The Pontiac GTO was produced from the mid 1960’s to the mid 1970’s, along with a brief reintroduction in the mid 2000’s. GTO stands for Gran Turismo Omologato and was a performance car that competed strongly in the muscle car wars that peaked around 1970. This specific 1968 GTO is found here on Craigslist with an asking price of $8,000 in Clifton, Maine. The ad claims this is a 100% original car that hasn’t been on the road for 30 years. Read on to see if this will be your next project.
The engine in this car is a 400 cubic inch four-barrel. The ad doesn’t say anything about why it was torn down or the state that it was in before being taken apart. More importantly, there is no mention of whether the heads, intake, etc. are included with the sale. As mentioned before, the ad states that it is 100% original and 95% there. Maybe the missing 5% is from the engine compartment?
Based on the photos in the ad, you would think this car was kept in a small storage unit for the past 30 years. The ad does say this is a “barn find” with 117,000 original miles. However, the information in the ad states that the car needs a complete restoration including both rear quarters, complete floor pan, possibly trunk pan and roof pillars. This would lead you to believe that the car probably sat outside for at least a large portion of that time. The upholstery, door panels and other interior components look like they are in good shape. This may be the best part of the car.
The car features chrome spoke wheels and must have looked great in the late 60’s tearing up Main Street, U.S.A. somewhere with its bright red paint. Too bad the car was neglected for so long. This does appear to be a restorable car for someone who is willing to spend a lot of time on (or pay a lot for) rust repair. Along with the rust, possible missing engine components and location, this car has some challenges. However, due to strong affection for GTO’s, I have no doubt this car will find a new home at some point.
Could be good if the heads, intake etc are in the trunk (I see a nice wheel on the passenger floor). Bullet holes through the back quarter panel are not usually good for the value unless it is Bonnie and Clyde’s getaway car.
DeLorean’s getaway car?
Little GTO
Your not lookin’ so fine
No engine and no 4-speed. We’ll need to tow it behind.
Listen to her (my wife) tachin up now. Listen to her whine yaya!
Little buddy, gonna shut you down…when I pull it out (credit card), charge it up, max it out, GTO!
I’m sure the bidding will be off the charts on this cream puff.
The kind of GTO guys used to turn into street stocks at the local circle track years ago. Those chrome rims would look right on this car today heading down Main Street USA as well as back then, errr,…if it still ran.
Never the quickest or the most notorious, but always a top seller amongst a saturated market of snakes, youngmobiles, and dangerous fish. GTO I believe originally stood for GrandTempistOption, read that somewhere.
Troy s,
I’ve been fortunate enough to own two GTO’s. A ’67 and a’70… My two favorite years. In my case, GTO stood for Gas, Tires, and Oil.
I’m just sorry I wasn’t mature enough to take proper care of them back then.
Probably the missing heads,intake.etc
Were stripped for another Pontiac.
So at one time it was 100
Percent original.now not so much. ☹
Gas,Tires,Oil. Thats what we called ’em. Defiantly could smoke the right rear all the way to the horizon though, thus the name.
It is grand touring omolagato officially,but the as mentioned surnames,those where common also.
With prices at $30k for a nice, even restored one, seems to be a little high asking.
Back in the day. We drove “them little furrin cars”. We called it the Garbage Truck Option! I like them now days!
It would have to be a labor of love. As financially it would never pencil out.
Montana Danford had it right, GTO=Gran Turismo Omologato, which Ferrari did not like by the way.
I remember calling the GTO a Goat, it would eat anything on the street.
I love how this car has Cragar wheels on the front and Keystone Classics on the rear, the good old days!
The bullet holes on the rear quarter makes me wonder if this was hidden away for 30 years for a reason…
The 1968 GTO also got car of the year!
Sooo…another high priced pile of rust…half an engine… $8000!? It just don’t add up
…yea, and staged in a wet, hay strewn bunker to boot. Gotta try harder bud if you want $8 grand! This thing is a mess. $800 tops.
Grand Turismo Omalagato, it means eye of the tiger. My first car was a 67 GTO Convertible with a 400 and 4spd. I also owned a 66 GTO hard top with a 70 GTO 400 with a 4 spd, a 70 GTO 400 and 4 spd, and a 67 Lemans with a Ford 302 with a 3spd auto. I agree the 67 GTO and the 70 GTO are the nicest goats for sure.
Gran Turismo Omologato
[grahn too-riz-moh uh-moh-luh-gey-toh, -gah-toh; Italian grahn too-ree-zmaw aw-maw-law-gah-taw]
adjective
(of an automobile) certified as conforming to the specifications, as fuel capacity and engine displacement, for a class of standard automobiles (Gran Turismo) qualified to engage in various types of competitions. Abbreviation: GTO
A cousin, T-37, recently discovered…….
Yet another CL seller suffering from Barrett Jackson syndrome.