[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by Old Goat Racer

When the 65 GTO came out I thought it was the best looking car on the planet.
When the 69 GTO (coke bottle) came out I thought it was ugly.
I own 1 of each today.

Old Goat Racer you make a great point in your post!


I also have owned 3 65s (My all time favorite also)
2 67s
a 68 and a 69
a 70 and a 73 (previously thought to be the worst looking GTO in existence)
and now own a 2005

The generations 64-67, 68-72, 73, and 74 don't look like the other generations and the 2004-2006 is another generation, the car changed and evolved and they don't all look alike, natural progression, not hard to understand unless you really don't want to. Never once has Pontiac resorted to making a new model look like an older model so why is it that can't be comprehended?

Little secret here, the 2004 Grand Prix doesn't look like a 62 Grand Prix either, the 2004 Bonneville doesn't look like a 57 Bonneville, the 2004 Grand Am doesn't look like a 73, OMG!!!!

I guess if you wanted a "retro GTO" that white thing is what you pining for then, yep it's a beauty. Pontiac really missed the boat not making those things.........................

I think I'll take my 2005 GTO just the way it is. I like it fine as do other people that have paid me many complements on it.

The haters, I don't care if you like it or not.

[F ROCK]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

I don't care if you like it or not.

well, you sure sound frazzled to me. LOL!!!!

[goatwgn]

Back around 1986/87 Pontiac had a styling exercise using a 2 door Grand Am, with '65 style patterns in the seats and door panels, and a "Super Duty" Iron Duke 4 cylinder engine. Thank goodness Pontiac had enough respect for the GTO nameplate at that time to not produce that thing. Also too bad that the Grand Prix 2+2 didn't have an engine with some real power when they produced that. If weak kneed management hadn't thrown out all the V8 tooling in 1981, they could have produced a port injected 301 turbo with a reinforced block that would have really did the 2+2 justice. And would have made a potential muscle car out of the regular "formal" roofline Grand Prix, along the lines of what Buick did with the Regal T type and GN.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by goatwgn

Back around 1986/87 Pontiac had a styling exercise using a 2 door Grand Am, with '65 style patterns in the seats and door panels, and a "Super Duty" Iron Duke 4 cylinder engine.

IIRC, that was actually in the early 90's when the discussion was bringing it back for the 30th anniversary (1994).

I'm proud that Pontiac refused to play the 4 or 6 cylinder game with the GTO, like Ford and Chrysler have done with their heralded "names".

A GTO always meant at 5.7L or larger V8 engine, 2 doors and a manual transmission option.

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by The Champ

IIRC, that was actually in the early 90's when the discussion was bringing it back for the 30th anniversary (1994).

I'm proud that Pontiac refused to play the 4 or 6 cylinder game with the GTO, like Ford and Chrysler have done with their heralded "names".

A GTO always meant at 5.7L or larger V8 engine, 2 doors and a manual transmission option.

I still have an old issue of HPP with the "1987" GTO on the front cover. I'll see if I can find it and post a picture of it.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by goatwgn

I still have an old issue of HPP with the "1987" GTO on the front cover. I'll see if I can find it and post a picture of it.

Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong...

I know that I had already purchased my '64 (purchased in June 1992), but not driven it (first drive Oct 1994) when I read about it in a then current magazine.

I definitely remember it had the Iron Duke and it was a stylized Grand Am.

[goatwgn]

Here it is.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by F ROCK

well, you sure sound frazzled to me. LOL!!!!

That's one of the faults of the internet, no one yourself included can hear any inflection of my voice and you incorrectly assume you do.

I only try to please myself, I really don't care what someone else thinks about what I drive, what I do, or how I act, if I did I would drive something everyone drives, like a ruststang, or a crapmaro yanno every woman wants one....LMAO Pontiac owners don't usually follow the demographics and buy what every middle age woman drives with a v6, because they're cute.

When the Carousel red GTO Judge premiered in 1969 I was 16 years old and guess what, there were plenty of people that thought it was ugly and made fun of it, do you think any of them would like to buy a new one today if they had the chance, I'm betting they would even if just for an investment.

I just thought the post by the other gentleman was very relevant to the subject, he made a really good comparison about how times change and tastes change. I've noticed on this board how many of the older members are buying the 21st gen GTOs and really aren't listening to the detractors because it's a fine car that does everything all the predecessors did plus more.

My 05 is the only new car I have ever bought and since Pontiac is gone the only one I'll ever buy. I was never lucky enough to be able to afford a GTO during the 60s or 70s so I was at a time in my life I could afford a brand new GTO and I bought mine, and 2 days after my purchase they announced that there would be no more GTOs produced, for once I had perfect timing. I could have bought something else for less money, however I agonized for days about buying the car and I have never regretted my decision.

If your really lucky maybe someone will snap that white car up and start producing it and you can be truly happy owning one, one can only hope............. At least I proudly drive a GTO daily, except during snow, I don't drive jap crap as a daily driver as so many of the self appointed critics on here do. Other than my trucks there is nothing in my driveway that doesn't have a red arrowhead and a Pontiac emblem on it.

I'm done, have fun.

[russosborne]

Car reminded me more of a mid 60's Grand Prix than a GTO.
Looks better to me than the "new" GTO's, but then I love the new Challengers.
If I could buy a brand new 1970 styled retro GTO for about what a restored one would cost or less there is no doubt I would do it. I like the old style cars, they had style back then. For the most part these days they are all too similar. Just my opinion. The newest GTO's just don't do a lot for me. They don't look like a GTO to me at all.

The Grand Am GTO was definitely around the 86-87 time frame. I had my 70 GTO then and got really excited that they might be bringing the GTO back in any form.

Russ

[#1WideTrak]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

...if I did I would drive something everyone drives, like a ruststang, or a crapmaro yanno every woman wants one....LMAO Pontiac owners don't usually follow the demographics and buy what every middle age woman drives with a v6, because they're cute.

People that think the new GTO was a failure because it was not retro live in their own little world where they think everyone wants an in-your-face muscle car. Had it been retro-styled, sales would have been worse. Whether you're talking about gearheads or Pontiac-loving gearheads, we're a dwindling group of people. We're not living in the 1960s anymore. Most people just want something to get from point A to point B.

Then some new GTO haters criticize Bob Lutz. He was the best thing to happen to GM this last decade.

[Singleton]

I've often hear people say that the new GTO "doesn't look anything like a old GTO". I counter with "well, what year GTO should it look like? A 64?, 66?, 69? 70? 73? 74?

The truth of the matter is that the new GTO was never designed to be a GTO. It had already been in production for several years as the Holden Monaro in Oz. Pontiac brought it here to fill the void left by the departure of the Trans Am. Basically just adding a new nose, (I think the Monaro nose looks better).

I bought my '06 brand new, and love it. It's a really well built car. But I still like my 66 more

[GOAT WHORE]

I wish Pontiac would have just retired the GTO namesake. The so called new GTO is an embaresment. I hate seeing them in my Pontiac magazines and expecially in the GTOAA news letter. Worse yet is seeing them at the Nationals. Can not stand it. That picture the op posted at least resembled a GTO but still is gross!!!!
This is of course JMO.

[PontGuy]

I didn't buy my 06 because it looked great, or because it had anything really in common with the old Pontiac iron. I bought it to drive- and have no regrets. Its a real drivers car, and still a blast 6 years later.

What were/are the recent alternatives for a new performance car?

Rustang- not for me, gave up on Fords a long time ago
Challenger/Charger- who wants 4 doors, and whats up with the small windows?
Vette/Viper/Cadillac- sure if you want to spend the big bucks
Camaro- not available in 06. Not crazy about the retro style but would be my first choice right now
POS foreign car- OK the GTO is really an Ausi, but at least it has an LS engine and Pontiac badges

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Singleton

The truth of the matter is that the new GTO was never designed to be a GTO. It had already been in production for several years as the Holden Monaro in Oz.

Well, the Holden Monaro was build back in the 60's and was a GM A body. The Holden Monaro was the natural evolution of a V8, RWD, 2DR, GM A body - just like the [i]"new"[i/] Buick GS, Olds Cutlass and Chevy Malibu (Chevelle) should have been - if the American consumer hadn't been demanding 4 cylinder FWD cars.

OK the GTO is really an Ausi...

Yup, a GM Aussi A body. I'm good with that...

[goatwgn]

"Retro" styling is something designers seem to gravitate towards because they don't have any "original" ideas. Where do some of these "retro" cars go when it comes time for the next restyle? Are they going to produce "Mustang IIs" again

[Old Goat Racer]

Mr. Singleton, why 2 different kind of wheels?
Nice color.

[Transporter]

Originally Posted by Old Goat Racer

Mr. Singleton, why 2 different kind of wheels?
Nice color.

Street Trim/ Race Trim???

[71GP76TA]

If I want to drive an old looking car.... I'll get the full old car effect and jump into one of my old cars....

In all honesty..... I'm glad the '04-'06 GTO was built in Aussie..... Its built better than anything GM built here in the states around that time. The GTO, aside from the 2010 Camaro, is pretty much the only late model V8 rear drive offering from GM..... sorry.. but... 4th gen F-bodys are junk IMO... and I don't want a newer Vette.... to hard to get in and out of and they are closterphobic.... same with the 4th gen F-bodys.

[goatwgn]

No matter what happened to the GTO nameplate, at least it didn't suffer the same fate as the Lemans nameplate. The 1989 Korean built econobox with the Lemans nameplate applied to it. And don't forget the Tempest nameplate being attached to a Canadian market Chevy Corsica If they were going to sell a rebadged Korean import, at least they could have leave the Lemans nameplate alone, and called it T-1000 II or something of that nature. It wouldn't have mattered to people who were buying that thing.

[Sirrotica]

In case anyone cares here's a few pics of mine...........







Last pic shows the handmade grille prototypes that I planned on marketing, that somewhat changes the looks of the front end of the car.