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

Barn Find Roller: 1964 Pontiac GTO

The GTO. Gas, Tires & Oil. GOAT. The car that’s credited with starting the mid-1960s mid-size muscle car movement. While GTO co-father John DeLorean thought that was an untapped market for a car like this, internal GM pundits thought they’d sell maybe 5,000 copies. 1964 first-year sales topped 32,000 units, so John was right. This ’64 GTO 2-door hardtop is a roller at this stage, without a motor, exhaust system, and hood. However, the body looks pretty solid from what we can see, although quite dirty inside and out. It is or was located in a barn in Owings Mills, Maryland, and available here on eBay where the bidding is holding at $4,000.

The GTO started out as an option package on the Pontiac LeMans. For a whopping $295, you got a 389 cubic inch V-8 rated at 325 hp with a 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, chromed engine parts, floor-shifted 3-speed manual transmission with Hurst shifter, stiffer suspension and front sway bar, wider wheels and tires, hood scoops, and GTO badges. It later became a series of its own, then back to a LeMans option, and then a twist on the 1974 Ventura before the car’s run ended. This excludes the brief 2004-06 resurrection based on the Australian Holden.

The seller tells us this ’64 GOAT is from North Carolina, but we don’t know if the photos provided are from being in a barn there or where it sits now. The body is in surprisingly good condition with only surface rust appearing in some of the photos. There is even a 1971-72 inspection sticker in the windshield, so at least the car was operational 50 years ago. But the odometer reads 96,000 miles. At some point, the car has lost its engine and other pieces. We assume the transmission is still present, which may be the optional 4-speed that a GTO buyer could order in 1964.

While the exterior wear layers and layers of dirt and grime, the interior has some of the same, an indication that the windows were left down for years. Damage seems minimal and the car may look better given a serious and thorough cleaning. Besides bucket seats, the GTO has a console and a wood steering wheel. All the original wheel covers are present, although at least one tire is flat. Bring an air pump along with your trailer to load this baby up. These cars regularly trade for north of $50,000 when in proper condition, so there seems to be plenty of room to bring this car back to life.

Comments

  1. Avatar Steve Bush Member

    Not total junk like many cars here and looks like it could be a good candidate for a nice driver or restomod. But would need way more pics and info before traveling to inspect it in person.

    Like 14
    • Avatar Freddy

      Exactly. Would need PHS documentation that its a real GTO. Title is listed as salvage, which can be an issue that I don’t need to explain to folks here. No hood is a bit of a problem. You can get the hood, but the chrome hood inserts are more problematic. The missing engine is also an issue, but a lot of people would go LS rather than restoration, I would imagine. And the wood wheel, if it is factory, is a big ticket option these days, and its interesting that there are no pictures of it (if I somehow missed it, my apologies).

      Like 4
      • Avatar JOHN Member

        The hood is an issue, they are not in reproduction, and the remaining ones out there aren’t exactly inexpensive let alone easy to find. The trunk lids are also prone to rust, and are equally difficult to find. The factory wood wheel, which you can barely see in the photo roll of a screen shot is worth the price of admission, a bare wheel is well over $2k by itself, frequently much higher. This certainly appears to be a real GTO, the right parts are in plain view, but again, no PHS to verify it. If I still lived in the DC area I would be checking it out, I’ve had a couple 64’s. Lastly, the seller has zero feedback. Just some observations…

        Like 4
      • Avatar Nick P

        These hoods are reproduced and available from numerous sources now. They run approximately $800-$900 I believe. Prior to reproduction, I had seen originals as high as $3000. The decklids, however, are not. Wish they would as I could use one right now.

        Like 2
  2. Avatar Marc

    It’s nice to see an old classic for sale at a decent AFFORDABLE price… Hopefully it doesn’t get purchased by a flipper and they jack up the price to a ridiculous astronomical amount…

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Marc

    It’s nice to see an old classic like this in the condition that it’s in for a decent AFFORDABLE price… Hopefully someone buys it with good intentions rather than a ” flipper” snatching it up and selling it for a ridiculously astronomical price…

    Like 0
  4. Avatar ruxvette

    My favorite year for GTO’s. I agree the ad needs more photos and, now that you have pics of it dirty, pressure wash/vacuum the car.

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Troy s

    Off topic, again and again as usual, I find it interesting the difference comparing these early GTO’s to what came five years later in ’69. From a few neat chrome emblems to wild paint schemes a bouncy nose and “The Judge” all decked out like a pre-Woodstock junkie. Ha ha, I like all these muscle cars but the late sixties up to ’70 maybe ’72 were alarming in appearance.
    This one hasn’t been to the Gulf service station in a while with guys trying to clean your window, check your air pressure,…all smiles. Those must have been the days, glass packs and all.

    Like 3
  6. Avatar Guy Blessing

    In 1967 one of my best buddies, (son of a man who worked at a GM dealership) obtained a new GTO with the top power package. Three two’s and a 4 speed. What cruising and racing memories!

    Like 2
    • Avatar JOHN Member

      Just an FYI, the top power package in 1967 was the HO, with a 400 cubic inch (replacing the earlier 389’s) 360 HP 4 barrel and the Ram Air option. Interestingly, both the HO and the Ram Air versions were factory rated at 360 HP, despite a more aggressive cam and free-flowing exhaust manifolds. The base GTO in 1967 was also a 4 barrel, rated at 335 HP. The Tri-Power option was no longer available in 1967, but many had dealerships install the Tri-Power when they purchased their cars… many more added them over the years, me included!

      Like 2
  7. Avatar Rob Lambert

    GTO Garbage Truck Option

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Frank

    Had a friend that bought a 64 with 3-2’s and a powerglide, was a fun ride for the times.
    myself, had a ’65, ’68 and two ’69’s both of them rare, 1 was a 400 4spd 2bbl. with 3.90 gears orange with black vinyl top and black interior & hood tach. and a 69 judge RA-IV, orange 4spd with 3.90’s wish I had that collection now, had less than $3000 in all of them. (time frame 1970-1975).
    Also had a classmate (1969) who went thru highschool with a 62 impala 283 auto. He spent his graduation money on a 65 GTO with trips an a 4spd.
    unfortunatly, he didn’t respect the car and it put him into a telephone pole.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Marty Parker

      Pontiac did not use Powerglide Transmissions in ’64 GTO’s.

      Like 1
  9. Avatar Danny Kelley

    I owned a car just like this in1964. I will tell you that 389 engine was a beast in its day. This would be a great car for someone to fix up and enjoy.

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Arthell64

    Looks like a great one to put back on to the rd.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar Timothy Youngberg

    Absolutely love it

    Like 2
  12. Avatar Tinkertoy

    If you need 64-65 GTO parts look for Jrs GTO on Facebook w/a picture of a 67.
    That was my re-enlistment bonus in 67

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Chris Londish Member

    They trade for 50K but you’d have to spend at least 15 to 20k to get that and would you want to part with it then after putting that much cash into it?

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Frank

    Marty, you obviously aren’t old enough or aren’t educated in G.M. cars. I grew up in that era and wrenched on my own cars.
    The different divisions called the transmissions different names but they were all powerglides. (example Olds called them jetaways, Buick called them super turbines,etc).
    Only the fullsized cars got the turbohydramatics (Caddys got them in ’64 and the rest of the big cars in ’65.
    The first turbo 400 in the GTO was 1967.
    Another bit of trivia, The full size G.M.s had a “switch pitch” torque converter. It had a low and high stall which was controlled by the electric kick down switch. Helped a lot on takeoff.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Tim Sharpe

      The Super Turbine 300 shared some parts with Powerglides but they were a completely different transmission that never came in a Chevy. The ST 300 had beefier drums and hubs that could be used to hop up a Glide.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Marty Parker

      Frank, you are just wrong about the comments that you have made here. To start with, the P/G and S/T 300 are different Transmissions. There are many online sources that will verify this. Also, FYI full size Buicks got the T400 in ’64 and your statement about the switch pitch converter being controlled by the electric switch is wrong. is controlled by a solenoid mounted on the front pump which is actuated by a switch on the Carb. An entirely different circuit than the kickdown circuit. Incidently, I am 81 years of age and have worked, and still do, on cars my entire adult life.

      Like 1
  15. Avatar Frank

    Marty,
    Sorry, didn’t know that we were going to get into the insides of the transmissions and dissect them.
    Technically, you are correct on kickdown, on the outside of the trans, only the switch matters for the discussion. Also if you want to clarify, the kickdown was on the carb linkage on some and on the accelerator pedal inside the car on others .
    Re different transmissions, Amazing that they were all the same size case!
    Yes some of the internals were different among the brands, also there was a bolt pattern difference between chevy and Buick, Olds and Pontiac brands no matter what you called it, It was still a freaking 2 speed trans witch was worthless unless it was a high horsepower drag car.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Marty Parker

      Just trying to educate you.

      Like 0
  16. Avatar Tim Sharpe

    1.) An ST 300 case is noticeably different from a Powerglide case.
    2.) The internal parts are different too.
    3.) The rebuild kits have different part numbers.
    4.) The only way you could get a Powerglide mated a Pontiac engine was to buy a Canadian car. All Powerglides with BOP bolt patterns came in Canadian models.

    Like 0

Leave a Reply to Arthell64 Cancel reply

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.