GTO addition to the Break Away Squad
 

A new GTO joined the club this spring-summer. Nothing special option wise, base engine, auto trans, steering and brakes, console, AM etc. Typical northern (non-AC) lot inventory car.

Car was on Long Island since new but exceptionally well cared for. Still some original paint, exceptional 100% original interior and drives and feels like it has a quarter of its 81k miles. Something about the color scheme and deluxe caps along with less than ideal pics made it sell for what I think was a steal.

Original owner had the car till his death in 2007-8 and I got it from the neighbor he sold it to. Obviously garage kept and no winters since new as there is zero rust or collision issues.

Being me I've already addressed what I think were some missing options by adding some goodies from my 40 year stash of parts; woodwheel, stereo radio, 8 track, custom wheelcovers (to replace the deluxe units), clock to fill the ugly blank pod and hideaways. I think these changes really dressed up the car without changing the personality.

Mechanically it was really well kept so just needed a carb kit and I put a nice gardiner setup on it to replace the loud setup it had.

Wow, that’s in such beautiful condition, and it’s a convertible!

I like the color combination and it looks so good with the wheel covers you chose.

Major score. :thumbup:

I think the changes really improved the car, here are some pictures when I got it. Over half the car has original paint, but as always seems to happen the modern color codes make Limelight come out too greenish and not enough silverish. Single biggest improvement was junking the chrome mudflaps!

Nice looking car

Good lookin ride, nice get!
Very unusual to see a car in that condition from that region. Congratulations.

Nice!

I saw that car for sale too, I think the guy worked in Staten Island, I was thinking of taking a look at it if it was in Staten Island, but never got that far. It looked like there was a few shades of green in the paint. Triple green, good luck with the car. Marc.

Nice cruiser. I dig it with the hubcaps and redlines. Posting two additions to the stable in one day - you've been busy!

The guy selling it was acting for the owner, a bigwig investment banker in Oyster Bay. He paid more for it in in 2007 than I did this year (I found the 2007 bill of sale and cancelled check). The second owner didn’t seem to know much about GTO’s. He either got hoodwinked by the OO or he gave him big money to e nice to him on his deathbed?

Very nice triple green beauty, welcome to the club!

Nice. Love seeing these cars with hubcaps as most of them I saw s a kid seldom had Rally II’s. Living in the snow belt it was usually mags in the summer and Steelies with caps for the 9 months of winter :)

Love Limelight...nice car!

It joins these other Limelight cars in the squad...

Limelight is a fantastic color.

I like it. I like it a lot.

Beautiful looking car!

Not sure if it’s the color or your exposure but I’ve never noticed the body shape (fender into door, door to quarter) quite as detailed as in your pics. Nice cars. I’m a couple of towns over from Oyster Bay. Missed it right in my own backyard. How was it advertised if you don’t mind me asking?

You seem to have cornered the market for Limelight cars. Beautiful collection!

Yeah, those reverse curves are pretty subtle. But once you really see them for the first time, restored cars with those areas filled in stick out like a sore thumb.

Limelight is my second most common color (after Expresso). The 68-69 A bodies have a lot of negative space on the lower body. The most obvious is the hollow from the front wheelwell through most of the door but there is similar hollowing in front and behind both wheels.

It gets lost with bodywork or repop panels obviously but even factory metal cars can lose it when body guys fill it thinking it is dents. It really contributes to the look of the car. With a bulbous shape like the 68-9 cars have it’s easy to look chubby. Those hollows “lighten” the visual weight of the car just like the hollows of the cheeks lighten the face of a slim person.

They are most noticeable on lighter colors and when photographed when the sun is straight above.

The car was on eBay in late April with a buy it now but got no love. Coincidentally the consignment guy selling it was also selling a red 69 ragtop the week before. It was a decent attractive car with a non correct red shoot and a so-so quality and not very correct restauration. It sold for $25k more than this one despite being a much lower quality car. But resale red, rally’s, hideaways and fat tires fare better than “lot loving green”.