'65 GTO Conv't Tripower 4spd Registry
 

1965 GTO - Tripower 4 spd Convertible Registry: If you are lucky enough to own one of these rare GTO's, please email Bill at wmurrell@comcast.net (or send me a private message) to join our registry. Members will have full access to all information collected. Not only will it be interesting to see what options these rare cars were originally equipped with, but it is also our goal to learn exactly how few of these fine examples are still in existence. Cars can be in any condition to join the registry. All you need to do is share your PHS documentation to verify that your '65 convertible was originally factory equipped with tripower & 4 spd. Thanks!

Bill

'65 GTO Conv't Tripower 4spd Registry - Call for Members!
 

Still looking for original '65 GTO convertibles that were factory equipped with 4 spd & tripower. Just send me a copy of your PHS documentation at wmurrell@comcast.net (or send me a private message) to join the registry. All the data collected is being shared with other registry members. We currently have an enormous spreadsheet with detailed data from all the various member cars. It is very interesting looking at all the different option combinations and swapping stories about the history of the individual cars. There are very few of these unique "65 GTOs left and our goal is to try to locate as many as possible. Cars can be in any condition to join the registry.
Also, any leads would be greatly appreciated! We think that there may be less than 20 of these cars in existence today.

Thanks!
Bill

'65 GTO Conv't Tripower 4spd Registry - Call for Members!
 

Found two legit cars on craigslist this week. Hard to believe that with all the members on the PY forum, no one has a '65 GTO convertible with factory installed tripower and 4 spd.
Any leads would be greatly appreciated! Does anyone know "RAII 4-speed"? According to an older PY thread - http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=588046&page=3 , he bought a '65 GTO convertible that we would like to locate. Just drop me a PM or email directly at wmurrell@comcast.net. Thanks!

Please , does anyone know this guy?? He stopped posting in Jan. 08..We need cars.

I have a phone number from when I spoke to John in Feb 2009. I'll try it Don

Got a 64
 

I have a 64 FYI

I have a '65 GTO convertible with 4-speed and tri-power. I bought it from a Navy guy retiring from Pensacola FLA six years ago. I have the PHS documentation that I'll send later that shows it is legitimate.
My dad also had a new '65 GTO convertible when I was 15. But it had the 4-bbl and automatic so my mom could drive it. I actually have the original window sticker from it hoping to find it's current owner.

Still looking for '65 convertibles with FACTORY tripower/4spd!
 

We currently have documented 13 cars and are tracking down at least 5 more. Please…If you can help locate any additional ’65 GTO convertibles with factory installed tripower & 4 spd, email me at wmurrell@comcast.net. Thanks!

Henry,
You stated in the previous post on this thread that you had a car that met the registry requirements. It would be great if you sent me a copy of your billing history card and joined!!
Bill

Just the 65 GTO Convertible is rare enough....what did they make...3000 maybe?

Ill bet there are less that 250 left. Of that what percentage had the tripower?

few....a cool list but a very short one.

Hi Bill I know of one in the Denver area, I will work on getting the Vin I doubt he has PHS but maybe.

Gary

Thank you for your help!
 

Goatwhisperer,
Thank you very much for your help! If the owner really thinks that his car came with factory installed tripower & 4spd, he should get it documented. He will need the PHS documentation to join the registry. Good luck and we appreciate the help!

At this point, we have documented 17 cars!

Bill

Lampoon, I think your estimate of 3000 made is pretty close. But I think you are way low as to how many remain. Consider that the early GTOs were already being talked about as "collectible" by 1973. Convertibles considered the "most" collectible.

I forget the statistics for all vehicles, but a pretty high percentage of '65 GTOs would have survived into the early '70s according to Gov't estimates. The annual scrappage rate was a lot higher than today, I think about 10%. But even after 8 years at that depletion rate, there would have been about 1200 still on the road and many that weren't, were not yet scrapped.

They were driven hard and abused, especially by young owners when they were selling for cheap as 10 year old cars and many were probably destroyed during the early to mid '70s. But since they were thought of as collectible, people didn't scrap them even when they fell into bad repair like they would have with a run of the mill 4 dr sedan for example.

So I think you'd lose that bet. More like 750 to 1000 is my guess. Still just a guess, just explaining why I think hobbyists misjudge the survival totals.

This one isn't a convertible, but I spotted this while looking for stuff on the "Tonto VI" Collingwood Motors drag racer.

Scroll down about 1/4 of the page for "then and now" pix of a '65 GTO hardtop with 4 spd and Tripower. This is an example of the kind of condition a lot of "surviving" '65 GTOs would be in today that leads me to believe the no. of 4 spd, TP, '65 converts is much higher than 250. JMO.

http://www.codyhotrodshop.com/VINTAG...0-S--70-S.html

These are going to prove to be very rare cars!
 

John V.
Normally I am in agreement with you, but this is an exception. Since the registry (Specific to ’65 convertible GTO’s that had factory installed tripower & 4 spd) was started, I have sent over 60 emails to all the current chapter presidents of GTOAA and multiple members of POCI that that own ’65 convertibles. I have also posted registry request on the Performance Years forum, POCI’s “Smoke Signals” and the GTOAA’s “Legend”. We are reviewing the internet regularly for potential legit cars for sale and all of the members have made numerous calls to folks chasing leads. We also have contacted restoration shops that have a very strong personal interest in this particularly optioned GTO to get more leads.

With all this effort, we have only documented 17 cars. We are aware of another 6 that we are currently tracking down. Despite all this work, have we missed some cars? Absolutely!! Have we missed 227 cars? I don’t think so!! My guess is that the number is closer to 30-40 remaining cars and would be really surprised if it approached 50.

As you pointed out, this is all opinion. My opinion is that there were a much higher percentage of tri-powers installed on hardtops than convertibles (you didn’t see too many convertibles being raced at the drag strip!). Even with a higher survival rate of convertibles, I believe this will prove out to be a very rare car.

Bill

1965 Hurst / Motor Trend Magazine Riverside 500 GTO Pace Car
 

Does anyone know the current owner of the "1965 Hurst / Motor Trend Magazine Riverside 500 GTO Pace Car"? I lost track of the car after it was sold at a Mecum St. Charles High Performance Auction on October 5-7, 2007. Car was owned by Collin Corner from Milwaukee Wisconsin in 2005 and on display at the 2005 GTOAA National Convention. Any leads would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks to everyone's support, we have now documented 19 cars!
Bill

Isn't that car now owned by Dana Mecum?

I think it was on display at the Inaugural "Corvette and Muscle Car Nationals" in Chicago, in November of 2009.

K

From what I can tell, the Riverside 500 GTO and the Hurst contest GTO were both purchased by Dana Mecum from Colin Comer (not Corner).

Dana Mecum offered both cars at the Mecum Indianapolis auction in May 2010 from his own collection.

From what I could find out, the Hurst contest GTO did sell at that auction, possibly for a lot less than it reportedly sold for in Oct. 2007. It was the 10th highest bid car sold at the Indy 2010 event, bid to $250,000.

But I couldn't find out about the Riverside 500 GTO. If you want to sign up at Mecum.com you can view the auction results to see if it did sell. I suspect it did.

Maybe you could contact Dana Mecum and find out who owns it now?

Good Catch!
 

John V.,
I checked the Mecum website and the convertible did not sell. So at least as of May 2010, it looks like Dana Mecum still owned the car. Thanks for the input!
Bill

Still looking for '65 convertibles with FACTORY tripower/4spd!
 

As March comes to a close, we have followed up on 5 cars this month that were presented as potential factory tripower 4spd convertibles only to find out they were all converted 4bbls (one was even originally an automatic/4bbl). Note: John V. - Bigpop followed up on the car you sent me and it is included in the above totals. Thanks for the lead! I am also keeping track of converted cars for future reference. I still have the opinion that there are less of these cars than you might think.

It is unfortunate that Jim Mattison can't give us a figure on how many he has documented over the years. It obviously would not capture all the remaining cars, but it would give us a solid starting point.

Finally, I saw that someone made a comment about a lot of folks would not be willing to share the information. Actually we have contacted just short of 50 owners and I have only run into a couple that would not share the billing history card information. My suspicion is that one car was a 4bbl, but I will never know for sure. The second owner likely has the real deal, but he does not seem to be interested in getting active in the hobby.

As always, feel free to email me any leads at wmurrell@comcast.net.

65 GTO Convertable
 

I own a 1965 PHS documented GTO. It is a 389 tripower 4 speed. All PHS documents matches what the car has. I will send you a copy of the PHS.

Out of the approx. 28 1965-1967 GTOs that are in the collection as of today, only 3 are hardtops. 4 of them are 65 converts. 3 are autos (red/red/white top, cameo ivory/gold/white top,nightwatch blue/blue/white top) The 4th is nightwatch blue/blue/white top, 4 spd,tripower. This vehicle was bought in the mid eighties and #s matching was not that important. I have not run a phs on it, so I do not know for sure if it is a true tripower. I will be going to the warehouse in a month or so and I will get the vin#. Also I had said I would post pictures of the collection back in Sept. but getting to the warehouse during this winter proved to be impossible. The weather is finally breaking and pictures are on my to do list. I did come across pictures from the 1980s as the collection was building, so those pics will be posted as well. My fathers 1st new car was a nightwatch blue/blue/white top 4spd,tripower. I think because of all the stories and good times my father told me about that car and era as I was growing up, is where my obsession for these cars came from.