Matador Red, 4 Speed, Restored

1969 Pontiac GTO The Judge Description

I originally bought The Judge in June, 1977, in Niles, MI for my 17th birthday from two brothers who had bought it in 1976 from a guy who was from 'out of town'. I drove it my Senior Year in High School and took my future (and still) wife to the Senior Promin it, played street warrior against local Duster's, Chevelle SS's, Nova's and Mach 1's, found out if it could bury the needle at 120 mph on that deserted road out of town (oh, yeah!), and generally drove the heck out of it. I planned on keeping it after graduation but my wife couldn't shift the 4 speed and gas was up to 70 cents a gallon so I had to sell it and find something more practical and family oriented. Familiar story?
A high school friend bought The Judge in September, 1978 but only owned it a couple months. Multiple speeding tickets will do that! He sold it to a local family who owned it for 27 years. It was regularly driven for the first 10 years and then the carburetorbecame an issue, the engine was tired, a brake hose blew, it needed tires and enough things added up that it was parked 'temporarily', which eventually became 17 years of mostly outside storage. It sank up to the rims in the dirt and the many years of weathering eventually took a toll. It hadn't ran since 1988 and looked much worse for the wear. I asked every year if the family would sell it back to me but no luck until spring 2005 when I was able to buy The Judge for the second time.
I had The Judge back but I didn't have the skills to give it the restoration it needed. I tried for 3 years to find a way to get it done but finally realized I would have to sell it to a restorer to save it. A top notch restorer in Cincinnati, OH, bought it in the summer of 2008 and spent a year and a half doing a complete restoration. He then sold it at Mecum's Indianapolis in 2010 to a collector in Vincennes, IN. The collector seldom drove it and was more focused on the Chevrolets he had. The collector eventually decided to sell it and I was able to buy The Judge for the third time in November, 2013. I had to wait over 35 years between drive times but it was well worth the wait!
The Judge was built at the Baltimore, MD, Pontiac plant the 2nd week of March, 1969 and delivered to Miller Pontiacof Fremont, OH, a week later. Miller sold out in the early 1980's to Steinle GMC Cadillac which is still in business. The Judge is wearing the correct Code 52 Matador Red with Code 58 Black Interior. Power is supplied by a correct but not numbers matching 1969 Code WS 400 ci Ram AirIII engine #29B159068 that's been with it since before I got it in 1977; the original rebuilt M-20 Muncie 4 speed transmission with Hurst T-Handle shifter and console; a famed Rochester Quadrajet 800 cfm carb #7044621; the original Intake Manifold #9794234; the original Code #9795048 heads, cast number #48; the original D-Port Exhaust Manifolds; the original rebuilt Code XH 3.55 Safe-T-Track rear axle; Power Steering; Power Front Disc brakes; Soft Ray glass; and an AM Radio. Only one of the Rally II rims is still the original Code JA but other JA's are available on the market. The Judge runs, drives, and brakes as goodas it looks. No computers, smog, air conditioning or add ons to strip power from the engine.
During the restoration four things were changedfrom original- the headlights are now hidden instead of the standard exposed (the vacuum system works great); the Remote Mirror was changed to standard style; The Judge decals and stripes were changed to Black-WHITE-Red instead of the original Black-YELLOW-Red; and the gage package was upgraded to a hood tach instead of the in-dash unit it originally came with. The speedometer, tach, gages, wipers and lights all work fine; the odometer, radio (not hooked to the antenna lead) and horn don't.
I added my graduation tasseland some banddecals I would have had in High School to keep the vibe authentic. The Judge is extremelynice, a multiple 'Best of Show' winner, runs cool during cruise night and parade duty, and presents itself beautifully. It's biggest sin is some flash rust on the bare metal parts under the hood. It should grade no lower than a solid #2 in it's present condition. All PHS documentsare supplied showing it's a real Judge and I encourage you to get a set from PHS-Online.com for security and peace of mind. Check Hagerty.com for it's current value and there's no reserve so the first bid is the possible winner.
I've had a 40 year relationship with The Judge, that's a long time and we have some great storiestogether but I just don't get it out like it needs and it's about time for someone else to enjoy. I hope the winning bidder treasures and enjoys it as much as I have. Good luck bidding on a truly specialcar! Thanks, Chris.
A $1000 deposit is required within 24 hours after the auction ends. No bidders with less than 10 feedbacks. Domestic sales only,The Judge willstay in the USA. The Judge is 48 years old and is being sold "As Is". I can help with loading for transportationand The Judge can be held in safe, dry storage until shipping can be arranged.