Some cars stay in a family long enough to become part of its history. Doug Bronson’s 1966 Pontiac GTO 455 convertible has been around since before his marriage even began.
Bronson bought the GTO in 1977 and has owned it for roughly 49 years. Somewhere along the way, the Pontiac also played a part in introducing him to Julie, the woman he would eventually marry.
Doug and Julie have now been married for 46 years, giving him an easy way to remember which relationship started first. “That’s what I use as a date to see how long I had this car before I had her,” he joked.
The couple recently shared their GTO with Lou Costabile for his My Car Story YouTube series in Minnesota. Nearly five decades after Doug bought it, the convertible remains firmly part of their lives — although it has changed substantially since 1966.
This Isn’t The GTO’s Original Engine
A 455-cubic-inch V8 wasn’t available in a GTO when this car was built. Pontiac wouldn’t introduce the 455 until 1970, while the 1966 GTO instead offered versions of the 389-cubic-inch V8.
Doug’s car now packs a 455 topped by a pair of vintage Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors. He bought the intake manifold around 1976 and had custom one-inch aluminum adapters fabricated because the necessary parts weren’t readily available to mount his preferred carburetors.
The engine also uses a Ram Air III-style cam, while a four-speed manual sends power rearward. Other period-flavored touches include Mickey Thompson valve covers, Cragar wheels, and a functional ram-air-style scoop insert, although Doug hasn’t opened the hood beneath it because the car occasionally gets driven in the rain.
Keeping It Alive Required Some Creativity
The GTO wasn’t always this tidy. When Doug acquired it, the trunk and sections of the floor were rotten, and replacement sheet metal wasn’t readily available.
His solution was a 1964 Pontiac LeMans donor car from the South. Doug removed the necessary floor and trunk sections and transplanted them into the GTO, repairing the car without the reproduction panels restorers can easily order today.
Other pieces were collected similarly over the years. Doug once hauled doors and other components from a salvaged 1966 GTO in Texas, gaining features such as power windows in the process.
Its metallic blue paint is another survivor. The car was painted by Maaco roughly 25 years ago, and despite the passage of time, the finish still presents remarkably well.
The GTO Still Gets Driven
Julie hasn’t simply spent 46 years riding in the passenger seat. She drives the GTO herself, although she admits she’d rather have an automatic than its four-speed manual and props herself up on pillows to comfortably reach the pedals.
Power steering and brakes make the experience a little easier, while other equipment includes a tilt steering wheel and a working tachometer. The convertible top, however, hasn’t been lowered for years because the couple would rather not risk damaging it.
Asked what she enjoys about driving the Pontiac, Julie had a simple answer: the smiles it generates. She describes the GTO as an “instant friend maker.”
Plenty has changed since Doug brought the car home in 1977, including the engine, bodywork, and the size of his family. The GTO, however, has stuck around — and so has the woman it helped him meet.