Any Pontiac GTO enthusiast will tell you that, among classic American muscle car collectors, the 1967 model year is the most sought-after. The 1966MY automobile may have a case, but generally speaking, newer is preferable.
The completely new, revised GTO, with its sleek look and shorter wheelbase, had already been released by Pontiac by 1968. We’re not here to bash the second-gen GTO because it was also a fantastic vehicle, but late first-gen vehicles are what you want right now, whether they’re stock or restomod.
Sometimes though, there’s a balance to be struck, and we believe we’ve found it with this Tyrol Blue 1967 GTO Convertible, currently getting auctioned off to the highest bidder. The car was originally finished in Starlight Black, but we don’t mind the color change. The light blue looks great alongside all the chrome bits, not to mention that white interior. This thing looks like it belongs in South Beach.
Other visual highlights include the white soft top, eight cluster design taillights (only on 1967MY cars), dual exhaust system with an X-pipe and Flowmaster mufflers, plus a set of 17” Rally II-style wheels, wearing Continental Extreme Contact tires.
Power steering, power-assisted SSBC four-wheel disc brakes, Hotchkis tubular front and rear control arms, rear trailing arms, coil springs, and sway bars are additional features included with the vehicle.
The interior is stunning in every way. It’s unquestionably one of the best first-generation GTOs we’ve ever seen. The automobile shouts “classy” from the woodgrain center console trim to the vinyl front bucket seats and back bench.
We should also note the wood-rimmed steering wheel, a set of Dakota Digital gauges, a Vintage Air climate control system, Chevrolet Performance shift knob (short throw shifter), passenger grab handle, GTO-embroidered floor mats, and a Retrosound stereo working alongside a 12-inch subwoofer and trunk-mounted amplifier.
The power train is now the finest component. The factory-standard engine is long gone, and in its place is a 2019 installation of a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine. To go along with the GTO valve covers, Hooker headers, and a BeCool aluminum radiator with dual electric fans, the current owner later fitted a Whipple supercharger in the roots-style.
We estimate that this automobile should have about 700 horsepower at the crank based on the comments in the ad. The calculations are correct: your 430 horsepower crate motor is pushing 517 horsepower owing to an LS7 cam. The supercharger follows, which might raise the output all the way to 700 horsepower.
Whatever the exact figure is, it all goes to the rear wheels via a six-speed Tremec T56 manual gearbox with a Positraction differential.
As far as sleepers go, this GTO is the cream of the crop. It looks 100% stock, yet it’s likely to smoke a lot of genuine modern-day sports cars in a straight line.