Several muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s have been the subject of clones over the years. Such as a routine 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu turning into a Chevelle SS 396. Another might be the Pontiac GTO becoming “The Judge” edition. But this one is interesting in that the tribute is based on a model run of the GTO a year before The Judge was introduced. A project that’s in the works, this 1968 Poncho is in Joliet, Illinois, and is available here on eBay where the first bid of $14,000 has yet to be cast.
Pontiac set the industry on its ear with the introduction of the GTO in 1964. Based on the Tempest/ LeMans platform, the GTO was a mid-size muscle machine that quickly outsold expectations and caused other manufacturers to quickly follow. It was popular enough to become a series of its own in 1966, but by 1969 demand was starting to wane and Pontiac was looking for ways to inject more sales life into the marque. So, The Judge edition was born, with marketing built around Sammy Davis Jr.’s bit on the Laugh-In television series, “Here Comes the Judge.” The car, with special identification, would remain on the payroll through 1971.
Carousel Red (a version of orange) was one of the most popular and memorable colors The Judge was offered in, akin to the Hi-Impact colors over at Chrysler. That’s the color the restorer chose for this 1968 GTO, making it more of a tribute than a clone since The Judge didn’t come out until the following year. Though a VIN is not provided, the seller says this car is a real deal GTO with the partial ID code of 242. It would have come with a 400 cubic inch V8, and one is provided – sitting in a truck bed (not in the car). It supposedly runs but no mention is made of whether it’s numbers match.
This was a 4-speed car, and a Muncie transmission comes along with other items not in the auto, like bucket seats and a back seat. The dash is out of the car and the seller is waiting for another one to “come in” so we assume it will go with the sale when you pick it up. There are patches in the floorboards and the undercarriage is rather crusty. But the paint looks new and some of the photos indicate that perhaps better prep work could have been done. Yet the GTO sits on brand-new tires. Is this a project that you’d like to finish?
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