The 1964 Tempest LeMans GTO started life as a $295 option package, not a model of its own. Pontiac still built 32,450 of them that first year. In our view, that simple formula, a big V8 in a mid-size body-on-frame car, is what makes the GTO feel so hardy.
Of course, no one can promise any car will see 300,000 miles. Rust can end any GTO early, and Hagerty warns that GM’s A-bodies corroded badly. However, some years look to us like they carry more margin than others, from lazy low-rpm torque to simple, rugged hardware.
These are our picks, eight GTOs that look built to go the distance, judged on the hardware they carried. The mileage verdict is our opinion. Every figure behind it comes from a source we checked for this story.
1. 1964 Pontiac Tempest LeMans GTO Sports Coupe
Every early GTO used a 389-cubic-inch V8 with 10.75:1 compression. In the 1964 Tempest LeMans GTO, the four-barrel version made 325 hp, while the Tri-Power setup with a cam swap made 348 hp. Buyers could choose a three-speed manual, a Powerglide automatic or a Muncie four-speed.
According to Hagerty’s 1964–67 GTO buyer’s guide, almost every part short of a new frame is now available as a reproduction. That’s a big reason a well-kept ’64 can keep running for decades. On the other hand, the 1964–65 VIN does not identify a true GTO, so clones are common.
Our take: the first Tempest LeMans GTO is simple, strong and easy to keep alive. If you shop for one, insist on Pontiac Historical Services documentation, which Hagerty prices at $75 per car.
2. 1965 Pontiac GTO hardtop
For 1965, Pontiac revised the 389’s cylinder heads and raised output to 335 hp. Meanwhile, the Tri-Power version climbed to 360 hp. At the same time, the car got stacked headlamps, a new grille, new taillights and a hood scoop with twin nostrils.
That scoop was only for show at the factory. However, dealers sold Ram Air kits in 1965 and 1966 that made it work. Car Life tested a ’65 from zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. Pontiac sold roughly 75,000 GTOs that year, and the Rally 1 wheel made its debut.
In our view, the ’65 is the GTO that hits the balance between early simplicity and real performance. We explain why it earned so much credit in why the ’65 GTO got all the credit. Our buyer advice: check floors and trunk pans before anything else.
3. 1968 Pontiac GTO convertible
Pontiac redesigned the GTO for 1968 on a 112-inch wheelbase. The standard engine was now a 400-cubic-inch V8 rated at 350 hp. Up front sat the body-color Endura bumper, made of a rubber-like material.
The Endura nose stayed on the GTO through 1972. Meanwhile, the 1968 redesign also brought hidden headlights, offered for two years only. Pontiac added the Ram Air II engine partway through the model year.
Our take: a 1968 convertible with the standard 400 is a smooth, torquey cruiser rather than a high-strung racer. That lazy character is what we’d want for a car meant to rack up miles. Keep the top mechanism and the floors in good shape, though.
4. 1970 Pontiac GTO hardtop coupe
Pontiac swapped the 1970 GTO’s hidden headlamps for four exposed round lamps. It also added a rear anti-roll bar and optional variable-ratio power steering. As a result, the car became a better all-round driver.
Then the new 455 HO joined the lineup, rated at 360 hp at 4,300 rpm with 500 lb-ft of torque. Above it sat the Ram Air IV 400, which Hagerty’s list of GTO facts rates at 370 hp and names the most powerful classic GTO engine. Pontiac sold 40,149 GTOs in 1970, the year of “The Humbler” ad campaign.
In our view, a 455 car is the one to pick for distance. All that low-rpm torque means the engine never has to work hard on the highway. Look for a car with the base 400 or the 455 rather than a high-strung Ram Air IV.
5. 1971 Pontiac GTO 2-door hardtop coupe
For 1971, Pontiac dropped compression across the GTO range. The standard 400 ran an 8.2:1 ratio and made 300 hp gross, or 255 net. Meanwhile, Pontiac rated the 455 HO at 335 hp gross and 310 net, with 480 lb-ft.
Despite the lower numbers, Motor Trend ran a 1971 GTO from zero to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. Sales, however, fell to 10,532 cars. Hagerty also notes that 1971 was the last year for a GTO convertible.
Our take: the low-compression engines feel unstressed to us, and that makes the 1971 hardtop a sensible long-haul pick. Budget for rust repair and a careful cooling-system check.
6. 1972 Pontiac Le Mans hardtop coupe with GTO option
For 1972, the GTO went back to being an option, this time on the LeMans and LeMans Sport coupes. The package cost $353.88. Production totals vary slightly by source, from 5,807 in Hagerty’s count to 5,811.
First, the 400 made 250 hp net, while the 455 had the same rating with more torque. At the top, the 455 HO made 300 hp net and 415 lb-ft, and only 646 cars got it. Pontiac also made the Endura bumper optional on LeMans models that year.
In our view, the 1972 car is the stealthiest GTO you can buy. It looks like a LeMans, yet it carries the same tough running gear. Our buyer advice: verify the GTO option paperwork, because the badges are easy to add.
7. 1973 Pontiac GTO 455
The 1973 GTO moved to GM’s Colonnade body, with a fixed roof pillar and triangular rear side windows. Federal 5 mph front bumpers came along as well. Under the NACA-duct hood, the 455 made 250 hp and came only with the TH-400 automatic.
In our view, that big automatic suits a long-life pick. According to Hagerty, Pontiac built just 544 GTOs with the 455, all automatic. Meanwhile, total GTO sales dropped to 4,806, the worst year in the car’s original run.
Our take: the 455 and TH-400 pairing looks like hardware made to last. As a bonus, Hagerty values a base 400 car at $9,700 in #3 condition, so a 1973 GTO is an affordable way into the club, and the 455 is the rare one to hunt.
8. 1974 Pontiac GTO coupe
For its final original year, the GTO moved to the compact Ventura. The $461 package came with one engine, a 350-cubic-inch V8 rated at 200 hp and 295 lb-ft. Buyers could choose a coupe or a hatchback.
Hagerty calls it the least powerful GTO, and Motor Trend needed 9.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. Even so, a small, lightly stressed V8 in a compact car looks to us like a recipe for an easy life. In our view, that makes the ’74 the quiet long-distance runner of the family. Our year-by-year look at the GTO era traces how the car got here.
Our buyer advice: buy the best body you can find, because the drivetrain is the easy part. Pontiac built 7,058 of these GTOs, and the name did not return until a later generation came from Holden in Australia.
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