Vehicle Description
This might just be the coolest GTO we've ever featured here at
Streetside Classics, check that, it might be the coolest custom car
we've ever featured. We've offered a lot of custom builds and
restomods in our day, but none have had a theme that was as
important to us as this 1965 Pontiac GTO Military Tribute Custom.
Inspired by the brave men and women in the military that served and
still serve our country each day, this epic build set off to make a
statement: "Thank you for your service". Few cars have ever managed
to combine the pure essence of this ultimate American muscle car
with the proud and storied tradition of our military personnel, and
although it's a mere tribute to their ultimate sacrifices, we would
hope that it makes some of those folks feel good when they see
it.
This Goat is all about looking dignified and tough as nails, and
the Matte Olive Drab paint on the legendary Poncho design looks
about as distinguished as Army Dress Greens on a freshly enlisted
Private. It's a logical color choice, and when matched up with the
hammer-tone bumpers and brightwork, it looks slick and commanding.
Just take a look at this classic, it practically looks like it was
3D printed. Hardtop cars like this are the most desirable of
course, and one quick look at the KAN (Kansas) factory data plate
shows a '5N', which decodes to a genuine GTO - only a trim option
in these early years. The body work is very straight - the result
of a lot of time spent on getting new panels to line up just right
with the old - and after everything was square, several layers of
primer and matte paint were carefully applied by skilled hands. The
results speak for themselves, with top quality throughout and only
the most minor of imperfections to be found. The trim and
brightwork was covered in hammer-tone silver paint to provide great
contrast to all that green, and we have to say that the choice was
a great one. The easy thing would've been to re-chrome all that
shine, but by using hammer-tone paint on everything, including the
badges, the car takes on a whole new persona. But even with all the
aesthetic changes, the car still remains unmistakably Pontiac, from
the stacked headlights that were new for 1965 to the beautifully
blacked out and louvered taillight lenses. It all works extremely
well, making this a fantastic-looking, bespoke GTO.
The interior is filled with the same kind of magic, highlighted by
the seats wrapped in black ultraleather and digital green and
silver camouflage inserts. Pretty cool, right? Well, the fun
doesn't stop there, as you also get custom aluminum door panels
with Chris Kyle's American Sniper 'Punisher' logo embossed up
front, a center console decked-out in hammer-tone silver paint, and
a killer wrap-around silver dash loaded with aftermarket goodies. A
black leather-wrapped billet steering wheel feels great in the
hands of the driver, but not nearly as cool as the Lokar shifter
that was combined and modified with an authentic helicopter
joystick for the handle. The silver button shifts the transmission
and the red one fires the horn, what?! And if that didn't get you
ready for battle, drop down the custom dark Lexan sun-visors with
built in scopes to help you zero in on the target. High-end
AutoMeter digital-analog gauges monitor the engine's vitals, while
the insane fuel-injection system is controlled by a Moon Eyes
control panel that allows for 'on the fly' calibration adjustments
to be made from the cockpit - perfect placement to get you ready
for a dogfight. Up above the headliner and sail panels were
finished in black vinyl, whereas the floors were coated in spray-in
bedliner material for a rugged finish.
As you might expect, there's plenty of pop under the hood to back
up the looks, with a fuel-injected 350 V8 crate motor providing the
firepower. A lot of ingenuity and expense went into the drivetrain,
with a ton of 'little things' incorporated to make the car extra
special, and quite frankly we don't have the room to list them all
here. But a laundry list of awesome custom touches is only a phone
call away, and we'd all-but guarantee that you'll be impressed. The
handiwork is top notch, and the 350 GM Performance Crate V8 runs
superbly thanks to the 6-pack throttle-body system on top that all
runs through Chico Kodama's Moon Eyes S.D.S. system. The six
throttle bodies were custom milled from billet aluminum to look
like 97 Strombergs (each one has two injectors inside), they're all
mounted atop a special Offenhauser intake, and in concert with the
lively cam in the block the motor has an amazing lope and sound.
The firewall has been smoothed, which undoubtedly helps, but the
rest looks like it belongs there. Obviously everything is new with
only 125 miles on the build, and the engine bay was finished and
detailed to show off. A giant BeCool aluminum radiator and electric
fans keep it cool and things like power steering and power 4-wheel
power disc brakes are included for a great ride every time out. An
H-pipe Magnaflow dual exhaust provides just the right tone and the
suspension is upgraded with CPP upper/lower control arms, CPP
dropped spindles, and a CPP sway bar up front, upgraded shocks, and
a CPP 4-link rear setup. A built TH350 automatic with a 2500 stall
convertor spins a rebuilt driveshaft that's hooked to the
3.73-geared 12-bolt rear end out back. And yes, everything is
coated with POR-15 underneath and presented just as nice as the
rest of the car. Billet Specialties wheels were painted to match
the custom colors, and they wear sporty 225/45/17 front and
245/45/18 rear Hankook radials that finish the look.
Expertly built and wickedly cool, this awesome custom GTO lives up
to the legend in every possible way and will make onlookers stay
for a second and even a third look. Like I said, we've never
featured one quite this special. Call today!
