[geeteeohguy]

I wasn't looking for another GTO....I have a '65 hardtop and a '67 Ragtop that I've been driving for the past 40+ years, and sold my '66 hardtop in 1990 to buy a house. A gentleman appeared on a GTO forum asking about selling the family GTO and I jumped on it. The family bought it new off the lot in Amarillo, TX in September, 1966, when he was a 16 year old HS student. They were shopping for a lesser second car for the wife, but the GTO was discounted due to the year's end coming up, and they all liked it. It became the wife's car and daily commuter until 1982, when she parked it in the garage. The son who I got it from moved it from her garage to his in 2008. It started and ran at that time.
He then removed the trim and interior to start the restoration process, but lost interest due to his wife not liking the car and his son's lack of interest. The car sat. On October 3, I drove from Fresno to Bend Ore. and bought the car. On Oct. 4, I loaded it on the trailer and drove back home. Long uneventful trip. The car is a weathered desert car....the family was USAF. So it lived in Texas, Colorado, California, Idaho, and Oregon. I have the paperwork all the way back to day one, including the Protect-O-Plate with it's own protective fly leaf, which I have never seen.
The car: 1966 GTO convertible. Montero Red, Metallic Red interior, white top. 4 speed trans, console, rally clock, AM radio, 2 speed wipers, PS, tinted front window, 3.55 open rear end. Car has 114k miles on it and has never been apart or opened up. The owner's mom babied the car and the son was not allowed to hotrod it, so it was never beat on. The interior was stored inside the house, so is still very nice. New carpet is on the way. The top may need to be replaced, as it is kind of rough. I've already restored the brakes and the fuel system and got it running and going through the gears on the lift. It runs like it was shut off last week. The plan is to get the mechanicals sound (quite a lot more to do) and drive the car as-is, old paint and all. The car has no rust except for under the windshield trim at the dash and all of its original sheep metal and pans. A dry, northern desert car. I can't believe the steering wheel has no cracks. I will keep this thread updated as I move along. This i my first '66 in over 30 years and IIRC, my 5th.