Classic recollections: 1966 Pontiac GTO
High school is where so many of us formed and honed valuable academic skills and learned valuable life lessons. Not all education, however, occurs in the classroom.
For Terry Macejak, his lasting tutelage occurred on a strip of asphalt where he learned one thing: he had to have a four-speed Pontiac.
“Right before my '67 high school graduation, a schoolmate's brother bought himself a '67 GTO. Before shipping out to Vietnam, he gave me a ride,” the Glen Ellyn resident said. The shifting of the auto's Muncie transmission hooked Macejak. “Ever since, I knew I had to have a go with my own.”
That lasting impression stayed with him until 1991, when he bought his dream '67 four-speed Goat. The three-pedal fun was cut short in 2001 after a knee replacement forced him to sell his special four-wheeled treasure.
“It was my last resort to get rid of the car as it was something I had always wanted and thoroughly enjoyed having. After the procedure, I attempted to drive it and almost cracked my new knee!”
For the preservation of his health, Macejak went on the prowl for something without a clutch and bearing just two pedals down in the driver's footwell. What he found was this '66 GTO.
“My favorite feature is the louvered taillights,” he said. “They are so subtle and blend in nicely with the rear panel. If you're not looking for them, you'd miss them completely.”
The California-built car had been restored in Oregon prior to Macejak's ownership and had been coated in BMW Azure Blue paint, a modern touch harking back to its Barrier Blue factory color. “There's metallic flake in the paint, so on a bright, sunny day — you'd better grab your sunglasses because it just glistens.”
The original 389-cubic-inch V-8 still resides behind the grille, but breathes easier thanks to a DynaFlow exhaust system. Power steering and upgraded drum brakes make for reliable highway cruising while the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission ensures minimal knee and leg movement.
While it may not have his preferred method of switching gears, Macejak still savors all his time spent behind the wheel.
“There's something about getting in and starting it up. It brings up so many memories and puts you in a happier time.”
No doubt Macejak's mind has no trouble recalling that thrilling boyhood GTO experience as he gets to relive it every time he mashes the gas.