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455 V8 4-Speed: 1970 Pontiac GTO

The GTO was the car that started it all – the muscle car craze of the 1960s. By the end of the decade, things were cooling down as insurance companies had gotten wise to how fast these cars could go. And in the early 1970s, they would start getting detuned for fewer emissions and a cleaner environment (?). This ’70 GOAT with a 455 engine and manual transmission was only one car out of the 4% built that way at the beginning of the decade. Covered with dust and located in a garage in Mobile, Alabama, this once Orbit Orange (maybe) GTO is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $6,600. There is an unmet reserve and if you’re in a hurry to part with your money, there is a Buy It now price of $25,000.

By 1970, the automakers were pulling out all the stops for speed. Chrysler still had the 426 Hemi, Chevy introduced the 454 V8, Ford had a 429, and Pontiac had the 455. Production was off from the 1960s peak of 96,009 units, but the Wide-Track guys still manage to push more than 40,000 GTOs out the door. When paired with the 455 and 4-speed manual transmission, buyers were getting into smaller numbers: only 1,671 GTO coupes were so equipped for 1970.

We don’t know a lot about this car other than it’s been sitting for 15 years. So, if you want to get your hands on some 2006 dust and dirt, this is your car. The engine is not original to this GOAT, with a period-correct late-1969 motor of the same displacement under the hood. There is documentation that comes with the car, but if things have been swapped, then its value has been diminished. It’s strictly a project car and there is no telling what it would take to get it running again.

Most of the Pontiac wears grey primer now, but the owner says it was blue, and yet orange paint is visible in the trunk and the snout. The rear quarter panels along with the fenders have been replaced, suggesting prior rust. The seller tells us there is none around the windows and deck lid and the floors are going to need patching, although we don’t see that much of the interior.

If you were to assign Fair Condition to this car, Hagerty says it’s a $16-17,000 proposition, so the BIN price seems out of line. Restored, it could be a $60-70,000 car as the 455 and 4-speed are worth a premium. Seems like more unknowns than knowns with this one to bid without first doing a personal inspection of what you’re getting into. In the meantime, I wonder what the story is what that 1963 Galaxie 500 convertible that’s sitting next to the GOAT?

Comments

  1. Avatar PaulG

    High hopes.
    Emphasis on high…

    Like 11
  2. Avatar jerry z

    $25K for that! At least clean up the car to see what kind of potential there is is building the car. It’s amazing how lazy people are when it comes to selling a vehicle.

    Like 14
  3. Avatar patrick m shields

    lazy and greedy

    Like 2
  4. Avatar RoughDiamond

    Wow, the Seller sure left a lot to the imagination with the pictures and details. At least like a lot of eBay Sellers now they didn’t say please see the pictures which are part of the description.

    Around 1979, I purchased from the second owner a 1970 GTO with the factory 455, Turbo 400 and Ram Air option. I remember the first time the Seller raised the hood that said “Ram Air” and I saw the factory air cleaner foam that sealed to the underside of the hood. It was the first and only ’70 GTO 455 Ram Air I have ever seen and I did not realize how rare the car was at the time. It was so cool to pull the Ram Air handle located just at the bottom front edge of the dash before stomping on the gas and kicking the transmission into passing gear. Good times! I gave my parents permission to sell it while I was away at Fort Jackson and they were happy to oblige.

    Like 5
  5. Avatar MLM

    I bet this Goat was a blast to drive but I too was wondering about that ’63 Ford Galaxie drop top.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar john holmes

    Your the Clown George! SHELZBOT to you!!!

    Like 0
  7. Avatar john

    There is no money left in that car. NOM + 30K to restore = a bad investment. You will never see a return on investment.

    Like 0

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