GTO’s are iconic and well-remembered when it comes to discussions of the 1960’s and muscle cars. This 1968 GTO coupe is listed as being a true survivor in fantastic condition. Taking a closer look at this GTO reveals either a secret restoration, or an extremely well taken care of muscle car. With 6 days remaining, bidding has reached $5,600. Find it here on eBay out of Clearwater, Florida.
Looking under the hood of this GTO is like a fine art critic staring at a painting they have never seen before. Pure Art. The 400 4 barrel engine is beautiful, only suffering minor discoloration near the exhaust manifold region. The 4 barrel carb looks brand new with no evidence of corrosion or discoloration. In fact everything in the engine bay looks mint and brand new.
With a lovely black on white interior, this GTO looks just as nice from the outside as it does from the inside. The interior looks excellent with no real signs of age or wear. Everything looks as it should, but one thing we will point out is the carpet looks slightly worn, and discolored, on the driver side door jamb area. Something special about this already beautiful and immaculate GTO is the chrome front bumper option. Only 2,108 chrome bumper GTO’s were sold in 1968. Rare and unique, this option gives a Le Mans type of appearance. Classy, but muscular, this GTO is a real beauty with its red paint, vinyl top, and chrome bumper option. Rock chipping, rust, and discoloration look to be nonexistent on the exterior of this Goat.
In fantastic survivor condition this is an excellent chance to get that GTO of your dreams. Are you a fan of the chrome grill on this ’68 GTO?
Looks great with the Cragers!
Didn’t knew about the chrome bumper option, I was about to ask why it was chromed. Did looks great and probably won’t crack as the ”eurethane” bumper.
The last year of GTO’s I cared for because I hate the color keyed bumpers, IMHO it looks like it has had some restoration work done as after 88K miles I’ve never seen white seats that nice and a engine compartment that shiny.
never knew about the chrome bumper option. i wonder if it can be confirmed from the cowl tag.
trying to figure out if i like the chrome over the endura bumper. so used to seeing color coded that this makes the car look like a tarted up le mans – as if someone were doing a gto clone based on a le mans.
The chrome bumper wasn’t so much an option as it was an Endura delete option.
Same bumper as a Pontiac 68 Strato Chief. Had such bumper removed from a scrapped car and placed in front of a custom coffee table…it’s that long. Headlights, non functioning, but included!
There were four special order colors in 1968. Carnival Red was one special order only color. All four special order colors came with the Endura delete. Since it was a special order the factory had zero pre-painted Enduras and just simply put a chrome bumper on. Very few and rare finds. These are more rare than a typical 68 GTO.
To me, this looks too good to be original ( as in untouched, no restoration). Sure is nice though.
A 1969 GTO is my favorite of all GTO’s with 1966 2nd best. I just don’t like the 68 for a couple reasons but this one is worse then normal. That chrome bumper has to go. It makes the car look really bad and it doesn’t even look like it fits right with the gap between it and the front edge of the hood. There are black rubber strips between the front edge of the fenders and the bumper but not between the front edge of the hood and the bumper which makes it look like a hugh gap. I had a 69 GTO and a 68 LeManns convertible. I hated the chrome bumper on that LeManns so much.
The endura bumper just makes the car and if you owned this 95% of people who saw you cruizing in it would think you were a sad LeManns owner that’s a GTO wannabe owner just sticking GTO badging on your LeManns.Only people that would know it’s a real GTO are people that know the 242 v.i.n. means it’s real.
Gaps were terrible on all from 68 on.
Paint the chrome bumper, black out the grilles and it will look like it is supposed to. That air cleaner decal is not factory. Pontiac never advertised engine size under the hood
Air cleaner sticker is factory look it up
thank you!
I’m sorry but the air cleaner sticker is NOT factory.
Air Cleaner Decal….not sure (again I am not 100% sure as you sound) you are correct on that. The chrome package with the air cleaner and valve covers (which was factory stock) may be a different story. Again, I am not sure. I am also not sure if that particular air cleaner is the one that would have come from GM.
I have had cars with options people said were not factory but I have fully documented them as factory installed and/or dealer installed options. I never say never, learned that a long time ago.
Anyone out there know for sure?
What I do know is that paint on the engine, intake, exhaust manifolds and the master cylinder finish (along with everything else under the hood and elsewhere) are not 88K 49 year old finishes. cosmetic resto or “upkeep” at the very least.
I have seen a 69 Cutlass with a half console, buckets and the shifter on the column so I am guessing a GTO could be ordered the same, sans console?
The tiger is supposed to be – under – the hood ;)
I thought the tiger was in the tank. Everyone back then had a tiger tail sticking out of the fuel filler. just sayin
I also agree that it’s not a real GTO
without the rubber bumpers.It looks like a
Lemans based clone.
I’m also not a fan of stuffed toys – I hate
those “time out” dolls that people use in car shows.
C’mon man. Just from a cursory glance – the air cleaner is incorrect. The Holley is incorrect. The brake booster is incorrect. The seats are recovered. The vinyl top is redone. The trunk has been resprayed monotone gray and the second factory correct looking trunk shot is of an earlier car…
This is a nice looking car that’s perhaps been well maintained and rejuvenated vs. the big dollar keyword “rotisserie restored”, but it’s a flagrant abuse of the term “survivor”.
Right i cought the trunk right away.
I really like it. Especially since I have one of the 2108 made. Additionally, mine was ordered with special order color Carnival Red only available with the Endura Delete option (674).
Do you mean Carasol Red (more orange) or Cardinal Red real red.? I haven’t heard of Carnival Red.
Carnival Red was a special color in 1968. Firebird might have had it available too. It was really orange. I believe its the same color as 1969 Carousel Red and Hugger orange although I cant prove it.
Apparently there were 4 special order colors available in 1968 and can you believe pink was one of them? I wonder how many of those were ordered if any. Here’s a link to the special order color chart.
http://firstgenfirebird.org/1968-info/1968-technical-information/sales_manual/selling/r-5/
Brian, yes there were 4 special colors. I have photocopy of the original sheet you linked. It would be interesting to know how many cars were produced of each color.
http://www.fredsmotor.com/68spclclrs.htm
I had a 68 GTO in the early 70’s, and yes the chrome bumper was on it too. The were a delete item, as stated above. Mine was silver with black vinyl top so the chrome didn’t stand out so much against the vehicle color. Unfortunately mine got totaled before 1975 and no one was going to resurrect it!
With JW on this one……….
Photos 7 and 8 are two different year vehicles. Photo 7 is a 68, while photo 8 looks like a 66.
JoeR, great eye man. quick glance you would not notice. that is weird to have that photo mixed in??
@JoeR Wow, you have a good eye, nice catch!
Look at all comments above and you’ll know why I love this site, infos and knowledge!!!
Thank you guys!
Agreed
The aircleaner and sticker are both aftermarket. That displacement sticker is made by a current Pontiac parts supplier.
Pontiac used a satin black dual snorkel air cleaner with no engine displacement ID on the 350 horpower engine in 1969. The engine should be equipped with a 725 CFM Quadrajet carburetor.
All these engines discolored the top of center and outside exhaust ports due to the head design. The hood hinges have been painted black which is not correct as well.
While the Endura delete chrome bumper option is fairly rare most people will think the car had been damaged and repaired using Le Mans parts. I would have thought it would still use the 69 GTO lower valance and squared chrome gunsight turn signal assemblies, instead of the standard Le Mans lower valance. Overall a nicely detailed car, but I have my doubts as to it being a true survivor…….
@Car Guy You forgot about the Cragar Wheels, they aren’t stock.
You mentioned 69 a couple times but this is a 68 and that is the correct lower valance for 1968.
Brian,
You are 100% correct. The valance is proper for the 68. I have owned both 68 and 69 GTO’s. The chrome 68 front bumper on this car looks a lot like the 69 GTO Endura front bumper. The chrome 69 Le Mans front bumper is much different. Does anyone know if the 69 GTO could be ordered with a chrome front bumper?
Jack is also correct. The Cragars are definitely not factory, but they are a period correct accessory used on a lot of these cars. Many GTO’s came with full wheel covers, which owners replaced with Cragars, or slot dish aluminum wheels. I know the Rally 1 wheel was optional on the 68. My 69 had Rally II’s. I’m not sure if the Rally II was also availble on the 68.
Endura delete was 1968 option only.
Don’t think that’s a true 68 gto, the rear marker light should be more oblong or side view diamond shape, no hideaway lights etc, looks like a le mans with gto add ons. My uncle had a 68 gto and i had a 68 le mans. I’m not an expert at these cars but i know alot of people converted their le mans into gto’s.
Those are the correct rear marker lights for a 68 GTO. They were the Pontiac arrow head shape.. In 1969 the were the GTO flattened diamond shape. Also not all GTO’s had hideaway headlights. This one is a real GTO and you can tel by the V.I.N. starting with 242.
…and no hood tach
not all GTO’s had a hood tech. It was an option.
My uncle’s 68 were flat but it was a 68, everything on this car screams le mans, and if it is a gto all of the options that would identify it as a gto are deleted other that than the badges
the console was a $100 option. with the console you got the his & her Hurst shifter.with no console ordered you got a simple column shifter with turbo 400.manual shift no console cars simply have a Hurst floor shifter with a black rubber boot