There’s a good story about how a magazine road-tested a 1964 Pontiac GTO, only for the publication to write about its disappointment when everyone else was praising the car. This episode changed how Pontiac presented its cars to the press. Our Pick of the Day may have suffered from a similar affliction as the test car in original form, but its present state has corrected those to a fault. This 1966 Pontiac GTO restomod is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Miami.
The story goes that Hot Rod wanted to test a new GTO, but the car was in short supply. The editor was miffed that a competing periodical had already published a road test. He complained to the Zone Office, which normally didn’t handle press cars. In the interest of trying to do right for Pontiac, the zone representative “naively” lent Hot Rod his company car, a GTO convertible that was built to his wife’s specifications: 325-horsepower 389, two-speed automatic, wire wheel covers, air conditioning, and a 3.08 open rear. The resulting magazine article was akin to “What’s all the fuss about?” after driving this seemingly unobtainable car.
Pontiac adman Jim Wangers was livid, as Hot Rod carried a lot of weight with enthusiasts, so he worked with Pontiac to create and maintain a pool of optimized press vehicles. They weren’t always the fastest cars in the buff books, but they were the ones that Pontiac wanted the magazines to have—cars that ran the way they were supposed to run. Of course, this was after Car and Driver tested a GTO that ended up having a 421 transplanted from big Ponchos, so let’s just say Pontiac’s honesty and transparency was at the forefront from this moment on.
By 1966, Pontiac had exploited its charms and made the GTO quite the desirable machine for enthusiasts. Sure, some of the same complaints as before remained, such as standard brakes and suspension that bordered on dangerous in combination with the horsepower available to one’s right foot. However, just about everything else that made Pontiac strong was baked into the GTO: styling, performance, available equipment, and image on the street. The GTO’s design and styling also maxed out the grace that made the brand number-three in the industry (and the top-selling GTO ever, as it turned out).
Per the data plate (posted in the listing), this 1966 Pontiac GTO two-door hardtop was originally built with the 335-horse four-barrel and two-speed automatic, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a disappointing performer like the convertible in the above story. In the case of this vehicle, it’s been given the full restomod treatment that includes a beefed-up 6.0-liter LS with a Hurst-shifted six-speed manual. “Amazing paint and interior,” the seller proclaims and, judging by the supplied pictures, he’s onto something. Other features include AFCO Racing radiator, Hedman Hustler headers, Hotchkis Sport Suspension, Vintage Air ice-cold air conditioning, AutoMeter gauges, hands-free Pioneer Bluetooth stereo, two sets of rims (chrome Riddlers, black Fooses), slotted and drilled four-wheel disc brakes, and so much more.
The seller adds he’s bought another toy so this one needs to go, but he’s “not in a hurry to sell [so] no low-balls.” At $97,000 (OBO), it’s on you to see how it smokes your tires.
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