The Pontiac GTO is widely considered the father of the American muscle car. As such, the badge commands respect, and they remain highly sought in the classic world. Even the roughest examples can command impressive prices, but our feature car is anything but rough. It is an original survivor with an incredible 23,740 original miles showing on its odometer. The seller has reached the point where they feel it needs a new home, but their loss could be your gain. The GTO is listed here on Craigslist in Castleton, Indiana. They have set their price at $49,000 OBO. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L. for using a well-developed classic radar to spot this amazing survivor for us.
Pontiac released the Second Generation GTO in 1968, and it remained available with annual updates until the end of 1972. Its styling was softer and more rounded than its predecessor, although it lost none of its aggressive good looks. Our feature car is from the second year of production and presents superbly. The photos are lacking, but they show what I believe to be Champagne paint that appears flawless. There are no signs of marks or defects, and the panels are equally impressive. I can’t spot any signs of rust, and the seller doesn’t indicate any prior or existing problems in their listing. They also don’t mention any previous restoration work, suggesting that this classic wears 100% of its original Pontiac steel and paint. The trim is flawless, as is the tinted glass. The GTO rolls on a set of immaculate Rally II wheels with trim rings. The seller claims this beast has a genuine 23,740 miles on the clock, and its presentation makes the claim seem plausible.
Enthusiasts only needed to lift the hood to understand why many view the GTO as the father of the muscle car. Doing so with this classic reveals a numbers-matching 400ci V8 that produces 350hp and 455 ft/lbs of torque. The original owner ticked the boxes on their Order Form to include a three-speed TH-400 transmission, power steering, and power assistance for the front disc brakes. Performance figures confirm this classic can wear the muscle car tag, with the journey down the ¼ mile taking 14.7 seconds. The seller claims this Pontiac has a genuine 23,740 miles showing on its odometer, although they don’t mention supporting evidence. However, it has been part of the same family since Day One, so confirming the reading may be possible through service records or other means. I find the engine bay presentation slightly disappointing because I expected better from a car of this caliber and mileage. Do you think I’m being too harsh? If we look beyond the appearance, they say the car runs and drives extremely well.
The supplied interior shots are enough to make your eyes water because almost all are blurred. However, we can piece together enough to support the seller’s assessment that it presents in as-new condition. The upholstery on the front seats is spotless, with no signs of wear or physical damage. The back seat looks like it has never been used, while the carpet is spotless. There are no cracks in the dash, pad, or console, and there are no aftermarket additions. The original owner equipped this classic with an ultra-desirable hood tach, an AM radio with a power antenna, a rear defogger, and a remote driver’s mirror. You will hardly mistake this interior for a Cadillac from the same era, but who cares about luxury when you floor the gas and are pinned back in the seat?
The investment potential locked away in some classics can be questionable, but others can be better than money in the bank. The latter scenario is the case with the 1969 Pontiac GTO. Values have climbed at an extraordinary rate over the past year. They have stretched beyond the classic market average, and you will struggle to find an investment that would offer a better bang for your buck. This GTO is a stunning vehicle, and if the seller’s claims regarding originality and the odometer reading are verifiable, the asking price looks highly competitive. It has only been on the market a few days, but I suspect that someone will snap it up pretty quickly. With what you’ve seen, are you tempted to pursue this GTO further?
Those Rayco tailpipes cheapen the look
I don’t like it either. They could at least be a little more hidden.
A ford dealer in my area who also does restorations had a 69 ragtop GTO 4 speed ,36000 on it,restored,turnkey, rust free before they started, for 42k canadian. This was 4 years ago. They have some rare cars, 67 galaxy 427 it was 85k with 12k on it, shelbys, 69 scj,hemi roadrunner,340 swingers, etc. All reasonable and no excuse cars.
Those Rayco tailpipes cheapen the look, and why so much rust on the engine block and water pump housing.
The water pump was likely replaced and it wasn’t painted when they installed it, hence the rust on it.
I dont like those tail pipes also.They stand out,dont look correct and give a cheap look to a super clean gto. I belive the milage correct. Just goes to show there are low mile,original collector cars out there-if you can afford them.I,ve mention this comment before about the 64 gto i had in the late 80,s sorry if anyone remembers the comments and think-there he goes again. My 64 had only 34k miles(1/4 mile at a time)original silver with red interior original 389-with the 421top end and factory headers, 4spd.The original motor and related goodies where stolen not long after it was brought home. Heres the kicker,it was #3 built. I was able to contact the original owner who could verify all this. He sold it in 1967 to the guy i bought it from. Needed a minor bit of body work and the engine was gone.All i paid was $500. Like all the mass of cars i went through i sold it a few months later. One of many,that i wished to have kept but Had to sell since i came across something else.
Lack of AC is a bummer. I bought a 68 brand new and enjoyed the car very much.
The paint doesn’t match on the left side so I’d say the old girl’s been in some trouble along the line.
I’ve never been a fan of that “pretty” green color anyway, even if it does match.
I’m not sure how you can tell that given the car is parked in shadow under a tree, which is creating all kinds of illusions with the paint. I would agree the seller needs better photography skills, but I’m not sure there’s mismatched paint here.
I dont know why but looking at the back of the car it reminds me more of a Buick Skylark…maybe those pipes, the color, or a combination. Read between the lines..its not an exciting Pontiac GTO at least in appearance. Like those late sixties GTO’S too, I would need to flog this one up and down the road to get over the boring colors.
That is a really nice GTO. Funny thing, in that color combo and with white walls, I really expected it to have a bench seat and air conditioning. It’s nice to see the buckets and console. For a fairly well loaded GTO to have a rear defogger, but no AC, this car was probably sold new somewhere in the northern US.
I have always been a fan of the 68-69 GTO and Le Mans. They just had a great shape, and I love the front bumper, especially the GTO’s Endura version. I prefer the look of the 68’s a little more, only because I think the grill, and taillamps in the rear bumper, were cleaner looking.
I tried to get my parents to buy one of these in 69. But they said no. Does that engine compartment look like it has low mileage? Maybe I am just too judgmental.
Rayco tailpipes?? I’ve been involved with cars since I was a kid and I have to say that is a new term to me. What exactly does it mean?
Rayco was a chain of muffler shops, not sure how many and what areas of the country, but they were for sure in the Chicago area. This appears to me to be a very, very nice GTO. A cut-off wheel will fix the tailpipes while you save up for a complete Gardner exhaust. Too bad it didn’t have AC. The asking price of $49k actually seems reasonable to me.Nice car, I would continue to keep this one bone-stock.
Tailpipes like wheels and tires are simple to change. If the tailpipes are your only reason for not buying this car, then you don’t really want to purchase a low mile GTO.
If that’s all you guys got to worry about is stupid tailpipes your not car guys,stick to your hot wheels
Bought a clean Green 2 owner RA3/auto with 86k mi. for a $900 as my third car ever at 18yrs. old. in 1984. Man, I missed that car from the day I sold it! Went thru 2 more owners and is still around today. Just not in very good condition now. Love this one, too!
Dawng, those were the days werent they! 900 bucks for a killer ride like a RA III GTO! Remember the eighties well, passed up on so many good deals back then, but at that time cars like this weren’t worth much at all….the value was different. It was in the thrills of driving, that was about it.