Photo: Craigslist
The GTO launched in 1964 and was an instant hit. Based on the Tempest Le Mans, the GTO could be had as a $295 package that included a 389 four-barrel engine with 325 horsepower, hood scoops, dual exhausts, red line tires, and other performance-oriented upgrades.
The GTO could be ordered on any two-door coupe, two-door hardtop, and convertible. The total production included 32,450 units in the first year on the market, and 8,245 customers ordered the Tri-Power version, rated at 348 horsepower.
This was the case with the GTO you see in the pics, albeit it's difficult to find just one selling point. This is the first time the GTO is offered in 55 years, with the car spending years on the track, winning races, and eventually being moved to storage due to the owner red-lighting at the start of the 1970 Winter Nationals.
The seller explained on Craigslist that the owner was so frustrated that he quit drag racing and parked the car in his barn for 21 years. The goat was already a champion, as it was raced in the second half of the decade – it'll sell with brochures with the owner's name and the car in them.
Everything is still in working condition, and the odometer indicates only 17K miles, all believed to be original. You also get PHS documents, drag racing memorabilia, the original owner's manual, the warranty book, and other documents that make this GTO a rare time capsule.
Now, let's talk about the paint.
The N-coded finish is the rare Sunfire Road, a metallic paint that even the GM brand struggled to spray and considered removing from the GTO lineup on more than one occasion. The company didn't get good feedback on the paint, either. Many owners didn't think it looked good, but despite Pontiac eventually planning to remove the color, dealers wanted it to stay. The company decided to keep it for the entire model year but struggled with the number of people requesting warranty repairs due to buffing attempts to make the paint look better.
The owner of this GTO didn't even want the Sunfire Red. When he went to the dealership to pick up the car, he was surprised to see the color, claiming he didn't even order it in the first place. However, upon verifying the documents, he discovered that he checked the wrong box, so he decided to keep the Sunfire Red GTO.
The next owner, a body and paint guy in Lompoc, resprayed the car, so it now looks phenomenal. Everything on this GTO is in great shape, and the back seats have only been used once by the original owner's kids.
The car won't be cheap, but you can't even expect it to be. It's ready to go for $80,000, which isn't a surprise at all, and I advise you to read the seller's entire description (which I also embedded in the press release box below) to understand how special this GTO can be.
This was the case with the GTO you see in the pics, albeit it's difficult to find just one selling point. This is the first time the GTO is offered in 55 years, with the car spending years on the track, winning races, and eventually being moved to storage due to the owner red-lighting at the start of the 1970 Winter Nationals.
The seller explained on Craigslist that the owner was so frustrated that he quit drag racing and parked the car in his barn for 21 years. The goat was already a champion, as it was raced in the second half of the decade – it'll sell with brochures with the owner's name and the car in them.
Everything is still in working condition, and the odometer indicates only 17K miles, all believed to be original. You also get PHS documents, drag racing memorabilia, the original owner's manual, the warranty book, and other documents that make this GTO a rare time capsule.
Now, let's talk about the paint.
The N-coded finish is the rare Sunfire Road, a metallic paint that even the GM brand struggled to spray and considered removing from the GTO lineup on more than one occasion. The company didn't get good feedback on the paint, either. Many owners didn't think it looked good, but despite Pontiac eventually planning to remove the color, dealers wanted it to stay. The company decided to keep it for the entire model year but struggled with the number of people requesting warranty repairs due to buffing attempts to make the paint look better.
The owner of this GTO didn't even want the Sunfire Red. When he went to the dealership to pick up the car, he was surprised to see the color, claiming he didn't even order it in the first place. However, upon verifying the documents, he discovered that he checked the wrong box, so he decided to keep the Sunfire Red GTO.
The next owner, a body and paint guy in Lompoc, resprayed the car, so it now looks phenomenal. Everything on this GTO is in great shape, and the back seats have only been used once by the original owner's kids.
The car won't be cheap, but you can't even expect it to be. It's ready to go for $80,000, which isn't a surprise at all, and I advise you to read the seller's entire description (which I also embedded in the press release box below) to understand how special this GTO can be.
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