You know a car has attained cult status when it has a nickname that is known globally. In the case of the Pontiac GTO, its nickname is well known, even though it is actually longer than its name. We love the looks of the GTO, but especially ones that haven’t been restored. We think this survivor ’67 Pontiac GTO is looking great just as is. This life long California car can be found here on eBay.
Pontiac made a few changes to the GTO for ’67, but the most drastic change was found under the hood. The 389 cui V8 was enlarged to 400 cui and received new heads with improved flow. GM’s ban on multi-carburetor setups meant that the Tri-Power Carbs could no longer be offered, so a new H.O engine was offered with a Quadrajet carburetor. The seller claims this car is a High Output car, but without checking the block number we can’t be sure of this claim.
The other changes made to the GTO were mostly cosmetic. The most noticeable differences are the wire mesh grille and four lens tail lights. These little changes helped give the car a sportier look and showed the competition that this Goat meant business.
The interior looks good for being 45 years old. The seller believes the interior to be completely original and given the wear, we are inclined to believe them. To meet new safety regulations, Pontiac installed many new safety features in the ’67, including a collapsible steering column, energy absorbing steering wheel, and a padded dash.
Because of the popularity of the GTO many of these cars have been restored, which adds to the appeal of this car’s originality. This car has far more character as is then if it was restored, plus they are only original once. The VIN shows that this is a real GTO, but we would check the block to see if it really is the 360 hp H.O. unit. This could be our favorite year of GTO. What about you? Is ’67 your favorite year or do you prefer the earlier or later cars?
I like it just as is although I prefer 1964. In around 1984 i bought a 64 with a low 30 some thousand miles on it. I was in contact with the 1st owner and he told me some cool facts about the car. It was special ordered w/389-421 heads,tri-power and four speed,and factory headers. He ordered it early in 1963 be fore they wher out and had a road and track magazine with him to show the dealership the artical about the upcoming 64 gto. He wanted one of the first ones built. IT WAS #3 third one built. I had it for 6 months,I can only wish i kept it, back then there was cool cheap cars every where. I would sell one to get another so they came and went. But that goat,wished i could have it back.
The 66 does it for me because of the tail lights, however this is still a great find. I still would restore it.
First, I like the ’66 better than ’67; primary for the squared-off tail vs. the slanted butt on the ’67. “Original” is great if the cars is in good/well-preserved overall condition or a one of very few, but GTOs are fairly common and this example is too much of a rat (nothing to do with big-block Chevys) to preserve as is. But is a great car treat to a sympathetic (save and re-use as much as possible) restoration or a careful (bolt-ons and bolt-ins only) restomod buildup.
I have some doubts and issues with it.
If it is indeed an original California car and has been in Cali all its live, where are the black plates? I’m a life-long California resident and have owned over 60 cars (plus a handful of motorcycles) and am somewhat familiar, from experience and ownership, with the sequence of license plates. The last of the black plates were issued in 1969 (I bought a new ’69 340 Cuda fastback, right out of high school, in June 1969. Its black plate started off with “YZP” and the last black plate would’ve been “ZZZ 999.” California then went to a yellow on blue, six-character plate with three numerals followed by three letters. The last of these were issued in late 1979 or early 1980. My ’80 BMW 320i, originally sold new (in SoCal) in extremely early 1980, wore plates ending in “ZLH.” California then when to a seven character plate (still in use) that was also yellow on blue (for the first few years) that started with a numeral followed by three letters then three more numerals. My 1990 Mustang 5.0 LX, sold new in early 1990, had plates starting off with “2 WZC” and my 2000 Corvette, sold new in October 1999 got plates (by this time reflective white with blue characters) that began “4 JDA.” I’d say that the plates on the Goat were issued in the early to mid ’90s. It would be interesting to know the entire story…
I’m far from a GTO expert but it seems pretty unlikely that an “H.O.” engine would be installed in a car with a column-shifted two-speed automatic, especially one with a white interior, white vinyl top and hubcaps. Just seems kinda unlikely.
For what it’s worth, the best way, short of finding the original build sheet somewhere in the car, to verify what equipment and options the car was assembled with would be to contact Pontiac Historical Services at phs-online.com.
All that being said, I wish I had the room and funds to buy it!
I agree with Firebird 1LE: 1966 was the best year for th GTO. Yes, the 1967 had the disc brake option ans the 400 was a better engine than the 389. But nothing beats the tail lights on a 1966 GTO.
One of the few regrets of my life was not closing a deal on a 1966 GTO in 1980 over a small detail. I was an idiot. I’ve spent the rest of my life longing for another goat like the one that got away.
Something about the front end shot didn’t look right to me. Only the Tempest carried the Pontiac letters on the header panel. The GTO did not. While I’m not going to judge a car I’ve never seen in the flesh, I would be more concerned with documentation on this one to verify it’s originality. And yes, I have seen a Dodge Aspen wagon with Volare trim on one side when it was new, and Coupe deVille script on an ’80s Sedan deVille as well. It could indeed have been a factory screwup.
So a dose of reality and rational caution gets me a negative? A harsh anonymous judge you are. Oy vey. Please explain why you wouldn’t just express your disagreement with a post, as most of us do.
Stig, I currently own a 68 and a 70 GTO’S, and have had 4 altogether and been to many Pontiac shows and am a member of several GTO clubs and have never seen a 67 GTO with the Pontiac letters on the header panel. It caught my eye right away as I would think any other GTO guy would see that right off the bat. I agree that it makes the car suspect. It should have the 242 starting #’s in the vin code. If not, it ain’t a GTO.
I was going to mention that about the name on the header but thot I better read on first…good eye…never seen a 67 goat with that….a Tempest clone.
Just read the E-bay listing- an “all-original” car with a rebuilt title. That would worry me.
Having been a lot boy at a Pontiac dealer here in San Diego at that time I can attest how stinkin’ fast the cars were/are. Very pretty design both in and out.
Little to big. The trunk could hold five, the interior another five. Funny how such big cars could get going in such a short distance. But, best fast only in a straight line.
Cheap gas and cheap cigarettes………..dems was da days.
Yeah you just don’t want to stop short, they can’t.
Oh & Stigshift, you are correct the Pontiac letters did not appear on the header panel, good spot.
Firebird 1le has a good point about the black plate., and Stigshift pointed out the header panel, it could have had some collision work done. I worked in a Chevrolet dealer in the mid 80’s. A guy came in and ordered a new truck. It took some time before it came in. When a “special order” vehicle came in we always cleaned, and detailed it before we called the guy, in case there would be a problem. It cleaned up great, but when they pulled it into my bay to do the checks on it I noticed it had GMC badges on it. Inside and outside both. They had already called the guy and he came back and seen it. He threw a fit with the salesman and left. They contacted him and said they ordered him another truck and would call when it came in. All they did was put it in the body shop and had all chevy badges put on it , then hid it under the covers we used for the new bodystyle cars when they came out. Waited 3 weeks , called the guy, and delivered him the same truck he would not accept before. Also I was just out of High school and got a job at a pontiac/ caddy dealer, as a wash rack / gofor guy. They had me cleaning out the warranty parts room where they kept the old ones till some time passed. There was a big pile of steering wheels like the one on this goat. I had to box them up so they could send them back to pontiac. never did know why they had been changed, they looked new. just some memories jogged by this find.