This PHS documented 455HO GTO has just undergone a frame-off restoration. It has all of the factory parts, but it has been enhanced for improved performance and with modern technology.
This is one of 310 455 HO 4 speed GTO’s produced for the 1972 model year. It came off the Fremont, CA assembly line in December 1971, loaded with options. I am the third owner. The first owner was an oil company in Las Vegas, Nevada. I bought it from the second owner in Sacramento, CA in 1989. It has been garaged in Colorado since then and hasn’t seen even rain.
The motor in this car is unique in that Pontiac only built one 455HO with a Ram Air IV cam. It raced against a Stage II Buick. The block is not the original block, but it is a correct reinforced HO “service replacement” block with 4 bolt mains. The only difference is the SR stamp as opposed to WM and VIN. If you can find one, an SR 455HO block alone sells for $4k or more. It has the M-22 “rock crusher” 4-speed transmission and 12-bolt posi. The distributor is the original (one year) unitized ignition. The 7F6 heads have hardened seats so they can withstand today's gas.
The PHS in the pictures lists the factory options on this car. As in 1964 and 1965 the 1972 GTO did not have its own model number, it was an option to the LeMans model, hence the 2D37 in the VIN. The 334 option in the PHS for this car is the GTO option. The X2P in the VIN (34X option) means that this is a real 455HO 4 speed, not a fake. The beige cordova top is in really good shape. The radio and 8 track are in the car but disconnected in favor of modern technology that supports hands-free cell phone usage. Likewise, the clock has been upgraded to a quartz mechanism – so it’s accurate. The side moldings will go with the car, as will the original Rally II wheels. The only option missing is the floor mats (521).
This is an original 455 HO that has been enhanced to perform better than original but retain the original 1972 appearance.
