The '72 GTO served as a well-cared-for family car until 1980 when it was retired to a life of show duty. First, battle bruises on the armor were healed--the front bumper was repainted, a dent in the right rear quarter was tended to, and a scratch was repaired in the left quarter. Wear items such as a few hoses were replaced as needed to maintain driveability, and the exhaust splitters are N.O.S. Aside from that, the GTO remains original and is stored when not in use to preserve it.
The Popes are the original...
The Popes are the original owners, and the license plate surround from the selling dealer remains on the Pontiac. The massive 1.125-inch rear stabilizer bar shown is part of the WW5 option as is Safe-T-Track rear (code HUK, 3.31:1 gears.)
If you think a bench seat...
If you think a bench seat Goat is rare, then wonder how many got a bench seat and optional foam padding for it. The gauges are part of the WW5 package.
Auto on the column is not...
Auto on the column is not common in a GTO, especially a WW5 car. The Turbo 400 trans code is PQ. Note the 140-mph speedo--later in the season, the 120-mph speedo with a seatbelt warning lamp replaced it. Mileage is just 40,941.
In fact, it had been stored for quite a while prior to HPP catching up with it at the '05 POCI convention. The Popes showed their GTO, and I was there to cover the event. We both traveled hundreds of miles to South Carolina only to discover that we lived 20 minutes apart in western Pennsylvania. I hadn't seen the Pontiac at any local events, and that's because it had been stored for a few years. Regardless, the '72 looked great and took Junior Gold honors scoring 397 points of 400. The deductions were for minor interior wear, and the AM radio didn't work. Its reception at POCI reaffirmed the Pope's commitment to their GTO.
Here you can see the choke...
Here you can see the choke setup and the fact the even though the intake is aluminum (casting No. 485640)--note the Winters foundry snowflake logo--it was still painted engine color. Some of the hoses have been replaced, and some emissions controls have been disconnected and/or removed, as has the vacuum switch on the intake. Terry repainted the intake and valve covers in 1980 so not all overspray is correct.
Here is the extremely rare...
Here is the extremely rare Unitized distributor (stamped No. 1112133) replete with cap featuring captured numbered and date-coded plug wires. You can also see the remains of the throttle cable decal and a few vacuum hoses that the owner cut and plugged years ago.
The Rochester Quadrajet carb...
The Rochester Quadrajet carb is original to the engine, according to Terry, and is stamped 7042270.
Terry and Barbara had the forethought to buy smart back in the day and to preserve their two GTOs well in the following decades. Though Terry's dad can be credited for getting his son hooked on Pontiacs, it was Terry's friend Lawrence "Gib" Mahle who inspired him to stay in the hobby. "Besides being a master autobody technician who restored many Pontiacs into award winners, what makes Gib so outstanding is that he was always willing to share his knowledge and assist me in projects that I could not have done alone," Terry says. "He has been a significant influence in my life and is undoubtedly responsible for my trying to keep the Pontiac image alive." (Gib's custom '60 Bonneville pickup was featured in HPP's December '92 issue.)
The original spare on a Snowflake...
The original spare on a Snowflake wheel! A far cry from the temporary donuts we get today. This tire is well worn as it was rotated in with the other four per GM recommendation back in the day.
Here's a piece of interior...
Here's a piece of interior trim that should be impossible to find. Also, check out the shoulder harness setup.
Dividends for the Pope's perseverance in maintaining the '72 include accolades and dropped jaws at the shows, the comfort and excitement of knowing that they own an authentic piece of Pontiac performance history, and that whenever the mood grabs them, it can be 1972 all over again.