From the 1970 magazine ad: "The Humbler is here. Pontiac GTO. If the sight of it doesn't turn you on, the sound of it will. Listen, its 400 cube V8 speaking out through a new, low restriction performance exhaust you can order. Curve, straighten out. The Humbler will take you in style. The Humbler. This is the way it's going to be, baby.". You must appreciate the language of the times. GTO abandoned the tiger in the tank campaign in 1967 when Pontiac switched to The Great One campaign. Then, The Humbler was born not long after.
For consignment, a 1970 Pontiac GTO hardtop owned by our consignor for more than 20 years and now with about 500 miles on an engine rebuild. There are numerous upgrades and refreshed elements so be sure to read on.
Exterior This A-body glistens like gold with its two state Baja Gold paint and when other cars were still running chrome front bumpers, this Pontiac rocks Endura, a plastic compound molded over steel and color matched with the body. In back, the chrome bumper remains, fitting a cutout in the body and housing wraparound tail lights while hovering over twin dual exhaust tips. Up above, we have the color keyed rear wing on which you could serve a sizable buffet meal. Back to the front where the beak fronted face sends a hump down the hood which is flanked by two intake ducts and embellished by the legendary hood mounted tachometer, about as cool a feature as to ever appear on a car. The window frames, bumper, and other bright work are in great condition as do the 15-inch Pontiac Rally II wheels with PMD center caps. Getting within 10 feet reveals a number of surface scratches and imperfections in the paint as well as some rust damage just behind the mud flap.
Interior It's pure 1970 on the inside where the newer interior features brown vinyl door panels with stitched pattern, smooth panels, and silver accent lines, along with the carpeted bottom, all in great condition. A lighter brown vinyl covers the front bucket seats, also in pleated stitched pattern and a camel shell, and also in very good shape. The rear bench shows no sign of wear along with the brown sidewalls and package shelf which houses two speaker covers. Yellowish brown colors the steering wheel with finger grooves and three spokes while woodgrain applique covers the gauge pod and dash and a strip of machine metal applique lives underneath it. This metal pattern would continue to appear in Pontiac sports cars for years to come. A more modern Alpine AM/FM/CD radio snaps us out of our 1970 haze and the floor mounted Pontiac vacuum gauge shakes up the stock looking interior as well, but in a good way. In the molded plastic center console is a Hurst T-handle shifter, protruding with polished provenance. Brown looped carpet covers the floor nicely and is further protected by GTO branded floor mats. The perforated headliner is high and tight and plays host to the shoulder seat belts and the proverbial hanger hooks.
Drivetrain Pop the hood for a view of the show worthy and recently rebuilt 400ci L-67 V8 from 1970, rated at 350 horsepower and fueled by a 4-barrel carburetor. The 4-speed manual transmission behind it is a Muncie M20 with a new McLeod clutch which sends power to the rear 10 bolt with 3.23 gears and Safe-T-Track, Pontiac's name for limited slip which automatically applied more power when grip was needed. Power disc brakes are on the front and power drums in the rear. Our consignor states the A/C has been upgraded with a unit from Classic Auto Air and a high performance starter has been added.
Undercarriage Relatively clean and dry underneath with the only errant oil noted was around the rear U-joint and pinion gear. Some typical surface rust is present but no grease build up or heavy dirt anywhere. The dual exhaust travels through Flowmaster mufflers before heading to the dual twin tips and the system is clean and fully intact. Coil spring suspension is found up front with a four link and coils in the rear.
Drive-Ability Lovely exhaust notes come from the back when the carb is primed and the key is turned. Plenty of power underfoot, good breaking, solid tracking, and a comfortable cab. We note the clutch will need some adjusting but beyond that, everything that can function does so. And it's time to bring this Goat back to the stable. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Outside of Avocado green, there are few colors that are as transformative as brown. It's no longer used to coat entire interiors but in the 70's, it was a mainstay, and it really does bring some good times back! Here's a real deal GTO, well sorted, clean, and ready to go. As the ad says, if the sight of it doesn't turn you on, the sound will!
242370P260025
2-Pontiac 42-GTO 37-2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe 0-1970 P-Pontiac, MI Assy Plant 260025-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
ST 70 24237-1970 GTO 2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe BDY PON160601-Pontiac Body # TR 253-Brown Vinyl Buckets PNT 55B-Baja Gold, Black Top 04D-4th Week April
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
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