Bringing a 1966 GTO Back to Life

Pontiac historians are well aware that the original GeeTO Tigers were part and parcel of a grand marketing scheme designed in the mid 1960s by Jim Wangers, co-creator of the GTO and former Pontiac marketing man, which emblazoned upon the consciousness of the car-buying public the GTO as the nation's premier street-driven performance car. It also solidified the overall image of Pontiac as the "coolest" marque in Detroit. Now, some 35-plus years later, Wangers has resurrected the GeeTO Tiger legend.

The Vision
As has historically been the case with Wangers, there is always a method to his madness. The re-creation of the GeeTO Tiger represents a whole lot more than just an exercise in nostalgia. Jim's vision for the rebirth of this legendary GTO was to meld the best of Pontiac's past with the best of the present. This exciting project concentrates on what a modern performance hobbyist can do utilizing today's available and affordable performance equipment. Sure, it's still a '66 GTO with the classic "Tiger Gold" paint scheme and sporting the famous opposite-side alternate GeeTO Tiger logos. The backward-facing "E" on one side is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the mythical but nerdy Royal Pontiac cartoon character known as "Philo the Foul-up." (Editor's note: Philo's name has been changed to protect the innocent.)


Beneath the nostalgic exterior, however, the modern GeeTO Tiger has been updated with almost every popular performance piece that can still maintain the basic spirit and integrity of the original. Is it an 8-second, nitrous-fed, dragster-chassis, plastic-bodied monster with a 6-figure price tag? Not even. The new GeeTO Tiger showcases what every loyal and working-stiff hobbyist can reasonably afford and easily find, but still performs far better than the originals ever did. Like they said of the $6 Million Man in the TV series, "We have the technology to build it better today."

Tiger Hunt
Once the plan for the reincarnation of the GeeTO Tiger was finalized, the first obvious step was to find a 1966 GTO. After a brief but intensive search, a suitable candidate was found tucked away in the high-desert area of Southern California. As is most often the case involving GTOs sold on the West Coast, this particular GTO originally rolled off the Fremont, California assembly line. Thirty-five years of wear and tear had certainly taken its toll, but it was largely complete and most definitely a genuine GTO.

R&R Time
The old Goat was stripped of its interior and drivetrain and was now ready for its restification (restored & modified). The bare bones body shell and chassis went to Race Cars & Stuff in San Marcos where Marty Haracz skillfully installed a competition roll cage. As any racer will tell you, it's a whole lot simpler to restore a body around an already completed roll cage than it is to later disfigure a finished car.