The GM intermediate A-body size platform really lent itself to high performance cars, in fact it was the platform that spawned the Pontiac GTO. And this week's Muscle Monday is this 1969 Tiger Gold Pontiac GTO and it has got a bunch of things going for it.
Being a GTO, so that means it's got some suspension upgrades and brakes and some styling elements that make it cool. 1969 was the second year for the redesigned GM A-body platform and this GTO really had some unique styling elements. The coke body design is really pronounced which means you can see the bulges in the quarter panels and the contour line at the bottom of the door.
It is an aggressive curvy style that although it shares the underpinnings with the Chevelle, Skylark, and Cutlass 442, the GTO was definitely very distinctive looking and doesn't look to be a similar car to those.
Johnny Lightning did a crackin' job on recreating this car on the 1:64 scale, even without relying on multiple pieces for headlights and bumpers, the color separation is crisp and sharp. Not only are the bumper lights painted white but the tiny crosshair chrome pieces are painted too.
The chrome trim pieces are where they should be and can be easily missed for thin they are - that's how they should be. They should dress the car up not overpower the looks, many times I find this done rather poorly by other brands which are often too thick and off-kilter - not with this GTO.
White letters on tires? I'm sold.
Moving onto the rear, the mold lines are present on either sides slight about the rear bumper. Other than that, there's aren't any mold lines visible. No major flaws on the painted tail lights and bumper, no overspray, no misalignment. Everything is pretty tight!
The engine bay doesn't disappoint either, the hood flips open to reveal what seems to a Ram Air IV 400 engine judging from the air filter cover. The hood shuts properly without showing the jambs too much.
