This 1966 Pontiac GTO convertible has every ingredient that an experienced collector wants: matching numbers pedigree, PHS documentation, a show-winning restoration with receipts and photos, a full ownership history from day one, and it now shows 35,070 original miles (which can be documented since we have all the previous titles which reflect its mileage each time it was sold, and it currently has an Actual Mileage Ohio title). It is loaded with options, including rare factory A/C, and spent its entire life in the south, so the sheetmetal is virtually unmarked. It has won awards at the very highest levels, including a Gold Award from the Pontiac-Oakland Club International and a Silver Concours Award from the GTO Association of America, and the demerits that prevented it from being a Gold award winner have been rectified (which mostly involved removing the incorrect Tri-Power setup that was installed when it was restored). In short, if you want a no-stories GTO with great colors, lots of options, and a bulletproof pedigree, this is it. We’ve sold a lot of GTOs, but this is the best we’ve seen.

The car was purchased in June of 1966 by Jo Patterson and her husband in Austin, Texas. They drove the car regularly until 1973, although “regularly” amounted to only 33,300 miles by 1973. Sadly, in 1973, the Pattersons split up and Jo decided she wanted to keep the GTO. The car was parked at her mother’s house in Buchannan Lake, Texas until 1978, when it was sold to Jerry Myrick. Jerry drove past Jo’s mother’s house for five years and occasionally saw the GTO and tried to buy it on multiple occasions. Eventually, Jo relented and sold it to Jerry for $900. Jerry and a buddy did some light work on the GTO and showed the car at regional shows in the late ‘70s, although it needed more work than he could perform to truly be a show car. In those two years he added only another 542 miles to the odometer, then parked the GTO in the back of his grocery store where he decided to perform a much more comprehensive restoration on it. He removed the body from the chassis, stripped the paint, and carefully labeled and packed all the parts in boxes. People in the neighborhood often talked about the “GTO in a box” at Jerry’s store, but after six years, it became obvious that he wasn’t going to finish the job. The President of the Austin GTO club, Travis Jackson, heard about the GTO in a box and bought it from Jerry in February 1986 for $3500. He’s amazed by the good overall condition of the parts, and realizes that most of the job will simply be reassembling the car. So he puts the car into drivable condition and uses it at club events for the next 19 years. At some point, Travis parked it in his barn where a persistent drip eventually rusted a hole in the driver’s side quarter panel under the trim next to the rear window, which is the only rust this car has ever had (and which has been properly repaired—we have photos). In January 2007, Travis lists the GTO on eBay and Harold Williams of Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas is the winning bidder with his $25,000 bid. Like many of the previous owners, Harold intended to turn the car into a show car, but also like those previous owners, he just found that he didn’t have the time. After owning the car for just six months and driving it 90 miles, he re-lists the car on eBay where it was sold on June 5, 2007. The car showed just 33,947 miles at that time and was finally treated to the high-quality restoration it wears today, which was completed in 2008. The most recent owner purchased the car at a Mecum auction and finalized the details that would make it the show-winner that it is today.

OK, so you know it has an unblemished ownership history and documented low mileage. The restoration is exemplary, and given the quality of the base materials, that shouldn’t be a surprise. There’s an extensive photo album that accompanies the car showing the multiple stages of the frame-off work, and the results speak for themselves. The paint is correct code R Montero Red, which is how the car was originally delivered. You can see the quality of the finish work on the original quarters simply by sighting down its flanks, where you won’t find any ripples or waves. Gaps are as the factory did it, no better and no worse, which is how the GTO Association prefers to see the cars (no over-restoration permitted!). The paint is modern urethane, so it should look great for years to come with only modest maintenance and given that it has been driven so seldom, there are no notable demerits that we need to mention. The doors swing open and closed easily, the hood latches down without a slam, and the deck lid fits better than any we’ve seen on a ’66-67 GTO. A single white pinstripe follows the contours of the fenders and all the chrome and stainless trim has been restored or replaced with high-quality reproduction parts. This car extremely well detailed in every way that matters.

We’re big fans of Pontiac’s interiors from the 1960s, with a lovely metallic sheen that no other brands were using. The unusual red-on-red combination this GTO wears is complete, with the cowl tag indicating code 222-B, which is red vinyl buckets. They’re just beautifully done. Of course, everything is new inside the car, including carpets, door panels, dash pad, and the woodgrained appliques on the dash, making it look quite crisp in person. The three-spoke steering wheel frames unrestored factory gauges that are all fully operational, including the clock. There’s also a factory AM radio and, of course, the A/C blows ice cold thanks to a recent service. The center console was optional and houses the standard shifter for the PowerGlide automatic transmission, which was the only automatic available in ’66. Overhead there’s a white power convertible top that’s so beautifully fitted that we were hesitant to fold it for photos, and it stows under a matching red boot that uses Pontiac’s irritating plastic clips to hold it in place. There’s also a highly detailed trunk with correct mats, a full-sized spare with jack assembly, and exactly zero rust issues hiding underneath.

Mechanically, this GTO carries its original YS-coded 389 cubic inch V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor. With only 35,000 miles on it, the engine needed little more than fresh gaskets and seals and a full clean up to be ready for show, and it runs superbly (this is not your run-of-the-mill trailer queen). When it was first completed, it carried a factory Tri-Power setup which was incorrect for this particular car. After being docked those points in competition, it was retrofitted with a correct intake manifold and Rochester QuadraJet 4-barrel, which it wears today (the Tri-Power setup is available to the car’s next owner, please contact us for details). It’s highly detailed and quite exact, from the decals and hose clamps to the Pontiac Turquoise paint. The Frigidaire A/C compressor dominates the top of the engine bay, and as I mentioned it has been recently serviced so the system works correctly. There’s also a proper louvered air cleaner, reproduction Delco battery (it had a tar-top battery in it, which was another demerit leading to the Sliver Concours score), and a new wiring harness. It starts easily and idles well, and if you want a GTO to drive, this one will suit you just fine because it works like you’d expect from a low-mileage car with an insanely expensive restoration.

The chassis is equally well detailed with proper fittings and colors throughout. Check out the immaculate floor pans, the laser-straight frame that has never been hit, and the rebuilt brake and suspension systems. The PowerGlide shifts easily and the torquey 389 pulls it around with the kind of enthusiasm you’d expect from a GTO. The exhaust system is not quite stock and includes Flowmaster mufflers that sound awesome, but this was another few points that cost the car its Gold award and it’s easily rectified if you want. Power brakes and power steering are part of the package so it’s very easy to handle for just about anyone, and the larger 1966 GTO has a surprisingly luxurious ride that makes it a fantastic highway cruiser. 3.23 gears out back certainly help make it feel relaxed on the road and it has been fitted with correct spiral shocks. Pontiac Rally I wheels always look great, and these are fitted with reproduction F70-14 Firestone redline tires that look great and have lots of life left in them.

Documentation, as I mentioned, is extensive. There’s a full PHS package proving this car is everything we claim it is. There are also titles for previous owners, receipts for restoration work, and a large photo album documenting the entire restoration start-to-finish. Other niceties include judging sheets from competition to rectify any remaining demerits and a set of owner’s manuals.

People call all the time and ask about what a car isn’t instead of what it is. Well, this car doesn’t have any holes in its pedigree that need filling. It is gorgeous, heavily documented, authentic, and ready to enjoy. Cold A/C in a bright red GTO convertible on a summer afternoon sounds like an ideal way to spend your free time and there are many who will argue that the ’66 GTO is the most attractive of all. This car gets everything right and has no needs. If you want the best, this might be it, all at a price that’s a fraction of the cost to get it there. Call today!

Harwood Motors welcomes and encourages personal or professional inspections of any vehicle prior to purchase.