It is a question that will ignite a spirited debate between enthusiasts. What was the first muscle car? While many people will put forward their own candidates with compelling arguments, the majority seem to believe that the honor falls to Pontiac’s GTO. It is a car that hid its light under a bushel because while its exterior was pretty understated, its engine bay housed a V8 designed to grab your attention the moment you pressed the pedal to the metal. This GTO is not 100% original, and it needs some TLC. However, it features a freshly rebuilt motor, and it appears it would take little to return to a roadworthy state. If you find yourself tempted by the prospect of owning a genuine muscle car, you will find the GTO located in Uniontown, Ohio, and listed for sale here on eBay. The bidding has already rocketed beyond the reserve and sits at $20,100.
The seller is this Burgundy GTO’s third owner, and he is pretty candid about its condition. While it presents reasonably well for a survivor, it does have some hidden secrets. He admits that the panels contain some Bondo, but exactly where and how much isn’t clear. He states in his listing that if the car didn’t sell, he would treat it to a frame-off restoration. This may be the best path to follow because the underside shows a significant coating of surface corrosion. Penetrating rust appears to be limited to the trunk pan, and replacing this would be the best course of action to achieve a high standard restoration. The exterior looks surprisingly clean, with no significant rust visible in the lower extremities. The trim seems to be in good order for its age, as is the glass. I know that it would be a major undertaking, but stripping the whole car back to bare metal would seem the best approach. It would cost a bit in the short-term but would potentially provide benefits in years to come. Few things are more disheartening than completing a restoration and having nasty bubbles appearing in the body in a location hidden under the old paint. I always advise people contemplating a project like this to follow that approach to minimize the chances of future pain.
Okay, we’ve now reached the point where we need to discuss a “good news/bad news” scenario. This GTO isn’t numbers matching, and many readers will see that as a tragedy. Lifting the hood should have revealed a 389ci Tri-Power V8 churning out 360 HP. That power found its way through a four-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels. In its prime, this Pontiac would have demolished the ¼ mile in 14.3 seconds before running out of breath at 124mph. It isn’t clear when the original motor disappeared, but in its place, we find a 400ci unit of 1969-vintage. The seller treated this to a rebuild, fitting GTO cylinder heads, a matching camshaft, and a new Holley carburetor. The chances are pretty good that this new motor won’t match the original on the dyno, but nor should it be an automotive slug. The seller indicates that the car runs and drives, and the rebuilt 400 has a mere 1,000 miles under its belt. It seems that the car isn’t technically roadworthy, but it appears that it will require little more than an exhaust and some brake work to achieve that state. If that is the case, the open road might not be far away for this classic.
The mixed messages continue when we examine this Pontiac’s interior. The carpet looks excellent, as does the black vinyl upholstery on the seats. There is no evidence of cracking on the pad, but somebody has cut the dash and door trims to fit an aftermarket stereo and speakers. This interior would need very little if it weren’t for these two flaws. The buyer may choose to source replacement parts to address these issues, or they may decide that slotting in a modern stereo would be their best option given its lack of complete originality. The vinyl on the edge of the door trims has lifted, but the buyer may be able to glue this back into place. Beyond that, it appears that the original owner ordered this GTO with a factory console. This is missing and will leave the buyer with another choice to make. Reproduction consoles sell for an eye-watering $750, so they may decide to live with things as they stand.
I admit that I find the loss of this Pontiac GTO’s original motor disappointing. However, that is now history, so potential buyers will need to move forward. They could retain the existing 400, and its freshly-rebuilt state makes a compelling argument for following that path. Alternatively, the new owner could hunt for a date-correct 389 Tri-Power to slot under the hood, allowing them to do a faithful refurbishment. The loss of that original motor will impact its ultimate value, but it is difficult to say by how much. Fully restored, I still believe that this classic could achieve a value beyond $40,000 in the right circumstances. If you are not concerned about 100% originality, this could prove to be an affordable GTO that you could park in your workshop today. That has to be an option worth considering.
I know where this car is located and it really looks pretty good, not to say there isn’t some mud in the quarters and possibly the front fenders. Don’t know if it’s originally an Ohio car but not too bad. The engine, well Ponchos don’t rev real well and rod bearing failure and crank damage was pretty common from personal experience. I live in Fl nowadays so it’s a little far from home now.
I rather have the 389 over the 400. Oh well it won’t bother a new buyer probably and its a manual. 👍
(G)as (T)ires (O)il
I’m response to the above mentioned bearing and crank failure:
Get’yer Tools Out
Olds Rocket 88
GTOs of this era are awesome cars, however, the ‘57 Rambler Rebel was an intermediate size car with a 255hp. 327 on tap. Years before that, Olds put a 303ci Rocket V8 in their intermediate “88” model. (1949?)
As for the 400 not being up to par with the 389; ‘66 389 4bbl. was rated at 325hp. ‘69 400 4bbl. engines ranged from 330hp all the way up to 370hp for the Ram Air IV. Not a downgrade- but a 389 would be preferable IMHO. Wouldn’t swap out a freshly rebuilt 400 to get a 389 though. GLWTS
If I want to gamble big I’d go to Vegas. Plus travel and shipping.
bought a 66 389 3 duece’s in 66. they were a pain. ended up dis-connecting 2 of them. it was a sweet car.
bought a 66 389 3 duece in 68. tri power was a real pain, ended up disconnecting two of them. it was a sweet ride. traded it in, dealer called me a couple days later. while they were driving it, caught on fire and burned to the ground. wonder if they reconnected the carbs.
I’ve heard a lot of negative talk about the 400 engine, but I once owned a 69 Firebird 400 and I never had any trouble with it and I ran it hard. It’s true the 389 would give it more value, but then you buy what you want.
God bless America
Rebuilt engine……..haa……..they got some “rebuild” on the alternator….
The first “Muscle car” you ask?
The basic accepted formula was it’s an American made mid-size car, traditionally with a 2-door body, which the manufacturer has made available to the public, with a large V8 engine. It’s a production model available in dealer showrooms, featured in factory brochures and other literature, not a limited-built car or prototype.
Cars like the Corvette and the ’55 to ’57 T-birds were said to be sports cars. Allard cars sold new in America, starting with the 1950 J2, were sold new with a choice of several US big V8 engines, those cars finished and sold as a new car in America, but most gearheads agree it’s also a sportscar. The Olds 88 with the 303 V8 was a full-size car. The 1963 & 64 Avanti falls into the same category as the Vette & T-bird.
Many people claim it was the 1964 Pontiac Tempest GTO. But there are several earlier cars offered to the public, cars that meet the above specifications:
1963 Studebaker Daytona with the factory R-1 Avanti engine, or the R-2 Paxton supercharged engine. Both available with a B-W 4-speed trans and posi rear diff. There were 2 more, a version with the high compression R-3, and the R-4 dual 4 barrel carb cars, but these drive lines [I’m told] were built in Studebaker’s Paxton Products shops, and basically qualify as limited production cars.*
1957-58 Studebaker Golden Hawk, with the McCulloch supercharged V8.
As mentioned above, in 1957 Rambler offered the Rebel hardtop, with their own 327 V8.
1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk with the 1956 Packard 352 V8. While most were a single 4 barrel carb, a few were equipped with the dual quad Packard manifold/carbs.
Note that the Rambler Rebel and The Studebakers were not the same size as the full-size “Big 3” manufacturers, they were the same basic size as the midsize cars coming out of Detroit in the mid-1960s.
*To learn more about the Studebaker R-3 and R-4 factory racing engines, etc, check out this website: https://studebaker-info.org/Rseries/R3R4.html
You can read about Myles Walker’s factory prepared/built 1964 R-3 Daytona 1/4 mile track car that has turned as low as 11:91 — 118.32mph.
Forgot to mention, Motor Trend & Hotrod Magazine did a story on a 1963 R-2 Lark 2-door sedan, that running in Pure Stock Drag, beats the ‘big 3’ muscle cars every time. It’s passed the Pure Stock tech inspections as recently as 2012!
https://www.motortrend.com/features/1963-studebaker-r2-lark-superhero/
Great information Bill. I always enjoy your comments.
God bless America
Thank you Bill for the information.
I too always enjoy your comments. I love learning about these historic cars, and I appreciate your insight.
Thanks guys,
While I’ve been a fan of muscle cars from the big 3, and have owned examples like a ’66 GTO with tri-power & fully optioned, a ’69 GTX with factory 440 & 3 carbs, and a ’69 Mustang fastback, 390/4 speed, California Special with A/C, [I covered all three there!], when I hear guys insisting the big 3 were the first or the only manufacturers of muscle cars, I take the time to educate the public on what happened pre-1964!