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 Producing 348 hp, this 76X-code...  Producing 348 hp, this 76X-code 389 features a trio of Rochester two-barrel carbs (front-7024178, center-7024175, rear-7024179) mounted on a cast-iron intake. |
 "For a man who doesn't mind...  "For a man who doesn't mind riding a tiger if someone'd only put wheels on it," is what Pontiac said about the '64 GTO. It's the same for Ilan 43 years later. |
 The '64 GTO rides on original...  The '64 GTO rides on original Code JK 14x6 wheels and 7.50x14 reproduction redline tires. Originals were US Royal redlines. |
Option code 382 turned a Tempest LeMans into a street-racing musclecar by adding a 389ci, four-barrel, 325-horse engine with dual exhaust, a Hurst floor-shifted, three-speed manual trans, a heavy-duty clutch, and a heavy-duty suspension with a 0.938-inch front stabilizer bar and specific springs and shocks. For style, a twin-louvered hood with chrome inserts was added, the grille was blacked out, and GTO lettering was bolted onto it, the rear quarters, and the decklid. GTO crests were affixed to the front fenders and the passenger side of the dash. The driver side of the dash received a simulated engine-turned-fascia.
Over and above the GTO option, Ilan's was ordered with the aforementioned Tri-Power engine that bumped horsepower to 348 and added thousands of dollars to its collector value. Safe-T-Track (code 703) was also checked off for the 3.23-geared rear to ensure two matching streaks of rubber on the pavement with each launch. Aside from those two performance options, the red A-body was built with a minimum of convenience features including a push-button AM radio with electric antenna (code 393), a Separa-phonic rear speaker (code 401), a dual-speed windshield washer and wipers (code 421), and a Custom Sport steering wheel (code 524).
Ilan's GTO is stock. The only variations from what was available from the factory that the judges can see are Flowmaster mufflers, according to the owner.
As such, this GTO has racked up a list of awards including Best of Show at the Tri-State Pontiac Nationals, 2002; Best of Show at the Garden State POCI Show, 2003; First Place at the 15th Annual East Coast GTOAA Regional, 2004; and Best GTO at the GTO Cruise Out, 2004. Silver Concours Restored was earned at the '03 GTOAA East Coast Regionals in Whippany, New Jersey, and three years later at the '06 GTOAA Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.
But it's not all about the shows. Ilan says, "Driving my GTO makes me feel like I own the street. It brings back a lot of memories of drive-in movies, cheap gas, and drag racing at midnight."
As you can see, the '64 GTO represents an era for Ilan and many other Pontiac fans. It took 36 years for this GTO owner to find his lost dream and proudly show it at many events. He tells us he is prepared to step up to Concours Restored Gold in the near future, which will complete the circle of returning this GTO to what John DeLorean and a talented group of engineers, designers, and marketing people had intended.