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Pontiac GTO 389 cubic inch V8 1965

General description : Awesome GTO tribute with numerous upgrades. Added Tri-Power, 200-4R 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission, Vintage Air A/C. Great color combination with beautiful interior. Runs and drives superbly. Indistinguishable from the real thing for a lot less cash!

Tribute cars can generate polarized opinions in the hobby, but we’d argue that cars like this beautiful 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible are the right way to do it. It has a few choice modifications that make it a lot easier to live with in today’s world while retaining that awesome GTO image. It would be a mistake to modify a real GTO like this, but with a tribute, a few upgrades don’t do any harm. And we’d argue that 1965 was a banner year for the GTO, with chiseled looks and new stacked headlights that would become a Pontiac trademark for the next several years. Finished in Cameo Ivory (which was Pontiac’s name for white), it has a clean, no-nonsense look that suits the GTO just fine. Always a gentleman’s performance car, it has a subtle, sophisticated image that is accentuated by the clean bodywork and excellent panel gaps, suggesting that someone spent a lot of money on the car. There’s no evidence of major surgery on the body and those long quarter panels are laser straight. There’s also plenty of really nice chrome, which had to cost a small fortune to refinish—even those insanely difficult-to-restore taillights are in excellent shape. Nice!

The blue interior was replaced a few years ago and still looks great. Buckets and a console help with the GTO look, as well as correct GTO door panels and emblems as needed. Custom electronic gauges fill the original four-hole setup, and include a few extra functions like measuring acceleration. Pretty cool. There’s also a tilt steering column with a correct wood-rimmed steering wheel, which has a nice heft to it. Vintage Air A/C was added using the original controls and some subtle vents under the dash, and it’s fully operational. The factory center console is beautifully preserve with minimal pitting (really rare, especially in a convertible!) and has a custom shifter plate to match the upgraded 200-4R 4-speed automatic transmission underneath. Seat belts were added for safety and someone was really sweating the details, because even the interior courtesy lights are all fully functional. The black power convertible top stows itself easily and is hidden by a matching blue boot that gives the car a finished look. And there’s a massive trunk with a correct mat, full-sized spare with cover, and jack assembly.

We believe the engine is a 326 cubic inch V8, which looks identical to the GTO’s 389 in every possible way. Topped by a correct Tri-Power setup that’s been properly tuned, it’s a fantastic runner. It starts easily, idles nicely, and pulls the ragtop around with enthusiasm. You’ll note is has correct Pontiac Turquoise paint on the block, proper chrome valve covers, and even the little air cleaners are the right ones. Up front there’s a big aluminum radiator to keep things cool, and the alternator has been upgraded to a chrome PowerMaster unit. Power steering and power brakes are included, making this Goat lookalike easy for anyone to handle. And did I mention how great it runs? It’s really nice to drive. The 200-4R 4-speed automatic transmission is a big part of that—thanks to a tall overdrive gear, this is just an effortless highway cruiser. We believe there are 3.55 gears in back, so it feels quick and punchy around town. The floors have been replaced but the job was extremely well done and it car together beautifully, so someone called an expert to do the work. The dual exhaust system has a muted rumble that sounds pretty stock, and with sway bars front and rear, it’s a reasonably good handler, too. Newer shocks, a fresh gas tank, and relatively recent 205/70/14 white letter radials on factory Rally wheels make it ready to hit the road.

This is an extremely convincing build that gets all the little stuff right—to determine this isn’t a real GTO you’d have to run the numbers, and even then it’s not necessarily a sure thing given the challenge of documenting a real 1965 GTO. With smart upgrades to make it relaxing to drive, plenty of performance to make it exciting, and excellent attention to detail, this is a car you can enjoy without worries. It delivers the true GTO experience without the true GTO worries, and that’s a big part of why we like it so much. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.

1965 Pontiac GTO 389 cubic inch V8 is listed for sale on ClassicDigest in Ohio by Harwood Motors for $54900.

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