 2 Sets - Moog upper control arm shaft bushings. New in boxes. 1 Set - Moog lower front control arm bushings; round front, oval rear, new in box. Jim Andrews Cell For Sale-NOS Heater Cores for: Full Size Pontiac ( B-body) with A/C-- p/n Full Size Pontiac (B-body) no A/C-----p/n Chevrolet truck ---p/n Water Pump Oldsmobile F-85 no A/C---p/n Firebird 8 cyl. p/n Cost Donation to SEGTOA Contact-John Link jb6733andrews@etcmail.com 67 GTO Parts for Sale Gas tank 4 - G70-14 Wide Oval Red Line tires, bias-ply, off rims Larry Greer GreerLawrence245@gmail.com Wanted: Current owner(s) of 1966 GTO VIN# P We have the original Bill of Sale and other paperwork that we would like to give to the current owner. David Simmons, , simmonsd@gojo.com 13

14 SEGTOA Technical Advisory Panel The members listed below have volunteered to share their special knowledge with other members. Please feel free to contact these involved members Doug Askew Jerry Hamilton (home) 1966 Bob Immekus (cell) 1967 Steve Pullen (cell) 1968 Denny Sanford (cell) 1969 Russ DeLamater (cell) 1970 Kenny Simpson (home) BJ Benton (cell) Paul McGinnett (home) Tiger Tales is published monthly by the Southeastern GTO Association. SEGTOA is a chapter of the GTO Association of America ( the premier organization for GTO enthusiasts. Each month GTOAA members receive The Legend magazine, a Golden Quill Award Winning publication. SEGTOA is also associated with Pontiac Oakland Club International ( POCI members receive their monthly magazine Smoke Signals. SEGTOA is an organization dedicated to the survival of the Pontiac GTO, LeMans, and other classic Pontiacs. SEGTOA is open to anyone who shares our common interest in GTOs and other Pontiacs. We enjoy monthly Chapter meetings, including cruises, car shows, picnics, technical sessions and other fun activities. Our members hail from four different states! Members and their spouses, significant others and children are invited and encouraged to attend each monthly club function. Club Membership Dues Dues are $20 per year, payable January 1st each year. New members receive a $10 discount on membership their first year. SEGTOA dues requirements are waived for all active military. Membership in GTOAA and/or POCI is required for all members joining after Members must be in good standing to attend meetings, with the option to bring their membership up to date at any scheduled meeting. Membership application is available on the SEGTOA website. Checks should be made payable to Southeastern GTO Association and mailed to Mike Walling, Club Treasurer, 2679 Peppermint Drive, Tucker, GA

The Big Event Car Show

The Big Event Car Show Southeastern GTO Association...a chapter of the GTO Association of America www.segtoa.org Check Out SEGTOA on FACEBOOK March 2018 Volume 32, Issue 3 Celebrating our 32nd Year! Inside this issue: Next Event