Impeccable Restoration: 1973 Pontiac GTO
When the name GTO is mentioned, most car enthusiasts think of a 1964 GTO or maybe a 1969 Judge. However, Pontiac built a GTO on the colonnade body style for only one year in 1973. This example is fully restored and is listed for auction here on eBay. With more than 2 days remaining in the auction, the GTO has been bid to $30,100. The strong bidding may come as a shock to many but the quality of the restoration and the rarity of the car may be the reason for the high bid. There are two factors that you would think would put cold water on the bids. One is that the car no longer has its original engine and the second is that the car is being sold with salvage title. The GTO is located in Lakeland, Florida and is being sold by a dealer.
The two engines available for the GTO in 1973 were the L78 400 cubic inch V8 and the L75 455 cubic inch V8. The L75 engine was known as the Y code 455 and was also the base engine in the Pontiac Trans Am. It was rated at 250 horsepower. The pictures of the engine compartment show how well restored and clean the car really is. According to the seller, Pontiac only built 544 GTOs in 1973 with the 455 cubic inch engine. The original engine has been replaced with a 1972 Y code 455 cubic inch V8 fed by a 4 barrel carburetor and backed by GM Turbo 400 automatic transmission.
The red interior is stunning and appears new. It contrasts well with the exterior color which was called Golden Olive. The GTO is optioned with power steering, power brakes, AM/FM radio, air conditioning, bucket seats and center console. The odometer is said to read 67,664 miles. The GTO rides on Rally II rims and black wall tires. They appear to be aftermarket Rally IIs but I can’t tell for sure. It has the correct Pontiac rally steering wheel. The seller has provided the PHS documentation including the build sheet to show how the car was optioned. The original MSRP was $4,080.
The car is truly stunning and will find a new home soon. With parts for the 1973 GTO hard to find, this restoration is impressive. I wish they had pictures of the car prior to the 2019 restoration. Everything from the striping to the chrome trim rings on the wheels looks great. I have always been a fan of this one year only GTO. How about you?
Auctions Ending Soon
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1Bid Now1 days$7,100
2003 Porsche Boxster SBid Now1 days$4,000
1966 Lincoln ContinentalBid Now1 days$500
2000 Jaguar XJ8LBid Now5 days$1,250
1977 Datsun 280ZBid Now6 days$275
Comments
I have always liked these, but have always wondered how much better looking they’d be without those “5 mph bumpers” our favorite government mandated. It’s definitely a beauty.
The Collonade was supposed to be a 1972 model. The big UAW strike delayed the whole program. Those in the know said that they were good looking cars without the bumpers. This is why the ’72s all looked so much like the ’71s.
Just adds to the brute this is Mike. This boat brings the heat. Hi-po 455, 400 Hydramatic, 3.42 gear ⚙️
I wanna hate it … but I don’t. Pretty good looking piece of kit. And with a monster under the hood.
Beautiful car but next person who buys it, has to get it inspected before they can register it, no idea why you would do such a nice restoration on a salvage vehicle. I may be wrong.
I remember seeing these colonnade body styles new and thinking there was something really retro about them, especially from the back, almost like a call back to the forties. Weird.
Yes!!, even my 76 Grand Prix had the “boat tail” separation is the hood and trunk panels, I loved it
Ditto on the inspection…could have been totaled and bought back, in a flood etc…buyer should definately exercise “due diligence” here before parting with $$$.
I may be wrong but it already has a reconstructed title, wouldn’t that mean its been inspected? I think it would be a standard register in Delaware… or at worst, fill out three forms and pay a $50 inspection fee.
You’re exactly right and no one commenting would buy it anyway…even if it had a clean title history.
Many Pontiac fans consider this model the last of the GTOs, and not the `74 Ventura bodied model. I tend to agree, since it’s based on the Lemans platform like previous models. Very nicely restored, even if the 455 is a transplant. Emission standards were ramping up by `73, and the bigger engines were already becoming underpowered and overburdened. The 5MPH bumpers didn’t help either. This is probably the nicest `73 I’ve seen lately.
GLWTA!!
Hopefully the restoration was not so faithful in the engine compartment with heads, cam & carburetor using the real 455 HO formula then the transplant negitive mark would be removed. I don’t understand a restoration of a engine to the least favorable power output for anyone involved, it’s a GTO 455 for Pete’s sake! It would benefit the seller to state such information like 455 HO or had rebuilt to full malaise standard choked like a chicken!
Why a Green trunk?
The original exterior paint color of this particular GTO was “Golden Olive”. Here’s an example: https://barnfinds.com/28k-mile-1973-pontiac-luxury-le-mans/. I think it’s hideous.
The factory interior color was white.
I bought a 1973 GTO with a 400 cubic,plus a 4 speed the inside was red with exterior color Ascot silver,230 horses.
Good catch Jerry. This isn’t that original. Completely different color scheme. I’ll reserve comment on the original color, except to say that tastes have changed since then. But it likely wouldn’t be a $30,000+ car in the original shade, so it was probably the right business decision.
Thats definitely not green, but the texture and shade of gray is not correct regardless
Chevrolet called it silver taupe. GM’s silver in ’72-73 had a greenish/burntish tone to them.
The inside of trunk looks grayish, I don’t recall the inside of the trunk being exterior body color on these. However that gray paint is much more glossy than the inside of the should be.
30k for a salvage title Colonnade. Yowza! Granted, it’s a nice restoration. But once the market cools, and you’ve driven this a bit, you’ll have a salvage title Colonnade. So hopefully the new owner just drives the proverbial wheels off it (which won’t be cheap given how much gas this’ll use).
>t wo,t have a salvage time.the new title will either read rebuilt or either reconstruct. This doesn’t bother me at all.least it was a 69 camaro pulled from swamp having to put floor pans quarter panel an uyoi still have a former peicce of junk. I’d take the gto over any of this rotted out classics.
See my comment below. Your fairness is admirable, but it will not be shared by the people you try to sell it to down the line.
These 73 to 77 cars ride much better than any 68 to 72 GM car. I love them. Maybe they are finally getting their just due.
I had one of these in the 80s. It had a 400 in it. I couldn’t pass a gas station without stopping. I sold it for $600 to a teenager who probably totaled it in a year. It was not my favorite car.
Always liked the 73’s They’re like a precursor to the Can Am this one looks great! This car is like a 58 Edsel it’s so far out it’s in!
30k plus and a salvage title and NOM engine. I’ll pass.Nice car though.Always liked collanades.This car is in investment territory to me and if you ever have to or want to sell it that will always be a negative imo.glwts.
Indeed… People are crazy on both sides of cars these days.. crazy selling price and crazier buyers.
Having a rebuilt title should not matter on anything other than a modern car. How many completely rotted out and twisted Mustangs and Camaros have been rebuilt and are running around with clean titles and only 20% or less of there original sheet metal. Salvage titles started in the late 80s, by that time a $300.00 fender bender would have totaled that car. The classic car and restoration crowd has no business. Looking down on any car for having a savage title. Considering half of the restorations out there were done on cars that would of been titled salvage only not for rebuild.
You very well might be right. But the problem is when you’re selling a car, a branded title (salvage, rebuilt, reconstructed, whatever) is a major factor to most buyers and it lowers the value big time. Your sense of fairness is admirable, but it is not shared by most of the buying public. If they’re not completely deterred by it, they will use it to beat you up on the price. Supply and demand. Less demand, lower price. I wouldn’t buy this for that reason unless I got it at a very low price, which it is not
“Branded title cars are cheaper: If you’re on a budget and looking for reliable, cheap wheels, a car with a branded title might be the answer. Branded title vehicles may cost half the price of a comparable car with a clean title.”
https://www.investopedia.com/what-is-a-branded-title-5185427#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways,involved%20in%20a%20major%20accident.
Anyone think this car is worth 60 grand without the branded title? I guess if you do go for it!
I like it, lots, great looking interior and it sure reminds me of my 76 Grand Prix
i think all the colonnade? bodied gm cars are repulsive. always have and always will. just my opinion and wondering if anyone agrees?
No, we don’t.
Nope. Love the colonnade, Pontiac especially.
Have you seen the replacements, starting in 78 ?
Hagerty has this car valued at $22400 for CONCOURS condition, whoever buys this car is going to be in for a rude awakening.
Find me all of the concours 1973 455 GTOs for $22,400 and I will buy every one of them…What? You can’t find a single one? Ever? I didn’t think so.
Whats the matter, can’t deal with facts? I looked it up out of curiosity and was shocked that it was that low. Hagerty isn’t KBB or JD Power. It’s what they do. This is a nicely built SALVAGE title car with a replacement engine… and people are obviously ready to pay way more than its worth in the real world. Good on them but they won’t be buying an appreciating asset… ever.
Yepp nice looking car, however
“Vehicle Title Rebuilt, Rebuildable & Reconstructed”
and the bidding is over 30k, insane.
Those Colonnade A body style cars were gorgeous.As a youngster l call them specialty cars because they were short series’ cars and I love all of them. The GTO , Can Am and Chevy Logona were beautiful cars with a style of there own.l just wonder what message was GM making with these cars.Maybe someone can give me an opinion.Thanks
Chevy Laguna.My bad
Pontiac should have only made this family of cars with the Grand Am front end.
I’m guessing the original carpet was red.
Earlier shinier chrome wheel trim rings look better here than the ’73 ones, but RWL tires would look even better.
I guess it would be impossible today to find a back in the day dealer only cold air air cleaner that made the NACA hood ducts functional.
I always loved these cars. I had a 1975 grand LeMans that made up to look like a GTO. When you put your foot down these cars really moved.
In the mid 80’s I installed a exhaust system on one of these. It is the only one I ever saw. It wasn’t in the best shape due to the 16 year old owner. I don’t know which engine it had, but it had a 3 speed manual transmission. Does anyone know if that was available from the factory? It seemed awfully odd to me.
It sold at GAA in Greensboro, NC a couple of weeks ago for $25,920
Mine is all original, not in the best shape, but my original carpet is black not red, and it has red seats, so this correct.
The state of Iowa had salvage titles back in 1987. I bought a 1983 Buick Century in 1987 with a salvage title. It actually turned out to be a good purchase.
A salvage/branded title may not be as bad as it seems. Have the vehicle inspected properly and learn as much as you can about the origin of the car. Is this much different than a car that been raised from the dead or a shady tribute car?
Glad the A-body prices are on the rise.
Find me a black 74 or ’75 Grand Am with AC and 455——Anyone?
You can find this ride on classic cars.com $41,000 funny