Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Barn Find GTO: 1971 Pontiac GTO

When you walk up to a shed or barn and see the nose of a car like this GTO poking out at you, it just has to be a pretty awesome feeling. The seller had just such an experience when he located this one owner GTO, and now he has decided to move it on to someone who is willing to restore it. You will find the GTO listed for sale here on Craigslist. Located in Cartersville, Georgia, it has been listed for sale with a clean title. The owner is asking $11,000 for the GTO.

While the GTO is a solid restoration prospect, it does require a new passenger side quarter panel. That hit must have made the original owner cry. The seller also states that the floors and frame are solid, but the car will need a trunk pan. The seller also claims that this GTO was a custom order, and was the only one ordered in this paint color. I’ll leave that one for our Barn Finders to discuss. I just wish the photos were a bit clearer. I am almost convinced that there is some rust appearing around the rear window, but I’m just not sure.

The car has bucket seats and a console, but there’s not a lot more that we know about the interior. The little that we can see of the seats indicates that they are dirty, but that they may be intact. The console does look to be intact and in good condition.

Now to that 400ci V8 that pumped out 300hp when it was new. Today its horsepower output is zero, as the seller informs us that the engine is stuck. He does feel that it is stuck from sitting for an extended period rather than being some form of mechanical failure. The car is fitted with an automatic transmission, and it looks like it has power steering and power brakes. I just hope that someone is able to free that engine at some stage.

The Pontiac GTO continues to be a popular car that can command quite respectable prices in the market. This one has some issues, but there is nothing there that can’t be addressed. With nice examples starting at around the $35,000 mark, that leaves a fair bit of room to move on a financially viable restoration on this car.

Comments

  1. Avatar photo AMCFAN

    With the condition and the year he will own it until he family takes over for him. A manual trans would be a plus even if it were a three speed.

    The only good thing is that 1971 is the last GTO only specific vin which is 242.

    In 72 the GTO was only a trim option. A ruse for high insurance rates. As we know Pontiac was still trying to build excitement in the early 70’s.

    Like 10
  2. Avatar photo Miguel

    I have always been partial to the full sized cars.

    When I saw the picture before reading the headline, I though, great another 1966 Galaxie on this site.

    The other car didn’t even register.

    Then I saw the price and the totaled condition of the Pontiac, and my jaw dropped.

    Like 10
  3. Avatar photo JC

    About 6 months ago I missed out on a ’70 GTO that was on Craigslist near me for 20k and it was a perfect running, no work really needed car, just get in and drive… He probably got this thing for $1000 bucks and is trying to make a killer flip.

    Like 18
  4. Avatar photo Classic Steel

    Wow one of three devided by seven * 2 blennded by square root of rare squared

    Whew now we’re thru the rarer rare rare one ofs section..
    One wonders if you could special order a different color on each panel 👁🙃👀
    The his n her shifter is nice but a four speed would of been sweeter!

    It’s a good body and nice front nose look!

    Like 2
  5. Avatar photo nickypotata

    The his n hers shifter was available in 68 and I believe 69 but not sure. It was not on the 70 or 71. That’s the standard floor shifter. You can be sure there’s rust under the rear window if the trunk floor is shot. That’s the first place these cars rust.

    Like 9
    • Avatar photo mike D

      it was available in ’67, not sure about the rest def not 68 and above

      Like 1
      • Avatar photo SteVen

        The His & Hers shifter (Hurst Dual Gate) came on all automatic transmission 1967 and 1968 GTOs when ordered with the optional console.

        Like 3
  6. Avatar photo Rex Kahrs Member

    Galaxie. Oh, and guys, write in English if you don’t mind.

    Like 6
  7. Avatar photo RoughDiamond

    It seems to me that a lot of the muscle car era cars still in the original owners’ hands show years of neglect with many of them still sitting on their properties. It’s a wild guess on my part, however, I suggest that there must be some thinking along the lines of “I’ve owned this GTO, Mach I, Olds 442, etc. all these years and am never selling it so I will eventually get around to making it really nice again one day”.

    Like 3
    • Avatar photo Walter

      Moving from the NorthEast to the South. I took many rides on my bike around areas to get a better feel of rural life in the South. Saw more than a few similar rides poking from sheds and barns. I began to stop&inquire only to hear “yup ,gonna restore it one day… gonna be worth a hundred grand”. Learned to just keep riding and not stop anymore.

      Like 13
      • Avatar photo Herbee

        Walter how are you tonight I know what you mean when you see a car sticking out like that and you stop and talk to the people there just moronic as hell they’ve got it in their head someday they’re going to restore the car they’re in their sixties they don’t have the money to do it chances are they never will but they keep holding on to that dream that someday they’re going to restore that car and then the car gets in such a sad state that it’s unrestorable just delusional people. I blame a lot of it on those car auction that are on TV they’ve got the whole planet in the mindset that any classic car is worth a wheelbarrow full of money.

        Like 1
  8. Avatar photo Steve A

    Lot of man hours to get it right. With parts and materials you’d end up working for less than $1 an hour once it’s completed and you tried to sell it.
    $1000.00 would be a better starting point.

    Like 7
  9. Avatar photo Bobby

    Should be junkyard find. No way this worth over 2500.00 Automatic stuck motor rust and every panel needing work. If you did all the work yourself still be upside down 10 grand.

    Like 8
  10. Avatar photo Hide Behind

    While the 71 Pontiac GTO and Firebirds were fastest autos Pontiac ever sold, only those with the 455 HO qualified as such.
    A true GTO model of one of those even in this condition would be worthy of attention; but a plain jane beat to hell 400 cu. in. non running with an auto makes this a junk yard parts car.
    Did anyone comment on VIN, as there must be a million clones of non top dog autos out there.
    Common cheat of ponchos was to swap or by repro badges of a goat and attach them to a Le Mans.
    How many can even tell just by viewing diff between 326, 389, 421, 428 or 400 4brl dirty rusted engines?
    I don’t know anyone here but as for myself when selling or buying an original I like to see or be able to show from matching vin and parts #’s of most components.
    But I am dumb as an old rock.

    Like 6
    • Avatar photo Steve R

      Pontiac has records for cars produced this years. For a nominal fee PHS will send you a copy of the original window sticker, that is about as good as you can get when it comes to documentation. All that is up to potential buyers is to verify stamping and casting numbers. That’s why you will always see savy sellers reference PHS in their ads.

      Steve R

      Like 5
  11. Avatar photo Dovi65

    I’ll pass on the GTO. The 65/66 Ford parked in the next stall is more my style

    Like 3
  12. Avatar photo SteVen

    Every time I see a ’71 GTO hardtop my heart skips a beat as my brother had one(blue on blue buckets/console, non-factory blue vinyl top, 400/auto, ET Mark IV mags, Sport steering wheel) for 10 years when I was growing up. He sold it in 1987 here in PA’s Philly suburbs(to a NJ buyer I think) after buying a new Z-51 Corvette. I wanted the GTO but was preparing to go off to college so it was not a possibility. Have never seen or heard of it since. I would still very much like to find that car. If anyone has any leads in my 31-year old cold case, let me know please!

    Hope this car gets restored. If as described I’m thinking it is likely worth about $7,500 as it sits. Just my 2 cents.

    Like 3
    • Avatar photo Saul Member

      The car I rode in many times in my senior year of high school. Black vinyl roof over blue. Black interior. Soon wrapped around a telephone pole by the next owner. Good times. Not a GTO, but nice regardless.

      Like 0
  13. Avatar photo Rodent

    It was Castilian Bronze (67) with a Cameo White (11) painted top, according to the data plate. I don’t see anything too special order about that.

    Like 3
  14. Avatar photo Aaron

    It’s a real GTO as the 242 code will attest. ’71 GTOs are not the most common as they only made about 9000 of them. This one isn’t worth $11,000 though- divide that number by 10 and you would have a starting point. It would be great to see this one restored but it would never be worth the money you’d need to put into it.

    Like 3
  15. Avatar photo Alexander Member

    Digital pictures of old photos in most cases don’t bode well for the car when viewed in person. I almost died when I saw that passenger quarter panel and the asking price. PASS!

    NO his and hers shifter here @ClassicSteel. Just your run of the mill automatic housed in a run of the mill console.

    Put this and the T-37 from earlier in the week together and you’d still be upside down in creating something worthwhile.

    Like 4
  16. Avatar photo Pete

    Yeaaaaaah, No. This cat is reaching really high on that price. He may find one sucker though willing to pull the trigger on that price. As stated before this looks more like a junkyard find. Did ya’ll not notice the white GTO or Lemans sitting in front in two of the pics? This seller realized he would be upside down like a clown if he tried to get it running. He knows what he is doing. He is trying to get all the profit on this car on the front end. Cause there sure won’t be any on the back end after it is restored.

    Like 2
  17. Avatar photo Herbee

    You can clearly see the rust around the rear glass on the exterior of the car and when it gets down in there and gets inside the area under the glass man it’s a crapshoot guys. I wonder what the a-pillars look like in terms of rust. Inner rear Wells probably rusted out Georgia’s high humidity not a good combination.

    Like 1

Leave A Comment

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.