The original 335-horse, WT-code...
The original 335-horse, WT-code 400 engine was lightly modified by the first owner. It had to be brought back to mostly stock and repainted just three days prior to the GTOAA Nationals, so a few items are incorrect; the carburetor, which is a '68 model, the headers, the fan clutch, and some lines and hose-clamp placements.
By the time Marc decided to buy the GTO, time was of the essence if it was going to make it to the GTOAA Nationals. Though the Pontiac was very clean, it was sporting the incorrect carb and headers and had some other small engine details that needed attention. Of course, there was also the down and dirty job of removing all the sprayed-on rust-proofing. Dean got right to work, correcting what he could in a very short three days before the GTO was to leave for the Nats in Kentucky.
He quickly installed a '68 Q-jet and detailed the engine after cleaning tons of Ziebart rust-proofing from the firewall, inner fenderwells, and the rest of the engine compartment. Marc and Dean's reason for attending the Nationals was to find out how close the Pontiac actually was to original and to discover how many less obvious items still needed to be replaced to return the GTO to a factory appearance.
A Silver Award in the Concours Factory-Original Unrestored class was the net result, with the Goat receiving 410 points of a possible 500 and a set of judging sheets that would provide a roadmap to Concours Gold honors. It lost points for its engine repaint, various fuel lines and hardware issues, its nonoriginal carb and headers, aftermarket exhaust, body repaint, wear on the driver seat and other small interior items, and for nonworking backup lights, emergency flashers, and radio.
The interior is thought to...
The interior is thought to be original except for the carpet, floor mats, and tissue dispenser. Though the GTOAA interior Judge felt that the door panels had been replaced, they have wear areas just above the armrests that could lead one to believe they are original, so the jury is still out on that one. Note the yellow rust-proofing plug in the door jamb. Points came off for all of these as well.
Armed with this information, Dean and Marc went about correcting many of these items including the induction system, which now features correctly coded '67 carb, and the exhaust was replaced with a Gardener Concours system and a set of stock manifolds.
At the GTOAA Eastern Regionals in August 2006, the GTO earned its Concours Gold Award in the Stock class prompting Marc to remark, "I can't thank Dean enough for his work on my GTO. His effort and dedication really show in the results."
Though it's a Gold-standard Goat now, please keep in mind that when this Pontiac was photographed at the Nationals it was still in Concours Silver condition. Aside from mentioning that the engine is the original WT-code, 335-horse 400, we won't use it or the outer body as guides to point out original items or properly restored items since both were repainted. Instead, we concentrate on the rest of the GTO in the areas where it remains factory original.
At this point, Marc and Andrea Komorsky have a pristine '67 GTO that has retained enough of its factory patina to offer us some insight as to how they were built back in the day. Just think, if Marc and Dean had not decided to go to E-town when they did, Marc would never have found this GTO. Happily, he did, and a Pontiac that will require regular preservation to maintain what is left of its originality has ended up in the hands of an owner who says, "It seems that I've loved Pontiacs all my life." Sometimes, things do work out like they should.
Special thanks to Quint Stires, John Sawruk, and Rocky Rotella for their help in preparing this article.
 With 90,145.9 miles on the...  With 90,145.9 miles on the odometer, this GTO is not exactly low mileage, but it has been very well cared for. No Rally gauges were ordered with this stripper Goat. |  GTO aficionados went nuts...  GTO aficionados went nuts when they saw this radio. Many have never seen the AM radio without the pushbutton tuning in a '67. It was ordered under option code 348, Manual Control Radio with Manual Antenna. |  This N.O.S. dealer-installed...  This N.O.S. dealer-installed tissue dispenser is not only rare and desirable today, it contains an N.O.S. box of tissues. Note they are green. Marc and Dean found the attaching hardware for a tissue dispenser under the dash when the car was purchased, but the dispenser itself was long gone, so Dean hunted down this replacement. |
 According to retired GTOAA...  According to retired GTOAA Judge Quint Stires, "Though its cap is correct appearing, the replacement master cylinder should have bleeder screws like the original. The alternator fan is natural, and the blades are not symmetrical, which is correct appearing even though it's a '69 model. Both the upper heater hose and the battery are correct replacements, but the M&H tag on the repro battery cable should come off. Additionally, the alternator strap that goes to the intake is missing, and the Teflon tape on the temp sending-unit threads is incorrect." |  The fenderwell splash shields...  The fenderwell splash shields appear to be original. Note the white fibers running through them and that they are stapled from wheel side, as they should be. |  Dean Mastrangelo painstakingly...  Dean Mastrangelo painstakingly cleaned all the rust-proofing off the firewall to reveal this paint pattern. Many restorers run the black paint up to the top of firewall or the body-sealer line, but according to Pontiac historian John Sawruk, the transition from black to body color is normally gradual, as shown. He warns, however, "Many of these Fisher Body processes, including the paint process, are not well documented. As a result, there may be plant-to-plant differences. At least one plant may have painted the engine side up the firewall to the top." |