Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick's '70 Pontiac GTO Judge Is So Cool, It Couldn't Sell at Auction

Before we talk about that, let’s go through a few bullet points for the 1970 model year GTO Judge. That was the year in which Pontiac bestowed yet another facelift onto the GTO. Gone were the hidden headlights, in favor of four exposed rounded units flanking a narrower grille.

These newer cars (compared to 1969) also featured upgraded suspension with rear anti-roll bars, stiffer front anti-roll bars, plus optional variable-ratio power steering.

When it comes to the Judge spec, with its flamboyant paint schemes, Pontiac kept the 400 ci Ram Air III V8 engine, and it is one such power unit that resides under the hood of this very special 1970 GTO Judge, albeit it’s a new 400 ci V8 4-bolt main engine with a .25-inch increased stroke.

Other mechanical bits include the Edelbrock heads and intake, custom polished valve covers with red-painted Pontiac lettering, MSD ignition wires, plus a custom radiator. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox and an upgraded 12-bolt 3.64-geared rear end. There’s also power steering and power brakes.

Visually, the exterior has been custom-refinished in Candy Red, to go with the GTO Judge style striping and custom “The Farmer” decal badging instead of “Judge” badges – we’ll touch on that in a second.

Other highlights include the trademark front and rear spoilers, aftermarket 17-inch Series II-style wheels, Goodyear radial tires, Endura color-keyed front bumper, twin dual exhaust outlets, black vinyl bucket seats, center console, a Hurst T-handle shifter, woodgrain-trimmed steering wheel, engine-turned dash, chrome pedal brightwork, and an updated push-button-style radio.

Wait, who owned this car?

We’ve arrived at maybe the best part. This Ram Air III Judge GTO used to belong to legendary drag racer Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick, a man who absolutely loved Pontiac. He started his career racing Oldsmobiles and Dodges, but eventually settled on the brand with the downward-pointing arrow for a badge.

This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful GTO Judge specs we’ve ever seen, and the fact that it failed to sell at auction recently is nothing short of a travesty. Although, there’s another way to look at it, namely, that it didn’t sell because of how valuable it would be in the hands of the right person. That’s a pretty cool thought, right?

As for how much money it would take to put something like this in your driveway, that’s hard to say. This isn’t an all-original car. I think less than $100,000 should do it – although I’m not sure how much less.