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    1964 Pontiac GTO: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 8
    1964 Pontiac GTO: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 8
    1964 Pontiac GTO: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 8
    Ebook202 pages1 hour

    1964 Pontiac GTO: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 8

    By David Bonaskiewich

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    About this ebook

    By the mid-1960s, the American automotive market was yearning for faster, more responsive, and sportier cars, and a crew of high-performance enthusiasts at Pontiac recognized this. Large V-8s were commonly installed in full-size cars, but performance was hampered by pure chassis weight. Under the guidance of Bunkie Knudsen, John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and others, Pontiac installed the high-performance 389 V-8 into the nimble and lightweight intermediate-size LeMans chassis. It was a watershed moment for Pontiac; the 1964 GTO delivered astounding performance and created the muscle car blueprint that the Detroit manufacturers followed in the 1960s and 1970s.

    This volume in the Muscle Cars In Detail Series delivers a comprehensive review of this trend-setting and historic car. The GTO housed a 389 V-8 engine with a single Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetor, and along with dual exhaust and a standard 3-speed or optional 4-speed manual transmission, it supplied extraordinary performance. To improve traction and handling, the GTO was fitted with stiffer springs, larger-diameter front sway bar, and wider wheels. And to give it panache, the GTO was adorned with distinctive badges and hood scoops. The 1964 GTO is a landmark car, and this book goes well beyond the glossy overview of other books about this car.

    All In Detail Series books include an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, and an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, as well as an examination of where the car is on the market today. Also included is an appendix of paint and option codes, VIN and build-tag decoders, as well as production numbers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCar Tech
    Release dateJul 15, 2017
    ISBN9781613254226
    1964 Pontiac GTO: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 8
    Author

    David Bonaskiewich

    Since he was very young, Dave Bonaskiewich has had an unbridled enthusiasm for cars. His father was a mechanic who was fond of Fords, but was supportive when Dave developed a strong interest in Pontiacs during his teenage years. Together, they rebuilt his first car, a 1970 LeMans, which Dave continues to drive every chance he gets. He has contributed many feature articles for <i>High Performance Pontiac, Smoke Signals, Timeless Muscle</i>, and <i>Poncho Perfection</i> magazines.

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      Book preview

      1964 Pontiac GTO - David Bonaskiewich

      INTRODUCTION

      Throughout my journey, compiling information and traveling to track down and photograph 1964 Pontiac GTOs, I have become somewhat of a Pontiac historian. Learning about the people, circumstances, and obstacles regarding the development of this model only served to enhance my appreciation for this legendary car.

      Upon telling members of the Pontiac community that I was writing a book on the 1964 GTO, a recurring question was, How are you going to differentiate it from all the other books on the topic? A fair question and one that I have pondered for quite some time. First, this book has to cover all the basic facts about the car that may have been in previous publications; it would be incomplete otherwise. Second, this book is meant to serve as a guide to both the seasoned Pontiac aficionado and those new to the hobby.

      In addition, I believe that the fresh photography and my personal interpretation of interviews with Pontiac legends offer some different and useful perspectives to readers. I’ve also included a great deal of general Pontiac history, showing the tremendous progress that the brand made from the mid-1950s to the genesis of the 1964 GTO. I am particularly proud of the piece regarding the Gray Ghost Trans-Am series race car. It is a very cool part of the GTO’s legacy and I think you will thoroughly enjoy it.

      It is my goal that this book becomes an invaluable resource to anyone seeking knowledge on the 1964 GTO. I have learned a lot over the past year researching this book and, in addition to facts and figures, have tried to include everything that I personally found curious or interesting. I’ve done my very best to separate fact from conjecture and hearsay. There are some topics about the 1964 model that are not known definitively, and I’ve tried to make that clear within the text, where applicable.

      Respected Pontiac journalist Don Keefe sums up the 1964 GTO quite nicely: "The Pontiac GTO is considered by many to be the first muscle car, and I completely agree with that assessment. While there were previous cars that offered powerful engines in lighter body styles, such as the Buick Century of the 1930s, the Chrysler 300 of the 1950s, and even the V-8 Rambler, the GTO was different. There were even factory-built race cars that came along in the early 1960s that were faster: the Max Wedge Mopar lightweights and Pontiac’s own Super Duty cars come to mind.

      "To my mind, though, the 1964 Pontiac GTO earns its ‘original muscle car’ status because it was the first time that a high-performance engine from a full-size car line was installed in an intermediate chassis and was marketed specifically to younger buyers with an advertising and promotional campaign that emphasized street performance as opposed to out-and-out racing. The engines in the GTO were powerful but were, in actuality, fairly mild engines, with hydraulic cams and inexpensive cast bottom-end pieces. The lack of exotic componentry meant that these cars could remain affordable and appeal to a wide base of buyers.

      History certainly proved that John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and Russ Gee knew what they were doing!

      CHAPTER 1

      GM’S NEW YOUTH BRAND

      Pontiacs, such as this striking 1961...

      Pontiacs, such as this striking 1961 Bonneville, were built on the success of the highly acclaimed 1959 Wide Track models. The combination of style, luxury, and performance became a hallmark for Pontiac Motor Division throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond.

      The full-size Pontiacs of the late 1950s and early 1960s played an indirect but important role in the GTO’s development. The Catalina, Ventura, Bonneville, and later, the Grand Prix, were available with high-performance engine, transmission, and rear-end combinations. These iconic machines were instrumental in crafting Pontiac’s performance image at a crucial time when the fate of the brand was uncertain.

      Famed Pontiac ad man Jim Wangers recalls, Pontiac had a great product but didn’t realize how good it was. They had a nice, simple overhead-valve V-8 with a lot of torque. The 316-ci engine was okay, but it was easy for people to write off. With the 347 debuting in 1957, the cars took a giant step forward, and people started noticing. Sales began to rise, and Pontiac increased its involvement in various types of motorsports. In fact, many of these large B-Body cars could be found blasting down quarter-mile dragstrips or competing in stock-car races, dominating the competition with Pontiac power.

      In 1957, Cotton Owens recorded Pontiac’s first win in stock-car racing on the beach course at Daytona. A few years later, legendary NASCAR driver Fireball Roberts won both races at Daytona International Speedway in 1962, driving his famous black and gold Pontiac, tuned by notable mechanic Smokey Yunick. It was the beginning of a very exciting and prosperous era for Pontiac Motor Division.

      The engine that eventually became synonymous with the 1964 GTO, the 389-ci Tri-Power, was first introduced in 1959 and proved to be popular with new-car buyers seeking to inject some excitement into their driving experience. The all-new 1959 Pontiacs were completely restyled and well received by automotive critics and the general public alike. The engine remained available through the 1966 model year, when it was replaced with the 400-ci engine in 1967, and the Tri-Power induction system was discontinued.

      Full-size Pontiacs from the early...

      Full-size Pontiacs from the early 1960s were high performing and attractive. Models such as the 1962 Grand Prix could be viewed as inspiration for the 1964 Tempest, LeMans, and GTO. Jet black with gold accents, this Grand Prix is a Fireball Roberts tribute car and packs the additional punch of a 421 Super Duty engine and 4-speed transmission.

      Many of the 1964 GTO’s styling cues arose from the 1962 full-size Pontiacs, particularly the Grand Prix. Clean, sharp body lines, four horizontal headlights, and the restrained use of exterior chrome trim contributed to an overall masculine profile, themes that were all visible in the GTO’s first year of production.

      For 1964, full-size Pontiacs and smaller midsize units, such as the GTO, were given similar attention in terms of available performance combinations. Numerous high-output engine options could be ordered in the Grand Prix, Catalina, and Bonneville, culminating with the 421 H.O. This mill displayed a hefty 370 hp and 460 ft-lbs of torque, and the GTO could be had with the 389 Tri-Power, which boasted 348 hp and 428 ft-lbs of axle-twisting torque. Although horsepower numbers crept up a bit in 1965, the focus of the large B-Body cars gravitated toward luxury rather than performance, and thanks to an innovative and aggressive marketing campaign, the GTO rapidly became known as Pontiac’s high-performance model.

      BASE-MODEL TEMPEST

      It is widely known that the GTO used the midsize 1964 Pontiac Tempest as a foundation. However, to fully appreciate its design, performance, and lasting influence, we must trace its true origin to the 1961 Tempest, a compact and intriguing entry-level automobile.

      Conceptualized by John DeLorean, and very innovative for the time, this low-priced Pontiac featured a front engine and rear-mounted transaxle, eliminating the transmission hump in the floorpan and increasing passenger legroom. In addition, this format resulted in near-perfect weight distribution. Power was transmitted via a flexible driveshaft housed within a separate tunnel called a torque tube, differentiating it from the otherwise similar Oldsmobile F-85 and Buick Special, each of which displayed a conventional front-mounted engine and transmission. Foregoing a traditional perimeter frame, these three models were built with unibody construction, primarily for greater cost and weight savings.

      The 1964 Tempest was the perfect...

      The 1964 Tempest was the perfect platform for Pontiac to build its new supercar, the GTO, setting the stage for the American muscle car phenomenon. This Marimba Red 1964 Tempest Custom features the 215-ci inline 6-cylinder engine.

      Pontiac’s highly innovative engineers...

      Pontiac’s highly innovative engineers focused on differentiating the early Tempests from GM’s other compact offerings in terms of both mechanics and aesthetics. Today, the 1961 and 1962 Pontiac Tempests are quite rare and thereby coveted by many automotive collectors. This 1962 Tempest LeMans convertible would be a valued addition to any Pontiac enthusiast’s garage.

      At first glance, the 195-ci...

      At first glance, the 195-ci 4-cylinder could easily be mistaken for a V-8 engine, and in fact, it was exactly half of one. This represented yet another example of Pontiac’s resourcefulness in providing a quality product while keeping production costs to a minimum.

      In addition to upgraded interior appointments...

      In addition to upgraded interior appointments, the Tempest LeMans featured distinctive badging and could be ordered with full wheel covers. The large 15-inch wheels were unique within

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