Bought Cheap GTO on FB - Bad Deal? - 1965 Pontiac GTO revival 

When I woke up this morning from unsettling dreams, I found myself compelled to watch a video about a 1965 GTO. My attention, drawn to the minutiae of rusted fenders and beer cans strewn about, reminded me of my own struggles with transformation and decay. The narrator's obsession with the authenticity of his car-a relic of past grandeur-mirrored the surreal disintegration of my own existence. He spoke of registration documents and color codes with a fervor that seemed almost Kafkaesque. The GTO's identity was questioned, just as mine had been, in a world where the past and present collide with cruel indifference. The car, like myself, was subjected to the scrutiny of others, its true nature concealed beneath layers of time and neglect. The trunk, filled with remnants of another life, opened like a portal to forgotten memories, much like my own mind, filled with fragments of what once was. The excitement over a found emblem, the dismay at mismatched parts, all felt like a reflection of my own futile attempts to piece together the shattered remnants of normalcy. As he continued, I couldn't help but feel a kinship with the vehicle-a symbol of lost glory, now reduced to a curiosity. The pursuit of authenticity, the hope for a genuine connection to the past, was a journey fraught with uncertainty and doubt. Yet, in the midst of this, there was a strange sense of purpose, a glimmer of hope that perhaps, amidst the rust and ruin, something real could be salvaged. In the end, the true value lay not in the car's pedigree but in the journey itself-the painstaking search, the fleeting victories, and the moments of introspection. And so, I watched, mesmerized by the unfolding narrative, feeling a deep, unspoken bond with the GTO, both of us navigating a world that seemed increasingly alien and unforgiving. --Gregor

May be a long shot in that condition, but I found the factory build sheet for my ‘64 GTO between the springs and cushion of the back seat. It will show it having the GTO option. Good find.

The 65 GTO was a LeMans. It came with the GTO option. 66 was the first year of the factory made GTO. I HAD A 66 and a 67.

Love GTO"s and a 65 to boot!!! What a find!

You find so many great cars. I look forward to seeing one restored.

Your Mom is a Smart Woman. Thirty grand later that Carcass might resemble a GTO. Best of Luck.

I had that very same key ring for my 65 GTO, the very same Hurst shifter knob (on a Hurst shifter), and to top it off ... wore that very same shirt while wrenching on my 65 ... back in the late 70s! Wow, what a time warp! lol I'm thinking this is a legit goat. I know it's rough but it's sacrilege to use that classic as a recycling bin! My very first car was a '66 GTO around 1977 - drivable but it was a pile. I blew the motor within a month ... took 6 months to save enough money to rebuild the 389. (balance, blueprinted, cam, headers, etc) Got it going again and while I didn't really know what I was doing, started in on body work and had the bumpers off ... when it was stolen. Got it back and all they took were the rally Camaro wheels and tires. Worst part was they just dumped it on the ground and completely trashed the fenders. Too much for me to tackle but luckily, I worked with a lady who's husband had a 65 GTO in decent shape (although far from perfect), with no motor or trans he was wanting to sell. I didn't really care for body style of the 66 (too much of a boat, IMO), so I bought the 65 body and transferred the drivetrain and many interior pieces. Still needed a lot of work but it was worth it - LOVED that car! Had it painted a dark metallic blue, American Racing 5 spokes, BFG TAs. I could kick myself for selling it! Subscribed to see the transformation!

The 1965 GTO , is, in my opinion up there with the nicest body designs of the classic era , actually, for me, it wouldn't have to be a GTO, a Tempest or Le Mans would be fine.

The front fenders are 65 only 66 & 67 the headlights are straight up and down, and yes they were available with a power glide auto a 3 & 4 speed manual. Great find👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸

Love your show Jay! Back in the old days the doors and trucnk were one key and the ignition was another.

My favorite year of goat LOVE IT 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Patch it up .. throw some paint and new rubber .. do a low budget overhaul on the drivetrain...dye and refurb the interior...a few grand and elbow grease you got a sweet driver!! Awesome find.

Glad you cut the scene of lifting Jimmy Hoffa's remains out of the trunk ! 🤭👍

Great content and glad you are back.

Such a great car, congrats! Frankly I like the 64/65 design better than the 66/67 design that followed. Looks "tougher" to me.

Your definitely the cool guy in the neighborhood! Can't beat a 65!!😊

I just went through the identical “(car) archeology” on a recently acquired 1955 Chevy Nomad project. Even though the floors, rockers and tailpan had obviously been replaced, I was sure all the exterior sheetmetal was original as I found traces of orange paint everywhere from front to back. That changed when I pulled off the front clip and saw the badly bent/poorly straightened front frame horns. Whenever that front end damage occurred it happened so long ago that the car still has an all GM front clip and the paint is so old it has honest patina. The motor/transmission were long gone but the old rusty traction bars in the back confirm it was somebody’s hot rod at one time. Keep us posted on what you find out about this car.

Buying a nice or mint one takes all the fun out of rebuilding one,your way.❤💯🏁💰

When you calculate what it's going to cost to restore you can find 1 already done and save lots of money and time. That's my experience when I did one, good luck

Looking forward to see cleaning this car cleaned up and becoming a driver. Always good to see Josh in the videos.

Good neighbours become good friends 😀

My Buddy and I used to steal his dads GTO and do BURN OUTS.....Full White smoke......Oh yea and he didnt even have his license yet. Back in the day.

I hope that it's a real GTO. If it isn't, a Lemans would be cheaper to insure, and it still looks like a GTO.

Van Halen and Pontiacs. Two of my favorite die hard things of all time.

Way to go, GTO! I hope it will scratch your itch for those 3 magical letters. If nothing else these videos should boost your profile. Best of luck and keep us posted.

This is a great project, Jason! Thanks for always providing us with interesting content and Welcome Back! This was well worth the wait.👍

'To be or not to be that is the question?' It is looking more promising Jason. Great neighbour BTW. So nice to have good neighbours. Looking forward to the next episode Jason. 👍👍

👍👌👏 Light blue is definitely a great colour for this car. Way too many are red or reddish. Looks like it needs a ton of work and money to get this awesome vehicle back to original. But because it's on your bucket list, it might be worth the effort.

Kid is all over the provenance issue. Tough crowd.

I could be mistaken but I think the "P" in the Serial number just designated that it was a Pontiac Motor Division car, not where it was built. If that car was always in the Connecticut area, it was most likely built in Framingham Mass. Could be a Baltimore car also. The cowl tag is supposed to have the plant abbreviation on it. *I realize your tag looks like it may not be original*

In 1988 I was 16, a cousin and I crashed my 1965 GTO 4 speed, insurance totaled it, but it was rebuildable, but it was only a 23 year old car, not a huge deal at that time. Anyway, we took of every single piece off that we could and have it still considered to be a car to the insurance, when it went to the wrecking yard it had no windows, no interior except driver seat from another old Ponty, the locked up engine from the same old Ponty, and all the trim and glass and chrome removed. We put all that stuff under the house, in the back corner of the crawl space and then it got forgotten about when my family moved out of that house in 1998... It is probably all still down there. I wonder what the etiquette is to go and ask someone if you can go into the back corner of their crawl space and pillage.

That thing has been messed with a lot through the years, but I wouldn't get too hung up on it. It's rough, and perfect to do your own thing with. If it had OG vins and stuff you would be stuck to restoration, etc. Probably a stolen GTO, with tons of mods.

Those 65’ and 67’s are just the most aesthetically appealing years for the GTO. They were that mid-sixties GM perfection, square and smooth angles, great proportions, and that stacked headlight class. 1966 just looks wrong in the back.

Back in the eighties a friend bought a '65 LeMans that was a six cylinder and two speed automatic,both were trashed so he swapped in a 350/300 horse Chevy and it was a running fool,after he sold it a subsequent owner made a GTO clone out of it.

My '66 Monza came with a VIN tag that did not match the car's spec. I knew this before buying it and got a substantial discount off the price (it was an estate sale). Turns out the previous owner built the car to his exact preference using parts from several different cars. He did a nice job, so I am ok with what the car is and the fact I could actually afford it. Enjoy your GTO no matter what it is...

That is big with the quarter being correct for GTO with the emblems. I think that the core body is a real GTO.

If that hood is original to car then It's most likely a GTO. I myself, aren't too fussy about original because the only reason we have muscle cars is because of mechanics who came back from WW2 started Souping up cars in their backyards and the manufacturers wanted to get in on the action. I have respect for someone who makes a replica that you have to check the vin to see if it's legit. My neighbor bought a 65 gto brand new and in 3 months had it stolen 3 times. 3rd time never got it back. Possibly there was a tempest that was wrecked and they took fenders and vin and put on a stolen GTO . Either way when finished, that car will be HOT 😁 Oh yeah, everyone who I new who had a 65 GTO had it stolen or bought a 65 GTO that was unclaimed stolen car.

Great video keep them coming on this GTO your doing a great job!

It's a shame people leave vehicles outside to rot. I hope you can restore this awesome classic. Cheers from Utah

I always liked those louvered air cleaner assemblies!

My 67 had a "His and Hers" 3 speed Hurst Shifter, it had air and the radio had "Reverb"!

Poor some juice in the carb! 😎 Now you got me looking at Pontiacs! =)

I hope your GTO get fully restored. It's going to be tough with all the new arrivals. Have fun man!

Good looking GTO… lots of TLC and it will come alive.

I had that VH shirt in junior high school, in the early '80's.🎸 And, as you know, your mom is right, if you are not looking for an adventure, which you clearly are. Love the car, who cares if it's "real" or not.

I'm quite convinced you've got the real deal 🙏. Prepare to spend an indecent amount of money restoring it...😂😂😂

What! No Schlitz cans? Glad you now have your Dream ( nightmare ) car!

I really enjoyed your video, the boy ask the most important question is it a real gto 😂😂😂what a smart kid he had me laughing 😃 I really like seeing someone give these old cars the time and attention they need, thanks for sharing your video and good luck with all your builds

I’ve had gm a bodies almost all my life since I was 16. Im gonna say it’s a real goat

I wonder if someone was restoring a better condition Lemans and they were taking the tags off this car to put on the Lemans, and turning this GTO into a Lemans parts car?

Either way it's a classic 60's car that will look fantastic when done.

That is awsome either way! metal gold!! I really want to see you build this one!!

Subbed just because you're saving the lightest and best year of the GOAT!

Excellent video Jason :) also hope hear all information more on 1965 Pontiac GTO too and nice car for sure !

awesome video jason

Nice little find, Be a decent save, They were a fun car for sure.

nice job.

EVERYONE HIT THE LIKE BUTTON!!!! That’s a good neighbor lol Damn found the keys!!! And they worked!!! Josh did!!!! Is a real GTO? 😂😂 Oh man the registration!!! Three hole tags on the quarters 👍 Like the shirt!!

Get your Tools Out 🐐

Naw not a bad deal ANYTIME you can buy a poncho NEVER A BAD DEAL hope shes a GOAT for you either way still a WIN WIN

The diagonal lines on the seats were an option, usually they are straight up and down

Good video, those mice had quite a party! Good luck with the project.

Good use of the leaf blower to clean the interior , smart thinking maybe you should listen to your mom , no way.

That left front fender is from a Lemans. They had decorative brightwork vents in the location of all those holes.

I sure miss the Cameo Ivory '65 GTO I had. Sold it back in the '70s.

Got that Vespa??? Please!!!

I am following the progress. Keep it up please.

I had a 1971 judge Luceren blue. Stickers under the gas tank built in Framingham Massachusetts. I had a lot of fun with that car. They only built 271

Whether it's a GTO or not, who cares. It's a beautiful car that almost nobody has anymore. But you got one.

Well, for ONCE RU-vid notifications worked in a timely manner. I hope this is a true GTO, even if it doesn't look its' best right now. Hopefully you can get it running, and the Register will be positive.

Jay, this sure is an interesting car. You've identified some potential red flags as to whether it's a genuine GOAT or fake (and God knows there is a LOT of them out there, along with bogus Shelby Mustangs, bogus 1970 Chevelle SS 454s, etc.). BUT - something that I didn't see you check out in this car that you wouldn't usually do with a VW - where's the build sheet? The build sheet (actually, the factory order for a specific car) was usually (not always) stuffed somewhere in the car by workers on the GM assembly lines. I've found them usually under the back seat, sometimes adhering to the floor (I found my '71 Monte Carlo's build sheet here), sometimes on the upper back support frame, and possibly up in the seat springs of either seat. Another location where I've found them is stuck up on top of the gas tank under the trunk floor, and I've even heard of them being stuffed inside the rear seat's side panels. Now, considering the age of the car, where it was setting for so long, climate, the mice problem, etc., the chances of you finding the car's build sheet (or what's left of it) are poor. But - it's definitely worth the effort to look, and IF you find it and it's still legible, it's gold in your hands. It will tell you what this car was as built from the factory, tell you if you have the original engine (the engine block stamping will partially match the VIN), and so on. The Pontiac Registry that you've contacted will have a wealth of info on identifying what you have. Good luck!!!!

The VIN tag should have "Rosette" or "Star" rivots if it wasn't switched. The build sheet is sometimes stuffed in the springs of the back seat. Good luck and your boy deserves a GTO 4speed and maybe tri power car.

I bought 1970 got with 455cid 4 speed in 1970. Also had a 1968 got with 400 automatic. Wish I still had them now.

It’s not a bad deal if you have the time, money and desire to work on it not to mention if it brings you pleasure.

Thanks!

Goat or LeMans...good find! Nice project!

Interesting. It is solid compared to other things we have seen.

You didn't listen to us,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,get the vespa!!!!!!!😮😮😮😮❤

thing about budweiser is, you can put those full cans in the fridge and they will taste the same as if you just bought a sixer at the beverage mart.

I am looking for the very same car interior racoon inhabitants previous or current, that said solid find! Also, find 1 more snap on tool you will recoup your money for certain, good luck.

Great video as always ! Thats alot of cans !

Quite the job to tackle. Best of luck!

Hell yeah Dude!! I like this Car!! Nice VH shirt!!!

Check the frame ahead of the rear passenger tire ( with a hammer) they used to break there and pull the ebrake cable at the same time 😅

I had a 65 GTO a long, long, LOOOOONG time ago. So my recollection is fuzzy. What it seems is the pattern to the interior matches with what I have. The steering wheel is not close to anything Pontiac. The trunk lid on both the GTO and LeMans only have the emblem on the right side. The double sets of holes is a puzzlement. If the holes on the right do not match the GTO emblem, I would wonder if it was a replacement.

I really enjoy the leaf blower cleaning the interior. Something about it. At 13:45 I was hoping a bunch of empty beer cans would fly out ... Maybe next time.

Forget about the originality, that's been compromised a long time ago. Just make it cool.

I hope if its a Goat you'll do it justice and fix it the right way. Or do what Mom said and buy one that's fixed and ready and trade that one to someone who can do her right. It's a ton of work and a half ton of money

The first time it fires up and you can drive it down the road it will all be worth it no matter what it looks like.

The Vin number's tells the whole story. I think it's the real thing and 65 was my favorite year of the GTO although I didn't like 3 deuces vs one 4barrel carb which I think was better than 3 deuces

Man, Pabst is so much better than Bud. Just sayin! Pretty little car. Lots of potential- just takes $ and time. Go for it!👍🇺🇸❤️

Good.job sir cool car Nice show 😃👏👏👏👍👍👍👍

Definitely interested to find out the particulars on this car in the next video. There seems to be some tomfoolery with the #s. Seems like most of this car is a legitimate GTO for the most part. I wonder if the fender and cowl rusted out on the original and it was just cheaper to get parts off a lemans. Because of it was accident, the hood would have got toasted as well. Good luck with this!

I really wish I lived somewhere to cash in cans and bottles when I was a kid I used to take them to the carryout for 5-10 cents and buy candy but around here today you can’t do that and have to take them to a recycler and get paid pennies for your time and work

Used to work at Fisher Body/ Chevrolet plant in Baltimore from 1966 to 1968 (yes just tuned 80 years old). They assembled A body Chev./ Pontiac/Buick/Olds. First 3 digits on GTO serial should be 242. Lemans 237 or 238 and Tempest 232. Hope this helps.

Hope it is!! Lot of metal work to do but what a cool car to have!

Ask your neighbour around for a few beers so you can talk about cars👍

Good luck with your maybe GTO. It's a little rougher than what I first thought from the first video.

You got a Goat Jay all is well

I think you have a winner !

Man you are LUCKY finding that registration! Badges!