Drawing inspiration from Ferrari’s 250 GTO, as in “Gran Turismo Omologato,” Italian for “Grand Touring Homologated,” Pontiac stamped the high-performance version of their mid-sized Tempest with a decidedly European flavor. Because what’s more European than a 207 inch-long, 3500 lb, two-door car with a 6.6-liter V8 engine and a three-speed automatic transmission? Thank to reader Levi A. who spotted this 1967 Pontiac GTO here on craigslist in Greensboro, North Carolina with an asking price of $12,000.
After my birth, I rode home from the hospital in a 1967 Pontiac GTO, silver with a black top and red inner fender liners. Therefore I have a soft spot for this generation of GTO. The tinted windows support the seller’s assertion that this car came equipped with air conditioning.
General Motors offered two-tone black and white interiors in many cars of the ’60s and ’70s, and it’s one of my favorites, combining the sporty black dash and carpeting with classy white seats and door panels. In addition to air conditioning, this “Goat” features the Hurst Dual Gate or “His ‘N’ Hers shifter,” a precursor to today’s variety of manual shifting automatics. Other factory options on this classic include disc brakes, cruise control, power driver’s seat, and electric trunk release.
The 400 cubic inch V8 received some upgrades in the 80’s including roller rocker arms and corresponding taller valve covers, the ubiquitous Holley 650 “Double Pumper,” and MSD ignition. Pontiac’s engines stand apart from other GMs of this era in their sharing a nearly identical block for displacements from 350 to (later) 455 cubic inches. Despite its glaring lack of red inner fender liners, I can still picture this high-class GTO in my driveway. What’s your best offer on this classic muscle coupe?
’70 Olds 442 had the red inner fenders. Never saw a GTO with them.
only the w-30
Pontiac designed and developed the red plastic fender liners for the 1966 GTO.
Here is a link to article in Hemmings about it.
https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hmn/2008/06/Too-Nice-for-Tar/1641256.html
Pretty cool. This “tuxedo” color combo was somewhat popular during this era. My uncle had a 1968 Cutlass Supreme in black with white interior, though that car had a white vinyl roof too.
Back in 1967 while going to school, working in an attendant parks the cars parking lot. One of my regulars had a similar GTO, red with a white interior from what I remember. Though I only got to drive the thing maybe 100′ max at a time, I loved every minute of it.
It was one of my 3 favorite regulars cars: this GTO, a 67 Firebird (I think a Formula) convertible with a 400 auto and an Avanti (never knew the year). I would have given my eye teeth any time I had a chance to park any one of them.
The red plastic inner liners were option code 522 on the GTO.
Ok, it was an option. Crazy,never saw them before. Was it just a dressup thing. I think the Olds denoted W-30 option.
As far as I know, they were strictly dress-up. My father had a ’67 that he bought used back in ’70 with them. Don’t recall anything out of the ordinary about it, well, other than the red wheel wells.
I’m not an expert, so perhaps someone else can set me straight, but I believe on the 1966-67 GTO the optional red plastic were just liners in the wheel wells, while from the engine compartment you still saw the black steel inner fenders.
On the Olds W-30 I believe they were the actual inner fenders, not just liners, so they were seen both from the wheel wells and the engine bay.
On the Olds I think they did reduce the weight a bit, while on the Pontiac they were an add-on.
Anyone out there know for sure?
No differance in weight if the Olds had Red or Black fender liners they were all made of plastic. It was just a appearance item part of the W30 package for 68 thru 71.
Chris, I’ve been doing some online sleuthing since I posted and apparently my initial recollection was correct. On Olds W-30(red) and W-31(black) the plastic were the inner fenders(not liners). They weighed less than steel. On the GTO they were merely cosmetic liners.
Here’s some pics I found showing the red liners. They are black in the engine compartment.
Engine compartment
painted my 70super Bs, wheel wells, leaf springs, etc. flat white! Had time on my hands.drove her year round. 383 4spd plum crazy white int. early pontiac buckets. driving in chi. flat white. didn’t last?
My parents bought a 67 GTO when they got married in the fall of 1968. It was used but only a yr old. Red, automatic, black vinyl top black interior. Beat the hell out of it then sold it when their first child was born. Didn’t have AC or any other options, and they missed it ever since then. But it would’ve been a pile of rust and junk the way my parents neglected cars. Oh well.
An American legend, the GTO. Years ago these were hated by parents, police, politicians, dorks in general, but have the times changed or what! Now they’re valuable commodities loved by many. Today it’s those nasty little tuner Honda’s with the coffee can exhaust pipes that get folks all up in arms about kids racing wild in the streets! Nothing has really changed except the players.
This looks like a great platform to start with. The slotted trim ring equipped factory wheel is very desirable. That factory 400 engine is a beast and with that Turbo 400 trans and Dual Gate Shifter is almost like driving a 3-speed manual.
A high school buddy of mine named Mike, drove an immaculate original ’67 GTO hardtop handed down to him from his father. I stopped by his house one Saturday afternoon and he mentioned that he had taken the driver’s side bucket seat out, but I cannot remember the reason 40 years later. What I do remember quite vividly is that he asked me if I wanted to ride with him to the parts store. His street was nice and peaceful so from time to time he would liven things up a bit with a lengthy burnout to test the neighbors’ pacemakers. So Mike backed his ’67 GOAT out of the driveway and into the street and flipped the spring-loaded gate. He then pulled the lever over and down into 1st gear manual mode. He nailed the gas lighting up both rear tires and all I saw was his bucket seat suddenly tilting backward. The sound of his scream over the tire rubber burning abruptly ended when his right foot came off the gas. He realized what I had already observed. He never tightened his seat fasteners down.
The slotted factory wheels were the Rally I option… the more familiar Pontiac factory wheels were Rally II wheels I believe Rally I wheels were only available from 65 – 67….
In imho the rally 11’s were the GOAT in Pontiac’s history.
I put a set on my 1968 Catalina and it transformed it from a “muh” old Cat, into a nice looking car.
Any idea what is mounted on the driver’s side of the engine compartment?
I visited NC last month and passed through Southboro. I wish that I saw this car while I was there.
Cruise control.
Sweet car!!! The lowly 301 was the same size block as the 326, 350, 400, 421, 428 and 455.. Had a buddy, whose girlfriend seized up the 301 in her Buick Regal. We dropped a 400 from a Trans Am in with minimal fuss. The only issue we had was a little interference with the shift indicator linkage with the left back exhaust port. We should have cut her hood and put the shaker scoop on, but we kept it a sleeper. lol
By the way, not that I have anything to do with them other than being a prior customer, Ames Performance Engineering in NH has a ton of stuff for GTOs and Firebirds. Should one of you grab this or have a Pontiac project, you’ll find them quite helpful sourcing parts.
@Ponch Joe, Bought a bank account full of parts from Ames, great company to deal with.
Ponco Joe, I believe that the 301 and 265 were low deck motors that actually were related to the earlier 303 race engine, but used thin wall castings(they were actually lighter then the Chevy small block of the time). They have a paltry 3.0″ stroke. With their low decks, I don’t think they are really considered to be the same size as the 326-455 normal deck Pontiac engines.
They are typically despised though the later 301’s with their blocks beefed up to pair them up with a turbo were engines with unrealized potential.
What could have been if GM had allowed Pontiac to pursue turbo engines for the Gen 3 Firebirds instead of making them use the corporate(Chevy) V8s? If you look at the horsepower and especially torque numbers for the Buick turbo V6s of the same period, even before th 86-87 intercooled turbo units in the Grand National, you’d see that such motors were more powerful than the contemporary Chevy 305 V8s of the same years in the early to mid ’80s.
I had a 65 and 2 67s and boy do I miss them. Just bought another Mustang so I guess another GTO will have to wait.
’67’s were my favorite GTO. This particular car is not what I think of when I think GTO, Automatic? Cruise control? Electric trunk release?? Must have been a woman’s car, as GTO’s were usually 4 speed, 3 deuces, neck snapping beasts, with as few options as possible ( to slow it down) This GTO was on the cushy side, still very nice. And we always said GTO stood for, “Gas, Tires, and Oil”.
Three dueces were no longer available in 67 GTOs.
GTO = Garbage Truck Option. I pissed off my buddy Johnny Boy when I called his ’66 GTO that . Dam fast car . Tri-Power 4 spd. Only problem was the weak rear. Blew it so often that the dealer wouldn’t fix it under warranty after 10-11 times
Buddy had a 66 Tri-Power 4 speed and stripped the teeth off the differential’s spiders gears. Out of warranty, the Pontiac dealer would only sell him the whole differential unit minus the ring gear for some ridiculous price. Well I put it back together for him using readily available spiders from a 55-64 Chevrolet. Many burnouts later it was still intact when sold. Another weak area was addressed in 67 with the addition of the disc brake option. My buddy’s 66 had crappy drum brakes that faded fast after a hard stop or two. Compared to the brakes on my 396 equipped 65 Chevrolet Impala the brakes on his GTO were tiny. The 67 GTO with the Disc Brake option required a spacer on the front to allow some non factory wheels to clear the caliper.
I think the 350 had 2 freeze plugs on the side of the block and the 455 had 3 on each side. Don’t know about the 389 400 or 421. The poncho boys out there know for sure. Have a lot of respect for the pontiac motor. 68 GTO spanked my 66 mustang hard on a summer night in 1972.
Price went up $3K from the original ad .. the market speaks!