The White-Ivory Cordova Roof...
The White-Ivory Cordova Roof (code SVT) contrasts beautifully with the Meridian Turquoise body and stainless trim, the latter of which is all-original and was polished by owner Mark Amodei.
The mostly original Parchment...
The mostly original Parchment interior (Code 224) features standard bucket seats reupholstered with Morrokide covers by Carl's Quality Upholstery in Johnson, Rhode Island (who also installed the Cordova roof), an optional center console (Code 472), custom sport steering wheel (Code 471), tilt column (Code 504), and a Rally Clock (code 474).
Tunes are provided by a push-button...
Tunes are provided by a push-button GM Delco AM radio (code 382) with the optional rear speaker (code 391).
How He Did It
Let's say you really want this perfect-looking GTO, but like Mark, you have a dollar limit for your project. Here's what he did to find his GTO and get it concours ready.
Seek out a low-mile and/or original-owner GTO as Mark did. You'll pay more up front, but it's worth it down the road. The lower the miles, the less wear and tear, and fewer functional and detail pieces will need to be replaced.
Enlist the help of a fellow GTO owner for his advice. Mark worked with HPP's Quint Stires who had years of experience and knowledge in GTOs. Perhaps you'll find a near-concours-ready GTO that needs only $3,000-$5,000 of N.O.S. and reproduction pieces to bring it to gold status like Mark did. More likely, you'll spend $5,000-$15,000 to bring your Goat up to this level. Either way, pair with someone who has traveled this road many times, and he or she will gladly share the cost-effective methods of the route.
Take your time sourcing parts and working your plan. Mark worked from 1999 to 2003 to complete his GTO. N.O.S., and reproduction parts availability and pricing can change quickly. Today's $100 in-the-old-box N.O.S. part may be reproduced tomorrow for a retail price of $50. Use online auctions, club classifieds, print classifieds, and the advertisers in HPP to compare prices.
This GTO rides on 14x6 Rally...
This GTO rides on 14x6 Rally II wheels (code 453) and Firestone G70x14 reproduction Red Line tires. The trim rings are N.O.S.
7 Reasons To Consider Buying A Standard Gto Over A Ram Air Car
They're cheaper.They're more plentiful.The rarity of a Ram Air GTO excites the Pontiac elite and is a great conversation piece, but at multi-make shows and in the real world, most people are excited just to see a great-looking GTO.Choose your color. You can find most any year base GTO in any of the standard colors and interior shades offered by Pontiac. Try that with a Ram Air car.Choose your options. Ever see a Ram Air or R/A-II GTO with A/C?You can drive it because of the first two reasons above and because 4.33 gears are no fun on the highway.If you really want Ram Air performance, you can get it cheaper than buying the real thing. Have the stock heads ported to flow approximately 230 cfm, swap the 066 or 067 cam for a 744 (Ram Air) or 041 (R/A-II) with the required valvetrain parts, bolt on a set of repop R/A exhaust manifolds and pipes, swap in a set of 4.33 gears, rejet the carb, and recurve the distributor. For about $3,500, you have Ram Air acceleration. You can even open up the hoodscoops and buy a repro Ram Air system to complete the transformation.