 One of the most handsome and...  One of the most handsome and distinctive front ends ever. The gleaming brightwork, bumpers, and trim is courtesy of Southwest Plating of Chicago, Illinois. |
 This Tri-Power motor, shown...  This Tri-Power motor, shown here as it was in 2005, is code WV for four-speed with A.I.R. (Air Injector Exhaust Control Reactor), an option that was only required in California. |
 The interior was restored...  The interior was restored to stock. Factory options include a Custom Sports (wood) steering wheel, Rally gauges, Pushbutton AM radio, and a walnut shift knob. According to Brandon, "The last piece to go in the interior was the hazard flasher (code 521). We found one on eBay. I don't like to think about what I paid for it ($250; the cost in 1966? $11.59), but N.O.S. is the best you can do." |
 From this perspective, the...  From this perspective, the taut, lithe lines of the coke-bottle shape and the aggressive stance of the '66 GTO are apparent. |
 This view provides instant...  This view provides instant recognition of a '66 GTO. The hooded (louvered) taillamps distinguish it from the '67 and accentuate its width. |
"Intensely red!" I said. "Montero Red," he said. I was describing the color. He was naming it. No matter: Montero Red is intensely red! And he is Brandon Goodwin of Channahon, Illinois, owner of this dazzling '66 GTO hardtop.
This fresh restoration was completed just in time to compete in the 2005 GTOAA Nationals in St. Louis, where it earned a Concours Gold award, picking up 468 out of a possible 500 points. The deductions were: 1.) -10 for the center carb tag, which wasn't in reproduction at that time; after a year of searching, Brandon finally located an original one and has replaced it. 2.) -10 for a small tear in the dashpad; it has since been replaced. 3.) -8 for other minor interior issues. 4.) -4 for lack of undercoating in the wheelwells.
More recently, it took Best of Show (stock) at the increasingly popular Indian Uprising show sponsored by the Cruisin' Tigers GTO chapter of the GTOAA in Geneva, Illinois. As of this writing, the GTO also garnered one of the highest point-total Gold awards at the 2006 POCI show in Ontario, California. Additionally, as we were going to press, it took Best of Show at the 2006 GTOAA Nats in Louisville, Kentucky, scoring 490 points out of a possible 500.
We see the results, but how did this project begin? "When I was younger (he's now 45), I always wanted a GTO but couldn't afford one," Brandon says. "I had other cars, mostly Chevys, since I could afford those. In June of 2001, I heard of this GTO whose owner could no longer drive a stick because of a knee injury. I was lucky enough to talk to him before he officially put the car up for sale.
"When I saw the GTO for the first time, I was speechless! Here was the Pontiac I had always wanted." It was a very presentable, numbers- matching original with a factory four-speed, the rare A.I.R. option (Air Injector Exhaust Control, code 612), and a Tri- Power 389 (code WV for a four-speed with A.I.R.). It also had Rally I wheels with redlines that Brandon knew would look great with the correct red paint (at the time, the car was maroon).
Other major factory options include a Custom Sport steering wheel (code 471), Rally gauges (code 448), Walnut shift knob (code 524), and the Ride and Handling package (code 621). Brandon is quick to point out that he didn't forget the paint stripe: On this GTO, Delete Stripe (code 491) was checked. Door-edge Guards (code 382), the Lamp Group (code 074), and Soft-Ray glass for all the windows (code 531) was also ordered.
After a test ride and price discussion, a deal was made. Brandon picked up the Pontiac the next day and surprised his wife, LeeAnn, also a car person.
"The GTO was a good driver but had a lot of incorrect parts that needed replacement," Brandon relates. "Many were poor reproduction parts that looked nice but didn't satisfy any particular standard of correctness. Although there was no significant body filler, some incompetent panel replacement had to be repaired."
This Pontiac was still nice enough "as is" to show. Brandon continues: "We enjoyed the GTO most of that summer and made plans to correct some parts over the winter. One day in September of 2001, we planned to attend a local car show but instead spent the morning putting out a carburetor fire that torched the hood, firewall, and the top of the engine. I knew I couldn't repair that much damage, so I took the car to Best of Show of Naperville, Illinois.
"Jimmy Martino, part owner and restoration expert, was very sympathetic and said it was not as bad as it looked. He could fix it; the choice was how far to go. There's only one choice with a California, numbers-matching, Tri-Power, four-speed. So the frame-off restoration began. After six months, a lot of upgraded parts, and an awesome paint job, here we are."