25 years later, fate and a mistake brought my ’65 GTO back home
On my birthday in 1985, my first car drove off into the sunset. It was a black-on-black 1965 Pontiac GTO I’d found in the For Sale section of a Tulsa newspaper and bought for $2000 cash—earnings from two years working at a department store. For five years, it was my only car. I drove it, crashed it, had the engine rebuilt by our school shop class, and rebuilt it again over one summer. I even swapped in a 12-bolt, 4.11:1 rear-end (bad idea, but seemed cool at the time). But during college, I had to sell it because I couldn’t afford the gas, tires, oil, and insurance.
I’d always told myself that, someday, I’d get another. In 2020, I was surfing Hemmings for ’65 GTOs and found one in Connecticut: Coupe, factory A/C, four-speed, power steering, and brakes. It was originally painted gold with a gold interior but had since been changed to black on black. I live in Florida now, where that color combination is impractical, but the memory of my first car kept pulling me back. My wife, Alli, added, “You aren’t getting any younger.” After thanking her for reminding me, I also thanked her for being supportive and called the dealer.
The car appeared fully restored and had PHS documentation and a billing history card. A local inspector put it on a rack, drove it, photographed it, measured the paint depth, and provided me with an appraisal. After some haggling, the car was on a transporter.
While awaiting the arrival of my new GTO, I dug out the documentation from my old one, which included a set of taped-together keys and an Oklahoma registration. Comparing VINs, I was pleased to note the numbers were only 50 digits apart—277 for the old one and 227 for the new one. But then I realized the photos of the VIN that the appraiser had provided didn’t match what was in his report. Concerned, I called him. “The VIN on the car has clearly never been tampered with,” he said, apologizing for having made an error in his transcription. “The correct VIN ends in 277, not 227.”
I felt flush. “If the VIN is correct,” I told him, “This is the first car I ever bought!” Neither the inspector nor my wife could believe it. When the car arrived, I cracked the Scotch tape on my old set of keys and stuck one in the ignition switch. It turned.
My Pontiac had changed during our time apart. A big dent I’d put in the rear quarter was gone, as were the steel sheets I’d (clumsily) pop-riveted into the rusted trunk. The car had been treated to options such as Tri-Power carbs. I’ve continued the improvements, including paint color correction and a set of Coker radial redline tires with a bias-ply look. It has trophied twice at the Festivals of Speed in Orlando, and we’ve put on a few thousand miles driving to nearby towns. I could have bought another GTO and would have been perfectly happy reliving my youth with that car. But my actual first car? It’s abundantly clear to me how rare that is.
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Wonderful story!!! Congratulations!!!
I have a very similar experience….back in 2003 I was working at a Ford dealership as a technician…..I decided to order a brand new mustang on my birthday…..I also managed to get permission to go to visit the Dearborn assembly plant on the day my car was to be built…..got to see the last ten steps of its construction…..fast forward a few years…..I had a wife and two children …..and many home repairs that needed money …..so I sold my mustang…..my first ever new car…..a few years and a divorce later I was shopping for a mustang again and happened to come across my mustang……bought it instantly…..but something nagged at me that day….turned out I bought it back….on the exact same day I first bought it….June 10th…..the guy who bought it from me barely drove it so it was nearly the same as it when I sold it (he replaced the wheels…something I’m looking to correct this summer)…..feels great to be reunited with it…..and luckily my current spouse fully understands what it means to me and supports me……
That is awesome, same day! I hope you can keep it forever. I assumed mine had been crushed long ago, but turned out it had been sitting waiting for the time to be right again. And now it’s happily ever after.
Wish i still had my first car. Not really special: ’69 Chevelle Malibu coupe w/307 PG. No A/C, PS or PB. Bought it in ’79 for $1100 with 47k on it. Kept it 14 years. Sold in ’93. It needed $8000 in body and paint work at that time. Only panels that didn’t need rust repair was the roof, hood and trunk lid. (IL car). Same for my second car>>much rarer ’68 Olds Vista Cruiser. It was an even bigger bodywork disaster. Sold for scrap in ’86 after the gas tank rusted out (about 56,000 pinhole leaks!)
Gave me chills to read your story. Congratulations!
Great story but I question the headline. He sold it in 1985, bought it back in 2020. That’s 35 years later.
Arithmetically challenged or not, the author wrote an uplifting piece. With 25 or 35 years between, is still a good story. Good catch though.
I just got this email today and yes the title is wrong, wasn’t sure how to let them know. Bought originally in 1980, sold in 1985, and bought back in 2020 so 35 years. It’s an amazing feeling and we are having a blast sharing the story!
far out, another repeat artical…..
Nov 28th 1969, bought my first car, 63 Corvette convertible with the hardtop for $1800. Drove it 10 years, 2 years as a daily driver. A half shaft went bad in the rear end, had a daughter bought a house and got into Harleys, so it sat for 40 years in the garage. Was offered 10K for it in the early 90s but kept it. 2003 started a rebuild which was finished in 2019.Mechanically everything is brand new, body original patina paint. Got 12k on it now, and feel like a 74 year old 20 year old again.
Awesome story, what are the odds? Never let it go again. Hopefully, you have someone to pass it on to. That would keep the story alive.
My first car was a ’57 Chevy Wagon I bought in 1968 for $350. In 1978, I bought the car I really wanted – a lightly used red 1974 Stingray. Now 46 years later, it’s still in my garage. It’s not the most practical car, but it’s beautiful and fun to drive. With only 56,000 miles, it really needs more use.
Depending on where you live, I might be able to help…
Ken in CO
I purchased a new ’69 GTO 2 dr. hdtp., antique gold w/ matching interior. In 1970, I married. I still have the girl and the car. The car has 38K original miles, paint and unmolested body & drive train. Lucky me!
Lucky guy, the first car i bought with my own money, is still in my garage, 35 years last October, at 19 , i bought a real numbers matching 1969 Z28, orange and white. Dont drive it much anymore, its just too rare, but some days it scares the hell out of the neighbourhood kids
I bought a 1969 Z/28 in 1978 and after 40 plus years I still own the car. The Camaro had a rough life prior to it coming into my hands, it was rusted on all four corners (not uncommon for an Ohio car) and the DZ 302 was a little tired from both street and strip use. I drove it for 5 years until the engine started to “lay down” and I parked it. It languished in the garage for 30 years. After heart surgery 10 years ago I started working on my “Bucket List” and the Camaro went right to the top. So I went to the best engine builder I could find and started the restoration. As others have said here, it’s not the value of the car that I’m concerned with. It’s the enjoyment I get from it. We have several cars here at home today. But there is only one set of keys here that raises my pulse rate every time I pick them up. I’ll let you guess which set it is. The car goes to my son when I am finished with it so I’m not concerned with what it’s worth. Someone commented here on this Hagerty sight recently “Drive what you love and love what you Drive, forget about the money”……Follow this advice and you’ll be happy!!” I agree!
My hubby’s 68 Barracuda Fastback (green with side pipes) was stolen from Canadian Tire where it was in for an oil change. The guy took it for a joy ride and totalled it in a single car accident. He was speeding and lost control. Survived the crash, crawled out the passenger door, as apparently he’d passed out, drunk 🥴.
Only time I saw my hubby, then boyfriend, cry😢.
Anyway, the last 10 years I’ve kept watch for one for sale, but they’re rare? God answered prayers and miraculously, I found one on Kidiji and it was in Canada 🇨🇦!!! Wow 👌 I surprised him with it for his 65th bday and retirement present 🎁 😁
Good girl!
What a great story!
I’ve told this story before, but I bought a 67 cougar from my dad when I was 16. I drove it over 20 years and finally sold it after I was married and had several kids. It had 275K miles, but was still pretty nice. I really missed it, and my wife secretly always wanted to find it and buy it back. One day she got a note asking if she knew a guy with my name and used to own a 67 cougar. Perhaps foolishly she said yes, and I got the car back. But it was in sad shape after being gone for 15 years. Rust holes in the dash, really rough overall. No real body rust, but the bondo from my younger days is still there. And I paid twice what I sold it for. It’s been about two years now. Runs and moves, and getting the electrical functional enough for real driving. With half a dozen kids, I get maybe an hour a week on it, but I enjoy it a lot. It was weird seeing it in the garage again; familiar, but out of place, like an old girlfriend at the table for dinner.
Congratulations! And agreed, I’m sure it would be weird to have an old girlfriend at your table with you and your wife!
What an unbelievably great story. My first car will never resurface since it caught fire 10 days after purchasing it, a 1976 Camaro type LT. As a high school student in the mid 80’s I was crushed.