The 1969 GTO brought several big changes to buyers in the United States, but the most notable was the debut of the Judge. Available for $332, the Judge rapidly became a hit, being originally available in Carousel Red as a way to set it apart from the rest of the GTOs. However, thanks to its success, Pontiac decided to release more colors during the first Judge model year.
The 1969 GTO Judge in these photos is a project whose restoration is mostly completed, with seller milwaukeemusclecars explaining that the car only needs the final block and paint.
Otherwise, the GTO sports Ram Air vibes, hideaway headlights, power steering, and a 4-speed manual transmission. It’s unclear how much of this is original, but considering the car sells with the complete PHS documentation, you can get more information during an in-person inspection.
The 428 YH engine has already been overhauled, with the owner explaining that the mill was rebuilt with 6x heads. Correct me if I’m wrong (you can use the comment box after the jump for this), but I believe YH engines were all 2-bolt mains, albeit Pontiac drilled 428 units for 4-bolt setups. 4-bolt mains significantly increase the price of a GTO engine, though they shouldn’t be available on a 1969 model with the original engine.
The car comes without rust issues, so you shouldn’t worry about finding a lift to inspect the undercarriage. The restoration work has included the essential metalwork, though we know nothing about how rusty this GTO was before the restoration.
The floors are solid, the interior is nearly perfect (at least according to the owner, as the photos reveal a cabin filled with miscellaneous parts), and the engine runs and drives. All of these make this goat a highly desirable Judge whose price isn’t at all surprising.
The garage in charge of finding a new owner for this GTO believes $55K is a fair price, though they also enabled the Make Offer button to hear what others have to say about the car. eBay’s statistics indicate that 25 people are already watching the listing, but it’s impossible to tell if anyone contacted the seller to discuss a potential sale.
Meanwhile, the only way to get an accurate picture of this GTO and determine the quality of the restoration job is to see it in person. The garage says buyers can schedule an appointment to inspect the car, with the GTO parked in Delafield, Wisconsin. The engine starts and runs, but the GTO shouldn’t be considered road-worthy, so you should also bring a trailer to take it home.
Considering the minor work required to bring the GTO back to the road, I expect the vehicle to sell quickly, so it won’t take long until we see it in tip-top shape.