Vehicle Description
1965 Pontiac GTO - Hardtop Coupe - Red over Black - 389 V8 - 4
Speed Manual - Wood Dash and Steering Wheel - Cragar SS Wheels
(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1965 Pontiac GTO on
a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible
that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due
to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the
more than 165 photographs, as well as a short start-up and
walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept
Motors.) The Great One: Pontiac's -and America's- Legendary GTO �€"
Hagerty Media, May 2014 Hagerty captured why early GTOs are
classics: ... Pontiac's GTO remains at the very top of the muscle
car pantheon because it was the first: the car that gave birth to
the genre. Truth be told, muscle cars were an invention of
marketing, not of technology, and the GTO was the first car to
offer muscle to Baby Boomers. On how it came to be, despite GM's
performance mandates: Conceiving, naming and developing the GTO was
easy; the hard part was getting corporate approval. GM limited cars
to 10 pounds per cubic inch, which meant that the largest
permissible power plant for the 3,400-pound Tempest would displace
340 cubic inches. But the committee overseeing displacement to-
weight ratios only scrutinized new models and didn't inspect option
packages, so Pontiac made the GTO an option package for the
two-door LeMans version of the Tempest. Pontiac sales staff
generated 5,000 orders before GM management found out. And with
5,000 customers expecting cars, GM management couldn't easily kill
the GTO. And on the GTO's signature power: The 389-cubic-inch GTO
engine was the biggest V-8 mounted in a mid-size GM car up until
that point. On the few changes for '65: Pontiac gave the GTO a few
styling tweaks for 1965. The front end received stacked headlights,
echoing those used on Pontiac's full-size cars, and the twin fake
hood scoops gave way to a single center-mounted faux scoop. Offered
here is a 1965 Pontiac GTO coupe in red over black under a black
vinyl top. With its refreshed exterior paint, mild upgrades,
original power, and largely stock presentation, this GTO is an
excellent representation of the historic model. Its power
combination of a 389 V8 and 4-speed manual transmission was highly
desirable back in the day and remains so now. The non-metallic, red
exterior paint was properly refreshed. Door sides, door sills and
jambs, the underside of the trunk lid, and hood were all properly
sprayed. The color shade was a good choice for a stand-out
performance car. Body panels are free of dings, dents, or other
damage, and panel alignment is proper. (To best assess the quality
of the paint and trim finishes, please be sure to view the close-up
photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) The car's
black vinyl top is free of damage. The chrome finish on the bumpers
and other trim has been well-maintained with minimal patina.
Factory badging includes the Pontiac logo emblem between the two
grille segments, GTO emblems (in the front-left grille, on the rear
fenders, and rear trunk lid), GTO 6.5 Litre engine badges (showing
light patina) to the rear of the front wheel wells, and
P-O-N-T-I-A-C chrome letters on the rear panel center insert. Cabin
glass and lighting lenses are clear and free of damage.
Period-correct Cragar SS® chrome, 5-spoke wheels are mounted with
BFGoodrich® Radial T/A raised-white-letter tires. Inside, the black
theme shows extremely well on virtually all stock components. The
GTO-specific-design, black vinyl upholstery (with angled pleats and
Pontiac logos in the material) is virtually flawless. Rear-cabin
side walls and door trim employ the same materials in
square-pattern design with GTO 6.5 Litre emblems on the door
panels. Front bucket seats are separated by a chrome-trimmed black
console with storage compartment. Black cabin carpeting-protected
by Pontiac-branded rubber floor mats
