GTO- Trans, Shifter & Carb offerings;
 

Sitting around the shop shooting the sh!t and the topic of trans/shifter's & carb offerings came up.
Then a few questions to which I had no knowledge/answers on.

If I understand the factory literature correctly one could order a 1966 GTO with the 3-spd column shift.
Would this delete the console since the buckets were standard?

Any known 3 speed column shift '66 GTOs?

What about column shift automatic 66's, was this an option?

With the '67 line up we know they offered the economy 2bbl 400,
and most always seem to be bench-seat auto on the column.
Is this the only configuration when you ordered a 2bbl '67 GTO?

Any ideas on why they offered a 2bbl in '67 but not in '66?

Just wondering :noidea:

Cheers

My Son's '66 came with a column shifted 2 speed automatic & buckets with no console. One of the first changes I made to the car back when I owned it was to put in a turbo 400 with a '67 dual gate console. This required swapping out the whole steering column. I've never seen a column shifted three speed '66 or '67. I don't know if there was a column shifter available to work with the Ford top-loader 3 speed used on the GTOs. Jerry.

in '66 the 3 speed manual was only available with a floor shift in the GTO. But for the 2 speed auto, column shift was basic, with the floor shifter and console an option. One of my '66 GTOs was a 2 speed auto column shift too.

Hmmm
 

Seems they all were changed out,
I can't seem to find one on-line example of a column shift 1966 GTO.

So no 3 spd column MT but definitely AT on the column could be had,
and the console would be omitted.

Local woman has a two tone '66 Candlelite Cream, gold painted top, and gold interior that she purchased from the local dealer in mid to late 1966- Stewart Pontiac. (no longer in business). It is a bucket seat car with 3 on the tree, and no console. My recollection is that it was purchased off the lot, and not special ordered. I haven't seen the car or her in about 3 years, but I think she still has it. Seemed weird when I first saw the car in the early 80's

FROM THE '66 SALES CATALOG;
 

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...ANSINFO004.jpg
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...ANSINFO007.jpg
So after looking for my sales cat,
it does indeed reference both 3spd on the column as "Standard" and the AT column shift optional on the 1966 GTO.
Albeit not a popular choice, it was possible.

Andre,
It doesn't seem odd depending on her age when bought.
Most of the older gen grew up on MT/ST cars and likely a good number of them on the tree shifters.
If you ever happen upon this GTO again it would be great to document (pictures).

I'm am amazed that I could not come up with one example on-line.

I also recall a column shift GTO that was shown with a shifter block-off/Delete plate on the console with the owner indicating it was ordered that way?? I can't for the life of me fine the pics or the info; on year and such. Now that would be an odd one for sure.

I stand corrected! The '64 GTO had the floor shift 3 spd as std, same with the later GTOs, so I ASSumed they were all that way, but in all my research I somehow missed that '66 DID have the column shift 3 spd as std. Learn something new everyday...

I was thinking the same. You just don't see them and that's why are shop talk was getting interesting. Most of my buddies have been building Pontiac's way longer then me and no one could recall ever seeing one.
After viewing many many images I did finally come across an AT column shift 66.
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...LUMNSHIFT3.jpg
I still would love to see a 3spd CS '66, they seem to be non existent.

Our '68 was an auto trans column shift, bucket seat no console car.

I remember when I was growing up I was embarrassed about that column shift.

K

Mine was like that originally.

Looking at my 66 info it say the only way to order the optional conole is to select a floor mounted shift option as well in additon to the bucket seat option.

If you didn't order floor shift and bucket seats [to save money], then you got the same as the Tempest.... column shift and bench seat.

Yes
While I agree with you on the column shift, my original window sticker on my 66 GTO says that bucket seats were standard on the GTO.

Same goes for Lemans
 

From my Window sticker;
23717-1966 LEMANS HARDTOP COUPE
* The following items, options or Accessories on some other models, are Standard equipment on this model; Strato bucket seats, Floor carpet, Dual horns
**Optional accessories/equipment: Listed below

I've seen many and owned a couple '67s AT column shift.
My 1st '67 was a 2bbl, Bench & AT on the column,
It was built for cruising only and my girlfriend loved it :D

I'm just surprised that so many '66 GTOs came with Tri-Power & 4spd ;)
Where are all those column shift 3 speeds '66s??

My good friends '67 Drop Top is also a Bench-seat AT column shift GTO.
It was a 2bbl car but we took care of that ;)

I had a 67' GTO Post, 335hp, 4 barrel, bucket seat, column shift auto car years ago. Had a protecto plate and everything. You guys would cringe if you knew how much I gave it away for.....lol

One day, I will run across this woman again. My brother knows her daughter, so maybe I can track them down through Facebook. I have seen a couple '64's with bucket seats and column shift. One was a tilt column car that I missed out on for $3500. Have also seen a couple of automatic on the column '66 GTOs with bucket seats.
The car you are thinking about that had the console with block out plate and column shift with bucket seats appeared in an earlier issue of Pontiac Enthusiast/GTO Enthusiast.
The three on the tree on these cars is the one that I hardly ever see.

In the past 40 years of looking and scrutinizing, I have seen quite a few column shift GTO's.....every one of them automatic transmission. '64 on up. I have NEVER seen a GTO '64-'70 with a 'three-on-the-tree" manual transmission. Has anybody on this forum actually seen and verified one? I know that the printed information by GM says it was 'standard', but if it was, wouldn't at least a few of them still exist? GM also showed the 8-lug wheel on the '66 GTO, and we all know that didn't happen. So, who else besides Andre has seen one of these cars, in person....and Andre, did you verify the car was a real GTO?

I'd guess to say swapped out to floor shift.... automatic or 4 speeds. Tho more likely 4 speeds. I wasn't all that crazy about the 2 speed in my 66 Tempest Custom. Besides, I don't think that ST300 was all great. I can only imagine how well it would survive 335 or 360 HP and a pounding by the drivers back then. I know it didn't hold up too well for me even with a 326 in front of it. And I didn't beat the living daylights out of it.