Vehicle Description
Gorgeous fresh restoration in fantastic colors. Correct YS-code 389
V8, automatic transmission, power top, power brakes and steering.
Documented, restoration receipts, and rare Hurst alloy wheels. What
a pretty car! Code Y Candlelight Cream is this car's original color
and the fellow who ordered it new exhibited impressive taste. Not
necessarily built to be a brawler, this car nevertheless carries
itself with attitude, as if it knows it's the top of the 1966 food
chain. Part of the reason why the paint pops the way it does is
because it's a bold cream, and sadly, it's tough to duplicate in
photos-it's a bit more yellow than it looks and the overall look
isn't cream but isn't yellow, either. Add in the bright red
pinstripe for some contrast and you get a car that's simply
striking in person. There's also plenty of restored brightwork and
there has to be a rather hefty bill from the chrome shop in the
inch-thick stack of receipts that accompany the car. Details like
the '6.5 LITRE' badges are crisply rendered and it carries correct
T3 headlights in all four positions, a nice detail that often goes
unnoticed but costs $1200 to get right. Clearly this wasn't a
budget restoration. The black interior is also how it was
originally spec'd and it, too, is beautifully restored. Twin bucket
seats flank a woodgrained center console, suggesting once again
that Pontiac knew its customers wanted a bit of luxury with their
performance. There's also a gorgeous woodgrained wheel to match
along with a full set of Rally gauges, including a tachometer, all
of which are operational. For 1966, an AM/FM radio was still a
somewhat unusual feature, and it works like it should, too. The
minimalist shifter for the automatic transmission underneath is
nevertheless easy to manage and it drops right into gear as if it's
anxious to get going. Almost everything you can touch or see inside
this car is new and it has a crispness that's hard to restore back
into a car. With fresh weather seals, the windows slide into place
and the doors close securely, and the black power convertible top
stows easily under a matching black boot. This is a big car, so
that means there's a big trunk out back, correctly outfitted with a
reproduction mat, full-sized spare tire, and a full jack assembly.
1966 was the final year for the venerable 389 in the GTO, with this
car carrying its original YS-coded V8 rated at a rather stout 335
horsepower. Rebuilt to stock specs, there's a 4-barrrel carburetor
living under the familiar louvered air cleaner, matching chrome
valve covers, and correct Pontiac Turquoise engine enamel. And
unlike so many other fresh restorations and trailer queens, this
car starts almost instantly, idles beautifully hot or cold, and
drives superbly with all the bugs already worked out. That's not
cheap nor easy and it proves someone was sweating the details when
this car went together. Power steering and power brakes mean that
anyone can get comfortable behind the wheel. It's pretty enough to
show but works so well, you'll have a hard time resisting the call
of the open road. The chassis is no less well finished. The
transmission was rebuilt, the brakes are new, and the suspension
was rebuilt with fresh shocks all around. Solid floors appear to be
original equipment, so no patches or wholesale replacement and that
pays off in a car that feels tight and offers great panel fit. The
exhaust is new and has just the right sound, aggressive but not
obnoxious. There's more factory-style overspray on the rockers and
balancing marks on the driveshaft. Note the super solid inner
rockers and body mounts, the new gas tanking hanging out back, and
new hardware throughout. Adding to the car's gorgeous good looks
are those ultra-rare Hurst alloy wheels, which carry right-sized
225/70/14 redline radials that look fantastic against the yellow
paint.Documentation includes full PHS paperwork that verifies
everything I've just told you, a reproduction window sticker, and a
huge stack of restoration receipts. We love this car for all the
right reasons. We were smitten from the start by its gorgeous good
looks, but when it turned out to be more than just a pretty face.
For an icon, this one is pretty easy to live with. Just get in and
have fun. Call today! Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes
personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our
inventory prior to purchase.