How to Evaluate the Asking Price of an American Muscle Car!

1965 Pontiac GTO

     This page may help potential buyers comprehend how true to original this beautiful example of a very Rare Tri-Powered, Tri- Black Convertible we at Insignia Auto Sales are offering. The GTO is the EPITOME of the beginning of the "True" MUSCLE CAR Era.

     Try to find one. Just one unmolested 1965 GTO Convertible. Once you are fortunate enough to purchase one, then what?
You start calling Custom Restoration Shops and upon locating a noteworthy and reliable shop you're on the path to spending lots' of dollars, not only hundreds, more like thousands. That is what it takes, time and money, no matter who performs your restoration or where the Resto is done.
     So, you take your "Treasured Find" and have the "Jewel” towed to your favorite classic car Restoration Specialists at a $$ rate of anywhere from say $85.00 per hour to $300.00 per hr. depending where you live and play.
     Now let's figure the Total Restoration from top to bottom, side to side, and finally front to back. This might possibly take a minimum of 350 hours, possibly much longer, to restore, depending on the overall condition your chosen "Starter Kit" is in to begin with. Now we'll do some simple math, nothing too tricky mind you:

• 1)350 hours labor x $85.00 per hour, and my God! Why that comes out to an ungodly sum of $29,750.00, how can this be true? 
• 2)And we haven't yet begun to factor-in the cost of your 50-year-old project "Jewel" car, that is, if you were fortunate to find and purchase one, for say $15,000.00
• 3)And we've yet to add in all those shiny new parts from all over the USA and possibly farther? Let's say you were to spend an additional $15K on the parts. Such as, the Ultra Gorgeous Ebony Black Base Coat/Clear Coat finishing Products that were professionally applied to our '65 GTO Convertible. How about the cost to Replace the Old Conv. Top and all the associated mechanisms of it's operating system. I mean after-all Why on Earth would you spend all this Time, Energy and Money on your Classic Jewel and keep a Shaggy Looking old ragged Convertible Top and did I mention Leaky Old Top? No, We Can't Start a Project of this Magnitude, on an Historic American Muscle Car by CUTTING CORNERS, Nope, not the way we do things here at INSIGNIA AUTO.

     So, let's begin on our Project Jewel, let's refurbish it and turn it into its Original, Beautiful and Powerful Driving Machine  that it was originally intended to be! A True Classic, Period Correct Muscle Car . . . We'll begin by removing the Dull old Rusted Body off it's equally corroded 50 year old Chassis, more commonly referred to as the Frame. A bit of media blasting here, Torch Cutting There, and Re-Placing, Welding in New Floor Panels, Replacing Doors and Fenders as well as Quarter Panels, heck, may as well do it all, get ALL New pieces and replace all the Hardware and Fasteners such as Studs, Bolts, Washers and Nuts, Cotter Pins, Bushings and Grommets. WOW, this is a lot of work and it appears it may take more than our original estimate of 350 Hours, oh well!

    So, do we Powder Coat the nicely media Blasted Frame and Suspension Components? Or, do we use a high quality primer and an equally High Quality Chassis Paint? Either will produce a beautiful end result, an Underside you'll be proud to discuss with other Classic Car Owners gathered under the spotlights of the local Bowling Alley on Mid-Summer Cruise Nights. Ah! Cruise Night, coming up so quickly! Are you going to be ready to "Ride" and display to the Universe your freshly Re-Stored "Pride and Joy" or will you patiently be paying yet more $$$ to your Favorite Restoration Shop’s weekly allowance? While as he or she is trying to convince you, WHY your Classic Jewel is requiring so much more effort and money to complete, and to "GET-IT-RIGHT", just Perfect!  As perfect as you'd hoped for?
     How's it going so far? All is Well, we hope, BUT you can avoid a lot of the unnecessary Heart Ache and Sleepless Nights lying awake wondering when will it ever be Completely Finished, When you can open Your Garage Door and see your very own, Fully Professionally Restored Car of your Dreams sitting right there before your eyes and more importantly, Ready to Ride and Drive and Enjoy, after all, this is what it's all about!

     So where were we at Insignia Auto in the Total Restoration of your "Crown Jewel"?  Let's get back to the Basics, i.e., just what does it take to Get it Right anyway? Lot's of Parts and Pieces to be taken apart, inspected and evaluated and if need be, ultimately replaced and this is where it can become Murky very quickly. Where am I ever going to find another passenger-side door vent window crank or that glorious original Wonder-Bar Radio that actually was never really too impressive back-in-the-day. Yes, it can become very Time Consuming and way over-the-top as far as the $$$ spent when they're all factored and figured in.

     Now, we're not trying to frighten you away from pursuing your Dream Machine. We would rather enlighten you as to the Total Effort Required to bring one of these Great Time Capsules back to it's Former Glory.  These Classic Muscle Cars were only Mass Produced initially, 50 or so Years Ago, that's Light Years Ago when you stop to consider the advanced and vastly improved technological advantages available to us today, to all Classic Car Restorers, it really gives us a mere original canvas or platform from which to begin our recreation. That's It!  In-a-Nut-Shell, heck, we're not reinventing the Wheel.  We can and Positively Have Done so, Especially on this Magnificent 1965 GTO. Recreate!  This is the key phrase when applied to a successful Restoration! Think Triple Black; Tri-Pwr.(3x2's); Pwr. Conv. Top; Pwr. Windows; Pwr. Steering; Pwr. Boosted Brakes and a Very Powerful Big Block 421cu. in./ 400+ HP 1965 Pontiac GTO Rolling on Brand New Red Line Tiger Paws! WOW!  It's been Professionally Restored from the Frame-Up, with no Expense Spared!!!!!                               

   

Consider if you will, the following areas of this awesome  recreation that have been addressed, repaired or replaced with correct OEM Parts/Pieces, or Panels, to include:

• 1) The dash and gauges, the Optional Wood Steering Wheel
• 2) All the glass, the weather stripping, carpets, Light Lenses, Mirrors,
• 3) Re-chroming both bumpers and all the bright work,
• 4) The Bucket Seats and the Rear Bench Seat, all professionally fitted with new foam inside and recovered in New factory correct vinyl material on the exterior;
• 5) Professionally rebuild of a non factory Option Up-Graded Tri-Power 421 cu in Engine which is believed to pump out 400+ HP;
• 6) All the Power in the World won't be of any use if you can't send it in an direction. This "Poncho" has the Factory optioned High Performance and rebuilt TH 400     Automatic Transmission to do the shifting via the Center Console Factory Optioned "Floor Shifter", a very desirable option for this GTO
• 7) Factory Optional Twin Front Bucket Seats
• 8) Now try to Imagine all of those 400+ horses Exhaust Gasses Rumbling beneath the very solid and rust free floor Panels through the brand new 2 1/2" Factory correct Dual        Exhaust System and exiting away out through the Era Correct Twin Chrome Tail Pipe Extensions
• 9)GM Heavy Duty Rear Differential boasting the Factory Correct 3:55 gearing
  
• 10)The Cooling System is utilizing a Specially Fabricated Custom Built-to-Fit All Aluminum High Performance Radiator Equipped with Heavy Duty Twin Electric Fans Thermostatically Controlled.  No more Boil Overs, No more Fuss, No Worries, Never Overheat Again.  Yes, You're very Welcome!
• 11)And yes again, as you may now begin to Fully Realize and Believe, this 1965 GTO Convertible is one Very Special Example of an Iconic American Muscle Car, Historically Speaking that is.

     It is now being offered for sale at a fraction of what it would likely cost anyone to have a similar Classic GTO Convertible Professionally Recreated, or Custom Built.  It would most assuredly take a professional shop a full (6) months to a year or longer to complete. Will it be This Nice?

     So, here we are, at Insignia Auto in ERLANGER, KY., just a Hop, Skip and a Short Drive, or long river jump, from Beautiful Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio

     Yes! We've performed ALL the leg work it takes to bring a Classic Car, like our 1965 GTO Convertible back to it's present "Better-Than New" form. We've done it all just for you! Just to make your World more Fun! We at INSIGNIA AUTO think Our Classic GTO Convertible is truly remarkable, and we consider it to quite possibly be one of the finest '65 GTO Convertibles to ever grace the stage at the Barrett-Jackson Classic and Custom Car Auction in the whole great USA!

     Make no mistake, this is a very Rare and very Beautiful Pontiac GTO. It really roars and performs like the Tiger that it is.  It drives like the finest, most sought after Muscle Car ever. It was initially manufactured in the Hey-Day of an Era when Styling, Power and Excitement Ruled the Roads and Freeways of the Mid-Sixties America. We were listening to the Beach Boys, the English Beat and yes, the Beatles! , Me, I was more into the Animals, and Eric burden, There is a House......In....you get the picture, maybe this is why I love our GTO, it can act like an Animal when you put the Gas Pedal to the Metal. It can also be very civilized and Tame, and Purr like a Grumpy Tom Cat when you LIFT........                     

Please Remember that great pains and undivided attention to every detail have been exercised by our Professional Restorers Group. So, as to keep this very special Iconic Muscle Car true to it's Original Form. With just a few noticeable Pontiac Influenced Up-Grades. Such as: the addition under the scooped hood of an Extra 40 Horsepower by way of the High Performance Pontiac 421 cubic inch Engine and it's accompanying All Aluminum Custom Built After Market Cooling System. Like I've been saying all along, this one is Very, Very SPECIAL. Don't let it get away, consider purchasing our GTO.  Know you're buying this car with total confidence knowing no expense was spared while restoring this GTO back to it's Historic 50 year old Glory.  See You at the 1st Cruise this Summer, say I've got mine, do you have yours??

Happy Motoring Everybody! Thank you for looking.