Pontiac Enthusiast - Cover Car Nov/ Dec 2005

Cover Car - Best of the Best - John Kryta wanted perfection - and he got it

"Let’s be honest. A Carousel Red ’69 Judge has got to be on the short list of just about every Pontiac enthusiast’s money-is-no-object fantasy collection"

Like the ’64 GTO, which established genre, the ’69 Judge was the icon of the “flash” muscle machines that defined the uniquely American culture as it reached its zenith by the end of the ‘60s. And compared to some of the more garish graphics package of Brand X machines, the Judge was downright restrained. John Kryta, who founded Inline Tube – the reproduction hard line company – with his twin brother, always viewed the ’69 Judge as the peak of the muscle car mountain. (His brother is another A-body fan, but prefers 442s.) In fact, John’s first car was a blue ’69 Judge; a car he still owns. It wasn’t Carousel Red, though. Pursuing what was, to him, the perfect Judge became much more possible when Inline Tube’s sales took off. The company was founded in a two-car garage in 1994, with only John and his brother on the payroll – the first products were for, not surprisingly, a 442 and a certain blue Judge. A decade later, the company has 20 employees and moved into a 14,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility. With the resources to finally invest in his dream Goat, John started to search and found a candidate in California . Actually, at the time, he had the idea of building a Royal Bobcat clone and the weather-worn GTO was first considered because it was, appropriately, a four-speed/non-air conditioned car. The car was purchased from the second owner, where it had been sitting in a southern California carport since 1981. The car was mostly original, if not all together. There were some ‘70s-era mag wheels (and flat tires) out back, but everything else was in place. Whether by intention or chance, the original hood tach was off and shoved in the glove box, where it was much better preserved than sitting in the hot sun for years. John describes the overall condition of the car as “used up”. The paint, dashboard, trim, upholstery all were in bad shape. The 75,000-mile engine, however, was intact. And, not only had it not been tampered with, it had pretty much been ignored. All the belts, hoses and clamps were factory original. Apparently, preventive maintenance was not a priority of the previous owners. After getting the car back to John’s suburban Detroit home, he and his brother began to disassemble it and begin the restoration process. With the intention of creating the best Judge in the land, John removed, replaced or restored every nut and bolt on the car. He used NOS parts wherever possible, including the perfect wheel moldings. He also sourced a used, but nearly perfect dash pad from a local enthusiast who had a basement full of parts. John also admits getting a little “nuts” about some details. He had the taillight bezels re-plated and, not being happy with the job, had them re-done at a cost of $1000. When it came to the engine, it was all there and original, but the car’s stationary position over the years took its toll. The water pump was frozen and even the pushrods were rusty. The engine was sent to Automotive Machine for its refurbishment. Another job farmed out was the paintwork. The car was sent to Wing’s Auto Art – the same shop performing the restoration of the 1973 Super Duty Trans Am that is the subject of Pontiac Enthusiast’s “Resto Diary” series – for bodywork detailing and paint. The result is a finish that has the smoothness and depth of a mountain lake in the early morning. It is, quite simply, one of the nicest paint jobs we’ve ever seen. The show-quality appearance of the car is fitting, because show duty is this car’s current calling. In the nearly two years since its completion, the Judge has accumulated only two miles. Interestingly, the quality of the restoration (not to mention the investment) has introduced John to the paradox of perfection: it’s so nice, he doesn’t drive it. “The car is never as good as the day you pick it up from the restoration shop,” he says. “After that, it starts to deteriorate, if seemingly slightly or unnoticeably.” We hazard to say that John is the only one who could find fault or blemishes on the car. During our photo shoot, we crawled all over it and didn’t see anything but one of the most well-done cars to pose for us. Show judges agree. The car has cleaned up at every event it has been presented, including the prestigious Meadow Brook Concours. It also has racked up trophies at the GTOAA Nationals, including Best of Concours in 2004 and a Gold Certificate at the ’05 Nats. You also can throw in a Best of Show at the Michigan Wide Trackers spring show and the restored-class championship for the ISCA indoor car show series. If perfection is in the eye of the beholder, then it’s hard to argue with all the eyes that have judged this Judge as the best. Text and photography by Barry Kluczyk Editor of Pontiac Enthusiast.

"The result is a finish that has the smoothness and depth of a mountain lake in the early morning. It is, quite simply, one of the nicest paint jobs we’ve ever seen."

"The show-quality appearance of the car is fitting, because show duty is this car’s current calling. In the nearly two years since its completion."

"Interestingly, the quality of the restoration (not to mention the investment) has introduced John to the paradox of perfection: it’s so nice, he doesn’t drive it."

"If perfection is in the eye of the beholder, then it’s hard to argue with all the eyes that have judged this Judge as the best."

Sources:

Inlinetube - Brake & Fuel Lines, Parking brake cables, Hoses, Valves, Brake & Fuel Clips, Disc Brakes

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