Jim Wangers Announces Signature Edition GTO

[BigPontiac]

Link to article

Jim Wangers Announces Signature Edition GTO

Date posted: 09-18-2009

OCEANSIDE, California — The latest potential contender for muscle-car star status out of California is the Jim Wagners Signature Edition GTO, a car to be built based off original 1969 Pontiac GTO bodies but claimed as "all new from the ground up."

The cars are nothing if not patriotic. They will get a chassis from the California-based Roadster Shop, a Pontiac V8 engine, a Viper-spec TR6060 six-speed transmission, a 3.73-geared Ford rear end and a DSE C6 Corvette front suspension.

Styling touches include an "aggressive" front air dam, custom grilles with electric hide-away headlights and HID headlamps, a functional ram air hood and a custom ducktail spoiler. The HRE-sourced wheels are Jim Wangers Signature Edition Rally IIs, 19 inches in front and 20 in the rear.

The Wangers' interior has leather Recaro seats, keyless entry, air conditioning and "a killer audio system," to modernize the retro-look car. As the company says, "This is the car Pontiac should have made but didn't."

Wangers will show off the GTO at a "Tour de Wangers" in Oceanside in mid-October. No word yet on pricing or availability.

Inside Line says: Sure looks like muscle-car nostalgia will never die. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent

[hyperv6]

I hope he make enough for a new hair piece.

Neat car but I could build something like it for a lot less. This is good for people with money and are not handy with a wrench.

Besides I would rather have a stock GTO.

[Camino LS6]

I like the idea - generally.

But I'm sure to dislike the price.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Hmmmmm, it would look so nice next to my 69 PCS ...

[wildcat]

Did Mr. Wangers have to have GM's permission to do this? Is his car a "Pontiac" GTO or just a "GTO"?

[hyperv6]

Did Mr. Wangers have to have GM's permission to do this? Is his car a "Pontiac" GTO or just a "GTO"?

I would say it has no mention of Pontiac anywhere. People have been doing these retro mod turn key cars and not putting the division name on them or even the model. GTO is a pretty open name so he may be able to get by with that one as long as he does not use Pontiac with it.

[Intrepidation]

Sounds really cool.

[wildcat]

" . . . As the company says, 'This is the car Pontiac should have made but didn't.'"

Are they claiming that Pontiac should have made it as described in 1969... or 2009?

How would the Pontiac faithful have viewed this car if it came out, as a "retro" design, in 2009?

Could such a car have been sold by GM in 2009 for a reasonable price?

[cletus8269]

I would say it has no mention of Pontiac anywhere. People have been doing these retro mod turn key cars and not putting the division name on them or even the model. GTO is a pretty open name so he may be able to get by with that one as long as he does not use Pontiac with it.

yeap, another example is C.A.R.S. turnkey camaros

and the yenko continuation camaros.i would imagin the dynacorn bodies have a lot to do with this, for better or worse.

for $140,000 i think i would try and track down the real deal... (i know thats a low value for them but this isnt B-J 2005) or build one myself.

[hyperv6]

yeap, another example is C.A.R.S. turnkey camaros

and the yenko continuation camaros.i would imagin the dynacorn bodies have a lot to do with this, for better or worse.

for $140,000 i think i would try and track down the real deal... (i know thats a low value for them but this isnt B-J 2005) or build one myself.

Wanger is just making the buck here. He knows a good opritunity when he sees one. He is a PT Barnum of the Auto Industry marketing for better or worse.

[longtooth]

Mrs. 'L', as I'll refer to her here, had a '70 Judge in Green with the 4-speed. My favorite patron on my paper route circa 1973 or so by a wide margin.

She was a divorcee and in filtering the inputs which I've been storing for these past 36 years or so I still wonder why she chose that car. Hmmm. Wasn't left as a part of the divorce settlement but it was something that she'd purchased new from Cathcart Pontiac in Trenton, NJ in April of '70.

Mrs. 'L' would give me hot-chocolate and cookies, brownies and cake in wintertime and later beer during the dog days of those Summers when I was still the paper 'boy'. Eventually I was paid for cutting her lawn and doing some light yard-work for her. Comes the day I get my driver's license in October '72. One day, about a month after that here comes Mrs.'L' up Highland Ave after I'm done delivering my little newspapers and she swerves over to block my path, I'm on my bicycle still, safely, but definitely communicating in her way that she wanted to tell me something. I don't remember what I blurted or babbled but I remember stashing my bike behind a shed belonging to a customer of mine. Still no other cars on Highland Ave and this little tableau is playing itself out in the waning afternoon light of November over the course of 5 or 6 minutes. She asks me if I can handle a stick-shift. "No" I tell her, suddenly ashamed of my lack of expertise in that area. "No problem" or something like that she tells me, "Ill be your teacher!" as she lit her cigarette(direct quote from memory) Then she drove us the 5 minutes, very rapidly as I recall, to the Our Lady of Grace Cemetery which flanks the Route 1 bypass near the Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, PA. In those days the cemetery was a growing concern. The roads had been laid-out but the landscape was mostly vacant save for the trees there at the time. And that is where I, at age 16, learned from Mrs. 'L', how to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission.

Mrs. 'L' moved in 1978. About 2 years or so after I was married to my high school sweetheart. I saw Mrs. 'L' about a month prior to her move, she was going to live in Williamsport, PA, at our local Shop n' Bag. My wife and daughter were with me and after the introductions all around, some small talk, I stood watching watching Mrs. 'L's' receding form, my teacher, proceed down the aisle and into history.

Now, in the seven years since my Wife's passing, every time that I go fishing in North Central, PA, stay the Holiday Inn on Pine Street in Williamsport, PA, I am subconsciously looking for Mrs. 'L' and that 1970 Judge. I have finally admitted it to someone other'n myself. Mrs. 'L' is 12 years my senior and that would make her 65 years old. If history's any indication this lady always took great care of herself and took pride and care in her appearance. I wonder if she's doing okay.(?)

So in regarding this project of Jim Wangers I find it something to fuel the imagination and a means of recapturing something thought lost.

[A Horse With No Name]

Would love to own one if I had the cash.

Actually Ironic in that I saw a 69 Restored Judge Friday that was damn near perfect.

Chris

[balthazar]

In that the Pontiac GTO was with us '04-06, GM should have clear dibs on the licensing of the name. I'm just not clear on if the BK had any bearing on that (it shouldn't).

And this Wangers GTO clearly has 'GTO emblems'... need to see more pics to see if there's any Arrowheads ('69s didn't get one on the beak as opposed to '68). Interesting.

Those sure are some steamroller tires out back.

[BigPontiac]

It looks like Big 3 Performance is updating 69 GTOs similar to how Unique Performance used to make the Mustang GT500E "Eleanor" or how Year One makes the Burt Reynolds T/A. It reads like Big 3 approached him to add a name to their car.

Warning: You may actually need to click on these links and read content on another website before rendering an opinion.

GeeTO Tiger.com

Big 3 Performance

Edited September 21, 2009 by BigPontiac

[Oracle of Delphi]

I'd give my left nut and every vehicle I own, save one for this car. Isn't it a Federal requirement though for side markers lights, I know it was a big sticking point when bringing the Pontiac G8 to the USA.

I wonder what the price will be ...

[hyperv6]

Low volume producers do not need to do many of the little things. They also have ways around them too.

I met with the people from Mongoose Motorsports over the weekend. They make trun key Corvette Grand Sports and Corvette GTP Street cars. Since they are low volume and kit providers they can forgo many of the Federal requirment.

I have not see a price but most of these Turnkey Kits are going for $100,000 and up depending on what you want. Often they will tayor special request for bigger brakes and engine if you are willing to pay.

Like the Mongoose cars they can put in any engine you want and other options at what ever you are willing to pay. I know the Year One TA comes in several different levels of performance also.

Needless to say most of these cars are bought by the same Rich people who have street rods built because they can't do it themselves but still want the fast toys that other build.

With a weak economy these kinds of cars do well as people pull money out of investments. I see it everyday at work.

Edited September 21, 2009 by hyperv6

[Camino LS6]

Mrs. 'L', as I'll refer to her here, had a '70 Judge in Green with the 4-speed. My favorite patron on my paper route circa 1973 or so by a wide margin.

She was a divorcee and in filtering the inputs which I've been storing for these past 36 years or so I still wonder why she chose that car. Hmmm. Wasn't left as a part of the divorce settlement but it was something that she'd purchased new from Cathcart Pontiac in Trenton, NJ in April of '70.

Mrs. 'L' would give me hot-chocolate and cookies, brownies and cake in wintertime and later beer during the dog days of those Summers when I was still the paper 'boy'. Eventually I was paid for cutting her lawn and doing some light yard-work for her. Comes the day I get my driver's license in October '72. One day, about a month after that here comes Mrs.'L' up Highland Ave after I'm done delivering my little newspapers and she swerves over to block my path, I'm on my bicycle still, safely, but definitely communicating in her way that she wanted to tell me something. I don't remember what I blurted or babbled but I remember stashing my bike behind a shed belonging to a customer of mine. Still no other cars on Highland Ave and this little tableau is playing itself out in the waning afternoon light of November over the course of 5 or 6 minutes. She asks me if I can handle a stick-shift. "No" I tell her, suddenly ashamed of my lack of expertise in that area. "No problem" or something like that she tells me, "Ill be your teacher!" as she lit her cigarette(direct quote from memory) Then she drove us the 5 minutes, very rapidly as I recall, to the Our Lady of Grace Cemetery which flanks the Route 1 bypass near the Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, PA. In those days the cemetery was a growing concern. The roads had been laid-out but the landscape was mostly vacant save for the trees there at the time. And that is where I, at age 16, learned from Mrs. 'L', how to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission.

Mrs. 'L' moved in 1978. About 2 years or so after I was married to my high school sweetheart. I saw Mrs. 'L' about a month prior to her move, she was going to live in Williamsport, PA, at our local Shop n' Bag. My wife and daughter were with me and after the introductions all around, some small talk, I stood watching watching Mrs. 'L's' receding form, my teacher, proceed down the aisle and into history.

Now, in the seven years since my Wife's passing, every time that I go fishing in North Central, PA, stay the Holiday Inn on Pine Street in Williamsport, PA, I am subconsciously looking for Mrs. 'L' and that 1970 Judge. I have finally admitted it to someone other'n myself. Mrs. 'L' is 12 years my senior and that would make her 65 years old. If history's any indication this lady always took great care of herself and took pride and care in her appearance. I wonder if she's doing okay.(?)

So in regarding this project of Jim Wangers I find it something to fuel the imagination and a means of recapturing something thought lost.

I've missed your writing, Longtooth... all that it says, and doesn't say.

You paint a fine picture with simple words, and I enjoy that.

[longtooth]

I've missed your writing, Longtooth... all that it says, and doesn't say.

You paint a fine picture with simple words, and I enjoy that.

Thanks Camino'. It's the emotion that drives the desire and I'm sure you that you know exactly what that means.

Seeing this Wangers deal sparked that memory.

[hyperv6]

Saw they may price this $130,000-150,000.

Wangers must be a little lighter in the loafers they we suspected. But there are some rich guys who can't build these like the street rods they over pay. So I suspect he will sell a few.

I would rather buy the real thing for that kind of money in mint condition. Or a Ford GT..... used Ferarri...... Or s dozen of other cars before this deal. I could make a Lemans into somthing similar to these for less than 50K.

[longtooth]

Saw they may price this $130,000-150,000.

Wangers must be a little lighter in the loafers they we suspected. But there are some rich guys who can't build these like the street rods they over pay. So I suspect he will sell a few.

I would rather buy the real thing for that kind of money in mint condition. Or a Ford GT..... used Ferarri...... Or s dozen of other cars before this deal. I could make a Lemans into somthing similar to these for less than 50K.

Were I rationally thinking of doing that, I'd expend the time and energy tracking down the real deal for substantially less than what's quoted here then spend the next several years upgrading it to 'better than new' condition as the Air Force has done with the 55-plus-year old B-52 bomber and along the lines of Year One's Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Am. It's an undertaking that a 50-something seems compelled to do at least once in his life; i.e .: Reconnect with a simpler, perceptibly happier time. When I was 22 in 1978, when the Trans Am phenomena was still cresting, I was light years away from affording one. I did indulge the impulse in buying an '02 Firehawk and that was the perfect salve for awhile. The GTO Judge, preferably a 1970 model in either Verdoro Green or Orbit Orange would be the way to go for me but not when I'm 70.

At any rate it's a matter of taste.

[hyperv6]

Were I rationally thinking of doing that, I'd expend the time and energy tracking down the real deal for substantially less than what's quoted here then spend the next several years upgrading it to 'better than new' condition as the Air Force has done with the 55-plus-year old B-52 bomber and along the lines of Year One's Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Am. It's an undertaking that a 50-something seems compelled to do at least once in his life; i.e .: Reconnect with a simpler, perceptibly happier time. When I was 22 in 1978, when the Trans Am phenomena was still cresting, I was light years away from affording one. I did indulge the impulse in buying an '02 Firehawk and that was the perfect salve for awhile. The GTO Judge, preferably a 1970 model in either Verdoro Green or Orbit Orange would be the way to go for me but not when I'm 70.

At any rate it's a matter of taste.

If you have not been in a B 52 you might want to step in and take a wiff. They may be rebuilt but them babies stink like on old gym locker. LOL!

I guess since I connected with most of these cars years back and on an occation yet they just don't seem better than they really were to me as they seem to many others. I had my fun and loved enjoying them but when I get into a Z06 or CTSv I flash back to today and understand these are the good old days.

But I would like to get the 64 GTO my buddy has. He leaves it sit most of the time since he has gotten a new plane. I told him I was going to steal it and clean it up and drive it one weekend. He was told me where the keys were. I may have to take him up on that. The Tri power (Mechanical Linkage please) 4 speed is one thing I never really did get out of my system yet. So I guess I do have a little nostalgia left.

That is one thing that helps as with my work and the people I know I still get to play with a lot of cool toys and not have to pay for them.

[longtooth]

Hyper'; the only instance of my having been in a B-52 was at an airshow in Reading, PA in '94 but since they were idling a C-5B Galaxy about 600 yards away, preparatory to a demo, the rich smell of jet fuel pervaded everything and I was too 'gee-whizzed' at how cramped everything seemed. Not to mention the sun having 'baked' us for a few hours.

I did test drive a CTS-V recently in consideration of buying and I contrasted the raw power of it with my G8 and my Aunt's '07 XLR-V. Each vehicle has it's own virtues to recommend it but were I to pursue that Judge 'dream' I would want it to be brought up to the taught specs of what I have come to expect from a muscle or sports car given present day technology. The idea of a CTS-V being a turn-key hot rod right out of the box is very appealing and I'll look at the coupe when it debuts next year for sure.

[Camino LS6]

At the price you heard about, Hyper, my interest in this project would instantly vanish.

I too, would build my own for a fraction of the cost.

[hyperv6]

Hyper'; the only instance of my having been in a B-52 was at an airshow in Reading, PA in '94 but since they were idling a C-5B Galaxy about 600 yards away, preparatory to a demo, the rich smell of jet fuel pervaded everything and I was too 'gee-whizzed' at how cramped everything seemed. Not to mention the sun having 'baked' us for a few hours.

I did test drive a CTS-V recently in consideration of buying and I contrasted the raw power of it with my G8 and my Aunt's '07 XLR-V. Each vehicle has it's own virtues to recommend it but were I to pursue that Judge 'dream' I would want it to be brought up to the taught specs of what I have come to expect from a muscle or sports car given present day technology. The idea of a CTS-V being a turn-key hot rod right out of the box is very appealing and I'll look at the coupe when it debuts next year for sure.

I missed the Idling C-5 but the Buff I was in was sitting in the hat sun on the flight line at Miramar NAS just north of San Diego on a neat 100 degree day. A co worker of mine was on the staff of a Bomber flight wing ground crew. He was the one who told me how much they smelled. I have been in B 17, B-25 and even a B29 that just never had that funk. The oder of history.

The neat thing with the CTSV coupe is you cabuy it with a full warranty and still buy a Vette new to run short trips in for the price of the Wangers car.

I guess I know how much it cost to build one less the labor and just fell it is crazy to pay that much to someone else to build it.