Muscle car fans, don’t worry, none of the 169 original 1970 GTO Judge convertibles were harmed in the construction of this incredible Judge tribute. Built as a cost-no-object project to create what might be the ultimate GTO, it takes the most famous muscle car of all and enhances every single aspect of it. More power, more brakes, more handling, and more eyeball appeal, it should be no surprise that this Goat has won every show it’s entered, been featured at SEMA, and at Barrett-Jackson as the star car for their new line of show car paints. And as a professional build, it’s totally sorted and ready to rock with a 600 horsepower dual quad big block that’s still very streetable. In short, it’s the rare tribute car that’s way more spectacular than the car it’s designed to emulate.

Ostensibly, the finish is Orbit Orange, a high-impact color made famous by the ’70 GTO, but with a lot of pearl mixed in it takes on a whole new look in the sun and earned a new name: Citrus Pearl Metallic. It goes from orange to yellow depending on the light and looks like nothing else you’ve seen, yet GTO fans still instantly recognize it, which is a testament to expert paint mixing. And since it was going to be featured in the biggest aftermarket show in the universe, it wasn’t just applied over any old car, but an ultra-clean 1970 Lemans convertible that was stripped down to a bare shell and rebuilt from there. Every single surface on the car was massaged, smoothed, and sanded before a drop of paint went on and the results speak for themselves. Panel alignment is exact, the nose cone fits better than new (lots better!), and there’s not a ripple or wave anywhere on the car, even under the hood. The Judge graphics aren’t decals, they were custom painted by noted expert Jim Boitnott, then buried under a few coats of clear for a totally seamless look and feel—run your fingers over them and you can’t feel the edge. Experts will note that 1971 sport mirrors were installed along with chin and deck lid spoilers to give it a very correct look and if not for the stance, the giant rolling stock, and the Zoops tri-bar headlights, this car might pass for a concours piece.

When you get close enough to see inside, you’ll note that it owes more than a passing nod to the original design, but with all the proper upgrades needed to make it a modern supercar. The Scat PROCAR Rally Series front buckets are worlds more supportive than the original Pontiac chairs, yet their stitching patterns look OEM and match the original rear bench, so it all has a very uniform look. Stock door panels, new carpets, and the original dashboard help with the factory feel, and there’s a custom center console with a Hurst shifter that now shows five gears instead of the usual four. A custom brushed aluminum instrument panel has been stuffed with Auto Meter Cobalt gauges for all the primary functions, and they’re joined by an A-pillar pod with an air/fuel gauge and ultra-trick DPIC unit that measures 0-60 times, ¼-mile times, reaction time, and real-time G-forces. Pontiac fans will recognize Jim Wagner’s name and there’s a special commemorative plaque celebrating his 85th birthday right above the black anodized controls for the Vintage Air HVAC system. A polished tilt steering column is topped by a leather-wrapped Zoops billet steering wheel that seems right at home in the resto-mod interior. Overhead there’s a brand new black power convertible top that fits beautifully and folds effortlessly into the well, where it’s hidden by a brand new OEM-style vinyl boot. The trunk is full of treats, too, with a RidePro E3 dual compressor with 5-gallon storage tank for the air suspension, plus a digital control system. There's also an enclosed battery box and a master power cut-off switch, which is handy, as well as a brand new power top motor. And for those of you versed in Pontiac history, Dave "Big Injun" Anderson placed his signature under the trunk lid.

OK, OK, we're getting to the good stuff, don't worry. You've already glanced at the photos and seen the simply spectacular engine bay, which is filled with 473 cubic inches of Pontiac big block V8. It's a 1971 455 built by Gaydosh Performance in Baltimore, Maryland. A Butler Performance balanced rotating assembly is the heart, and consists of an Eagle forged crank and rods, Ross forged aluminum pistons, and a Howard roller cam with a custom grind that makes this sucker really thump. Up top there are ported and polished Pontiac 6X cast heads with oversized Ferrea valves, Crane roller rockers, and heavy-duty valve springs that were matched to the cam by Howard's. Edelbrock supplied the polished dual quad intake as well as the pair of chrome 600 CFM 4-barrel carburetors that are the highlight of the entire engine bay. There's also a substantial fuel system in place to keep the 600 horsepower big block fed, including a custom-built stainless gas tank, a huge Edelbrock 160 GPH fuel pump, and ½-inch fuel lines. Doug's Headers supplied the D-port long-tube headers and there's a custom stainless Magnaflow exhaust system with an X-pipe, 2.5-inch tubing, and a pair of 40-series Flowmasters that sound simply amazing.

Obviously it was built for show, so everything under the hood was either chromed or polished, and the block itself was treated to proper Pontiac Turquoise engine enamel. Dig how neatly the plumbing and electrical systems were hidden out of sight and there's a trick remote-mount oil filter hiding in the front fender for easy access. The firewall and inner fenders were smoothed and sanded as thoroughly as the rest of the bodywork and coated with more of that glowing Citrus Pearl paint to really show off the engine. Every single visitor to the Harwood Motors showroom who has seen this engine takes one look, steps back, and says, "Wow!" It's one of the best we've ever seen, to be honest.

So you've got 600 horsepower and about that much torque on tap, how do you hook it up? It starts with a bulletproof Tremec TKO600 5-speed manual transmission, which doesn't seem to mind the huge amounts of torque twisting through it. It's pinned to the flywheel by a Science Friction ceramic clutch and a hydraulic linkage, so it's smooth and the action is light. A custom driveshaft was fabricated just for this car because the stocker would have been twisted into a pretzel sooner or later, and the 12-bolt rear end is filled with 3.73 gears on an Eaton limited slip. The suspension is an Air Ride Technologies Ride Tech Level 2 setup with air shocks fore and aft, so you can adjust the car's attitude from the driver's seat using a digital controller. The front end also uses a set of Strong Arm upper and lower control arms and 2-inch drop spindles to achieve that in the weeds look. That 12-bolt out back is suspended on more Strong Arm components and a set of CoolRide air springs, and there's a giant sway bar at each end. Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation was tapped to provide the binders and there's a massive 13-inch vented, drilled, and slotted rotor at each corner with anodized calipers that sparkle through the spokes of those gorgeous Rocket Racing wheels. With charcoal gray centers, they're exactly the right choice on this vintage Goat and carry 245/45/18 front and 275/40/18 rear Falken high performance radials.

Each time we think we've found the ultimate resto-mod, something like this GTO shows up and blows the curve for all the other cars. There's a huge stack of receipts that add up to a number that would buy you a pretty nice house anywhere in the country, and the professional build shows in every single aspect of the car. It has just test and tune miles, plus a few show laps at SEMA and other events, so it's still fresh, fresh, fresh and ready to collect trophies at any level. It works the way you'd expect of a car at this level, although the big engine is not for amateurs—it's seriously powerful and needs someone smart behind the wheel. If that sounds like you and you want the nastiest GTO we've ever seen, this car will not disappoint. It's even more incredible than it appears in photos, and that ain't easy to do.