VIN:
237375P15914
In the early '60s, Pontiac's marketing team decided to answer GM's self-imposed ban on racing by emphasizing heavily on street performance. At the time, Pontiac's Chief marketing manager revealed that the GTO involved transforming your average Pontiac Tempest into a sports car with a lot more power to appeal to clients with a need for speed. The first-generation GTO is credited for putting muscle cars on the map, and in 1968, the GTO was selected as the Motor Trend Car Of The Year for 1968. This 1965 GTO coupe resides in Texas and is up for sale with less than 2000 miles on its recently redone motor.
The '65 model was restyled, adding around 3 inches to the car's length and about 45kg to the overall weight. Pontiac retained its iconic vertically-stacked headlights that sat at the edge of the split grille. The restyled model, such as our subject car, also got a simulated hood scoop. This specific example was repainted white with new brakes that have recently been installed, along with a set of tires with just 4000 miles on them. The black leather interior looks to be well kept, with the dash panel boasting wooden and chrome accents, classic traits of a vintage muscle car. The interior also has a Vintage A/C unit and a CD player with FM/AM radio.
Pontiac revised its 389ci engine, giving it new cylinder heads with re-cored intake passages and high rise intake manifolds, which improved airflow to the engine. This recently redone motor is a 6.4L V8 with an electric exhaust switch and a heavy-duty radiator and fans for maximized cooling. As standard, it produces 335hp at 5000rpm via a 4-speed standard manual Hurst shifter.
The Pontiac GTO was born out of sheer grit, a bit of cheekiness, and a desire to circumvent official company rules that seemed ridiculous. By the early 1960s, General Motors had banned their auto divisions from participating in auto racing. This meant that divisions could no longer field machines that could duke it out across America, and fight for who made the fastest car. Of course, this didn’t mean that you couldn’t sell potent, street-legal cars for customers to use to race. This was what John Z. DeLorean, Russ Gee and Bill Collins came up with. The result was the GTO, with the name inspired by Ferrari’s legendary 250 GTO. The GTO ran for five generations before throwing in the towel by 2006. That makes first and second generation GTOs excellent classic cars that can still burn rubber in anger when desired. This 1968 Pontiac GTO is one such car. This 38,000-mile, numbers-matching machine has been restored, with many mechanical parts replaced as well.
There are few cars that are as well known as the Pontiac GTO. The first GTO arguably created the muscle car genre, but this, the second generation, helped define the segment for years to come. The 1968 Pontiac GTO won MotorTrend’s Car of the Year award, and it’s not hard to see why. Here was a car that packed enormous power into a beautiful bodyshell, and with an affordable price tag. Our featured car mixes things up with a new riff on this classic. Instead of the old-school 6.6-liter V8, you’ll find a more modern 5.3-liter Chevy LS engine under the hood. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this 1968 Pontiac GTO restoration.
Widely considered to be one of the pioneers of the popular muscle car segment, the Pontiac GTO came about in late 1963, as an options package for the Le Mans. The GTO was born due to General Motors banning their divisions from officially participating in auto racing. Naturally, this didn’t go down well with the petrolheads in the company. So, three prolific gentlemen, namely John Z. DeLorean, Bill Collins and Russ Gee started creating what became the GTO. Their logic was, while we can’t officially participate in racing, there’s nothing stopping us from creating thinly-veiled race-ready street machines that customers can then do whatever they like with. Thanks to that kind of smart, out-of-the-box thinking, the GTO was born. And if you’re thinking “hang on, isn’t GTO a Ferrari thing”, yes. The iconic Ferrari 250GTO was the inspiration here. In 1968, the second generation of the GTO came out, and two years later, this particular 1970 Pontiac GTO would be born. The current owner says that this numbers-matching vehicle got a full frame-off restoration in 2011, including an engine rebuild that was done less than 20,000 miles ago. With a few tasteful upgrades, this GTO is ready to be your signature classic car.
In 2002, after a glorious run across four generations, the Pontiac Firebird was due to be put to pasture. Pontiac’s iconic pony car was saying goodbye to the world, although its Camaro sister car would continue for over two more decades. It was a sad year for enthusiasts, given that the Firebird had become quite cult hero. The second generation starred as Jim Rockford’s car in The Rockford Files. Then, the third generation became Knight Rider’s KITT, one of the most-loved cars of the silver screen. You’d be hard-pressed to find another automotive nameplate with a similar level of recognition by the public due to its Hollywood appearances. So, if you want to own a Firebird from the last year of production, and one with some serious power under the hood, check out this 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6. This 116,000-mile car packs quite a wallop and has undergone handling and braking upgrades too.
The Pontiac GTO was born out of sheer grit, a bit of cheekiness, and a desire to circumvent official company rules that seemed ridiculous. By the early 1960s, General Motors had banned their auto divisions from participating in auto racing. This meant that divisions could no longer field machines that could duke it out across America, and fight for who made the fastest car. Of course, this didn’t mean that you couldn’t sell potent, street-legal cars for customers to use to race. This was what John Z. DeLorean, Russ Gee and Bill Collins came up with. The result was the GTO, with the name inspired by Ferrari’s legendary 250 GTO. The GTO ran for five generations before throwing in the towel by 2006. That makes first and second generation GTOs excellent classic cars that can still burn rubber in anger when desired. This 1968 Pontiac GTO is one such car. This 38,000-mile, numbers-matching machine has been restored, with many mechanical parts replaced as well.
It was a sad day for the world when Pontiac discontinued the Firebird in 2002, after the fourth generation had run its course. Of course, it was even sadder when the Pontiac brand as whole was shelved in 2010. One of America’s most iconic muscle and pony car makers, Pontiac gave us a whole bunch of greats, and the Firebird was arguably their shining star. But don’t despair, because we’ve got a fourth-generation, 59,000-mile 1995 Pontiac Firebird Formula for sale right now. The car is in great condition, and awaits its next owner. But, you’d better act with speed if you want to get your hands on it.
Get pre-qualified for an auto loan
By submitting your contact information through, you agree to receive communications from Exotic Car Trader. If I include my phone number, I agree to receive calls and text messages (including via automation). I can opt out at any time. I also agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy which explain how my data is used to better under stand my shopping interests, and if applicable, any Promotion Terms and Conditions. This consent is not a condition of any purchase. Message frequency depends on your activity. You may opt-out by texting "STOP". For further details, reply “HELP” for more information. Message and data rates may apply.
We're here to create a platform to better the automotive industry through communication and transparency. Please treat everyone with respect. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required.
Make sure everyone feels safe. Hate speech of any kind is strictly prohibited. Degrading comments about things like race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, etc. will not be tolerated.
Give more than you take. Self-promotion, spam, or links of any kind are not allowed.
Wholesale
Direct Deal
Upload Inspection
Order Inspection
Offer
Modern Vehicle Finance
Classic Vehicle Finance
Document Request
Autrella Rates
60 Days - $999
90 Days - $1499