Barn Find Gold: Someone Abandoned A 1972 Pontiac GTO

For many enthusiasts, the Pontiac GTO is a bit of a holy grail, a classic they would sell body parts to own. So to see a 1972 that was just parked in a barn and almost forgotten might be more than a little shocking for some people. In fact, we expect certain gearheads will be downright furious to behold such a thing.

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But someone did this and the guy doesn’t seem a bit apologetic about it. After all, it’s his car and other than being covered in barn dust, it looks like it’s in fantastic condition. All the body panels appear straight, we see no dents, and the paint even looks good.

Introduced in 1964, many argue the Pontiac GTO was the first real American muscle car. People can have that debate and we think there’s a good argument it was the first, but we also think most people can agree GTOs have a commanding presence to this day, especially the first two generations.

The story goes that GM banned all its brands from creating cars which could be turned into racers starting in 1963. Pontiac engineering lead John DeLorean (yes, that guy) still wanted to make something people would find fun to drive. That’s when one of his young engineers, Bill Collins, got the brilliant idea to drop a larger engine into what would become the GTO.

As they say, the rest of history. The second generation of the muscle car was a total revamp, featuring styling which become more aggressive with each model year. This is why some just love the look of the ’72.

Among this particular barn find Pontiac GTO’s fans are the two young professional detailers tasked with making it shine again. They do an excellent job, thanks in no small part to the owner not trashing the muscle car before sticking it in his barn. Watch the video, because the results are breathtaking.

Images via WD Detailing/YouTube