No Reserve 1969 Pontiac GTO Project
Sometimes used car salesmen get a bad rap, whether it’s at a dealership or an individual looking to find a buyer for whatever classic they’re trying to sell. It’s not unusual in this marketplace for bodies with rust issues to be described as needing a good buffing, or proclaiming an engine requiring a rebuild would benefit from a tune-up. On the contrary, as I looked at this 1969 Pontiac GTO here on eBay closely, it was a bit surprising to find the term “project” used in the listing, as this one seems like a nice driver based on outside appearance already. Others are spotting some promise here as well, as 48 bids have already taken the price up to $18,500, so head on over to Las Vegas, Nevada to check the car out in person and see if it’s right for you.
To be fair, this Pontiac is nowhere near perfect, with the seller calling it a running and driving project with good bones. He also says it’s not some turn-key show car, but not every GTO has to be, and even after staring at the photos for quite some time, I’m not spotting too much outside that would make me immediately want to start making improvements. The front and back have been lightly tapped at some point, but my initial inclination is to hop behind the wheel and just enjoy driving this one, at least for a season or two. In the interest of safety, a new set of tires would be a wise investment, and if you’re not a fan of those American Racing wheels, a change of rims might also be worthwhile.
The GTO’s interior seems to be the weakest area, with the dashboard showing evidence of the auto living in Georgia and Nevada for most of its life. However, the seller believes things inside are mostly original, and other than the cracks it doesn’t seem all that bad in there overall, especially considering more than half a century has passed since many of these components were new. A reasonable renewal might be to replace the dash soon, and then move on to the smaller details later, such as adding a more modern Stereo and losing that awful steering wheel.
One important area that isn’t clarified is under the hood, which is whether or not the 400 is still the born-with engine. The good news is it’s said to be running excellently, with no noises or smoking, plus the automatic transmission is mentioned as shifting properly. The undercarriage also appears well-preserved, helping to verify the seller’s claim that his GTO is a good, solid example. I’m curious to hear how our readers see things here- is it better to go ahead and give this GTO a complete restoration now, or just deal with a few eyesores and keep driving this one?
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Comments
Looks pretty good for its age. Column shift automatic will get lots of reaction. Had that same Audiovox AM-FM 8-Track in a number of cars some forty years ago.
I’ve always liked the body style of this GTO. I like the color and the black vinyl top. Would be a sharp looking car once its restored.
Boy I am not sure about this one, is the paint job just lipstick on a pig? When you open the doors, trunk and hood show a whole different view. Looking at the trim around the gage cluster, the turn signal lever and the steering wheel show some pretty hard corrosion. The glove box door is the wrong color, the front seats are trashed and I didn’t see a picture of the headliner. If this car runs and drives it seems like they could have taken it to the car wash and sprayed off the engine compartment and it looks like it’s missing the AC compressor. I spotted a few more things but I will let others pick them out.
Those Pontiac Lemans and GTOs are immensely popular today as you can see in the high prices they bring . Years ago , I owned a ’69 Lemans , 350 V-8 , similar to the Oldsmobile Cutlass , and they do consume a lot of gas . 10- 12 m.p.g. at the most . They make a good engine and a good body design , but are not considered ” economy ” cars ! Of course back then nobody was paying almost $ 5.00 a gallon for regular gas . Never the less , there still popular as collector cars and prized at autoshows . Happy Motoring !
Looks like it just needs some love and time invested in it. As Nelson stated, I know some will be turned off by the column shift but for me, it’s not a big deal. I would get a set of Rallye II wheels, a carpet kit and spend some energy detailing / painting the interior, engine compartment and the trunk. Oh, and yeah, I would try and source a correct steering wheel. Pending on the drivetrain and how well it stops, steers and handles, judging by the pics, I don’t see a car that looks like it needs a ton done to have a nice driver. At it’s current price with no reserve, it looks like a good buy. Curious to see what it sells for.
Not bad overall. I think it’s maxed out on $$$ and wouldn’t go a dime more.
The original hide-a-way headlights need to be repaired, along with the dash. The steering wheel, and tires (with Rallye II wheels added) would need to be replaced. The engine bay needs a good cleaning, and the mechanicals should be checked out. IMO any other issues can wait. Just drive, and enjoy it.
If an in-person inspection shows that this car indeed runs well, the only things to be sorted appear to be the interior, A/C and the hidden headlights; this looks to be pretty clean and solid. If the bidding holds below $21K the buyer might be getting a steal that he can enjoy now, restore later.
I like the colum shift. It’s considered a “Muscle Car” so MPG worries are irrelevant. Replacement things are easy to find. I would get the ac fixed and enjoy it