The 1974

This was my first GTO. I bought it in 1981. A 1974 w/350 cu motor and manual 3-speed transmission with buckets and floor console. The gauges were down on the console. Gas, oil pressure, temp. and voltage. The tach was in the dash as well as the clock. My goal was to keep both cars and eventually fix them both up. It just didn't work out. Too much money would have been involved and parts were hard to come by in the early 80's. It is still hard to find parts for a 74 today. They only made 7,058 of these cars and of that number 1723 were hatchback's making the number only 5335 like this one. Figure in the automatics and other options and you'll find this is a rare car. As rare as they are one would think that someday the price would have to climb on this year, the last of the GTO.

It had wide tires on it for about two months. I got tired of hearing the tires rub against the fender-wells and took them off. Who invented air shocks anyway? They should be killed.

The T/A hood scoop added to the looks of this year GTO. An option on the Ventura line in 74 the GTO was a cross between the Firebird and Trans Am. After this Pontiac put all their effort into promoting those two cars and dropped the GTO from production.

I was sick when my friend backed into my car one evening. I never forgave her .... did I Lila? :-)

I sold this car to my brother in 1985 and he still owns it. I used the money to paint the 68 and had the top put on. It is just setting in a garage now. Maybe some day we'll drag it out and see what we can do to it. It was finally retired in the early 90's with well over 300,000 miles. Maybe 400,000? Odometer quit a long time ago. Wore out long before the Pontiac parts did.

The 1968 back in 1985

These pictures were scanned from a photo album. Sorry about the quality but this is as good as I could make them. Notice the hood pins and there is a V-bent on top of the fender. It doesn't show real well but it is there.

The dent in the back quarter panel was thanks to the guys son I bought the car from. It was setting in a machine shed and the kid had backed a plow or something into the side of it. The one on the front fender was thanks to his wife. She did almost the same thing to it. Luckily I came along and saved the car before they had a family reunion. It would have been totaled!

Before ... with hood pins. WHY? And after.... without hood pins. Much better.

Before ... dent in the door and ratty top. After ... it has all disappeared.

Like the duct tape on the back glass? Sorry about picture quality but once again they were scanned. I goofed in a major way when having the top replaced. It still had the original back GLASS in it. I replaced it with the nasty cheap plastic kind. Stupid mistake, and I've never forgiven myself. It sucks to be poor. This was in 1985 and the "window" is now starting to yellow as they all do, when it comes time to replace it again we may go back to glass. Much better looking I think.

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After you get a new top and paint job. It really makes the rest of the car look bad doesn't it? So time to clean the engine compartment and paint it in a few spots.

It may have not had anything done yet in the way of a new top or paint. But let the top down and you still have a good looking fun to drive car. Pontiac did build excitement didn't they?

Of course there was some changes to the interior too. Other than the console lid and a rip in the seat though it was in pretty good shape. The only addition is a set of gauges which IMHO is a must for any car, even after-market ones.

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These pictures are all mine. My cars and my pictures.