Farm Find: 1964 Pontiac GTO Project
The Pontiac GTO is an example of where market research isn’t always flawless. Pontiac’s bean counters thought the mid-size GTO performance car would only attract 5,000 buyers a year. Yet, in 1964 when it was introduced, more than 32,400 would walk out the door – and that was just the beginning. Credited as the forerunner of the muscle car movement, this example of a ’64 GOAT looks to have been sitting out on the farm for years. The engine is rebuilt, but it lacks a transmission – and some body work. Located in Conway, Arkansas, this Poncho is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $6,500. Thanks to Chuck Foster for finding this potential gem!
Success would come quickly to the GTO and by 1966 demand was so strong that Pontiac promoted it to series status, instead of it being an option on the mid-size Tempest/LeMans. That arrangement would continue through 1971, but with the muscle car movement slowing, it reverted to option status through 1973. The GTO would bow out in 1974 after being transferred to the Ventura compact body style. But the GTO is the stuff legends are made of and they’re still sought after by collectors of this genre of automobile.
The seller’s GTO is a 2-door hardtop, which accounted for 57% of sales in 1964. There is no mention of a Tri-Power set-up, so this GTO would have had a 4-barrel 389 cubic inch V8 which went into three-quarters of the hot cars in its first year. The auto’s motor is freshly redone and ready to go back in and the seller believes it’s a born-with motor. The Pontiac once had a 4-speed manual transmission, but it’s long gone, so the buyer will have to source a replacement.
Since this machine has likely been idle for some time, you have to wonder about the condition of the body. It may have once had a vinyl top given the extra chrome trim around the rear pillars. There is bound to be some rust and both bumpers are bent and twisted. The views we get of the interior show bucket seats that are down to foam and padding. If you’ve been looking for a first-generation GTO to restore, does this one light your fire? No title, so a bill of sale will have to suffice.
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Comments
Bottom of the barrel here, huh. What’s amazing is how our attitudes have changed for things like this. Before its demise, it was a fully operational ’64 GTO. At some point, I speculate the mid 70s, someone thought so little of the car, they stripped it out and left the hulk to rot in the Arkansas sun. It certainly is a ’64 GTO, kind of like finding that rare painting at Goodwill for $4.99? I’m sure the seller thinks so. I know someone that restored a GTO that was way better than this, it became overwhelming and stalled, eventually finished it, but swore never again. So many pockets padded by restorations these days, just go to auction and buy the dang thing and be done with it.
I did the same w a 60 Vette project,. Based on the education I obtained, you are spot on, just go and buy one already together and be done w it 👍👍
Sell the motor and junk the rest of it!
Are 389 Pontiac engines selling for $6500, now?
My dad was born in Conway Arkansas so this might be a relative selling this car.
Hmmm, interesting.
This poor GTO looks like 3500lbs of hammered sh**. Breaks my heart that it was allowed to deteriorate to this point. The only thing left that’s worth anything is the rebuilt 389, the rest needs so much work that I doubt it’s salvageable.
My first car was a 64 GTO convertible. Bought in 1971 for I think like $500-$700, it wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t need anything and I just drove it. They were just used cars in those days, though buying a GTO at 16 was a real treat for me. Though sad, if this car was deserted around the same time frame (well, in the 70’s), I suppose it’s no surprise that it’s met the fate that it has.
This just keeps getting sillier with these dreamy clowns and their junk. Let’s see a ratty console to hang on the wall and a 389 for 6,500.00. There have been three 389s at the local pull-a-part in the last 6 months, a 64 Bonneville, a 65 Bonneville, and a 66 Catalina and all were complete and except the carburetor from one, not one engine was sold. Few if any care for vehicles in this condition. There are hundreds of nice copies that can be bought for half what this would take to bring this back, and then, what do you have? Just another optionless, red GTO…..yawn. Stack this atop the Ratty Charger and Challenger a few scrolls away and press away.
I am wondering where you live. I never see anything from the 60s in the yards anymore.
The southeast. Just at the yard yesterday. I pulled a windshield for my square box Caprice, huray for stone throwing hee haw trucks with raggy trailers. This weeks candidates are a 68 Wildcat, 72 Rally Nova, a 71 New Yorker, and finally a 78 Celica. I still amazed at how many nice 50 year old trucks show up. This batch will sit about 3 weeks until it is cycled out. There are still hundreds of cars flowing through these types of places. In the last run there was a rusty 64 SS Impala and a 70 Mark III. There are still plenty of forest turds around here for insane money. They never move except slowly down towards the earth.
There very few yards even left in CT. , A lot have been bought out and closed by Keystone . There’s no pick n pulls that I know of
I like that body style but $6500.00 is too much,,I have done resorations and collision work should be less than a grand,,alot less.
Agree with most everyone else, the engine alone might be worth $6500, the rest doesn’t look too salvageable. I wonder how long that driver’s window had been left open?
I would have been ashamed to offer this for sale. It would bring 250. At the crusher..
“These days I get most of my exercise just shaking my head!”
The ’64 GTO is one of my favorite cars, to bad it has sit out in a wet field. I’m looking at a picture of the passenger side, it looks like the rear wheel has shifted forward. This would be a labor of love costing north of 30K to bring back and a lot of time…
My biggest question when I see these Antique heaps listed at the prices they are asking is: WHY? Why leave a car like this outdoors with the window rolled down? There are definitely some salvagable parts, but at best, this is a parts car for a better car with a nicer interior imo…The other WHY I have is this: Why rebuild a Pontiac 389 and paint it RED?? Too many WHY’s with this old dead Goat! Someone needs to put it out of its misery…Glwts🙄
This makes the white one on bf auction look like cream puff
If this was $1000 and you got it and the one on BF auction under $5000 you might be able to make a decent car and sell of a lot of extra parts
Good thing they didn’t get around to putting the rear axel next to it under the car
Big wow. Part it out with what parts are maybe left
So some seat covers, transmission and good to go I guess a carb good deal
6500 plus tetanus shot…these junks are popping up everywhere