I think that I quite like the owner of this 1969 Pontiac GTO. So often, a restoration project will stall, and the owner will keep the car hanging around in a shed, or worse, out in the weather, until it has deteriorated to the point where it is no longer a viable proposition. The seller acknowledges that he has owned the car for a year, and with work having ground to a halt, he wants to move it on to someone who can complete the work that he has started. There is definitely going to be some work involved, but the buyer appears as though they will be at least starting with a car that is essentially complete. The GTO is located in Jonesboro, Indiana, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN on the GTO has been set at $4,200, although there is also the option available to submit an offer.

The 1969 GTO was available in some pretty nice colors, but one of the best was undoubtedly Warwick Blue. That is what this one wore when it rolled off the production line, although time has certainly taken a toll on it. The owner says that the Pontiac has been fitted with new rear quarter panels at some point, and while the one on the driver’s side looks nice and clean, the other has developed some obvious surface corrosion. This can be added to the corrosion elsewhere, with the hood and both front fenders wearing a healthy coating of the stuff. Otherwise, the panels actually look like they are free from penetrating rust, and the rockers seem to be very solid. That isn’t to say that the GTO is completely rust-free. There is some noticeable rust in the floors and the trunk pan. There is a chance that this could all be addressed with patches, but I suspect that full replacement of these sections might be a safer bet. It also looks like the rust in the trunk pan might have started to encroach into the rear inner fender wells, so these will need to be checked. All of the trim and chrome has been removed, but it does appear to be present. Some of it, like the rear bumper, will require restoration. The rest needs little more than some cleaning to return it to its former glory.

The GTO is not a numbers-matching car, but included in the sale are a 1972-built 400ci V8 and a Turbo 350 transmission. The vehicle rolled off the line fitted with power steering and power front disc brakes. I suspect from the condition of the pistons that we can see in the photo that the engine might have been partially rebuilt before the project stalled. It isn’t clear whether it has received any internal upgrades, but I can see an aluminum Edelbrock intake in the photos, so the potential would seem to be there to extract some healthy performance from the car.

I look inside the Pontiac and can hear the words “interior trim kit” rolling around in my head. The seat frames certainly look salvageable, but the rest of the interior is looking pretty well shot. The console might be able to be salvaged and restored, but the remaining plastic trim appears to be damaged beyond repair. With this in mind, if the buyer is going to attempt a relatively faithful restoration, then a trim kit is probably going to make the most sense, both financially, and practically. They are available, and a figure of around $2,800 will generally produce a kit with every component that would be required to return this interior to its former glory. The interior isn’t loaded with optional extras, but the tilt wheel is a nice touch.

This 1969 Pontiac GTO is going to require a fairly special new owner if it is going to grace our roads once again. The tasks facing that owner are going to be many and varied, but none of them would appear to be insurmountable. At the end of the day, it is a blessing that the owner has managed to recognize his shortcomings early because every day that the car is left to sit and deteriorate would just add to both the work required and the cost, of reviving this classic. It can be done, but are you the person to do it?