In need of a little help!
 

I have been dreaming of owning a '60s GTO for years now and finally have scrapped the cash together to buy one in decent shape. Next weekend I am going to look over one I just recently found for sale, but had a few questions I hoped some of you out there wouldn't mind answering. My main concern stems from the horror stories of cloned goats out there. Im not sure where I look on the engine block and frame for the matching vin codes, and was wondering if anyone could pinpoint for me where they are located on a 1968 GTO? The owner of the car professes to not know much about it, aside from a few details I managed to gather. The car was originally gold with a black vinyl top, but is currently painted uniformly black. He claims the engine is original, just rebuilt, and I was hoping to find the codes on it to match with the car itself. Also, is there somewhere I can submit the codes to find out if it is in fact a factory production GTO? The car looks really good in pictures, has fully restored interior and is mostly original according to the owner.....so I fear perhaps the asking price of $14,500 may be too good to be true. The car is not in show quality, but from what the pictures show and from what he is telling me, it is in very fine and drivable shape. I appreciate the time anyone spends in reading this over and would appreciate any advice anyone has to offer.

Thanks!

Andrew.
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Welcome aboard, this link will explain the 1968 VIN number scheme.

Basically, if the the first three digits are "242" you got a goat.

http://www.gtoalley.com/sixeight.html

If you send your VIN number to PHS (Pontiac Historic Society)http://www.phs-online.com/ (along with $35), you'll get a copy of the actual build sheet for your car detailing all the options that were originally ordered.

The 2-letter engine code is located on the passenger side front, just under the head, below that should be a 5 or 6 digit number that would match the last 5 or 6 numbers in the VIN (if it's numbers matching).

There is a wealth of information at www.wallaceracing.com as well.

Seeing that you are in Texas, you are out of the rust belt, so a local car should be good (rust wise).

Good luck and post some pics of the GN, Any GM car (except chebbies) are accepted rather well here.

jamie

check floor pans,around rear window,cowl area under windshield and take it somewhere put it on a hoist and inspect the frame,the body and the frame are the hardest to repair the drivetrain is the easy stuff,if its a automatic car it will have a ys or yz code on pass side frt of block just below the head or if its a 4 speed car the code will be wt or ws
the yz or ws coded motor is a ho motor

My 68 has the "WT" with a 6 digit code (matches build sheet #) just under the right head in front, then the vin# is stamped vertically alongside the timing chain cover under the pump intake. It's a 28RXXXXXX which should be the last 6 digits of the vin# if it's a #'s matching motor.

Hi,
If the GTO is a 4-speed car, the last six digits of the vin are hand stamped into the side of the tranny. These should agree with the digits on the front of the engine near the timing cover. Use a digital camera to shoot the engine vin since you can't get a direct view with your eyes. If the engine is a standard engine, the heads will have a 16 in the center of the heads above the two side-by-side exhaust ports. On the rear end, the diff ratio code is a set of quarter inch high letters on the aft side, left side, just below the brake line near the 10 bolt cover.
Hope this helps,
Mike

Hey guys. I really appreciate you all taking the time to help. This is definitely exactly what I was wanting to know. Ill repost about the car when I see it next weekend and will also post a few pictures of the GN for you Jamie.

Thanks again!

Andrew.

As stated above, the first thing you want to see is the VIN on the dash. Should be 242. Check the ID plate under the hood for the same thing 24237. It's right in front of the driver's side of the windshield, behind the brake booster.
This site ought to keep you entertained over the weekend until you can get to the car. Pay special attention to the links "Engine Identification" and "Pontiac Part Numbers".
The "Engine ID" link will show you exactly where to look for the various codes and the "Pontiac Part Numbers" link will decipher what you find when you do find them.
http://www.teufert.net/

You can check the intake part number and carb application if you wish. The carbs are a little harder to identify. Someone else can help you I'm sure. You can also check the casting dates, but if the block vin and the casting/part numbers are correct, they are probably the correct parts. If you find a nonoriginal intake or carb, you can eventually find the correct part so don't let that kill the deal if you really like the car.

Also, the intake part number for the 68 400 Firebird changed at mid-year. I'm unsure if the GTO's did or not. But if something looks incorrect, don't jump to conclusions. I was confused about the intake part number for a while before I bought my car since most parts lists did not list the second intake part number.

Post more questions when you have them. Good luck!:)

In this age of fake (the PC term is "cloned" :rolleyes: ), GTO's and Judges, I recommend NOT buying any GTO without first running the PHS. Small investment that could potentially save you from getting taken advantage of and losing thousands of $$ by buying lesser car at a GTO/Judge price tag.

If it were me, I don't think I would tell the seller I was going to run the PHS - just get the VIN and do it. If he is trying to rip you off, he may play some games if he knows you are going to find him out. That's the cynic in me speaking (typing). You may even find out that the car is somewhat rare (based on the options, drivetrain, etc), unbeknownst to the seller - I wouldn't tell him that either ;)

Just my opinion.

Good luck to you.

Gary

Jamie, this is rather inane and anal, but(t) PHS stands for Pontiac Historical Services, not Historic Society.

Just in case someone is trying to Google, it's best to have the correct information.

as an fyi, not all 68's had the vins stamped on the blocks. i've ran across some early production cars that this wasn't done on.

phs the car, it's the best 35.00 you'll spend on it.

mike

Actually, if you check their website, you'll see that I am correct.

I did check the phs-online.com website, at least on the intro page, and all I see there is Pontiac Historical Services. As long as I've known JM, that is what he has called his company.

The title page (as I see it) clearly states "Pontiac Historic Services", even the small print on the bottom states:

VIN on the block of 1969

The PHS Fax service is a great way to go if you need the info fast. It costs an extra $10 but you will have the car's option sheet faxed usually within 4 hours for $45.