The Pontiac GTO is frequently cited as the automobile that first popularized the muscle car trend. Some contend that isn’t totally accurate. Even though I acknowledge that Pontiac wasn’t the first muscle vehicle, I don’t think it really matters. One of the hippest existing American classics is the GTO.
The high-performance Poncho won’t be as uncommon in 2023 compared to other intermediates from the heyday of the muscle car. It isn’t really typical either, though. Strong survivors are getting difficult to locate, and examples that have been repaired frequently cost a considerable amount. But while they wait for a second chance, other GTOs continue to rot away in barns and junkyards.
The bright red 1965 version you see here is one of them. Granted, it’s not parked in a barn, and it’s not rusty, but this “Goat” has been off the road since 2008. That’s a whopping 15 years as of 2023. But it spent all that time on a trailer and under a tarp, both of which kept it safe from the elements.
This GTO is not an average example, either. While it may look stock from a distance, this Poncho is actually loaded with drag racing equipment. It has Mickey Thompson rubber at all four corners, including skinnies in the front and fatties in the rear.
In the cabin, there is additional proof of its swift passing. The front seats were replaced with contemporary buckets, and the dash was changed to make room for new equipment. Intriguingly, whoever raced this GTO decided not to remove the back seat despite the roll cage.
While the front hood conceals an unidentified engine, the trunk conceals a fuel cell built for racing. The reason I say “mysterious” is because our host is unsure of what has been updated and what is still stock, even though it appears to be a genuine Pontiac mill.
It must be a modified version of the vehicle’s original V8 based on how it appears. We are looking at a 389-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) lump if that is the case. The Tri-Power engine, which was equipped with three two-barrel carburetors, produced 360 horsepower in comparison to the conventional four-barrel version’s 335 horsepower.
This GTO was built with a basic mill because it only has one carburetor in the engine. And it’s likely stronger now. When the Pontiac was still competing, at least.
Even though it looks like an old-school racer except for the modern seats, this Poncho hit the drag strip until it was retired from public roads in 2008. And according to the photos found in the owner’s house, it won quite a few trophies, too.
It’s a shame it’s been sitting for so long, but it looks like it could be revived with just a bit of work. It’s also the kind of drag racer that can be reverted back to factory specs. Apart from the cutouts in the front wheel wells and the cut-off switch on the left-side front fender, this GTO is clean as far as sheet metal goes. Check it out in the video below.