Stand too long behind Tony Oliveira’s 1969 Pontiac GTO and you’re bound to suffer the effects of secondhand smoke. This flashy purple street rod has all the refinery of the goat that has for years been tied to its namesake. But once it gets moving down the quarter-mile strip, manners are the least of the story.
Oliveira, who has been a Chevelle man most of his life, caught up with his GTO in Tennessee in 2007. As he found it, the car was covered with paint to hide massive amounts of bondo resurfacing, a cheap trick to hide some serious wear and tear — analogous to putting a Band-Aid over an internal wound. It eventually does nothing to preserve the life of the car.
Oliveira already had his color in mind, a shimmering purple that pops in the afternoon sun and begs attention from everyone around. Oliveira, along with good friend Billy Carpenter, started by ripping out the old engine and tranny only to discover that the head gasket needed replacing. It was sent to friend Jack Gaydosh for rebuilding. The car was then sent to Jay Bird in Baltimore, who stripped the old paint and added the new color. But before the color addition, the fenders were removed for new ones and the rear quarter panels went through a transformation. The panels were stretched four inches to accommodate the large 33-inch by 18.5-inch tires.
Superior Automotive in Upper Marlboro was the next stop. There, Ralph Hardesty installed the suspension, updated the roll cage, fitted the motor, and added a new transmission and rear end.
Just as the paint was drying, Chuck B. of Banshee Studios in Beltsville was already making preparations to airbrush an unforgettable graphic.
“We were trying to come up with something different than just a goat. We came up with ‘Sik Goat’ for the tag frame. We went to motor vehicles and got ‘Sik Goat.’ We wanted to put a graphic on the hood,” said Oliveira.
To animate the graphic, the blow-off valves are directed through the painted nostrils of the goat where two holes have been cut. The car gets its additional kick from the stage one 350 fogger system with an additional 250 shot on the plate at stage two.
Earlier this year, Oliveira qualified among a large field of competitors for “Pinks All Out,” the Speed Channel’s No.1-rated show. After a technical glitch, which created a registration error, interested racers were invited to come out to Budd’s Creek, Md., and compete for 80 spots with a chance to win cash and prizes, and most importantly the honor of running their car for the cameras. The eight fastest cars would automatically qualify for competition while the remaining field would be selected by times that were closely clustered together to create fair competition, similar to weight classes in boxing. On that day, Oliveira’s GTO ran 8.29 at 164 mph for the fourth-fastest time of the day. He’ll be returning to Budd’s Creek on June 20 to compete for all the glory and his 15 seconds of fame that could translate into a lifetime of memories.
What do you drive? A 1969 Pontiac GTO.
Why do you drive it? Back in the day I had a Chevelle that had a Pontiac motor in it for racing. I got rid of all that and just wanted to get back into racing. And I just wanted to go to a GTO. I never had one, and they kind of resemble a Chevelle. My kids love going to the track. And my whole goal was to get on “Pinks All Out.”
What makes this car so special? The color purple is kind of different and the graphic as well.
What is your most memorable driving experience? I guess in Ocean City, driving around, getting all the attention, … everyone checking out the hood. The kids love that hood. I won down at the Inlet for best original Pro Street car back in May and got a 6-foot-tall trophy.
What was the first car you owned? My 1968 Chevelle. Did a lot of street racing with it.
What music are you currently listening to in your car? That car doesn’t have a radio.
And your first ticket? What was it for? Was probably street racing in Prince George’s County. I haven’t had any tickets on the Goat.
