FWIW, there are quite a few members here that own the late model GTO, as well as the old iron, me being one of them. They are 2 different cars, built 40 years apart from each other. I wouldn't expect them to be the same.
FYI, Holden used the Monaro body in Australia years before it was imported to the USA, one of the body/model options was named, guess what, Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) GTO, it was also available in a 4 door, and was called the HSV GTS. Holden already had a GTO, they just exported it to the USA, to be sold under the Pontiac name, by Pontiac dealers.
The second year Pontiac had styling input, and got both tailpipes on opposite sides of the car, along with twin hood scoops. It had a GTO moniker on it long before Bob Lutz commandeered it for sale in the USA by Pontiac dealers. I had a chip on my shoulder too, when it became available, but after test driving one, that chip fell off..........
You guys that live in CA can find old cars that aren't all rusted to hell, back east we don't have that luxury. If you could find an old GTO chances are it would look like this:
The best part, asking price is only $4000, and it's a roller shell, no drivetrain, interior, etc. etc. So we find vehicles that have some metal left in them for drivers. The other alternative is get one that comes from a rust free portion of the country, or pay $50-$60,000 for one that someone else has restored. $60,000 is over twice what paid for my 05 new. It is very expensive for guys back east to have vintage cars. People from the southwest just don't have to deal with rusty hulks that were only meant to be driven, possibly 10 years when they were new.
Because you can find and buy vintage cars in CA, and we have a real tough time finding something, doesn't mean we're not Pontiac fans.