Vehicle Description
1965 Pontiac GTO Hardtop
Born of the brainchild of John DeLorean, the initial concept was to
upgrade the Tempest, morphing it into an early version of the
muscle car, which was the up and coming trend in a niche market of
buyers who were hungry to go fast. Internally, it was initially
called the "Grand Tempest Option", one of many automobiles in the
Pontiac line up with a 'Grand' in it. Despite these things, the GTO
is one of the fastest cars ever manufactured by Pontiac. After
1965, GTO became a separate model and no longer just an option
package.
For consignment, a 1965 Pontiac GTO hardtop showing 23,301 miles
but the true miles are unknown. This car was the recipient of a
body off restoration which concluded in 1996 and has been driven
less than 1,000 miles since. It is PHS documented and has always
been garaged. And it's almost a sure bet it will find a new home
soon, so speed reading is encouraged.
Exterior
Resprayed in its original Cameo White, this time the coat comes in
two stages, base and clear! A dark blue pinstripe runs the shoulder
line, hopping up to ride the ridge of the fender right after the
door opening, and we find that stripe framing the hood scoop as
well. Stacked headlights were new for 1965 and flank a grille split
by the Pontiac nose with the ever present arrowhead logo, all
underscored by a lovely chrome bumper that contours to create
rounded leading edges under the lights. Out back, the fantastically
designed tail lamps that share the finned design with the mid panel
they flank, creating one continuous and nearly seamless strip of
horizontal ridges. The GTO would employ different tail light
designs over the years, and for many, this is a favorite. 15-inch
Cragar wheels add even more chrome to the profile and are wrapped
in staggered size tires, about an inch wider and an inch taller in
back. Imperfections include some bubbling on the rocker panel and a
spot higher up on the door.
Interior
A great offset to the Cameo white is the Dark Blue interior that
starts on the door panels patterned with concentric stitch patterns
with metal trim bars above and below with a narrow carpeted kick
panel on the bottom and both doors are in great shape. Diagonal
stitch pattern dresses the front bucket seats with an embossed
arrowhead on the low back uppers and the pattern is mirrored on the
back bench in just about flawless condition. A wood rimmed 3 spoke
steering wheel presents to the driver and wood is used to back the
gauges in the instrument cluster where the vent control panel is
also located. Under it, an AM/FM/Cassette player that is also tied
to a CD changer located in the trunk and below that, some wires
looking for a loom and zip tie hang under the dash where there is a
speaker. Blue twist pile carpet surrounds the muscular Hurst
Competition shifter on the transmission hump and vintage style
Pontiac rubber mats protect the floor while the blue headliner is
high and tight. In the trunk, the CD changer, an amp, a spare tire,
and a Bazooka bass tube, all over a period plaid vinyl mat and all
clean!
Drivetrain
Under the hood, more cleanliness is found on the Jasper Performance
engine on board, 455ci V8 with a consignor stated 468 horsepower.
It's got Keith Black forged pistons and a 4-barrel carburetor, all
mated to a Doug Nash 4-speed manual transmission. Power is sent to
the Oldsmobile 12 bolt axle with 3.73 gears with Positraction.
Power assisted disc brakes are up front, and power drums in the
back. Power steering is also supplied. Polished parts, braided
hoses, and an aluminum radiator create a show worthy engine
bay.
Undercarriage
Clean underneath with some typical metal patina but fairly dry and
mostly lacking surface rust. We note a drop of oil on the
transmission pan but no major leaks are detected. The dual exhaust
comes from headers and travels through Turbo mufflers before
heading east and west to exit through GTO splitters behind each
rear wheel. Suspension is pretty standard with coil springs up
front and a 4 link with coil springs in back.
Drive-Ability
We take our seat in the founding muscle car, tap the gas, and turn
the key to let loose a cacophony of exhaust notes from the 455. Off
we roll, like a prince on a white steed, to see if this Goat
gallops. And indeed there is obvious power underfoot and control in
the right hand wrapped around an ivory knob. She tracks straight,
accelerates well, and stops with authority. For functionality, we
note the brake lights, turn signals, reverse lights and wipers are
not working. What does illuminate however, is the battery light on
the dashboard. All other functions work as they should. While
Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at
the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions
will be working at the time of your purchase.
Some would argue that a massaged Goat is better than a tweaked
pony, and poncho fans can celebrate the availability of this mildly
built GTO with the clean coat of paint and very nice blue interior.
Sure, if you want to drown out the engine sound with tunes and big
bass, do your thing. But if you want to hear the sweet sound of 8
drums pounding out compression, keep the radio low! If you're
looking for a legend, look no further than this 1965 GTO.
237375Z108442
2-Pontiac
37-LeMans
37-2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe
5-1965
Z-Fremont, CA Assy Plant
108442-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
12E-5th Week December
ST 65 23737-1965 LeMans 2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe
BODY BF4770-Fremont Body #
TR 217 33-Blue Vinyl Buckets
PAINT CC-Cameo White
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
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