I purposefully avoid covering muscle cars! Why, you ask? Most are ridiculously overpriced, or have had absurd restorations in which the width, texture, and hue of assembly-line chalk marks seem to be job one. At the opposite end of the spectrum are those that have been run hard and put away wet and horribly modified by shade tree wrenches. And then, of course, there are the out-and-out frauds that aren’t close to what they purport to be. Today’s discovery, a 1964 Pontiac GTO, courtesy of Patrick S., is an exception – and yes, there are always exceptions! It’s real, original, hardly perfect, but has been well cared for and maintained. The seller refers to his car as “unmolested“, and I’d agree. Those with an interest will find this beginning-of-the-movement GTO located in Orlando, Florida, and it’s available here on Facebook Marketplace for $29,900.
The history of the GTO and John DeLorean’s involvement in its creation has been covered here on BF many times before, so I won’t belabor that story again. What I will say is that this GOAT, assembled in the fourth week of June 1964, is one of 18,000 two-door hardtops to hit the street that year. Total GTO body count for the ’64 model year was about 32,000, with 7,300 two-door sedans, and 6,400 convertibles rounding out the total.
This example looks great! The Cameo Ivory lacquer finish has held up surprisingly well, the chrome-plated bits still shine, and rust, the nemesis of these GM A-body cars, is nowhere to be found. I must admit that I’m surprised to see this GTO still wearing its original equipment wheelcovers – those were usually among the first original items to get 86’d. With the exception of the hood pins, the entire presentation does appear to be stock.
The interior is fair, but not without its problems. The blue Morrokide vinyl upholstery covering the front bucket seats is giving it up, the door panels have gotten dowdy, and the console appears to be missing some of its trim. Originality-wise, the steering wheel has been swapped (and is missing its horn button), the Hurst shifter is wearing a T-handle, and auxiliary gauges have been added to the bottom of the dash – all minor deviations from delivery day. A real surprise was to see A/C in place – often not the case in muscle cars from this era. I wonder if it works?
The original orderer of this Tin Indian went big in the engine compartment, specifying the optional three 2-BBL. carburetor-equipped, 348 gross HP, 389 CI powerplant. The seller claims, “starts, runs, and drives.” I was actually hoping for a more enthusiastic appraisal. Also added is, “I even have the original fuel pump, water pump, and master cylinder, all of which were recently replaced by me.” A four-speed manual transmission makes the rear wheel connection.
So, after reading the listing and checking all of the images, am I any less enthusiastic about this 1964 Pontiac GTO than I was at the start? No, this is an original, unmessed-with, very genuine car that was present right at the start of a big domestic, automotive moment. Considering what I’ve seen similar GTOs trade for, this car’s ask doesn’t surprise me; how about you?
Like it 👍 J.O. Bit of a sleeper too in that color, hot motor setup, 4sp, and the stock wheel covers 🏁
( drum roll) Little GTO, you’re really lookin’ ZZZZZZZZZZZZ, that’s enough of that, HEY, that’s my new record,, BUT, this is the car Ronny and the Daytonas sang about. I doubt theirs had A/C, don’t recall that in the song, and that last picture is probably what most remember most about that little modified Pon-Pon. They sold over a million copies of that song, and never had to work again, although had some success later as the “Hombres” with “Let it all hang out”, that my old man HATED, turned it right off, he would! I read the A/C added almost $400 to the cost, the most expensive option.
Again and again, I just don’t see it, with just about everyone that wants a car like this, can’t push the clutch in( don’t laugh, it’s real, you’ll see, I hope) as iconic of a car as it is, it should still look a lot nicer than this for $30grand,,,for the ages, you know.
FWIW, Hagerty is at $35,500 in #4 condition with 4 speed, factory a/c, and the triple deuces. Based on that they probably aren’t far off the mark price wise. That said, these cars sure ain’t cheap anymore. I like it and wouldn’t be ashamed to have that in my garage.