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I love GTO's. My father had one. My biz partner is a bonafide GTO expert (make that muscle car expert) having owned so many GTOs I lost count.
Something to note...I believe, but am not 100% certain that the only year Pontiac offered the stacked headlights, such as this one has, was 1967. The reason I "know" this is because the stacked headlights are my favorite front end design of the muscle car era GTO's.
I hae to dispute the website....but I swear i think it is a 1967.
__________________
Kevin
2007 Cayman S........SOLD.
This is a '66. The 66 and 67 were quite similar, but the front grills were slightly different. '65, '66, and '67 all had stacked headlights. 64, did not.
My first car was a '65 GTO 2 dr hardtop. Special ordered it with the tri power triple carburetors. $3600-$3700. You could get the GTO as a hardtop, 2 dr. sedan (with a pillar post), or convertible. The GTO was essentially a Pontiac Tempest, and the GTO package was an option, that included the 389 in engine, badges, sway bars etc. The GTO did not become its own model until '68, which I also had.
The GTO was to Pontiac, as the 442 was to Oldsmobile, the Gran Sport Skylark was to Buick, and Chevelle SS 396 was to Cheverolet.
They were the start of the Muscle car era, followed by the Pony cars, the Firebird, Camaro, Challenger, etc.
This car started my life long love of hi performance cars. Fantastic times I had in that car.
Man it brings back great memories to look at those . . . . I've long suggested that there is no sound quite like a Tri-Power 389c.i. with the pedal on the floor . . . the 4 wheel counterpart to a 1983 Harley-Davidson XR-1000 on the pipe.
I checked your statements on the stacked head lights. You are right and I was wrong. I have no idea why I thought that......glad I clarified my original statement to let people know that I may or may not have known what I was talking about. Man ...I SWEAR...I thought only 67s had stacked headlights. Thanks for the clarification.
__________________
Kevin
2007 Cayman S........SOLD.
This is a '66. The 66 and 67 were quite similar, but the front grills were slightly different. '65, '66, and '67 all had stacked headlights. 64, did not.
My first car was a '65 GTO 2 dr hardtop. Special ordered it with the tri power triple carburetors. You could get the GTO as a hardtop, 2 dr. sedan (with a pillar post), or convertible. The GTO was essentially a Pontiac Tempest, and the GTO package was an option, that included the 389 in engine, badges, sway bars etc. The GTO did not become its own model until '68, which I also had.
The GTO was to Pontiac, as the 442 was to Oldsmobile, the Gran Sport Skylark was to Buick, and Chevelle SS 396 was to Cheverolet.
They were the start of the Muscle car era, followed by the Pony cars, the Firebird, Camaro, Challenger, etc.
This car started my life long love of hi performance cars. Fantastic times I had in that car.
Well said. However, I think the 68 came with 400 cid and was from that point on more of a luxury/muscle car.
Well said. However, I think the 68 came with 400 cid and was from that point on more of a luxury/muscle car.
Yes, '68s had the 400 cid engine, with only a 4 BL Rochester Quadrajet carburator option, no more tripower (3 X 2 bl carburators). This actually occured in '67, so '66 was the last year of tripowered GTOs. From my experience of owning both cars ('65 and '68), I really did not notice any luxury differences. I am curious as to what you think was more luxurious? The interior wasn't, same leatherette material. The '68 was smaller, actually had less rear seat room and trunk space, I would say in that regard '68 was more sporty. Performance was comparable, and by that time smog devices were creeping in on the scene. So the engine was not as tidy and attractive. In retrospect I liked the '65 more than '68. I was enamoured with the "coke bottle" style. In my mind, luxury didn't come in until about '73 when the Grand AM was produced. I was married at the time and bought a '73 4 dr Grand AM. The performance was prety much gutted by that time.
By '74 the GTO body was changed and was essentially the same as the Chevy Nova, not derived from the Tempest line. The GTO was esentially dead until it was revived in '04 derived from the Austalian Holden line, until '06. These cars actually had good performance, with 0-60 in the sub 5 sec range.
The performance of these early cars was 0-60 MPH in 6-7 secs for the average car, but it sure seemed like more than that at the time. I do remember the Corvette of the day would blow my doors off.
After researching, the '66 was actually the first year the GTO became its own model, not '68 as I mentioned previously.
The 4 sp gear box was built like a tank, I remember power shifting from 1st to 2nd, using the clutch and not lifting my foot from the accelerator pedal. The syncros never wore out. I could get a little screech of rubber even shifting to 3rd. Maybe even 4th but maybe I am dreaming.
Yes, '68s had the 400 cid engine, with only a 4 BL Rochester Quadrajet carburator option, no more tripower (3 X 2 bl carburators). This actually occured in '67, so '66 was the last year of tripowered GTOs. From my experience of owning both cars ('65 and '68), I really did not notice any luxury differences. I am curious as to what you think was more luxurious? The interior wasn't, same leatherette material. The '68 was smaller, actually had less rear seat room and trunk space, I would say in that regard '68 was more sporty. Performance was comparable, and by that time smog devices were creeping in on the scene. So the engine was not as tidy and attractive. In retrospect I liked the '65 more than '68. I was enamoured with the "coke bottle" style. In my mind, luxury didn't come in until about '73 when the Grand AM was produced. I was married at the time and bought a '73 4 dr Grand AM. The performance was prety much gutted by that time.
By '74 the GTO body was changed and was essentially the same as the Chevy Nova, not derived from the Tempest line. The GTO was esentially dead until it was revived in '04 derived from the Austalian Holden line, until '06. These cars actually had good performance, with 0-60 in the sub 5 sec range.
The performance of these early cars was 0-60 MPH in 6-7 secs for the average car, but it sure seemed like more than that at the time. I do remember the Corvette of the day would blow my doors off.
After researching, the '66 was actually the first year the GTO became its own model, not '68 as I mentioned previously.
The 4 sp gear box was built like a tank, I remember power shifting from 1st to 2nd, using the clutch and not lifting my foot from the accelerator pedal. The syncros never wore out. I could get a little screech of rubber even shifting to 3rd. Maybe even 4th but maybe I am dreaming.
It all started with a 63 Tempest 326cid and a transaxel 4 speed. Car and driver car of the year. That was my first Pontiac. Then I bought the 64 with the GTO option and next the 66.
I traded the 66 for a 68 with the gated automatic transmission, power everything and A/C. Gave it to my wife. Bought myself a 66 MGB and from then on it was sports cars for me.
The 63 Tempest was a horrid car. The transaxel was joke and the wheel hop at launch was teeth rattling.
No more of this from me. Kman may move us off the site!
My '68 "Goat" was green. And I too remember it as faster than it was (mostly because my other car at the time was a 356SC). Hit a buzzard at over a ton and didn't even phase the front "non-crushable" nose. Anyone else remember those TV commercials of the guy hitting the bumper with a sledge hammer?
It all started with a 63 Tempest 326cid and a transaxel 4 speed. Car and driver car of the year. That was my first Pontiac. Then I bought the 64 with the GTO option and next the 66.
I traded the 66 for a 68 with the gated automatic transmission, power everything and A/C. Gave it to my wife. Bought myself a 66 MGB and from then on it was sports cars for me.
The 63 Tempest was a horrid car. The transaxel was joke and the wheel hop at launch was teeth rattling.
No more of this from me. Kman may move us off the site!
Wow, a true Pontiac fan. I miss those days, and those cars. Cars had their own engines built by their respective companies. GM, has declined so far. '73, was my last Pontiac. Anyone here ever drive the '04 - '06 models?
This all brings back great memories . . . . I'm sure by today's standards these cars pale but man were they fun then!
Memories, your talking about memories.
1. In my '65 GTO. Just get off of the Western Ky Parkway toll rd., headed for U of Ky. Long straight stretch ahead, I wind er out a bit, 2 minutes later after Ky Highway Patrol pulled me over. "Son, do you know how fast you were going?" "No, Sir". "Well, I was doing 100 and you were pulling away from me!"
2. In my '65 again. Western Ky Parkway again, going back to UK for classes, another GTO, probably a '66, and I hit it. He pulls ahead, slowly as I wind it out, I pass him. I look down for a second as the car was floating badly, I swear my tach is 6500 RPM (redline was 5200), speedo buried at 120. Now my car had a 3.23 rear end, and went about 23 MPH per 1000 RPM, speed calculates to ~150 MPH. Don't know if I was really going that fast, but never did it again, probably the fastest I have ever been in a car.
Probably not . . . but who the heck cares. . . . it was how you felt. I'm sure the music at Woodstock wasn't as good as a CD today but it sure felt good at the time.
I am loving these photos and memories of the GTO. I never owned one but one of my best friends did and more than anything I remember the sound.
It's nice to know I am not alone in being unable to shake my love affair with mid-60's cars . . . .
GTO's started my whole love afair w/ cars. My father had a '72 LeMans Convertable w/ the GTO option (Pontiac switched the GTO back as an option that year). I inherited it as my first car as a senior in high school. My best friends parents had a '70 GTO Convertable w/ a 455 too. We used to sneak it out of his garage by pushing it down the block before we would start it up and go joy riding. When we would finish, we would push it down the block and back into the garage.
This whole thread brings back many memories and has me thinking w/ today's economy I bet you can find some nice deals on them. Hmmmmm.......
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