Red Restoration: 1964 Pontiac Lemans GTO Hardtop – Sold?

September 30, 2021 Update – We just confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found we’re assuming this ride “Sold?” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

September 6, 2021 Update – We just confirmed the private seller just lowered his asking price by two thousand dollars from $64,900 to $62,900.

Big Engine in an intermediate body. While some debate which car truly was the first muscle car, the 1964 Pontiac GTO is generally accepted as the first to use that simple formula. This red-over-red, rotisserie-restored hardtop caught our eye currently listed here on Craigslist in Batavia, Ohio offered at $64,900 currently. Comparing that price against the Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool confirms the private seller has their GTO priced between this guide’s #2 “Excellent” estimate of $53,000 and its #1 “Concours” appraisal of $69,900.  Interestingly, the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool provides a different assessment as in this case the asking price is nearly ten thousand dollars above this guide’s #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $54,700.

The Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool provides a nice overview of the original GTO:

“Just as Ford was developing its Mustang for the famous “64½” April launch, the folks at GM were already delivering the car often credited with starting the muscle car craze. Launched in October 1963, the GTO would evolve into one of the definitive American performance cars of the decade. The 1964 Pontiac GTO was based on the Tempest Le Mans, and featured a 326 cid V-8. GM had pulled out of racing in 1963 and Pontiac was stuck with an institutional limit of 330 cid on mid-sized cars, but an option package for the Le Mans would change all that.

The $295 GTO package offered a 325 bhp 389 cid V-8 with four-barrel carburetor, high-lift camshaft and 421-style cylinder heads. Also included were hood scoops, stiffer springs and shocks, anti-roll bar, dual exhausts, wider wheels, red line tires, engine-turned dash, bucket seats, and 2-speed Super-Turbine automatic transmission. A 3-speed manual gearbox was offered with Hurst shifter and the option of either the Muncie wide-ratio M20 or close ratio M21 4-speeds. The dash featured four large gauges with speedometer, fuel temp, oil pressure and charging lamps and either a rally clock or a 7,000 rpm tachometer.

The GTO package was available on the two-door Coupe, two-door Hardtop and Convertible, and was immediately popular with 32,450 sold. Most buyers (24,205) stepped up for the four-barrel package, but 8,245 bought the desirable Tri-Power carburetor option, good for 348 bhp at 4,900 rpm. The Coupe started at $2,491, the Hardtop at $2,556 and the Convertible at $2,796.

Performance was impressive for the time and Motor Trend magazine recorded the 325 bhp model at 0-60 mph in 7.7 seconds, quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds and a top speed of 115 mph. The Tri-Power car was even faster, with 0-60 in 6.6 seconds and a quarter mile at 14.8 seconds.

Fifteen colors were offered and here are their codes: Starlight Black (A), Cameo Ivory (C), Silvermist Grey (D), Yorktown Blue (F), Skyline Blue (H), Pinehurst Green (J), Marimba Red (L), Sunfire Red (N), Aquamarine (P), Gulfstream Aqua (Q), Alamo Beige (R), Saddle Bronze (S), Singapore Gold (T), Grenadier Red (V), and Nocturne Blue (W). Six interior colors were offered: Black, Blue, Saddle, Aqua, Red and Parchment. Convertible tops could be Black, White or Ivory.

The GTO package gave the Le Mans line a huge boost. Sales jumped from 61,659 in 1963 to 112,636 for 1964, of which 43,313 were manual shift cars. The average age of GTO buyers was 25.7 years and 43 percent were unmarried as Pontiac captured 9.1 percent of the U.S. market and maintained third place in the industry. Clearly, DeLorean and Wangers had hit a nerve, and their success was just the beginning.”

The GM Heritage Center YouTube Channel features this Red-Over-Red GTO Convertible with a very large feline helping promote Pontiac’s “purrformance” that year:

The extensive restoration and paint pictures provided by the seller indicate their GTO received a quality frame-off restoration. If you are serious about buying this classic Lemans GTO, you can start the conversation only by calling Jack at (937) 403-5733 and leaving a message (he indicates he will not respond to either texts or emails).  When you connect, please remember to mention you saw his GTO featured here on GuysWithRides.com. Good luck with the purchase!

Here’s the seller’s description:

“Red in and out. 389 4bbl 4 speed. Frame-off rotisserie restoration. New floors, wiring, glass, and rubber. All-New interior including the headliner.  Coker redline tires.Will consider nice 62 to 67 Nova as partial trade. 

Show or go: what would you do with this restored GTO?  Comment below and let us know!