Key findings
- This 1967 Pontiac GTO HO/4-speed has been sitting untouched since 1977 and is undergoing a complete restoration to bring it back to its former glory.
- The car is in original condition, original paint, interior and engine. Despite visible rodent damage, the absence of rust is rare for a car that has been sitting for almost 50 years.
- The restoration plan includes cleaning the car, inspecting the engine and piston rings, potentially rebuilding the engine and installing new carpet, headliner, tires and brake lines while maintaining originality.
Barn finds can sometimes sit in a garage for a short period of time or an incredibly long period. This year is 1967 Pontiac The GTO HO/4-speed falls into the latter category, having been unloved since 1977. YouTuber Marvin’s Motor City Garage carries out its full recovery muscle cardetermined to restore it to its former glory and get it back on the road.
The car has had one owner its entire life, and the dirt on the outside and inside shows how long the muscle car was left before it was discovered. The video gives us a good look at the car and Marvin Minarich talks us through it and its restoration.
Pontiac was last registered in 1978
The license plate on the car is a 1978 license plate, indicating when it was last registered. The original owners told Marvin that the muscle car had not been on the road since 1977. The GTO was first purchased as a new car in 1967 and the owner used it as a daily driver for ten years. Soon his children were old enough to learn to drive, and then the car was parked to keep it for them. This did not happen, and since 1977 it has been sitting in his garage.
Although the car has visible rodent damage, it is in very original condition. The engine and its compartment are the same as in 1977. The Pontiac still has its original turquoise paint with a thin stripe down the side. The caps are original, as is the interior. The absence of excessive rust, however, is rare in Illinois, especially if it has been sitting for nearly 50 years. I hope that the car will be cleaned well, despite the dirt.
The plan is to clean it, check the engine and piston rings, and discuss whether the engine needs to be rebuilt. It has 77,000 original miles to restore it. New carpet, headliner and tires plus brake lines will also go to the Pontiac. The goal is to make the GTO road worthy but retain as much of its originality as possible. With such originality, the 1967 GTO, an icon of the American muscle car, has now become a time capsule.
The 1967 Pontiac GTO comes with several factory options
1967 Pontiac GTO Engine Specifications
|
Producer |
Pontiac |
|
Configuration |
Naturally aspirated V8 |
|
Years of production |
1967 year |
|
Moving |
6.6 liter |
|
power |
360 hp |
|
A turning point |
438 lb-ft |
|
fuel |
gas |
|
Known applications |
Pontiac Grand Prix, Pontiac Bonneville |
(specs courtesy of Motor Trend)
The four-speed HO transmission is one of several options on the Pontiac. The GTO also comes with a wooden steering wheel, rally sensors and luxury seat belts. Power steering is another option, though it strangely has hand brakes. The engine has never been removed and is an original number 400 ci V8 that puts out 360 hp. The original manifolds are also present, as is the oil adjustment unit and the original HO air cleaner. The cleaner has the same cover that a big Chevrolet V8 engine would use.
An original carburetor and manual transmission add additional GTO benefits. Dust and dirt in the engine compartment show how long the car has been sitting. The GTO retains the round aluminum tag on the carburetor, which is unique to the 1967 carburetor models. On earlier and later models, the numbers were stamped on the carburetor instead of being on the tag. The carburetor on the GTO will be cleaned and rebuilt to keep the engine running properly.
There are other unique features, such as a carburetor-mounted fuel filter. Marvin discusses the controversy surrounding filter placement. The carb location is debated as to whether this is an HO only mount or if it was the same on other 1967 GTOs. He is certain that this is a unique feature of the 1967 HO GTO, as the fuel filter is in the carburetor itself on other 1967 GTOs. These features will add value to the car, especially since the owner did not tamper with the engine or any of its functions and move the fuel filter to the carburetor.
The 1967 Pontiac GTO was the last of the first generation GTOs
1967 Pontiac GTO Highlights
- The 1967 GTO marked the final year for the first generation muscle car
- A 6.4-liter and 6.6-liter Pontiac V8 were available for the 1967 GTO
- The highest output power was 360 hp. for HO 400 V8
- The Tri-Power carburetor system was replaced with a single 4-barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburetor
The 1967 model year marked the end of the first generation GTO. It was this year that Pontiac introduced the big 6.6-liter 400 ci HO V8 engine, which boosted the GTO’s power output to 360 hp. There were also some significant changes to the musclecar’s styling: the taillights, closed louvers, were replaced by eight taillights, four on each side. Pontiac changed the radiator grille from split to chrome. The GTO emblems located on the rear fenders were carried over to the chrome rocker panels, while Pontiac also made Rally II wheels with colored lug nuts available from 1967.
1967 Pontiac GTOs Could Be $225,000 in 2023
1967 Pontiac GTO Market Value
|
The lowest sales figure |
14,700 USD |
|
Highest sales figure |
$225,500 |
|
Average sales figure |
57,832 USD |
|
Last sale price |
64,000 USD |
(Source: Classic.com)
Classic.com lists the various values of many cars, including the 1967 Pontiac GTO. According to their website, the current average price of a used 1967 GTO is approximately $57,832. They list the top sale for a 1967 1967 GTO Convertible at $225,500 that sold at Mecum Auctions in January 2022. This GTO had a white exterior with a black interior, and it underwent a Rotisserie restoration with original sheet metal. metal.
Mecum described the car as a “restored original” and the amazing condition it was in is evident by its Concours Gold winning status. Its originality is further emphasized by the numbers matching HO 400 ci V8 engine under the hood, similar to the one Marvin researched.
The white GTO also features a Turbo 400 transmission, an original Hurst dual port shifter and power steering. Unlike the 1967 GTO found in the shed, this Pontiac has power brakes. Other options include a remote driver’s side mirror, power trunk release and tinted power windows. Features like power windows are now taken for granted.
Source: Marvin’s Motor City Garage YouTube Channel, Classic.com, Mecum Auctions, Motor Trend