1969 Ram Air IV Pontiac GTO - Ram Air Resurrected

Great Poncho's can be born or made. In the case of this '69 GTO however, it had to be reborn before it could reestablish itself as one of the top Pontiacs of all time. One of two sets of helping hands on this project, owner David Foglton knows this fact all too well. And much like his prized show car, David was born into this automotive hobby of ours. "I started learning about cars at only 8 years old in 1969 when my cousin Tony let me help work on his '58 Corvette Fuelie," he says, remembering his start.

Continuing on the path of early lessons and early starts, David, now a foreman at a corned beef company and a resident of Westchester, Illinois, bought his first GTO, a '68 convertible, in 1978. His "motor-vation" was that of most teens: "I thought it would win me the attention of the girls!" David wasn't disappointed with the results, and the following year he sold his GTO and purchased a '69 convertible he still owns today. But his growing obsession with GTOs didn't end. "Since my first '68, I've owned 12 additional Pontiacs," he states proudly. Of course, with each one he learned a lesson. What he hadn't gleaned from Tony he picked up from "monthly car rags, checking out the top bills at a show, studying the unrestored low-mile survivors, and later, scouring the Web for details and tips." Eventually, his amalgam of knowledge was put to use in his most recent creation, this '69 Ram Air IV Goat.

David was first told about the GTO by his stepfather in 1997. Advertised as a parts car in the local paper, the owner said that it was "complete from the firewall back" and could be David's for a mere $150. Yes, one-hundred and fifty dollars. The seller made no bones about the remains being sold as a parts car since all the front sheetmetal, firewall forward, was missing. But David figured for the money, he should at least go take a look to see what was useful on the Poncho's hulk.

A short drive away and expecting the worst, he was pleasantly surprised when it was much more than advertised. "It was truly a good parts car," he says. "It had manual steering and brakes, wood wheel, gauges-all of this was intact." An added bonus was the original block, heads, and trans that had been hidden in the trunk for safekeeping.

After trailering the remains home a week later, David started cleaning out his new purchase. That's when he found a hole in the firewall for a Ram Air cable. Then, inside the glovebox, David made the discovery that ensured the '69s future. "Shoved back inside it was a Ram Air sticker that is usually on the cable mounting plate." Also stuffed inside was the original Protect-O-Plate. "I had to know what I owned," David tells HPP, "so I sent the VIN to Pontiac Historic Services." What he got in return was like walking into King Solomon's mines. "It turned out to be a Liberty Blue Ram Air IV car with a parchment interior. It was only one of 210 R/A-IV GTOs built with a 4.33 differential and a four-speed," David says. Obviously, the parts car graduated to restoration project at that very moment.