The 1969 Pontiac GTO is very desirable these days, more so if you can find a numbers-matching car. The one-of-one build owned by Mike from Fast Monty’s Garage is a little more unique, though, starting with the Butler Performance engine that displaces 467 cubic inches or 7.65 liters.
Bought new by Mike’s dad when he was in flight school for the Navy, the two-door coupe still rocks the original 400-cu in (6.5-liter) block, though it has been overbored and everything else has been changed. Upgrades include the aluminum heads, roller cam, a bigger carb, a serpentine belt, black valve covers, and high-performance headers.
Originally painted in Midnight Green, the pro-touring restomod has been repainted to perfection, and every panel is straight as an arrow. Global West coilovers and a set of sticky rubber wrapped around Rallye-style wheels help the GTO in the twisties, while shifting comes courtesy of a Tremec TKO.
The five-speed stick shift replaces the original four-speed Muncie wide-ratio box that couldn’t handle 515 horsepower and 600 pound-feet (813 Nm) of torque. Lest we forget, one more gear helps on the highway as well by reducing the revs of an already loud car. And boy, this fellow sure is loud even though the MagnaFlow mufflers take away from the aural pleasure.
A blend of old and modern, the GTO stops on a dime thanks to a CPP MCPV-1 master cylinder and 8.0-inch dual booster, 14-inch Wilwood disc brakes up front, and 13-inch rotors out back. The interior is pretty much stock even though the vinyl is brand new and the steering wheel has been changed. Mike says that even with the stereo turned up, the car is too loud even at idle and low revs to enjoy an MP3 or a podcast of your liking.
As a throwback to his dad’s days in the Navy, the driver’s headrest is beautified by Navy Wings, while the passenger headrest features the VAW-113 insignia. Also known as the Black Eagles, the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 113 was established in 1967. Their weapon of choice is the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye twin-turboprop AEW aircraft.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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