With the Pontiac GTO having attained such an iconic status in the Golden Age of U.S. muscle car history, it seems unlikely to ponder that a mid-sixties example might be too far gone to consider taking on as a project. I’m not suggesting this 1966 droptop can’t be saved, but with the amount of corrosion here and no engine present, just realize upfront that this one’s going to take a lot of time, effort, and plenty of cash to get back on the road. So far, no knight in shining armor has come to rescue this GTO, but if you’re ready to get started, the Pontiac can be found here on eBay. The seller has set his buy-it-now price at $3,950, so hit that button then head over to Lyons, Illinois with your trailer for pickup.
Once I began scrolling through the photos, it was easy to see that the engine compartment was vacant, but the seller mentioned a 4-speed manual transmission, which I was curious whether or not was still in place. After looking at a few more pictures, the answer appeared, and not from an underneath view. However, there is a driveshaft visible in another photo, so if it’s salvageable, that’s one component the future owner won’t need to find. There are not any shots that give us a clear view of the entire dash, but the radio is gone for sure, and it’s hard to tell what remains of the instrument cluster.
No photos are provided from the back end either, but we do get close, with this view of the driver’s side quarter. If that panel is indicative of how the others look, it makes me think that the seller’s suggestion of finding a good Tempest donor might be worth considering. I haven’t shopped for one, but I’m guessing even the base Pontiacs may be hard to find in decent condition nowadays. Some better news is that the convertible frame rails are intact, and all of the glass is still there and stated as being in good shape.
This is the best view from the empty engine compartment, and although it doesn’t include the whole bay, another photo shows a more complete look at one of the inner fender wells, which actually appears pretty decent. However, there’s probably going to be some work needed in the bay before whatever engine the next owner selects is ready to be dropped in, it’s just hard to say what exactly without seeing everything. I’m all for saving every muscle machine on the planet, and I hope at some point this one gets restored and returns to the road. Is this 1966 Pontiac GTO ragtop one you’d consider taking on as a project?
Sell it to Fred Flintstone!
It’s a Rollscanhardly, rolls down one hill can hardly make it up the next. Sad, at a glance looks promising, until you open the door…
I love 65-67 GTOs but this one would cost more to restore than it would ever be worth.
What a shame because convertibles are rare.
Call a wrecker.
The only reason I can imagine for buying this car would be to build a driving test platform for Pontiac drivetrain parts. Yes… as sick as it sounds, I BRIEFLY considered doing that.
But then I added up the cost of such a plan… transport, registration, taxes, insurance, brakes, wiring, cooling system, u-joints, lights, frame(?), instrumentation, tires, suspension parts, fuel system, and God knows what else… and I’d have two hundred hours and $15,000 in a body nobody else will buy when I’m tired of it.
And then there’s the risk of a past owner showing up with the title and claiming the car back. That actually happened to a Bill-of-Sale ’68 Camaro owner in my state last year.
Naaah. I’m going to let someone else buy this peach for the rusty(?) top frame and Rally II wheels.
You should have sold this 30 years ago. It’s too late. Even doing EVERYTHING yourself, you will be at the bottom of the Atlantic along side the Titanic when done. And the really sad part is when restorers finish a car, it never gets driven anyway. What’s the point?
A good inner fender attached to one helluva lot of rust. Who’s kidding who?
I don’t doubt that there is some Pontiac guy or gal out there that can explain to me how a GTO emblem and maybe a hood can be worth nearly 4 grand, but if they are successful, they have the potential to make HUGE money selling junk. This thing is an absolute pile of rusted metal with no intrinsic value, none.
They can’t be serious…what a shame to classic.
Complete floor pans are available from places like Goodmark Industries, Original Parts Group, and National Parts Depot, among others. Prices vary between $500 ea. and $800 ea. Will need rocker panels and trunk floor as well, obviously. The potential buyer must have a welding P.h.D. , though – plus the usual set of skills and talent, time, equipment, space, bank credit, and tons of patience!
I used to be a pretty good welder. Never learned to weld rust though!
Ok, so now the floor and trunk pans are covered. Good deal. Now all a guy or gal needs are quarter panels, front fenders, doors, frame rails, and everything else. But on the bright side, they already have the grill emblem and kind of a hood. Shouldn’t be more than 75 grand to finish it, (assuming that said guy or gal can handle a bunch of the labor.)
Why do people try to sell this kind of trash here? It’s disappointing that people would let a car like this go to heII so long ago without selling it to someone who would better care for it.