1965 Pontiac GTO

Description

If there's one car that has an eager built-in audience, it's the GTO. Few car guys will dispute that any GTO is cool, but when they're as nicely done as this Nightwatch Blue 1965 GTO 2-door, well, it's easy to understand why they never last long around here. Tri-Power, a 4-speed, and a long list of recent upgrades make this the Goat for guys who want to experience the fun first-hand instead of sitting on an investment.

Who cares if the cowl tag says this one was originally Montero Red, the fresh Nightwatch Blue looks like a million bucks on the early GTO sheetmetal. Applied to some very, very straight sheetmetal, the two-stage urethane consists of three coats of color and three coats of clear, so there was plenty there to handle a professional cut and buff session that left it looking like a million bucks. Deep, shiny, and reflective like a piece of glass, this dark blue Goat is almost too pretty to be this nasty. Chrome and stainless serves to accent the dark blue paint in wonderful fashion and there are rumors that those taillights are the most expensive ever devised by a major automaker.

The all-new black interior is borderline artwork. Pontiac pushed a few boundaries with the mere introduction of the GTO, but they never forgot their mission of providing the young executive with first-class transportation. Dig the bucket seats with the unique diagonally-pleated seat covers, the beautiful center console, and a deep-dish woodgrained steering wheel that's more than a tip-of-the-hat to their European inspiration. Hurst supplied the shifter, complete with a white knob that's synonymous with performance and the beautifully restored Rally instrumentation looks suitably racy. The original AM radio has been rebuilt and cleverly incorporates an iPod interface in the center console, giving you the best of both worlds. Everything inside this car is brand new, including the carpets, door panels, seat covers, dash pad, and headliner, and even the trunk carries a fresh full-sized spare. And as long as you're looking around back there, just check out how solid and clean the trunk pan is.

Of course, the heart of any GTO is the engine, and the 389 cubic inch V8 topped with Tri-Power carburetion was the top of the muscle car food chain in 1965. Detailed to show with Pontiac Turquoise paint, correct small-diameter air cleaners, and chrome valve covers, this is a lesson in how to get it right. With just over 1200 miles since the rebuild, it runs superbly. The list of new equipment includes rebuilt Tri-Power carbs, an all-new exhaust system, a 4-core radiator, and new accessories (power steering pump, alternator, water pump, fuel pump, and starter). Underneath, there's a freshly rebuilt 4-speed gearbox and a new exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers, so it sounds a lot more ferocious than it looks. As a frame-on restoration, the underside isn't as neatly detailed, but it is solid and when there's no need to do a full tear-down and rebuilt, there's no need to waste resources. New Cragar mags were fitted with 225/70/14 redline radials for the ideal period performance look.

Documented with receipts, PHS docs and restoration photos, this is the GTO you've been waiting for. Forget investments and find out why these cars never last long in our showroom. Call today!