A Pontiac GTO should be on everyone’s bucket list. It’s the car that many credit for kicking off the whole muscle car craze. It was handsome, fast, and fun. This particular one even more so because it left the factory with a convertible top. Unfortunately, it has seen better days. It could be an awesome machine once again, but it’s going to take some serious work to get there. It’s located in Staatsburg, New York and is listed here on eBay where bidding is currently up to $3,900 with no reserve and ending tonight!
Don’t get too excited though. There are some major problems here. As you can see, a tree fell on this Pontiac at some point. It’s going to be a challenge to straighten that back out. The seller is including some rust-free sheet metal to help with the job. Too bad they don’t have the rest of the panels and a spare frame though. There’s a lot of rust here that’s going to need repaired before doing anything else.
Luckily, the 400 cubic inch V8 is still in place. The seller has not tired to turn it over, but a seized engine would be the least of your worries here. There were three variations of the 400 in ’67 and it looks like this could be the base econo version with the two-barrel carburetor. It still put out a healthy amount of horsepower and torque though so I wouldn’t let that get you down too much. Convertibles were usually more about show than go anyway, right?
Sticking with that theme, you’ll find an automatic shifter inside. It was still a special unit from Hurst though that had dual his and hers gates. It may seem sexist, but that is what they called it. The missus could leave it in auto while you could push it over and bang through the gears yourself. Whatever they called it, it was a novel idea. Normally, a manual would be preferred in a performance vehicle, but this arrangement could keep things docile in traffic while still being ready to light up the tires when needed.
This poor old goat has been left out to pasture a little too long. This could be a valuable machine once restored, but do you think it would be worth doing? Either way, you had better know what you are doing before jumping in here. Perhaps it could be used for parts or, hopefully, someone will take pity on it and commit to bringing it back to life no matter the cost. What do you think will be the fate of this drop-top GTO?
I looked at this yesterday. Presents better than the pics. Tempted. Need to add a 4th bay to the garage…
Took a nasty hit to the back, although, I don’t think this car was that good to begin with. I guess people have restored worse, and parts should be around. Be a nice car when done, for sure. I always thought that shifter was sexist, although, I had no idea that word existed in 1967. As if women couldn’t shift a manual trans, when in fact, they were some of the best in the business. Funny how our times have changed and that wording would never fly today. Lot of work with this car, and Hemmings has a few ’67’s (32) with convertibles going for between $39g’s up to $100g’s. You could put $30g’s into this easy. I guess the choice is yours, but I’d get one already done.
Landfill
That is a barrel Qraudrajet
I don’t think a 2 barrel was ever an option on a GTO.
Yep. 67-69. I don’t imagine a huge take up rate.
#partscar
I had a 67 goat with the dual gate shifter ( man talk ) and a 400, it was a fun car but this one has been left to rot. Too much work, would be better to find one missing some parts and use this to finish that way they both are making one beautiful and a respectable road warrior.
Are those snow tires on the back ? And a Firebird convert also in one of the pis ?
A two barrel was optional beginning in 1968; 265 hp.What kind of a car guy cannot even recognize a four barrel. Missed I D s seem to take place a lot in this column. Why not staff up (a volunteer?) with someone who knows enough to keep that embarrassment out of this?
Jeff, do you know the saying that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones?
A 2bbl was definitely an option for the GTO in 1967. I have a PHS documented convertible. The block is an XM.
The guys here do a bang up job with these listings and get them out fast. Of course there could be mistakes. I’m sure that you are an expert on everything with 2, 4, or 6 wheels….why not volunteer?
The listings are perishable. If they had to wait for fact checkers before posting, the site would probably be not be as popular. Generally, if there is an error in the listing, someone will point it out. What’s wrong with that?
….and yes, the car has a quadrajet….big deal.
Sounds like jeff6599 is volunteering…
ended and sold for over $6,000. When I was younger in the 60’s, I was glad to keep a car running just to be employed—cars looking like this !!
Just did a quick bit of research and found that the ’67 did indeed offer a two barrel. My error. I may otherwise have bet a lot of money my way.
Big deal that it has a quadrajet? No bigger a deal than saying it is a two barrel and using that info to drive the price down. Downward pricing pressure is common in this listing. Just go back two or three weeks and review your own comments in this regard. Many of your ‘not worth it’ cars are indeed values.
I’ve been an old car dealer, licensed in Michigan until 2014, when I retired. I currently have about 23 of my own and work on some every day. Of course I will volunteer, until or unless the effort is unbearable. Fill me in whenever you like. One of your problems is the ‘guys’ must be too young and I am too damn old and remember too much. It really is upsetting when journalists get facts wrong, then comment on value, which they distort due to errant facts. See what I mean? I one time was a spec ification checker for Old Cars Weekly’s Standard Catalog. And I do a from memory trivia contest on the PA at one of our better car shows. Give me a try and I’ll try not to make you look too good right away. All the best…
Ok Jeff, great that you have an impressive car knowledge based resume. As a fact checker, the fact is, you got the facts wrong on this one.
…and for a GTO, a 2bbl was a rare option, there were 3K 2bbl vs 64K standard 4bbl. Obviously the very rare Ram Air would trump the 2bbl any day price wise in a ‘muscle car’, and a stock 4bbl is probably worth more for the same reason….much like a manual trumps an automatic. Jesse did not say that this car had a 2bbl, he said that it looks like it might….big difference. If you purchase or don’t purchase a car from someone’s non expert description without doing your own due dilligence, then that is all on you. You must find value here if you keep returning. You are probably on the free tier, and thus you really have no right to complain.
I don’t see Jesse commenting on value other than saying that it ‘could’ be valuable if restored….value means different things to different people. Take their free descriptions at face value.
Finally, I have never made a “not worth it” comment. I think that because you are getting old, as you said, that you might be mistaking my comments for someone elses. I don’t judge values or potential projects. I have resurected many older vehicles (that had little value) over the years for practice and just to see if i could.
Twenty years ago when I saw a project like this my mind would minimize the financial and time commitment required, tedious hours of work involved and convince myself that no unexpected “surprise” would derail the project. Now at 56 years of age, when I see a project like this, my mind maximizes all the above including if something can go wrong it will and I walk away.
Tell it like it is !
Poor Pontiac its a shame to let it
stand outside and rust like that
JoeR I consider myself quite the person on American Motors. Someone that has pursued and enjoyed them since the days that AMC was still in business building cars. Comes from time and passion and nothing by stopping at a yard sale and seeing one in someone’s back yard going home and doing a Wikipedia article then you are an instant expert…..You know the ones!
I had just obtained a 1971 SC/360 Hornet from a very questionable individual to say the least. He had had the car for an undetermined length of time and strangely was buying “replacement” parts for it.So sitting at face value was a SC/360 with the wrong block….. 3602V P code SC/Hornet. Means little to many but the actual build numbers were are around 750 examples.
Same case. Had I got off my ass and looked a bit further I would have realized I had a much rarer car production wise. 360 2V with 3 spd manual and NON ram air non tach. Pretty boring but got the job done..
Something like 1 of 10 or something. Don’t exactly remember. The thing was the idiot who had it was obviously trying to cover up for the lack of options and had bought a lot of pretty exotic parts in SC/360 speak