One of the greatest strengths of classic car enthusiasts is that they don’t tend to judge a book by its cover. I mean, your average person might look at this 1966 Pontiac GTO and begin to wonder where the nearest crusher is. However, when the current owner spotted this classic sitting in a barn at an estate sale, he knew that he needed to own it. Wind the clock forward 3-years, and with the hard yards completed on the restoration path, he has decided to move the car on to someone who is willing to see the project through to completion. The GTO is located in Dayton, Ohio, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding on the Pontiac has reached $4,550, and with the reserve now met, it is set to head off to a new home.

Now doesn’t that look a whole lot better? The Martinique Bronze GTO was a pretty sad and sorry sight when the current owner purchased it. It isn’t clear how long it had spent in the barn, but the body certainly needed some work to whip it back into shape. The good news for the owner when he peeled away the years of accumulated dirt and dust was that the frame and the majority of the floors were in good condition. There was some rust present in the trunk pan, but this has since been repaired. Similarly, there was the usual rust in the rockers and rear quarter panels, but these have been professionally repaired using genuine Pontiac sheet-metal. Similarly, the front fenders had been crunched at some point, and the damage had been addressed by the not-so-professional application of a very large hammer. Once again, the welder was pressed into service, and he has replaced the front halves of the fenders utilizing Pontiac steel. There was also rust around the rear window, and this has been properly repaired. The vast majority of the external trim and chrome is present, but there are a couple of small pieces that will need to be replaced. Similarly, the grille was damaged in the fender-bender, and a replacement will need to be found. In essence, all the body needs is for someone with a good eye and some patience to complete the detail work on these repairs, and then they can apply a fresh coat of paint.

Buying the GTO was a leap of faith for the current owner because the original engine was not present. Of course, with the previous owner now deceased, it wasn’t clear when the engine disappeared, or where it went. So the current owner made the decision to search for a date-correct 389ci V8 to slot into the engine bay. The block has been machined, and the engine has been loosely bolted back together. The buyer will need to work their way through the process of ensuring that every bolt has been torqued to the correct tension, as well as needing to source and fit belts, hoses, and wiring before that glorious 389 can be kicked back to life. The rest of the drivetrain is original, which means that the GTO comes equipped with a 2-speed automatic transmission. That transmission was not the best of the bunch offered by Pontiac when it came to outright performance, but it still allowed the GTO to cover the ¼ mile in a very respectable 15.3 seconds.

The interior of the GTO is a lot better than I was expecting, with the seats and dash pad needing little more than a good clean to return them to their best. Sadly, someone has cut the door trims to fit aftermarket speakers, so the next owner will need to choose whether to replace the trims, or whether to just bolt in another set of speakers. Replacement trims are pretty easy to find and generally sell for around $190 each. The wood-grain on the instrument panel is also lifting, and I think that it is probably beyond being re-glued. Since replacement wood-grain can be found for under $50, it would hardly seem to be worth the time and effort to mess around with the existing trim. It isn’t clear what state the headliner is in, but a new carpet set will also need to go onto the shopping list.

Returning this 1966 Pontiac GTO to its former glory is not going to be a 5-minute job, but with the rust issues now addressed, it looks like it could be a relatively straightforward process. Once the restoration process has been completed, the next owner will find themselves in possession of a very desirable American classic. Values on the ’66 GTO have held solid over the last 5-years or so, and while increases have been modest, they have not shown any indication of dropping at any point during that period. With that in mind, and considering the work that remains before the vehicle could be considered to be roadworthy, is this a project that you would be tempted to take on?