Muscle Car Review - Fall 2005

The Ultimate Judge - Is This the Most Perfect GTO in the Country?

Is this the ultimate GTO?

As is the case with a lot of muscle cars, numbers tell an interesting tale about this ’69 GTO Judge. For instance, there’s the 20 years it sat neglected in a carport after carburetor problems sidelined it in 1981. When John Kryta, president of Inline Tube, bought the car in 2001, there were 77,000 miles on the odometer. “This was not a pampered, low-mile car,” John said. “It was pushed to the limit every time it was driven. Then engine was seized, the interior was shot, and the body had a few stories to tell. There was no easy way to fix what was broken because it was all broken.”

And yet John considered this mess of a GTO a perfect candidate for restoration. “The sheet metal was beautiful, and the car was completely numbers-matching, with all original date codes and parts. All numbers check out and all date codes are within three months before the build date, as they should be. All the sheet metal is original with the correct date code stamped right in the panel. You will not find a GTO with more matching numbers in the country.”

Here are a few more number for you: John, his brother James, and a select crew of craftsmen spent 2,000 hours on a ground-up, frame-off restoration; 600 of those hours were delegated to bodywork and the Carousel Red paint by Nyle Wing and Ross Gregory of Wing’s Auto Art in Ionia , Michigan .

Can you stand just a few more number? At the ’04 GTOAA Nationals, John’s Judge earned 697 out of a possible 700 points to win the Best of Concours Restored trophy. Then in 2005, John put his Judge on the International Show Car Association (ISCA) circuit, where it earned Best Restored awards in all eight shows it entered. That record clinched the Eastern Division Restored Championship for the car, as well as a berth in the ’05 ISCA Finals. In a clean sweep, John’s GTO was names ’05 ISCA Restored Champion, and since this was the first time John had shown the Judge in ISCA competition, he captured the ’05 Rookie of the Year award as well.

And really, the ISCA championship represents just a portion of the awards the GTO has earned in the past two years. It takes most of an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper, single-spaced, to list all the car’s winnings.

“It’s been a lot of fun showing the car and hearing everybody’s stories about the muscle car era,” John said. “I heard about uncles, brothers, and fathers who all had one of these cars, and the larger-than-life memories associated with them. We funded and built this car to show that with a little hard work, a few parts, and companies working together, anybody’s dream can be a reality.”

The ultimate Judge - Is this the most perfect GTO in the Country? Muscle Car Review Fall 2005 Cover Car.

Wing's Auto Art fit and refit the Judge's rear spoiler several times to get the alignment just right.

This Judge was equipped with the 400ci, 366hp, Ram Air III engine, the base motor for ’69 Judges. Backing it is a four-speed manual trans.

Inline Tube provided many of the GTO’s restoration parts, including disc brake components and brake lines. Kanter Auto Products was also called in to help with chassis parts. Those are the original rotors, which were turned and reused.

Can you say “immaculate”? The GTO’s gas filler pipe and folding license plate bracket look factory-fresh.

Rebuilding, detailing, and assembling the engine and transmission required the 175 hours of labor. The “554” mark on the firewall is a Judge sales code.

During the GTO’s restoration, all the parts and pieces came off easily, since the California car was rust-free. This original bodywork looks brand-new, doesn’t it?

Inline tube provided all the brake and fuel lines, parking brake cables, clips, clamps, hoses valves, disc brake parts, and anything else you could think of for the under body.

This Goat was outfitted from the factory with lots of go-fast goodies, including a Hurst shifter and Rally gauges. Its lack of air conditioning is another clue to its high-performance origins.

AT A GLANCE

’69 Pontiac GTO Judge
Owned By: Inline Tube, Shelby Township , MI
Engine: ’69 400ci Ram Air III V-8, 366 hp
Transmission: Four-speed manual
Rearend: Safe-T-Track heavy duty with 3/55 gears and Posi
Interior: Parchment upholstery, center console; AM/FM radio; Rally wood steering wheel, gauges, and clock; tissue-paper dispenser
Wheels: Stock
Tires: Coker black-wall G70x14
Options: Hideaway headlights, hood tach, power disc brakes
Special Parts: Owner’s manual, manual jacket, Pontiac Historical Society – documented Judge paperwork, build sheet, inspection sheet, warranty trifold, emissions card, spare-keys envelope, steering-column start tag, sales brochure, window sticker, Judge sales card
Assembly Plant: Fremont , CA
Cost When New: List base price $3,156; added options $1,327

Sources:

Inline tube - Brake & Fuel Lines, Parking brake cables, Hoses, Valves, Brake & Fuel Clips, Disc Brakes

15066 Technology Drive
Shelby Twp, MI 48315
586 532 1338