1964 Pontiac GTO

U/K

6.4L 6376CC 389Cu. In. V8 GAS OHV Naturally Aspira

Manual

Clear

Gasoline

Up for sale is a 1964 Pontiac GTO- an original GTO, not a tribute / imitation / etc. The car was a project of my dad’s and mine when I was in high school, about 15 years ago- before it was finished, I went away to college, and then haven’t lived near home since- so the car has been stored in a dry garage since then and moved / started occasionally, given fuel stabilizer during winter, kept largely protected and under a cover, etc. But generally, it’s just been stored. So I’d say this is somewhere between functional partial restoration and barn find- a good project for a Pontiac / muscle car enthusiast that starts with a solid foundation. I would want to finish it myself, because it’s a great piece of history and it’s fun to drive- but my wife and I recently bought a house and are having a baby- and those will make for more than enough projects for the time I have available. I apologize for the marginal photos- we’re selling the house whose garage it’s stored in, and I had to push out the car and quickly take a few photos before pushing it back in and helping to get the house in order. If you’re a serious bidder and have questions that can’t be found in the photos / description, please contact me through eBay. But to help with understanding condition, I would rate the major components as follows, on the basis of a functional, non-concours, driveable ‘60s American car: Frame / body structure: 8/10. Frame shows no visible rust or collision damage, and has been coated in POR-15 rust preventative paint. Body has essentially no rust damage; any surface rust was either cut away and replaced with welded panels or sandblasted prior to body work, including the usual suspects: trunk floor, lower portions of fenders, etc. Body finish: 8/10. Very straight, extensively smoothed and sanded. Door / panel gaps need to be addressed. No visible surface rust since paint ~15 years ago. Bumpers will need replating. Paint: 6/10. This was an early painting experiment for me, done with House of Kolor Kandy paint. Kandy, as many will know, is a two-stage base plus clear system; the two-stage base was applied quite evenly (typically the problem with that system, which can result in an accidental striped look), but the overall finish needs to be redone, in my opinion, because the clear application did not work out well- several areas with runs / challenging orange peel. I tried wet sanding at the time, but it appears this clear is both more difficult to apply and harder to sand than most. So if I were finishing this car, I’d essentially leave the body work as-is, sand this clear / paint down, and repaint with a period-appropriate color and more workable clear (PPG, etc.). Trim: 8/10. Most original trim pieces are included, plus some aftermarket recreations. Most will require polishing / refinishing for a proper high-grade restoration, and most remain off of the car at present. Engine: 9/10. Appears to be original 389 engine with Pontiac stampings- have not confirmed matching numbers, however. Triple two-barrel carburetors (incorrect air cleaners for period), fuel lines clearly not factory but functional. When initially stored, car started, idled, and ran to full throttle very cleanly. But it has been stored for a long time, and I would not start the car until fuel has been replaced, lines checked, etc. Engine is painted in Pontiac robin’s egg blue color, but some finish will need to be reapplied. Exhaust currently exits beneath car; should be returned to stock for restoration purposes. Transmission / suspension / brakes: 7/10. 4-speed manual transmission, Hurst shifter, four-wheel drum brakes. Differential appears to have non-original ring / pinion, which I think should be restored to a lower ratio. Right rear shock absorber is broken, and overall suspension system should be checked before use. No known problems with any of these systems, but not fully sorted either. As many know, these cars are not known for handling, particularly by modern standards, but this worked adequately during the limited time it was driven. Interior: 6/10. Bucket seats and rear bench appear to be original, vinyl is largely intact. Clearly quite dusty / unclean from storage at the moment. Bucket seat frames are not straight, and replacement carpet should be reattached. Dash is repainted satin black, and gauges are all legible though some are non-functional and/or hazy. Door panels are currently detached, and car will come with a good inventory of interior parts, including the desirable center console. Generally, this is an area that if I were finishing this car properly, should be fully taken apart, checked, cleaned, and cleaned / refinished / reassembled carefully, largely with the parts provided. But it’s merely in functional condition now. Other: Car will come with an assortment of additional parts, including power steering components, trim, etc. Please ask any questions before bidding. There is no reserve, and vehicle is sold as-is with no warranty expressed or implied. $500 nonrefundable deposit due within 24 hours of auction end, balance due within 7 days. Car will require a truck / trailer to be picked up; should not be started / driven given long period in storage. And I reserve the rights to end the auction early and to disqualify bidders for lack of / poor feedback, etc. Thanks- should be an interesting project for someone. Good luck bidding. On Sep-14-15 at 07:13:35 PDT, seller added the following information: Up for sale is a 1964 Pontiac GTO- an original GTO, not a tribute / imitation / etc. The car was a project of my dad’s and mine when I was in high school, about 15 years ago- before it was finished, I went away to college, and then haven’t lived near home since- so the car has been stored in a dry garage since then and moved / started occasionally, given fuel stabilizer during winter, kept largely protected and under a cover, etc. But generally, it’s just been stored. So I’d say this is somewhere between functional partial restoration and barn find- a good project for a Pontiac / muscle car enthusiast that starts with a solid foundation. I would want to finish it myself, because it’s a great piece of history and it’s fun to drive- but my wife and I recently bought a house and are having a baby- and those will make for more than enough projects for the time I have available.I apologize for the marginal photos- we’re selling the house whose garage it’s stored in, and I had to push out the car and quickly take a few photos before pushing it back in and helping to get the house in order. If you’re a serious bidder and have questions that can’t be found in the photos / description, please contact me through eBay. But to help with understanding condition, I would rate the major components as follows, on the basis of a functional, non-concours, driveable ‘60s American car:Frame / body structure: 7/10. Frame shows no visible rust or collision damage, and has been coated in POR-15 rust preventative paint. Body has essentially no visible rust damage; any surface rust was either cut away and replaced with welded panels or sandblasted prior to body work, including the usual suspects: trunk floor, lower portions of fenders, etc.Body finish: 8/10. Very straight, extensively smoothed and sanded. Door / panel gaps need to be addressed. No visible surface rust since paint ~15 years ago. Bumpers will need replating.Paint: 6/10. This was an early painting experiment for me, done with House of Kolor Kandy paint. Kandy, as many will know, is a two-stage base plus clear system; the two-stage base was applied quite evenly (typically the problem with that system, which can result in an accidental striped look), but the overall finish needs to be redone, in my opinion, because the clear application did not work out well- several areas with runs / challenging orange peel. I tried wet sanding at the time, but it appears this clear is both more difficult to apply and harder to sand than most. So if I were finishing this car, I’d essentially leave the body work as-is, sand this clear / paint down, and repaint with a period-appropriate color and more workable clear (PPG, etc.).Trim: 8/10. Most original trim pieces are included, plus some aftermarket recreations. Most will require polishing / refinishing for a proper high-grade restoration, and most remain off of the car at present.Engine: 9/10. Appears to be original 389 engine with Pontiac stampings- have not confirmed matching numbers, however. Triple two-barrel carburetors (incorrect air cleaners for period), fuel lines clearly not factory but functional. When initially stored, car started, idled, and ran to full throttle very cleanly. But it has been stored for a long time, and I would not start the car until fuel has been replaced, lines checked, etc. Engine is painted in Pontiac robin’s egg blue color, but some finish will need to be reapplied. Exhaust currently exits beneath car; should be returned to stock for restoration purposes.Transmission / suspension / brakes: 7/10. 4-speed manual transmission, Hurst shifter, four-wheel drum brakes. Differential appears to have non-original ring / pinion, which I think should be restored to a lower ratio. Right rear shock absorber is broken, and overall suspension system should be checked before use. No known problems with any of these systems, but not fully sorted either. As many know, these cars are not known for handling, particularly by modern standards, but this worked adequately during the limited time it was driven.Interior: 6/10. Bucket seats and rear bench appear to be original, vinyl is largely intact. Clearly quite dusty / unclean from storage at the moment. Bucket seat frames are not straight, and replacement carpet should be reattached. Dash is repainted satin black, and gauges are all legible though some are non-functional and/or hazy. Door panels are currently detached, and car will come with a good inventory of interior parts, including the desirable center console. Generally, this is an area that if I were finishing this car properly, should be fully taken apart, checked, cleaned, and cleaned / refinished / reassembled carefully, largely with the parts provided. But it’s merely in functional condition now.Other: Car will come with an assortment of additional parts, including power steering components, trim, etc.Please ask any questions before bidding. There is no reserve, and vehicle is sold as-is with no warranty expressed or implied. $500 nonrefundable deposit due within 24 hours of auction end, balance due within 7 days. Car will require a truck / trailer to be picked up; should not be started / driven given long period in storage. And I reserve the rights to end the auction early and to disqualify bidders for lack of / poor feedback, etc.Thanks- should be an interesting project for someone. Good luck bidding. 9/14/15 Update: Had the chance to speak with a prior owner of the vehicle, who was kind enough to share some of the history that he could recall, and of course would be interested in owning this car again- hopefully he'll have a shot as the bidding progresses. Assuming memory serves us both right:The good: - The prior owner ("PO") purchased the car in ~1987 in the Buffalo, NY area and sold it to an intermediate owner (from whom we bought it) in ~2001- so the intermediate owner only had the vehicle for 1-2 years, and thus the last nearly 30 years of ownership (and geography thereof) is now known. - PO believes the mileage shown on the odometer (see photos) matches closely with his ownership of the car from ~1987-2001, such that the readout may indeed be original / accurate, and it reflects only minor usage since 2001 (which fits with my / intermediate owner's minimal use since then). - PO believes the rear differential contains factory 4.33:1 gears, likely as part of the M-21 upgraded transmission package available at the time. - PO built and installed the current engine in the early 1990s- block is understood to be a 1965 Pontiac unit, likely Catalina-sourced, with 1969 GTO heads and a steel crankshaft, among other high-end components. Triple two-barrel carburetors are from a later GTO with a progressive throttle linkage.The bad:- PO reminded me of the excessive body filler that had been used in certain areas by an earlier owner of the car. As mentioned above, I attempted to remove the vast majority of this when I performed early body work- most of this product was either ground, cut, or sandblasted away, along with any surface rust near same. In particular, he and I both recall excess filler in the trailing edge of the rear decklid, as well as some in the edges / folds of the doors. I have not seen any recurrence of surface rust after the clean-out / sandblasting / repainting work, and he mentioned he hadn't seen any material bubbling / similar problems even when excess filler was present, but I have not examined this extensively in the recent past and want prospective buyers to as aware as possible of the history. If the next owner wants to take the car to a higher quality grade, there is a legitimate chance that the rear decklid should be replaced, in my opinion. - PO recalls some level of frame strengthening / repair present on the car when he bought it- likely evident with additional welded steel. More likely related to Upstate NY salted roads than accident damage, but cannot say with certainty. Above description still fits to my knowledge, but given the decklid reminder and this note, I'll lower the frame / body structure rating to 7/10 from 8/10 to be safe. Again, I want all of what I know / learn to be known by prospective buyers.Other:I also have a couple of photos of assorted trim pieces including rocker panel moulding, an old set of taillights, and the center console that have been stored indoors, if anyone would like them.Thanks again, and as always, please contact me with any questions.