Barn finds can sometimes sit in a garage for a short span of time or an incredibly long period. This 1967 Pontiac GTO HO/4-speed falls into the latter category, as it’s been sitting unloved since 1977. YouTuber Marvin’s Motor City Garage is undertaking a full restoration of this muscle car, determined to restore it to its former glory and get it back on the road.

The car has had one owner for all its life, and the dirtiness of the exterior and interior reveal just how long the muscle car had been abandoned before its discovery. The video gives us a good look at the car, and Marvin Minarich talks us through it and its restoration.

The Pontiac Was Last Road-Registered In 1978

The license plate on the car is a 1978 plate, indicating this is when it was last registered. The original owners told Marvin that the muscle car had not been on the road since 1977. The GTO was first purchased as a new car in 1967 and its owner used it as their daily driver for ten years. His kids soon became old enough to learn to drive, and the car was then parked to save it for them. That did not happen and, since 1977, it has sat in its garage.

While there is visible rodent damage to the car, it is in highly original condition. The engine and its bay are as they were in 1977. The Pontiac still wears its original turquoise paint, complete with a pinstripe down the side. The hubcaps are original, as is the interior. The lack of excessive rust, however, is rare to find in Illinois, especially when it has sat for nearly 50 years. The hope is that the car will clean up quite well despite the dirt.

The plan is to clean it, check the engine and the piston rings, and debate whether to rebuild the engine. There are 77,000 original miles putting it into rebuild territory. New carpet, headliner, and tires plus brake lines will also go on the Pontiac. The goal is to make the GTO road-worthy but to preserve as much of its originality as possible. With so much originality, the 1967 GTO which is an American muscle car icon is now a time capsule.

The 1967 Pontiac GTO Comes With Several Factory Options

1967 Pontiac GTO Engine Specs

(specs provided by Motor Trend)

The HO four-speed transmission is one of several options on the Pontiac. The GTO also comes with a wooden wheel, rally gauges, and deluxe seatbelts. Power steering is another option, although it oddly has manual brakes. The engine has never been removed, and it is the original number-matching 400 ci V8 that makes 360 hp. The original manifolds are also present, as are the oil setting unit and the original HO air cleaner. The cleaner has the same lid that a big-block Chevrolet V8 engine would use.

The original carburetor and the manual transmission add further value to the GTO. The dust and dirt in the engine bay show the length of time the car has been sitting. The GTO retains the round aluminum tag on the carburetor, something unique to 1967 carburetor models. Previous and later models would have the numbers stamped onto the carburetor instead of them being on a tag. The carburetor on the GTO will be cleaned up and rebuilt to ensure the engine runs as it should.

There are other unique features like the fuel filter mounted by the carburetor. Marvin discusses the controversy that surrounds the placement of the filter. The placement of the carburetor is debated whether it is an HO-only mounting or if it was the same on other 1967 GTOs. He is adamant that it is a unique feature of the 1967 HO GTO, with the fuel filter within the carburetor itself on other GTOs from 1967. These features will add to the value of the car, more so as the owner did not tamper with the engine or any of its features and move the fuel filter into the carburetor.

The 1967 Pontiac GTO Was The Last First-Generation GTO

1967 Pontiac GTO Highlights

• The 1967 GTO marked the final year for the first generation of the muscle car
• A 6.4-liter and 6.6-liter Pontiac V8 were available for the 1967 GTO
• The highest power output was 360 hp for the HO 400 V8
• The Tri-Power carburetion system was replaced with a single 4-barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburetor

The 1967 model year was the final one for the first generation GTO. It was in this year that Pontiac introduced the big, 6.6-liter 400 ci HO V8 engine which bumped the power output of the GTO up to 360 hp. There were also some substantial styling changes for the muscle car, with the louver-covered taillights replaced with eight tail lights, four on each side. Pontiac changed the grille from a split grille to one that featured chrome trims. The GTO badges located on the rear fenders were moved to the chrome rocker panels, while Pontiac also made Rally II wheels with colored lug nuts available from 1967.

1967 Pontiac GTOs Can Fetch $225,000 In 2023

1967 Pontiac GTO Market Values

(Source: Classic.com)

Classic.com lists the various values of many cars, including the 1967 Pontiac GTO. According to their website, the current average price of a used 1967 GTO is around $57,832. They list the top sale for a 1967 GTO at $225,500 which was for a 1967 GTO convertible sold at Mecum Auctions in January 2022. This GTO was in a white exterior color with a black interior, and it went through a Rotisserie restoration with its original sheet metal.

Mecum described the car as “restored original” and the remarkable condition it was in is evident with its Concours Gold winning status. Its originality is further highlighted by the numbers matching HO 400 ci V8 engine under the hood, similar to the one that Marvin explored.

The white GTO also has a Turbo 400 transmission, its original Hurst dual-gate shifter, and power steering. Unlike the 1967 GTO found in the barn, this Pontiac does have power brakes. Other options include the remote driver-side mirror, power trunk release, and tinted power windows. Features such as power windows are something we now take for granted.

Source: Marvin’s Motor City Garage YouTube Channel, Classic.com, Mecum Auctions, Motor Trend