1968 marked the start of the GTO's second generation, and it was a significant reset for the car that started the muscle car era. The stacked headlights were gone, the body was rounder and more sculpted, and the nose wore Pontiac's color-keyed Endura bumper, an energy-absorbing urethane-clad unit that nothing else in the segment offered. The redesign earned the GTO Motor Trend's Car of the Year award. This example is finished in red over a black interior and is built around the combination most GTO buyers look for: the 400 H.O. engine backed by a Muncie four-speed.
The 400 H.O. sat above the standard four-barrel 400 in Pontiac's 1968 lineup, carrying a higher-lift camshaft and freer-flowing exhaust manifolds for a factory rating of 360 horsepower against the base engine's 350. The H.O. was the smaller share of GTO production that year, and it is the engine enthusiasts seek out. This one has been recently rebuilt with a roller cam and roller lifters, a meaningful update over the flat-tappet setup in terms of durability and valvetrain friction, and it now breathes through an Edelbrock carburetor. Power goes back through a Muncie M21 close-ratio four-speed to a numbers-matching posi rear end with 3.90 gears. That is an aggressive combination on purpose: the short gearing and tight ratio spread keep the engine in its power band through the gears and give the car the immediate response the H.O. was built to deliver.
Underneath, front disc brakes and rear drums provide the stopping power, a worthwhile setup on a car with this much motor. The GTO rolls on 14-inch Pontiac Rally wheels, the correct period look for the car. The black interior pairs with a new black vinyl top, and the dash has been fitted with a Retrosound vintage-style radio with Bluetooth, which keeps the factory appearance intact while adding modern audio for the drives where you actually want music.
This is a well-sorted, correctly configured 1968 GTO with the desirable engine, the right transmission, and gearing to match, along with a fresh rebuild and the kind of practical updates that make a car easier to enjoy without changing what it is.
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