The spectacular thing about restoration projects is that no matter how old a car is, it can always be brought back to its former shine (at times beyond), and made relevant again in a market that’s a sucker for well-done builds and willing to pay literally anything for one.

The 1970 Pontiac GTO we have here is one of those cars that is certain to make a splash when it sells. It is scheduled to do so later this week, during an auction held by Mecum over in Chicago.

The car is said to be one of 158 GTO convertibles to have been made by Pontiac back in 1970. That means it is rare, but also over half a century old. Yet it clearly doesn’t show it, because the re-build process was completed in 2021, making this GTO one of the freshest now on the market.

Wrapped in Cardinal Red on the outside and wearing a matching color over the interior, the build looks impressive, to say the least, even for those who are not GTO fans. All that shine hides underneath the original drivetrain, comprising the 455ci (7.5-liter) engine and 4-speed transmission.

The engine now breathes through a dual exhaust system with chrome splitters and spins suitable Rally II wheels wrapped in Firestone tires. There are custom bits in there as well, mostly at the interior, including the sport steering wheel and seat belts, among others.

The car now shows only the test miles ran post-restoration, and it goes complete with documentation (including the original broadcast sheet and warranty booklet). The GTO is listed for sale at the mentioned auction with reserve, but we are not being told how much that is.

As usual, we’ll return to this shiny red muscle car as soon as we learn how big of a splash it made during the auction.