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This 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Tribute Is the Next Best Thing After the Original

If you’re in the market for a GTO “The Judge” in pretty good condition, prepare to pony up more than $60k for a numbers-matching example. There is, however, a more affordable way of experiencing the iconic muscle car, and that is a tribute like the car we'll cover today.
1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute 21 photos
Photo: petejoh.3pbqfi on eBay
1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" Tribute
Currently sitting at $28,800 on eBay after 47 bids, the brown-painted clone “runs awesome and is a blast to drive,” according to seller petejoh.3pbqfi. With only three days of bidding left, this Ponty could hammer for more than $30,000 with just a little bit of luck.

Introduced for the 1969 model year, the Judge was an options package that turned things around for the GTO. In addition to look-at-me decals, striped body paint, and a rear spoiler, this rarefied breed was offered with two engine options based on the Pontiac 400 (6.5L) V8: the Ram Air III that develops 366 horsepower at the crank and the underrated 370-horsepower Ram Air IV.

Although the seller mentions the clone features an overhauled 400 under the hood, output figures are missing from the listing’s description. Only two photos of the engine compartment were uploaded on eBay, and both confirm the overhaul with Edelbrock valve covers and a proper-looking air cleaner.

From the accessory drive to the wiring and hoses, the engine bay is cleaner than ever before. You can further tell this tribute is a high-quality build from the undercarriage, which barely features any surface rust. The suck-squeeze-bang-blow is channeled to the rear wheels with the help of a TH400 automatic transmission, an extremely durable three-speeder that can take 450 pound-feet (610 Nm) of input torque in bone-stock configuration.

Fitted with Rally II wheels, brand-new tires, and Flowmaster mufflers, the mid-sized muscle car does have a few imperfections. The paint finish could be a little better, and there are a few chips here and there, which are pretty small issues given the potential hammer price. For the sake of reference, $30,000 doesn’t even cover a 2021 Dodge Challenger R/T's starting price.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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