in 1967 I had a gold 1966 gto with a factory black vinyl top. very sharp. got about 10 mpg and gas was $.21/gal. we used to toss a few quarters to the attendant to get gas. the trunk floor rotted out and rust started to take over by the time I sold it in about 1975. a delicious car - very fast - sounded ferocious - beautiful good paint and black vinyl interior.
Water gets in from the top gap above the trunk, sounds like it was a beauty ! Fun part is when you punch it and watch the gas gauge fall by a 1/4. Filled up today in So Cal at $6 a gallon
Love it! You guys do a great job not just telling the story of a car, but the camerawork, especially when the car is on the road is so well done! Looking forward to more videos, keep them coming!
Those doors with the windows bound by the post and top rail are fairly rare among Tempests, LeManses, and GTOs. My 1966 Lemans has those doors and I find that it might be worth while to restore these doors rather than try to buy existing restored doors. My vehicle is rusty, crusty, musty and dusty, but with the immortal (so far) 326 engine, it is trusty. These A body cars with 326 and 389 engines are fun to drive, both in a straight line, and on windy roads. Back in 1966, people paid extra for the GTO but for 99% of your driving, there is no difference between the 326 and the 389. If I believe the 1966 Pontiac Tempest Repair Manual and the parts lists for these cars as available from the parts stores and from such outfits as Original Parts Group, the only difference between the two makes in the functional parts is the engine displacement. I've known people who would drop 389s, 400s or even 455s into Lemanses and Tempests while leaving the 326 badge on the fenders. That is almost as dishonest as converting a Lemans into a GTO look-a-like. Change the badge to read what the engine is. Badges for 389s, 400, 421s, and 455s are readily available, or just leave it off and cover the holes with Bondo. For me, the only reason for replacing the 326 with a larger engine is if you somehow managed to crack the cylinder block in half!
Wow you know a lot about these cars thanks for all of the info ! I once found a totally bogus "GTO" at a pretty high end auction house that was a Le Mans with an engine swap and GTO badging, the tip off ? It was an automatic with a steering column shifter, automatic GTOs had a floor / console mounted shifter as did the Manuals. Thanks for chiming in and please keep on watching there are some fun cars coming up !
@@thecarsofpalmsprings You should know that starting Model Year 1966, the Vehicle Identification Numbers tell you what model Pontiac you have. Tempest, 233, Tempest Custom, 235, Le Mans, 237, and GTO 242. In all four models, the Sports Coupes follow the first three digits with 07. Mine is a 23707, Le Mans Sport Coupe. These are two door vehicles with the door window surrounded on all four sides with a frame. I find very few of these at car shows and for sale. That is why I commented on your GTO, it looks obviously like a 24207. The more common 1966 Pontiac A-bodies are the Hardtop Coupes, which follow the first three digits with 17. Those door windows are naked on the top and rear sides. Stock suspension and frame on all of these cars is the same. The convertible frame has an extra channel welded in to stiffen it. The low center of gravity and wide wheel stance make the convertibles a little less invertible. They steer great on the windy roads, provided you have replaced the bushings and steering links when necessary and taken good care of the steering gear, with a decent front end alignment. I've had mine since high school and it has been through a lot! These are damn good cars, and I don't like people being dishonest with them. If you put a 389 or 400 engine into a Tempest or Le Mans, replace the fender badge with the appropriate number. Everyone who cares will know you have a car as good as a GTO. You can dispense with the GTO badges if it is not a 242. 6.5 Litre? First, 389 translates to 6.38 liter, and the spark plug threads are the only thing metric we need on these classic Americans. Thank God we kept the road signs in miles! But PLEASE, do not put a 350 or 400 from 1971 or later with only an 8.2 to 1 compression ratio! Ugh! 180 horses compared to the classic 326's 250 horses from its 9.2 to 1 (9.5 to 1 when bored out .060 inches) compression ratio.
Now I'd buy that.
It is a real head turner around town it gets a lot of thumbs ups !
in 1967 I had a gold 1966 gto with a factory black vinyl top. very sharp. got about 10 mpg and gas was $.21/gal. we used to toss a few quarters to the attendant to get gas. the trunk floor rotted out and rust started to take over by the time I sold it in about 1975. a delicious car - very fast - sounded ferocious - beautiful good paint and black vinyl interior.
Water gets in from the top gap above the trunk, sounds like it was a beauty ! Fun part is when you punch it and watch the gas gauge fall by a 1/4. Filled up today in So Cal at $6 a gallon
Well done !
Looks like a stellar place to live !
It is though summers are really hot, thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching , more to come !
Had one after I got out of Nam , loved it wish I still had it !
Thank you for your service ! There is another similar GTO cruising around PS with the Original Owner
@@thecarsofpalmsprings Your welcome. Thank you for your comment.
Love it! You guys do a great job not just telling the story of a car, but the camerawork, especially when the car is on the road is so well done! Looking forward to more videos, keep them coming!
Thank you John ! We put a lot of effort in to each episode, the next one is days away ...
Nice video! Beautiful GTO, and I also enjoyed the historical touchpoints.
Loved this! BTW, do I recognize that GTO?
I bet you do know the owner !
Goat
Did you have anything to do with the art on the road! 😂
No Comment.... actually it appears to be a popular midnight drifters spot out there
Those doors with the windows bound by the post and top rail are fairly rare among Tempests, LeManses, and GTOs. My 1966 Lemans has those doors and I find that it might be worth while to restore these doors rather than try to buy existing restored doors. My vehicle is rusty, crusty, musty and dusty, but with the immortal (so far) 326 engine, it is trusty. These A body cars with 326 and 389 engines are fun to drive, both in a straight line, and on windy roads. Back in 1966, people paid extra for the GTO but for 99% of your driving, there is no difference between the 326 and the 389. If I believe the 1966 Pontiac Tempest Repair Manual and the parts lists for these cars as available from the parts stores and from such outfits as Original Parts Group, the only difference between the two makes in the functional parts is the engine displacement. I've known people who would drop 389s, 400s or even 455s into Lemanses and Tempests while leaving the 326 badge on the fenders. That is almost as dishonest as converting a Lemans into a GTO look-a-like. Change the badge to read what the engine is. Badges for 389s, 400, 421s, and 455s are readily available, or just leave it off and cover the holes with Bondo. For me, the only reason for replacing the 326 with a larger engine is if you somehow managed to crack the cylinder block in half!
Wow you know a lot about these cars thanks for all of the info ! I once found a totally bogus "GTO" at a pretty high end auction house that was a Le Mans with an engine swap and GTO badging, the tip off ? It was an automatic with a steering column shifter, automatic GTOs had a floor / console mounted shifter as did the Manuals. Thanks for chiming in and please keep on watching there are some fun cars coming up !
@@thecarsofpalmsprings You should know that starting Model Year 1966, the Vehicle Identification Numbers tell you what model Pontiac you have. Tempest, 233, Tempest Custom, 235, Le Mans, 237, and GTO 242. In all four models, the Sports Coupes follow the first three digits with 07. Mine is a 23707, Le Mans Sport Coupe. These are two door vehicles with the door window surrounded on all four sides with a frame. I find very few of these at car shows and for sale. That is why I commented on your GTO, it looks obviously like a 24207. The more common 1966 Pontiac A-bodies are the Hardtop Coupes, which follow the first three digits with 17. Those door windows are naked on the top and rear sides. Stock suspension and frame on all of these cars is the same. The convertible frame has an extra channel welded in to stiffen it. The low center of gravity and wide wheel stance make the convertibles a little less invertible. They steer great on the windy roads, provided you have replaced the bushings and steering links when necessary and taken good care of the steering gear, with a decent front end alignment. I've had mine since high school and it has been through a lot! These are damn good cars, and I don't like people being dishonest with them. If you put a 389 or 400 engine into a Tempest or Le Mans, replace the fender badge with the appropriate number. Everyone who cares will know you have a car as good as a GTO. You can dispense with the GTO badges if it is not a 242. 6.5 Litre? First, 389 translates to 6.38 liter, and the spark plug threads are the only thing metric we need on these classic Americans. Thank God we kept the road signs in miles! But PLEASE, do not put a 350 or 400 from 1971 or later with only an 8.2 to 1 compression ratio! Ugh! 180 horses compared to the classic 326's 250 horses from its 9.2 to 1 (9.5 to 1 when bored out .060 inches) compression ratio.
@@RogerWKnight, the '64 326 HO was rated 280hp and had 10.75 cr. Great car.