"Some cars are just too cool to be forgotten in storage," I've often heard muscle car enthusiasts say. I agree and I think that the Pontiac GTO is one of those cars. But like any other classic, the GTO is also a common barn find. This one, however, comes with a touching story.
The worn-out Poncho you're looking at is a two-owner classic. And it's been with the same owner since 1977. Unfortunately, the car was retired into a garage sometime in 1982, meaning that the current owner enjoyed it for only five years or so.
But that's not because the car developed drivetrain issues or something like that. The guy is actually a Vietnam War veteran. The conflict left him disabled and he was unable to drive after a few years. As a result, the GTO was parked in a garage and spent about four decades in storage.
Come 2022, and the Poncho is set to get a refresh thanks to YouTube's "Vice Grip Garage," which just launched a new program called "Vehicles for Veterans." In short, the owner doesn't know that they've gotten the car out of the garage, so he will be in for a huge surprise when the GTO will be refurbished and returned.
Luckily, the car is in pretty good condition for a classic that spent 40 years buried in junk. The body doesn't have a lot of dents or major rust issues, while the interior looks good save for some wear and tear on the door panels, seats, and floors.
While it won't get a frame-off restoration, it should look notably better once that body gets cleaned up and polished. But before that happens, the V8 under the hood needs to be brought back to life. And that's exactly what this video is all about.
Not surprisingly for a car that's been sitting for so long, the 400-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) V8 has issues drawing fuel and spews a lot of rust through the exhaust pipe. But it turns and its struggles to fire up, so it doesn't take all that long until it starts burbling again.
But once it fires up and it stays running, the old V8 provides just enough oomph for the GTO to take a drive around the block. Yes, it's still a few repairs away from becoming road-worthy again, but it's fantastic to see such an old car come back to life after 40 years in storage. Especially given that it's supposed to be a surprise revival for an army veteran.
But that's not because the car developed drivetrain issues or something like that. The guy is actually a Vietnam War veteran. The conflict left him disabled and he was unable to drive after a few years. As a result, the GTO was parked in a garage and spent about four decades in storage.
Come 2022, and the Poncho is set to get a refresh thanks to YouTube's "Vice Grip Garage," which just launched a new program called "Vehicles for Veterans." In short, the owner doesn't know that they've gotten the car out of the garage, so he will be in for a huge surprise when the GTO will be refurbished and returned.
Luckily, the car is in pretty good condition for a classic that spent 40 years buried in junk. The body doesn't have a lot of dents or major rust issues, while the interior looks good save for some wear and tear on the door panels, seats, and floors.
While it won't get a frame-off restoration, it should look notably better once that body gets cleaned up and polished. But before that happens, the V8 under the hood needs to be brought back to life. And that's exactly what this video is all about.
Not surprisingly for a car that's been sitting for so long, the 400-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) V8 has issues drawing fuel and spews a lot of rust through the exhaust pipe. But it turns and its struggles to fire up, so it doesn't take all that long until it starts burbling again.
But once it fires up and it stays running, the old V8 provides just enough oomph for the GTO to take a drive around the block. Yes, it's still a few repairs away from becoming road-worthy again, but it's fantastic to see such an old car come back to life after 40 years in storage. Especially given that it's supposed to be a surprise revival for an army veteran.