Car of the Week: 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge convertible

[mongooz]

(not a fan of the giant wing)

When he got his glorious 1970 GTO Judge convertible back on the road five years ago, Lance Tarnutzer had to take a quick detour and visit somebody on the way home.

read more: https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1970-pontiac-gto-judge-convertible

 

[Lerxst]

Neat that he finished his dad’s passion project

IMO, the ‘68-72 A body convertibles are kinda meh compared to the coupes

 

[DinoMikeSr]

I don’t remember ever seeing a convertible before.

I always preferred them with Crager’s or Slots, raised in the rear with traction bars. Hi Jacker air shocks were used most but made it ride like a board.

 

[mongooz]

Neat that he finished his dad’s passion project

IMO, the ‘68-72 A body convertibles are kinda meh compared to the coupes

agreed, but the convertibles are so much rarer

 

[Lerxst]

I always preferred them with Crager’s or Slots, raised in the rear with traction bars. Hi Jacker air shocks were used most but made it ride like a board.

When i bought my Olds, it had ladder bars and air shocks…it was a total mess and the rigid rear end wound up hammering the upper shock mounts…and bouncing your ass out of the seat. Both of those made the car ride like shit on anything other than smooth pavement and made wheel hop worse on any surface imperfections. Ripped out the air shocks and it still was a crap ride with the bars (edit and when the wheel would hop, the lack of suspension articulation after the initial hop made it even worse). Running the right spring and shock combo with adj trailing arms is the ticket if you’re not living at the drag strip.

 

[MonkeyZero]

Oh the beauty of a classic engine bay. They didn't feel the need to fill every square inch with something.

 

[Lerxst]

Oh the beauty of a classic engine bay. They didn't feel the need to fill every square inch with something.

Fun fact: you could hide a case worth of beer under the hood on front passenger side of the bay of a '68 olds cutlass/442. Handy for facilitating under age consumption.

 

[Lerxst]

agreed, but the convertibles are so much rarer

True...but then you still own that dopey silhouette when the roof is closed.

 

[DinoMikeSr]

When i bought my Olds, it had ladder bars and air shocks…it was a total mess and the rigid rear end wound up hammering the upper shock mounts…and bouncing your ass out of the seat. Both of those made the car ride like shit on anything other than smooth pavement and made wheel hop worse on any surface imperfections. Ripped out the air shocks and it still was a crap ride with the bars (edit and when the wheel would hop, the lack of suspension articulation after the initial hop made it even worse). Running the right spring and shock combo with adj trailing arms is the ticket if you’re not living at the drag strip.

Of the two I knew of in my small town they were more show than go. Sounded great, looked beautiful with those big meats. Still, for a new car road like crap.

 

[xStonr]

The original GOAT.

 

[Tig]

Not my favorite color and I prefer the '69, but this is a really nice restoration.

 

[mongooz]

Not my favorite color and I prefer the '69, but this is a really nice restoration.

i had forgot that they went to the rubber front end in '70, and it's not very appealing. somehow i thought that happened in '72 or '73.
still, that ram air 400 is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Lerxst]

Not my favorite color and I prefer the '69, but this is a really nice restoration.

For me, that applies to all the A bodies…69 was kind of transitional for most of the line.

 

[mongooz]

For me, that applies to all the A bodies…69 was kind of transitional for most of the line.

not to put too fine a point on it....but it was 1968 that all those bodies changed, including the corvette. just sayin'

 

[Lerxst]

not to put too fine a point on it....but it was 1968 that all those bodies changed, including the corvette. just sayin'

I'm coming more from a styling pov that transitions into the 70s models

 

[Bob411]

Not my favorite color and I prefer the '69, but this is a really nice restoration.

I thought there was a law that all Judges are orange.

 

[mongooz]

I thought there was a law that all Judges are orange.

i thought that too for a long time. and i believe the first year ('69) they all were.
but from 1970-1971 they had other color options.

 

[Tig]

I thought there was a law that all Judges are orange.

 

[Lerxst]

The best part about the '69 color is that it was actually called "Carousell Red" and debuted on the prior year F-bird

 

[Tig]

i thought that too for a long time. and i believe the first year ('69) they all were.
but from 1970-1971 they had other color options.

The Judge was initially offered only in Carousel Red (orange), but added other colors later in the production year.