In considering all of the participants of the second generation (’68-’72) Pontiac GTO I’d have to save my favorite is the ’69 edition such as our subject car. Why? Like most things that involve styling it’s subjective, maybe a slight clean-up of the ’68 and a lack of the heavy-looking bulbous front end on the ’70. Apparently, 72K buyers liked it too as it obviously sold quite well. What was the secret of the GTO’s success? Let’s examine this example and see if we can make a determination. Located in North Grosvenordale, Connecticut, this Goat is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $20,500 with 41 bids tendered as of this writing.

The seller opens up by stating, “Great restoration project car (not a basket case)“. OK, well that’s a bit of a backhanded compliment I guess. First up, I can’t tell you what the front end looks like because it’s not photographed. There are numerous images but they’re not too comprehensive. What is revealed looks pretty good however, the Starlight Black finish still shines and the black vinyl top covering is not faded and is well affixed. The seller does mention there are some dings and he considers the finish to be only fair. Of note, the rear bumper has been painted black but a chrome-plated piece is included in the sale. Minus the unknown condition of the famous Pontiac beak, the only obvious exterior issue is the missing rear window reveal molding.

Pontiac had the bases covered in the engine room for 1969. The installed powerplant appears to be a 350 gross HP 400 CI V8. Others available included a downgraded 265 HP engine, a 366 HP Ram Air III, and a top dog 370 HP Ram Air IV edition. Unfortunately, this GTO is in no-go mode as it doesn’t run but the engine does freely turnover. The motor appears to be wearing some mods including an aluminum intake manifold along with valve covers and an open-element air cleaner – all from Edelbrock. A Turbo-Hydramatic 400, three-speed automatic backs up the Poncho power.

The parchment interior looks downright sharp! The upholstery is bright enough it makes one wonder if it’s original –  it’s that nice. The bucket seat headrests are missing, as is the boot for the gear selector, but nothing else looks to be out of place, and that includes the dash and instrument panel. The seller mentions that the parcel shelf needs to be replaced but that’s a common issue with a car of this era and age. It’s safe to say that the interior really needs nothing.

One thing that I noticed about this GTO is its VIN, the “B” character in the seventh-place indicates that this car was assembled in Baltimore which was a Chevrolet plant and home to the Chevelle and El Camino in ’69. Nevertheless, there was the ability and bad-width to slide a few GTOs, LeMans, and Tempests in with the non-stop parade of Chevies. I’m looking for an ah-ha moment with this Goat, one where I can nitpick something substantial but I’m not finding it. OK, the engine doesn’t start but I’m betting that it’s something minor, wouldn’t you agree?