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Doug Patten made his mark in auto restoration bringing the classic 1966-67 Pontiac GTOs back to life after hours in his garage in Leoti. But when he had the chance to buy a copy of the completely restyled '68 GTO convertible, he recognized what a significant car it was, so he grabbed it and stashed it in one corner of his shop, always meaning to restore it.
Sadly, that would not happen.
"A couple of years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer," said his stepson, Travis Pearson of Wichita. "Unfortunately by the time the cancer was discovered, it was... all over his body. He passed away a year ago," Pearson said.
Realizing that time was growing short, Patten had sold off most of his own collector cars and a pair of businesses that he owned. "He was trying to get things in order for mom," Pearson said.
Although he had several offers for the rough yellow GTO convertible, he turned them down.
"It is a numbers-matching car and relatively rare... factory power convertible top, power windows, factory A/C," Pearson said. "He was worried some guy who didn't appreciate what it was would buy it and chop it up into a drag racer or something like that."
During one of his last visits with his dad, a plan began to come together.
"The kids and I wanted a convertible to play around in," said Pearson's wife, Patricia. "This is what it turned out to be."
"I asked him if he'd be willing to sell it to me and I promised to have it restored and keep it in the family," Travis Pearson said. "My mom later told me that after we left... my stepdad, who had been in severe pain for a long time... smiled for the first time in weeks when he told her he was selling the car to me and my wife."
The car was hauled back to Wichita in August, 2010, and the restoration was begun at Bob Musgrove's RPM Motorsports. But there was an issue that only Pearson's stepfather could sign off on.
"Right before he died, I called him and asked his permission to change the color of the car. There was this long pause on the other end of the phone... I thought to myself, 'Oh, no, I've gone and upset Pops with that question,' " Pearson said.
"After a long pause, I heard him chuckle... and he said, 'Well, I sure the hell wasn't going to paint it that ugly yellow. Make it what you want. A car can always be painted back to the original down the road."
The Pearsons found the perfect color for their convertible at the BlackTop Nationals last year. They got the Honda color code and the correct dark gray primer tip from a Camaro owner who explained that was the way to bring out the smoky green color that caught their eye.
Marc Garringer handled the bodywork, along with the total rewiring and fresh instrumentation on the car.
Joe Reed rebuilt the GTO's original 400 cubic inch V-8 and handled most of the other mechanical work on the project. That included a fresh set of Edelbrock aluminum heads and a matching intake manifold and carburetor. A highly polished March serpentine belt system and a hard-to-find set of cast aluminum Pontiac valve covers give the engine bay a clean, finished look.
The 400TH automatic transmission was also rebuilt, with the 10-inch GM rear end also freshened up.
The GTO received a new lowered stance with a rebuilt suspension featuring sway bars front and back, along with 4-wheel disc brakes. A beautiful set of Rocket gray-spoked 17 inch wheels mounting Nitto tires finished out the rolling stock.
Inside, D&M Upholstery stitched up a beautiful light tan leather interior using original bucket seats, adding an extra set of seat belts in back to accommodate all three of the Pearson kids. Little touches, like the period-correct AM/FM stereo cassette player with the right Pontiac emblem on the faceplate, posed a challenge, but helped finish things off nicely. D&M also supplied the tight-fitting new cloth top for the car.
"It was all done in Wichita by guys who love what they do, and do it well," said Travis Pearson. "It was kind of a confluence of things. I think my stepdad would appreciate the car. He knew what 'right' is," he added.
In a fitting tribute, the GTO won best in show at a Leoti car show shortly after it was finished — an emotional moment for all involved.
