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Drive It Away: 1966 Pontiac GTO

Recently I wrote an article on a 1965 Pontiac GTO which I described as not being for the faint-hearted. Well this nice looking 1966 GTO is an entirely different proposition altogether. Listed for sale here on eBay, it is offered with a clear title and located in Itasca, Illinois. The seller has a BIN of $27,500 but there is also the option to make an offer. So let’s take a bit of a look at this one to see where it fits in the scheme of things, shall we?

The seller provides a decent catalogue of 17 photos to back the claims that he makes in his eBay listing. Some of these photos back these claims while others seem to contradict them. The seller states that the GTO has clocked a genuine 55,000 miles. While he doesn’t possess a logbook that confirms this, he states that he has many receipts for work performed over the years that verify years and mileages, so this claim may well stand up to scrutiny. The seller is a long-time collector who is downsizing his collection, and this car is one that he intends selling. He states that the car is PHS documented and he has the original Protect-O-Plate for it. He also states that the paintwork is mostly original, but he believes that the hood and trunk may have been partially resprayed at some point. The seller also provides a number of clear shots of the underside of this GTO, and I must say that it all looks solid and clean under there.

This shot tends to muddy the waters a bit on this car, but that may just be me. The seller talks about the general and overall state of the interior of this car. The owner states that the interior is 100% original and I see no reason to doubt that claim. From this shot the carpet looks dirty and faded in several places. Maybe a deep clean and a dye job will bring it back to life. I will agree with him that the hood liner does appear to be in good condition, as do the door cards. The seat upholstery also looks good, although I did find a hole in the material on the side of the driver’s seat. One thing that stands out in this shot and I would like to investigate further is what appears to be over-spray on the door strike. Maybe that isn’t what it is, but I would really like to take a close look to verify that it isn’t paint. Another personal gripe for me is that if I’m going to advertise a car for sale, I tend to clear out my personal debris and give it a once-over with a vacuum cleaner before I take the photos. I also tend to wipe over any hard surfaces with a dust cloth to remove dust, spider webs, etc. It takes a few minutes and gives a better impression of a car that’s been cared for.

This shot verifies some of the claims made by the seller, but tends to undermine others. There is no doubt that the dash pad appears to be in quite good condition, but the red padding on the right side of the instrument panel appears to have either warped or has separated from its base. He also talks about the state of the wood grain on the dash, and I do agree with his assessment that it doesn’t look great. The steering wheel is showing quite a bit of wear for a car that has covered 55,000 miles, and it also has a number of cracks in the rim. The paint on the driver’s door just above the door card is worn away in the way that you’d expect to see if a driver’s arm has been resting there for extended miles.

Under the hood is neither particularly bad nor particularly stunning. I guess the best term for it is honest. This is the 389ci 4-barrel motor which is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. The seller claims that the drive-line has never been rebuilt, but that the fuel lines and carburetor have both been replaced with correct replacements, but that they’re not correct to the car. Pardon? He doesn’t appear to be particularly enamored with the chrome valve covers, and states that he does have a NOS set. I assume he either means that the NOS set will go with the car, or that he’ll swap them over if the new owner wants them.

If everything on this car checks out as per the owner’s claims then the price on this GTO represents fairly decent value for money. You could always buy the car that I mentioned earlier for about a fifth of the price of this one, but I can guarantee that you would face years of hard work before the rubber met the road. If you were to inspect this one and it passed muster, then you are buying a classic that you could climb into and enjoy today. Hmmm, years of hard work or climb in and drive away? At my age the latter idea seems really attractive.

Comments

  1. Avatar j.b.

    3-speed according to shifter knob.

    Like 4
  2. Avatar Jimmy

    Gone. 65 to 67 GTOs don’t last long if priced right.

    Like 6
  3. Avatar Barzini

    I am also not surprised that it sold quickly. It’s hard to find good driver quality GTOs for the 64-67 years. Often, you just see the extremes: basket case or frame off restoration.

    Like 2
  4. HoA Howard A Member

    Favorite GTO. This car had it all.( and it’s not black or silver) Someone snagged a sharp car.

    Like 3
    • Avatar 1st Gear

      Too bad or was’nt me.ALWAYS have loved there years ’66/’67.

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Leman

    What makes this car worth $27,500 it is just an old GTO nothing special about it.

    Like 1
    • Avatar pugsy

      Did you look at the underside pictures?

      There’s your answer. In incredibly excellent condition.

      Like 2
    • HoA Howard A Member

      For a quick review, the GTO had to be the most iconic car to come down the pike. It changed everything, and so many were wrapped around trees, or just beat to heck, one like this IS pretty special. Too bad you must have missed that time, or you wouldn’t be saying that. The other bad thing, is if you want to relive those glory years of the muscle car, gonna cost ya’. I remember when GTO’s like this could be had for $500 bucks. Guess we’ll never relive that part of it.

      Like 1
  6. Avatar bob carroll

    owned a 66 big bloc tri power. great car. traded it in, dealer called me a week later, car caught on fire and burned to the ground.

    Like 1
    • Avatar kelly

      pontiac had no big /small block differentation. small or large journal crankshaft demensions but not block size

      Like 0
  7. Avatar David Miraglia

    Never cared for the Fire bird, but I always liked the Goat and I’m a Mustang guy.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Troy s

    Compared to some of the other muscle cars out there for sale nowadays the GTO seems to be priced a bit lower than some of its rivals. Lack of rarity would be my only uneducated guess.
    Very nice.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Mike Cartieri

    I had a ’66 GTO about 15 years ago, beautiful red paint and a 4 speed. Bought it with a 428 with tri-power and a 4: 11 rear. Not original, but a blast to drive ! Still wish I had it.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Cary Dice

    No such thing as a big block GTO. All used same block. If you had a 421, it wasn’t original to the car but sure would be fun!

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Harold Wood

    I had one Just like it in 66 bought it used for $1400. when it was 11 month old. Only the seats were white and it had white racing stripes down the side and a narrow red stripe on the tires. I had a sprayed on Vinyl white top put on it. I would love to have this car and make it like mine was. Brings back a Lot of memories, LOL I lost my virginity in the back seat of that car.

    Like 1

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