After its debut in 1969, “The Judge” continued to be an intriguing model a year later, despite its sales actually going down.
Pontiac sold over 6,800 units in the first year on the market, but in 1970, it ended up shipping fewer than 3,800 GTOs carrying the Judge trim level.
The GTO lineup continued to sell well, though it still failed to surpass leaders Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 and Plymouth’s Road Runner. Pontiac shipped a little over 40,100 GTOs for this model year, down from over 72,000 cars in 1979.
Someone on Craigslist is now trying to get rid of a 1970 model year, and by the looks of things, only people with the right skills in the restoration business should look into it.
The condition of the car isn’t exactly the best, both from an aesthetic and mechanical perspective.
Let me start with the thing that perfectly explains why this GTO comes in such a rough shape. The car was parked more than three decades ago, though it’s unclear if the owner stored it inside or not. However, given the body “requires full restoration” (in the seller’s own words), I guess we can all figure out the answer quite fast.
It’s hard to tell from the provided pictures if the car is wrecked by rust or not, but I would expect plenty of such damage, especially after this long time of sitting. If the car was parked outside, the floors and the trunk should already be destroyed, so be ready for either major patches or new pans entirely.
The good news is the GTO was born as a rather high-optioned model. It came with power steering, power brakes, power windows, and air conditioning. All of them are still there, but I wouldn’t expect them to work.
The engine under the hood is a 400 big-block V8 paired with an automatic transmission. The seller hasn’t provided any information about the powertrain’s condition, but you shouldn’t forget the car has been sitting for more than 30 years, and this can’t be good news for what’s hiding under the hood. Hopefully, it’s not locked up just yet, but nobody would be able to figure out if it at least turns over by hand without an in-person inspection.
As a 1970 hardtop that seems to check most boxes for a restoration candidate, this GTO isn’t necessarily affordable. The owner says on Craigslist that they expect to get around $12,500 for the car, which seems just about right if (and this is a big if) the engine can still be saved. Right now, the GTO is parked in Milford, Massachusetts, and it obviously requires towing, given it no longer runs. A title is not available.