Vehicle Description
1966 Pontiac Tempest GTO Convertible
When 1960 rolled around in the world of automobiles there was a
large very apparent shift that occurred. The days of large tail
fins were clearly behind us as companies like Pontiac released
their innovated design for the Tempest. These cars were built on
the new Y body platform and later would be offered with optional
trim levels like Lemans. Despite the significant redesigns they
were still modest compact cars sporting the "Trophy" 4 cylinder
motor. That is of course until 1964 when the optional GTO trim
level was introduced and thus the "Muscle Car" was born. With its
two door body on the A body platform and focus on performance, the
departure from 50's stylings was very obvious and many accredit the
GTO as kicking off the muscle car era. Soon, whether it is Ford
with the Mustang or Chevrolet with Chevelles and Camaros, all major
manufacturers would be jumping on the muscle car hype. The GTO was
initially a trim level for the Lemans before becoming its own
unique model in 1966. This year would see the introduction of dual
stacked headlights with the split grill that would become an iconic
look for the classic GTO.
This beautiful 1966 Pontiac is an extremely well built car with a
unique story. After the current owner first laid eyes on a 1966 GTO
it was instantly a dream car but due to just getting out of the
service could not afford one. That love of the '66 was rekindled in
2006 when a friend came home with a solid 1966 Tempest out of
California. What was his friends new project soon was taken over as
the current owner bought the car from him, at a higher price,
anxious to build the GTO of his dreams. The result is one of the
coolest, cleanest looking muscle cars on the road. Building your
dream car is a lot different than just putting together a Hot Rod
for a customer. The current owner specifically wanted performance
and reliability while still maintaining that stock look he fell in
love with previously. Every single component on this car was
carefully selected to be the best of the best. The full rotisserie
restoration was completed in 2008 and there is no doubting the
quality of work when you see this car in person. The body required
very minimal rust repair that was all professionally done resulting
in the entirely rust free car you see here. The shining Red paint
has a beautiful finish and was completed by Custom Touch Body Shop.
It is combined with a White power top and also comes with a parade
boot for those nice weather days where you are cruising with the
top down. It has the GTO hood with scoop and also an added 1967
hood tachometer. Those classic dual headlights and triple line
taillights look great on these cars and all are working properly.
You really aren't going to find a weak area anywhere on this car.
It has the perfect muscle car stance and rides on a set of Coker
1973 15x7 Rally II Wheels with BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires.
Pop the hood and what you will find is truly a work of art for any
car aficionado. The way it has been finished out from the gloss
Black inner fenders to the motor accents is gorgeous. It isn't just
all about cosmetics though because the Butler Performance prepped
Pontiac 400 motor runs just as well as it looks. On the Dyno it put
out 421HP and 468 Lbs of Torque. It is combined with a 700R4
Phoenix Transmission and a 3:73 10 bolt posi rear end. To get an
idea of all the mechanical modifications check out the table below.
As mentioned before, this thing was built with the best of the best
with no corners cut anywhere.
-Butler-prepped Pontiac 400 block, bored, honed & deburred
-Butler-ported Edelbrock heads
-Edelbrock 2x4 Performer Intake
-Dual Edelbrock 500cfm carburetors
-Ross Pistons
Comp Cams .308/.313 camshaft
MSD Ready-to-Run Distributor
MSD Blaster SS coil
MSD 6AL Ignition Box
-Taylor Ignition Wires
-Doug's Headers
-March Serpentine Belt system
-Magnaflow Stainless 3 inch Exhaust
-BeCool Radiator with 16" electric fan
Hotchkis upper/lower control arms
Hotchkis Extreme Swaybars
-Hotchkis Lowering Springs
-Hotchkis Shocks
SSBC Front Disc Brakes
The White interior on the car is in excellent shape and was
entirely redone 3 years ago by Keith Kirk Interiors. The upholstery
work, carpet, door panels, and dash all look great. It has dual
bucket seats with a Red center console and nice polished trim. It
has a custom shifter plate to house the automatic shifter which
moves through the gears smoothly. Just above where the center
console runs under the dash is an Auxiliary gauge cluster that
houses Autometer Pro Comp Ultralight gauges for Volt/Water Temp/Oil
Pressure. The rest of the dash features the original style gauges
inset into the original style Woodgrain trim. The Classic AC/Heat
system utilizes the factory AC ducts which are adjustable. Other
nice features include the Woodgrain wheel, AM/FM stereo, and the
Lokar pedals. The trunk of the car is all nicely upholstered as
well in White with Black carpet.
This is a very clean car with a ton going on. We have undoubtedly
left some information out. The car has been featured in multiple
magazines and has no problem bringing home awards like the 50th
Anniversary GTO pick out at Goodguys.
There is no way you could build one for this quality at only
$69,950.00!
