BF Auction: 1964 Pontiac LeMans GTO
- Seller: Chad A
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
- Mileage: 48,953 Shown
- Chassis #: 824M26428
- Title Status: Clean
This 1964 Pontiac GTO has been part of the same family since Day One. It was ordered by the current owner’s father, who heavily modified it. He parked it in a garage in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1974. His son eventually relocated the car to Arizona in 2020, where it once again went into hiding. It emerged into the light of day last month, with the current owner deciding that this iconic classic deserves a new home with someone willing and able to recapture its former glory. Therefore, he has listed the GTO with us at Barn Finds Auctions.
Pontiac released the GTO for the 1964 model year, instantly creating what many view as the father of the muscle car. It struck a distinct chord with buyers, with 32,450 giving these classics a home during the first production year. It was a promising start, and sales results would continue to strengthen in subsequent years. However, first-year examples are highly prized because they represent these classics in their purest form. The owner’s father ordered this beauty in Cameo Ivory, taking delivery from a Sioux City, Iowa, dealership in July 1964. It saw active service until 1974 before he placed it into hibernation. It cuts a sad figure today, but this GTO also proves that you should never judge a book by its cover. Stripping the panels to bare metal will undoubtedly form the basis for a high-end restoration, but rust repairs will form only a small part of that process. There is exterior surface corrosion, but penetrating rust is limited to a small area on the passenger-side lower front fender and another behind-the-wheel arch on the driver’s side rear quarter panel. Some areas in the front footwells require attention due to holes. However, the remaining floors, trunk pan, and frame are sound. A repairable minor steel tear in one front rail was caused by a recent mishap with a safety chain on a tow dolly. A minor fender bender damaged the front fender and cowl on the driver’s side. The problem isn’t severe, with the panel alignment excellent and everything opening and closing as it should. The owner includes a significant collection of parts to help the winning bidder on their restoration adventure. They will receive a 1964 GTO hood, hood springs, grilles, front bumper, header panel, nose piece, a replacement gas tank door, gas tank door bezel, a 1966 LeMans hood, three doors, two rear bumpers, one front bumper, and two deck lids.
This GTO rolled off the line with the legendary 389ci V8, producing 325hp and 428 ft/lbs of torque. The owner’s father teamed this with a four-speed M20 manual transmission and a 3.23 Safe-T-Track rear end to create a classic capable of storming the ¼-mile in 14.6 seconds on its way to 132mph. Those figures made the GTO the king of the road in 1964, making it easy to understand why performance enthusiasts hold these cars in high regard. This Pontiac isn’t numbers-matching because the 389’s rightful place has been taken by a 421ci powerplant that started life in a 1966 Catalina, although the original engine is still with the car and is included. This 421 would bring marginally more power and torque to the table, and with the original transmission and rear end intact, the performance might improve slightly. The car doesn’t run or drive, but the engine turns freely. It may not have run for decades, but revival might be achievable with some tinkering in a home workshop. The list of additional parts gets longer as we tackle the mechanical aspects of this classic. The original carburetor, chrome air cleaner, two extra carburetors, the driveshaft, two bell housings, a spare Muncie transmission, and an additional AFB intake manifold are included.
The modifications to this GTO continue when we examine its interior. It features an enormous selection of gauges to monitor every aspect of this car’s mechanical health, a custom gauge fascia, and a sports wheel. It would have looked stunning upholstered in its original Parchment vinyl, and the ready availability of parts means recapturing that appearance should be possible. The interior is largely complete, with the owner including the original radio, refurbished heater controls, two bucket seats and one frame, and a rear seat from a 1964 Skylark. Those who like a paper trail will be pleased to learn that they will receive PHS documentation, a photocopy of the sales contract, a photocopy of the dealer car invoice, a photocopy of the Minnesota registration from 1976, and a reproduction window sticker.
This 1964 Pontiac GTO isn’t perfect, but it is far from being a lost cause. It is structurally sound, and a classic of this caliber deserves nothing less than a frame-off restoration. That will be a long process, but the finished product will be a vehicle that doesn’t ask to be respected; it demands it. They could also become the proud owner of an American icon with a potential value north of $45,000 in the current market, even without its original V8. That must make it worth a closer look.
Bid On This Auction
lucky1 bid $3,500.00 2024-01-25 10:45:30
Bad dadbid $3,000.00 2024-01-25 07:51:15
Autojohn bid $2,500.00 2024-01-22 11:28:01
NCTexan bid $2,000.00 2024-01-22 09:41:37
Steve-obid $1,500.00 2024-01-20 20:25:10
Nole70 bid $700.00 2024-01-20 08:58:04
Pro Design bid $200.00 2024-01-19 13:42:02
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Comments
My Lord, what happened? All the one owner classics I’ve ever seen were pampered and preserved, this one’s a mess. And 10 gauges? What in the world are we monitoring? A full dress Peterbilt doesn’t even have that many gauges. Can’t imagine this going for big bucks, but then again………..Good luck to somebody
Rode hard and put away wet.
” It isn’t perfect”. Truer words were never spoken.
There’s a lot of gtos out there, part this one
Actually no bad….not bad at all……
I would be interested as to what the 14 toggle switches control, well 4 are missing, as well as the ignition switch. Maybe they turn the 14 gauges on or off! I would love to know what all the gauges are for. If the 421 is in good shape, it could be a fun project if you had bunches of 64 parts. Mine, unfortunately or fortunately are gone. If this car could talk…
Count the gauges….for their lights……..
At night, you pass a cop while speeding, one switch kills the brake lights, so when the cop looks in his mirror, he can’t tell that you are on the binders. then, when you realize he’s turning around to chase you, a second switch kills the taillights, so you are hard to see, but still have the use of your headlights as you try to out run him. Then, when you think you have lost him, another is to kill the dome light so it doesn’t give away your position when you bail to take off on foot. – It worked many times for me and my buddies in Eastern Kentucky in the late 60’s early 70’s !
What’s up with the state of Arizona vin tag?
Hello everyone. I can address some questions already. It’s my first auction here so please forgive me if I flub something and violate a rule. If there is a way to respond directly to a question, please educate me.
My father is deceased so I can’t ask him why he did what he did. Let’s just say our relationship wasn’t close.
The switches control the starter, the headlights and taillights are separate. I’m sure one does the wipers. Once I found the starter, I stopped messing with the switches.
He certainly has some redundant gauges in there, but there is at least oil pressure, water temp, oil temp (3) (I’m guessing one each for engine/tranny/rear end), amps, volts, and I think fuel pressure. I have additional photos if there is a way to upload them.
As for the AZ VIN, I obtained the car without a title, keys, or a VIN plate. No explanation why. I obtained a duplicate MN title in my name, then took the car to AZ MVD and had them verify the frame VIN. Then I transferred the title to AZ. I refused to sell it to anyone without doing the work beforehand.
Good luck with the sale. I hope proceeds smoothly.
Steve R
What was your father’s position or plan on the car?
What made him keep it for over 50 years?
I’m not sure. We had a difference of opinion re safety gear (disc brakes, a dual master cylinder, and seat belts) and larger rims/tires. He said if we got it running again, he wanted it all original and he was worried I would wreck it. As a smarty pants teenager, I didn’t see the logic, since he had already modified and wrecked it. I moved on and moved away.
Sorry for the delayed response. Somehow I missed the question.
Good luck with the sale, my friend. Getting a DOT VIN and AZ title was smart. 64 GTO is my favorite. All the switch and dash issues are small potatoes. A MIG welder, a new wiring harness, and a RePro dash bezel, and the new owner is up and going. Great project.
Thanks to you both. This one isn’t for the faint of heart. On a positive note, there’s not much disassembling left before starting over. The next buyer won’t have to be careful with the old harness for sure.
I don’t have the garage, the driveway, or the skills necessary but it’s a good base for the right buyer with room and time.
A light restomod with an actual Pontiac V8 might be a good plan but regardless of the end result, I’m hoping someone loves it as much as he didn’t.
This car isn’t that bad. Once restored, it’ll be a real beauty. I wish I were younger and didn’t have a one car garage condo. This one will go cheap and it’ll be a great project.
The one-family history makes this one worth looking into. But I’m afraid that stripping this body to bare metal will reveal more issues than we’re seeing now. Lotsa luck to the seller, especially if he set a reserve.
Interesting that it was ordered seat belt delete!
$11 is $11!
My 65 convert is also a “seat belt deletion” car, with the top down it is an auto-ejection car…
Seat belts not required till.68 , that is many safety standards became the law
I would like to see the car. Kind of new to BF. How can I get in touch with Chad A to set a time to see it?
Register to bid and then email us. We will forward your contact info to them. Thanks.
The switch to turn off the tail lights was done “back in the day” for when the police was chasing you. No tail lights made it more easy to get away. I don’t know what the original owner was thinking when he did some of the things he did to this car (14 gauges ???) but it could all be reversed fairly easily. This car is not in really bad shape and wouldn’t be a very difficult restoration. It comes with the original engine if you wanted to go in that direction but I would leave the 421 in it if it’s in good condition. A restored to original one owner 64 GTO numbers matching, with the documentation that this car has would be a desirable car to own although the vin change might detract some from it’s value. I’d be happy to have it, so GLWTS and good luck to the buyer.
I can verify the taillights were wired that way for just such a purpose. My father was not always compliant with law enforcement or traffic laws. And no, he wasn’t a big fan of seat belts!
One note of clarification: the AZ issued VIN is the same as the original VIN. The original, which matches all of the paperwork, was cross checked (by AZMVD) through all criminal and civil databases and there is no record of it being used anywhere else.
I can only guess why the original was removed, but I will guarantee it didn’t just fall off. I’m not sure how that affects the value overall. The numbers all match, including the original carb and radio. I thought it was best to make sure any buyer was aware that there wouldn’t be any legal issues to resolve at the time of a sale.
Chad, after I posted that and read it I realized that I should have said it differently. It might have been better if I had said “the replacement vin tag” instead of “vin change”. Again, good luck with the sale.
My hats off to you, Chad. You’re handling this sale with real class.
It’s a shame that the original VIN tag is gone. At least you were able to keep the same number on the title. You did the best you could with the hand you were dealt.
So many sellers don’t bother to tell the bad with the good. You’re being straight-up with potential buyers, and I think that’s great. I’m too old to take on this much of a project though. My heart says “just do it”, but my brain says “who are you kidding?”.
Well, I just re-read my last posting and realized it could be taken as defensive. I didn’t mean to sound that like. I am just frustrated with my father’s “Someday Syndrome”. Just my opinion, but I feel these cars were meant to be enjoyed, not hidden away for an unknown purpose.
Some people like dogs because they are dogs. Others like pedigrees and dog shows. I’m inclined toward shelter dogs, but I wouldn’t turn down a purebred because he has bad teeth. So as you said, I’m doing the best I can and know I saved someone a lot of trouble. We’ll see where it goes and thank you for the support.
I hope you didn’t take my comment about the switches and gauges as offensive! I was always into vehicle electronics, I added switches for Aircraft landing lights, driving lights, additional interior lighting, brake lights and who knows what else over the years. I’m 71 and a lot of these modifications aren’t really that out there. I’d love to know what all they controlled, I tried to guess and ran out of circuits! This could be a real hoot if that 421 is still together. I’ve had 3 1964’s and currently own a 65. I hope you do well with the auction.
I really hope this car could be saved and not parted out. It deserves better and this car is a legend in automotive history. Chad at least your dad left you something you could benefit from.
Whoa, proof positive once should watch their big mouth( me) as the seller may be listening in. Reminds me of my old CB days. I’d like to thank Chad for chiming in, it isn’t often we actually get to hear from them. It’s certainly much better than the red one a while back, again, we don’t know the story on that one, but a stark contrast when they are stored better. The gauges and switches are personal preference. I’ve driven semis, owner operators, mostly, that had a wide array of both, some did nothing, but I’d bet the father had some connection there or an auto parts store. And for the record(?) my Pete 359 had 22 gauges, all did something.
While I don’t know the success rate of BFs wheelings and dealings, there’s no question the site gets out to a lot of people. Hopefully there’s still someone willing to take this on. It’s a heck of a start. Good luck.
Way too nice to part out. All the important meacProbably go to someone who has a GTO parts stash. All the important mechanical components are present. The rust is minor. Good luck to the seller and the buyer.
Reserve met so this will find a new owner ! Actually think restoring the dash with correct seats and getting the mech’s done just might be the ticket….good luck to all.
So Chad,
What is the shape of left front fender in?
Jeff, I have the undamaged inner left fender along with a spare pair. The outer fender was not only creased but also rusted through at the rear brace. The emblem was also missing. I chucked it for scrap. The steel splash shield is also included. I just figured if I was checking for the extent of damage, I might as well leave it off so it was clear I wasn’t hiding anything there. I’m trying to get it started and it gave me more working room, too. If I get it started, I will upload a video.
Buyers premium 5%, $500 minimum.
Is this the standard fee here?
You wanna play you gotta pay. Nobody rides for free.
There is mention of cowl damage. Could you post more pictures of this?
Let’s see if this works.
I’m trying to add a photo from my phone. I don’t have access to my laptop right now. File has to be a jpg. However, the photo from the left front quarter view shows the extent of the damage. It looks like a pinch weld/seam/patch panel issue, but I’m no body man. That was my uncle’s profession and unfortunately, he is also deceased.
The damage is down low on the left. It did not intrude into the area where the hinges are mounted. The door opens and closes like it should. Hope this helps. I’ll keep trying.
Chad A, if the car is paid for how much time do we have to pick it up? Thanks.
I’d like it gone by 2/4 and the sooner the better. However, I’m willing to work with the buyer. It’s been in my driveway since 12/14 and the neighbors don’t appreciate automotive archaeology. Full disclosure here: You’ll need a box truck or trailer for all the parts and either a dolly or a trailer for the car. I have the driveshaft removed for a dolly and the tires are rollers from a local shop. I’m not going to guarantee they’d be good for much other than loading or a local purchase. I brought it down here on an auto trailer from MN but used a dolly to get it AZMVD. Hope this helps.
Thanks to everyone that participated here. I appreciate the comments and the support. Congratulations to the high bidder, lucky1. I’ll be in touch.