Can’t believe this fun and engaging 1966 Pontiac GTO was found in a dilapidated warehouse thanks to Facebook Marketplace


“I’m always constantly looking on there,” Tony Salerno told us in a conversation over the phone. The “there” he was referring to is Facebook Marketplace, one of the most popular sites online for people looking to buy or sell anything from furniture to vinyl records and, of course, cars. When Tony saw an ad for a 1966 Pontiac GTO at a very reasonable price, he wasted no time contacting the seller.

002 1966 Pontiac GTO Barn Find Rear
004 1966 Pontiac GTO Barn Find on Trailer

“She didn’t have a lot of details about the car,” Tony told us, “except that she was the one who drove it.” She also told him that over two dozen people had already called her within the first hour since posting the advertisement on Facebook. She wasn’t ready to deal with the insane influx of interest, so she told Tony she would have to wait for her husband to get back from work later that evening. Before she hung up, Tony needed to make a move that would cement his name in her head amidst the sea of other potential buyers. So, what he did was make her an offer that was significantly higher than her original asking price.

Later that night, Tony finally got in contact with the woman’s husband and was told that there were two other buyers getting their trailers ready to come for the car first thing the next morning. A quick glance at his navigation app told Tony he was only a two-hour drive from where they had the GTO stored, so he convinced the elderly couple to let him come see the car later that night.

“First thing, I checked the V.I.N. to make sure it wasn’t a tribute car,” said Tony. It was legit. “The dust on the car was deceiving. It’s a good car, straight body—it’s not perfect, a few dents and scratches—but it’s a real GTO.” So far, so good, but it got even better.

He knew the car had its 389-c.i. Pontiac engine, but the transmission ended up being the real surprise. “She had it listed as an automatic,” Tony remembered, “but then I found that it had the original four-speed Hurst shifter!” And even though the 1966 Pontiac GTO had been sitting for over 25 years, it was in great shape. The floor of the barn was wood, but it was raised off the ground which helped keep the moisture out all those years.

After coming to an agreement on the price, Tony went back home, then came back days later with his truck and trailer to pick up the barn find GTO. After a few months of tinkering on and off, he got the iconic 1966 Pontiac GTO running and driving again for the first time in a quarter of a century. (See video at the top of the article!)

So, it seems that for once, the addiction many of us have of constantly checking our phones in hopes of finding that killer deal finally paid off—well, for Tony Salerno at least.

004 1966 Pontiac GTO Barn Find on Trailer
005-Hurst-Four-Speed-1966-Pontiac-GTO-Barn-Find-Interior
001-1966-Pontiac-GTO-Barn-Find

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