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With bullet holes on the side, this lightweight GTO is unlike any other classic muscle, and is now a burnout monster!
In the world of restored classic cars, most go from somewhat poor condition to excellent condition. Very few start their life as "The Holey Goat" or the "Swiss Cheese GTO" and complete their journey as bonafide show cars. Pole Barn Garage over a 30-long episode series to document this process. Not quite show-ready, the Pontiac still has a rust-rat aesthetic.
A YouTuber Pole Barn Garage is prone to hyperbole, but not in this case. First bought for $200 and in possibly the worst state we've ever seen a car in, those nearest must have questioned the enthusiast's sanity. Proving the doubters wrong, the Pontiac runs and has a few unique features, additionally, with an unusual history. Reportedly, the previous owners used the GTO for weekend target practice in the 70s and 80s, believing it was a LeMans.
With holes in the side, this lightweight GTO is unlike any other classic muscle.
According to Classic, an aggregator of classic and used car prices, the 1970 Pontiac GTO sells on average for $65,062. Considerably more than what the YouTuber paid for the car. As mentioned earlier the car sold for a mere $200. A bargain, surely the scrap value comes to this. For his couple of hundred dollars, the YouTuber didn't acquire much. The iconic shell of the Pontiac GTO, but even that missed much of its metalwork, a few deflated tires, and a cactus growing through the floor.
The car lacks, seats, upholstery, gearbox, engine, and headlights. The phrase money pit comes to mind. Although viewing this as a blank canvas it rapidly looks like a more appealing concept.
With the car back in the garage, the mammoth size of the project is apparent. According to Dalton of Pole Barn Garage, they intend to "save the car" although he continues to explain that this is a "relative term because I don't think that there's a lot of saving". A reference to the rusted holes in the frame. Here they outline their goals, to get the classic muscle car to "run, stop (sometimes) and do large burnouts".
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Pole Barns starts each episode of his restoration with a warning to not copy his mechanical style. With good reason, the mechanic takes a 'that will do' approach to simply getting the car working. Although this is the beauty of this era of vehicles, simple and purely mechanical common sense is all you need to restore this car.
The Pontiac GTO like all muscle cars took pride in its engines. The second generation model saw production for four years, between 1968 and 1972. Under the hood sat one of two motors a 400 or 455 V8. These came with either a 3 or 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic. Pole Barn Garage chose not to rock the boat and install a 1969 400 V8 in their car, in modern terms that is a 6.6-liter engine. Bringing the engine into the 21st century the YouTuber spray paints the motor silver. This makes the engine the cleanest-looking part of the car.
One of the few parts that came on this $200 classic includes the drivetrain, axles, and transmission tunnel. But this car sat for decades before Dalton bought it. Everything has to come of this car with nearly every part seized and stuck. Almost everything needs disassembly and dousing in oil.
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You certainly get what you pay for. Dalton draws attention to the heavily worn brake pads. Whoever last owned this classic didn't keep it in the best condition. Naturally brakes are not your priority if you just want to use it to shoot some bullets at it. Nonetheless, the new proud owner of the world's worst GTO fits new brake pads, calipers, and hoses.
A 1970 car the Pontiac GTO started to embrace more electrical components to the vehicle. The owner installs a range of dashboard switches, rugged and rudimentary, it only adds to the aesthetic. Ready for any future upgrades, the wires lay across the cabin's floor. This makes it even easier to install a cassette player ready for all those 70s and 80s driving tunes.
Most restorers jump at the opportunity to respray their barn find classics. The Pontiac GTO came in the usual array of bright muscle car paints, just like any General Motors A-body car. But Pole Barn Garage doesn't. Not keen to fix the holes in the body and make this look like it once did. Pole Barn Garage embraces this car's unique history.
In the most recent chapter of the GTO's journey, Pole Barn Garage took the car through a car wash. Since December 2021 they've done plenty of work to the car but not exactly waterproofed the vehicle. This means that Dalton dons a bin bag and sealed much of the interior with plastic bags, a simple yet effective solution.
Entering the car wash the windshield appears near water tight, protecting the precious red fully dice hanging from the rearview mirror. But with open windows, the car occupants get severely sprayed, not exactly a surprise. A few minutes into the wash disaster strikes. Foam forces its way through the windshield's sealant. Then a waterfall comes from above. Surprising nobody, if you enter a car wash in a car full of bullet holes, it gets rather wet inside.
Douglas Hamilton is a British gearhead with a degree in Literature. He grew up surrounded by F1, Need For Speed, and classic cars. He has a worrying obsession with Jaguar.