![]() The Judge takes the overall win and moves into the next round. The GTO stops the clock at 12.56 clicks, but it crosses the finish line first thanks to a near-perfect reaction time and wins. In its best conditions, the Chevy 400 V8 could generate up to 265 horsepower, which is a far cry from the Pontiacs 360. The Firebird covers the distance notably quicker in the second race, hitting the line after 12.51 seconds. Adams kept its bench seat, chrome bumper with exposed headlights, and standard un-scooped hood, but added GTO suspension to make it handle well, and Rally II wheels sans trim rings to save cost and maintain a sporty appearance. The Firebird nails the quarter-mile in 12.79 clicks at 112 mph, but the driver hits the red light. The demonstrator was built using the cheapest Tempest available, a two-door sedan. The first race sees the GTO Judge take a clear win with a 12.53-second sprint at 113 mph. That's because Pontiac built only 110 with the Ram Air II and just 98 of them were equipped with the manual gearbox.īoth Ponchos were advertised as 13-second cars back in the day, but which one is the quickest almost six decades later? This drag race settles the score and it's actually very close. And this Firebird also uses a four-speed manual.ġ969 GTO Judges are quite rare, but this 1968 Firebird is even harder to find. It has the same cam and compression ratio, but the output is a bit lower at 340 horsepower and 435 pound-feet (590 Nm) of twist. ![]() And it's not just a run-of-the-mill "bird." This thing packs a 400-cubic-inch Ram Air II, the predecessor to the Ram Air IV in the GTO. The second lane sees a 1968 Firebird line up at the Christmas tree. In this GTO, all that oomph reaches the rear wheels through a four-speed manual for row-your-won fun. An optional mill for 1969, it came with an aluminum intake manifold, four-bolt mains, an aggressive cam, and a compression ratio of 10.75:1.Īll these race-inspired upgrades resulted in a total output of 370 horsepower and 445 pound-feet (603 Nm) of torque. In one lane we have a 1969 GTO "The Judge" that hides the iconic 400-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) Ram Air IV V8 under the hood. This Pontiac-only drag race brings together a 1969 GTO Judge and a 1968 Firebird, two of the company's finest muscle cars, and it's thrilling, to say the least. It is thanks to the 1969 Judge that the GTO name is so famous, and it is thanks to all the GTO's that we have cars like the Mustang, Camaro, and Charger.And there's no better way to see them in action than a fast and noisy duel down the quarter-mile. Simply, if you tried to race one of these back in the day, you would expect cruel and unusual punishment. It was a stripped-down version of the standard GTO, with lighter materials and neat bits like a custom Hurts shifter. In 1969, Pontiac GTO shunned the old side vent window for the first time. He used inspiration from that skit to create a car that would sell to the youth of America, and just like the Pontiac GTO "Judge" was born. The ‘Judge’ with its bold colors and powerful engines became an instant hit with the younger muscle car enthusiasts. America couldn't get enough of this sketch and McDonald took notice. GTO, Lemans, Tempest 67-69 F-Body, 1st Gen Firebird 70-81 F-Body. ![]() Some of the most common questions regard cooling the Pontiac engines and water pumps. ![]() He dances across the stage singing "here comes the judge". Original Build Sheet/Window Sticker, Protect-O-Plate, Owners Manual, and documented Owner History showing just two female owners prior to the restoration Originally purchased in New York, this Firebird quickly made its way to California where it had been the pride and joy of only two ladies for 45 years. Here at Butler Performance, we get a lot of tech questions. McDonald had no prior experience designing/managing cars, but he made it work.Ī March 1968 episode of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In featured Sammy Davis Jr. The loss of John Delorean's youthful, hip mind foresaw a dark age for the GTO. Delorean left Pontiac for Chevy and Jim McDonald took charge of the GTO. When the leadership of the GTO project had changed, things got interesting. ![]()
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