It all started back in 1996 with a knock at the door. Brian Berry, then a 28-year-old financial advisor from the beach town of Oceanport, New Jersey, was just getting his life back on cruise control after going through the rigmarole of buying a new home, digesting a big mortgage, and adding a brand new puppy to the family. Waiting on the front step was his father, Doug, who was visiting the new homestead for the very first time, bearing the remnants that Brian had left at the family’s home in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. Old clothes, sports equipment, and a dusty box were quickly added to the basement stash to be sorted out at a later date.
Brian had always been a Pontiac nut, with several powerful Ponchos to his credit. Over the years, he had a ’67 Tempest, a ’70 GTO four-speed, a ’76 Formula, a ’73 T/A four-speed, a ’78 Solar Gold T/A, and his first car--a ’74 Firebird Esprit retro-fitted with a 455 H.O. and other go-fast goodies. Suffice it to say, Brian was a proud card-carrying member of the Pontiac clan. But as with many people’s passions, college debts and the costs of everyday living took a toll on Brian’s collection of prized rides as the years went by. He vowed to someday pick up his passion for Ponchos once things had settled down.
Owner Brian Berry chose paint-code...
Owner Brian Berry chose paint-code 55 Crystal Turquoise to cover the flanks of his '69 GTO convertible, foregoing the original and ultra-rare-for-a-non-Judge Carousel Red in favor of the blue beach flavor.
While going through the possessions his dad had dropped off, he came upon a battered old box, which had stuffed inside every issue of
High Performance Pontiac magazine he had collected from 1986 to 1990--in chronological order and mint condition. Curiosity made him thumb through the pages of a few of the magazines. Like magic, that feeling was back. He was once again hooked on having another Poncho-powered performance ride to wrench on and thrash out on the streets. The hunt was officially on for what would become Brian’s own signature Pontiac cruiser.
Since it was 1996--years before eBay and Craigslist became household names--Brian started his search by collecting all of the local want-ad magazines, and then searching for his new project car. He came across a ’69 GTO convertible that seemed interesting enough, and luckily the Pontiac was only a couple of hours away from home. He promptly took the ride north to check out the drop-top, but made it to the car’s resting place after dark. He inspected the Goat as best he could in the dim light, decided he had to have it, and then haggled with the owner over price. The deal was soon done and the car in tow was headed back to South Jersey with him.
The engine bay looks fairly...
The engine bay looks fairly close to stock, but over 450 ponies lie in wait beneath the freshened chrome air cleaner on this 467-cube engine.
The next day Brian realized what he had gotten himself into. In the daylight, he could see the damage that years of exposure to the Northeast’s climate had caused to the A-body, and of course, the remnants of some poor bodywork. The original-issue Parchment interior was in shambles, needing a total refurbishment, and the car sat with a blown Turbo 400 connected to a peg-leg 3.55 rear. Since the original motor was gone (replaced with a tired ’72 400) and the GTO wasn’t a highly optioned piece, Brian realized the restification route was the way to go with his new ride; we will all soon realize what a wise choice that was.
Brian took time to thoroughly scout his area in search of a body shop with a good reputation as a lot of metal work was needed to bring the panels up to snuff. The GTO was sent to T&J Auto Body in Red Bank, New Jersey, where chemical stripper was used to take the body to bare metal, which was then quickly covered in epoxy primer. The shop then replaced the rear inner and outer wheelhouses, quarters, fenders, floors, and trunk area with fresh metal. These are typical repairs for hard-driven cars in the Northeast.