1967 Pontiac GTO - Tripping Over A Time Capsule

Could you imagine stumbling upon this GTO at a giant swap meet? Well, it happened to Marc Komorsky of Poughkeepsie, New York, and his friend/restorer Dean Mastrangelo at the Englishtown Car Show and Swap Meet at Raceway Park in 2006.

Marc recalls, "We were walking up one of the aisles hunting for a carburetor for my '68 H.O. GTO when I saw a white '67 GTO parked in front of the Ames booth with 'For Sale' signs in the windows. The owner was trying to stuff huge quarter-skin boxes into the interior, so I walked up and jokingly said, 'Get those boxes out of my car, you're ruining my interior.' Strangely enough, he did." The GTO's owner, Bob Schweitzer, was looking to sell the Pontiac to make room for his other myriad Goat projects.

"I wasn't in the market for a car at all," Marc says. "I just wanted a Q-jet. Regardless, I took Bob's number, but I had to leave on a business trip shortly thereafter so I didn't act on it. Dean, however, had checked out the GTO while I was speaking with Bob."

This '67 GTO appears stock from the rear except for its exhaust. The trim is original, but the hubcaps are reproductions since the originals still need to be detailed.

Dean says, "When I looked the car over, I realized how nice and original it was, so I advised Marc to buy it. It took three months to convince him. I finally told him that I was going to buy it if he didn't."

"Yes, he kept hounding me to buy the Pontiac," Marc confirms. "Admittedly, the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. Considering the fact that my wife Andrea and I are lifelong Pontiac people-my father had a '60 Ventura and I have pictures of me in the driver's seat at two years old-we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Also, I've had a soft spot for '66-'67 GTOs since the '80s when I bought my Mariner Turquoise '66 GTO convertible, which I still have. As you may imagine, I was very pleased to find that the '67 was just as Bob had stated, and it came with comprehensive paperwork."

Along with its great condition and extensive documentation, the GTO in question had an eclectic choice of options. Though it was factory-equipped with the standard 335hp 400, it also had the optional close-ratio M21 four-speed trans, 3.90-geared Safe-T-Track rear, and the Ride and Handling package. Common options that were not checked off on its order form include power steering and brakes, as well as special wheels or even wheel covers, so standard caps were installed. So, it's a race car right? But wait, it was also ordered with Soft Ray glass all around, an AM radio with rear speaker, and Deluxe seatbelts, not to mention Firestone white-line tires. Only the original purchaser, Elroy Morrison of Ohio, knows why this stripper was fitted with these comforts.

Though it was purchased for its exceptional condition, owner Marc Komorsky still enjoys his time-capsule GTO on the road.

Nevertheless, shortly after its purchase, the Pontiac was Ziebart rust-proofed, which covered the undercarriage, wheelwells, much of the engine compartment, and inside the rockers and doors. The GTO was then fitted with a set of headers and a Holley spreadbore carb in 1970, so it would seem the intent was to go fast.

In the Morrison family, the GTO remained until approximately 1994, but during those later years, Elroy's son owned it. According to receipts included in the paperwork, the Goat was repainted in 1994 as well. After spending some time in Texas with another owner(s), Bob Schweitzer purchased it and enjoyed it for a few years, which brings us to Marc's ownership.

Let's see, 3.90 Safe-T-Track rear, four-speed trans, and Deluxe seatbelts? The original purchaser put together quite an interesting array of options. Here are those seldom-seen Deluxe belts.

How do you tell the difference between fac-tory doorsill plates and reproductions? Originals used a pair of rivets to hold the "Body by Fisher" badge that you can just see in this photo. Reproductions are glued in place with no rivets.

The trunk area was not part of the '94 repaint. Its floor mat is original, as is the jack base, according to the owner. Quint noticed the overspray from body color to trunk spatter paint on the hinge, which is correct.