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Too Old to Drive: 1965 Pontiac GTO Sitting for Decades Is Unrestored, Runs and Drives

The GTO was still an optional package of the Lemans back in 1965, with the sales skyrocketing to over 75,000 units. The popularity of the Pontiac GTO was, therefore, on the rise, so it’s no surprise that it was promoted to a standalone series a year later.
1965 Pontiac GTO 23 photos
Photo: eBay seller stevaverk-0
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The easiest way to tell if a GTO is the real deal or not is to check out the VIN code. The model year 1964 starts with 82, whereas its next-year successor comes with 237 as the first numbers in the VIN.

The 1965 example that we have here looks to be a real GTO, and eBay seller stevaverk-0 claims it’s unrestored as well. In other words, most of this GTO comes in the same condition it was 57 years ago when the car rolled off the assembly lines.

In fact, this isn’t necessarily surprising, as this GTO has been sitting for over two decades in the garage of an elderly couple that couldn’t drive it anymore. The seller claims the owners were too old to drive, so they parked the car in long-term storage and left it there until it was discovered not a long time ago and therefore given a second chance.

The GTO has already received a series of fixes to become road-worthy, but the most important change took place in 1981, and it happened under the hood.

The original engine was replaced, but no further information has been offered, so it’s impossible to tell why exactly the owner installed a new unit. What we do know, however, is that the GTO is still running and driving properly right now.

As a high-optioned model, this GTO was born with most of the equipment available in 1965, including power steering, power brakes, power windows, a factory tach and gauges, an AM/FM radio, and even factory air conditioning.

The car has caught the attention of quite a lot of people out there, so it has received over 70 bids in just a few hours online. The top offer is at $26,000, but the reserve is yet to be unlocked.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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