standard engine on the GTO was the 389-ci V-8 rated at 325 hp at 4,800 rpm. Compression ratio was 10.75:1. Carter carburetion was used on the engine. The lower end of the engine used 3.00-inch mains and 6.625-inch long rods. The optional engine was rated at 348 hp and used the Tri-Power induction system. It consisted of three 2-barrel Rochester carburetors; the end carburetors were mechanically controlled, giving the GTO more power at a lower engine speed.
All Pontiac engines used an oil windage tray and were equipped with chrome valve covers and a chrome oil filler cap.
The standard transmission was a 3-speed manual. Note the Custom Sports steering wheel, too. (Photo Courtesy Marty Cieslak)
The standard transmission was a 3-speed manual with a Hurst floor shifter. Optional were two 4-speeds: the M20 wide-ratio box and the M21 close-ratio box. According to the GTO club, the M21 was not installed by the factory. All manual transmission cars came with a 10.4-inch-diameter clutch.
The 2-speed Super Turbine 300 Powerglide automatic was optional on both engines. It was not until 1967 that the 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic became available.
All GTOs came with a dual-exhaust system. The head pipes measured 2.25×0.075 inches and the tailpipes measured 2.00×0.055 inches. Optional with the duals were chrome exhaust splitters, and these were located behind the rear wheelwells. Early splitters were shorter than later production splitters. All GTOs, from 1964 to 1974, were equipped with a dual-exhaust system.
Drivetrain
As with other GM intermediates, all used the Saginaw manual steering box with a manual 24:1 ratio and five turns lock-to-lock. The Saginaw steering box was available from 1974 to 1967. More desirable was a quicker 20:1 power ratio box. Power steering GTOs used a power 17.5:1 box.
Drum brakes were used on all four wheels. These could be either manual or power-assisted and measured 9.5 inches. The shoes measured 2.5 inches on the front pads and 2.0 inches on the rear, totaling 269.8 square inches. Semi-metallic brakes were optional. The brakes, though, were barely adequate, and even the 6-cylinder Tempest used 9.5-inch drums.
The standard suspension came with firm shock absorbers and springs, and the GTO was also equipped with a .938-inch front anti-sway bar. A rear sway bar didn’t become standard until 1970.
The wheels on this GTO used a hubcap with a 10-slot Deluxe wheel cover. (Photo Courtesy Karl Lacker)
The standard steel wheels measured 14×6 inches with Redline 7.50×14 tires made by US Royal Tiger Paw. Whitewall tires were a no-cost option. You had several optional wheels to choose from: Standard was a hubcap, optional were a 10-slot Deluxe wheel cover, an 8-slot Custom wheel cover, and a wire wheel cover, which was available through dealers.
The new 1965 grille was a smash, as proved by the sales figures. It was obvious that Pontiac had a winner, especially in the convertible.
The following production figures were taken from GM production reports.
All standard 335-hp engines were outfitted with a new, pancake-style air cleaner.
1965 Vehicle Identification Number
The vehicle identification number (VIN) was riveted on an aluminum plate and attached to the driver-side front door-hinge post. There was also a date stamp on the VIN tag indicating date of delivery to the original owner. For 1965, the example of 237275P100001 decodes to:
| 2 | Pontiac Division |
| 37 | LeMans |
| 27 | Two-door coupe (37 for two-door hardtop, 67 for two-door convertible) |
| 5 | Last digit of model year (5 is 1965) |
| P | Assembly plant (P for Pontiac, B for Baltimore, K for Kansas City, Z for Freemont) |
| 100001 | Consecutive sequence number |
Because the 1965 GTO was an option on the Pontiac LeMans Series, no specific number or code indicated a GTO. When production reached 100,000 at a particular plant, the consecutive sequence number continued with 200001. The consecutive sequence number was different for a GTO built at another plant. Also, as the VIN does not show a code for the original engine, it makes counterfeiting a GTO easier. General Motors did not include a code for the engine until 1972 in the VIN, whereas Ford did from 1950 on and Chrysler did from 1966 on.
Starting in 1965, Pontiac revised the block numbering system, using a two-letter code. Above this code is the engine unit number, which is either six or seven digits. This number is not related to the vehicle’s VIN. The block’s unit number is the sequential production number for the engine.
The block codes are two letters and as a general rule, W-code blocks are for manual transmission vehicles and Y-code blocks are for automatics. Most Z-code blocks are also automatics, and X-code blocks can be either manual or automatic transmission vehicles. A typical block code is WT.
The engine unit number and the engine code are located on the passenger’s side of the block, just below the cylinder head.
The date code is also important. It is cast in the distributor pad and consists of three or four characters as follows: The first is a letter representing the month (A for January, B for February, C for March, D for April, E for May, F for June, G for July, H for August, I for September, J for October, K for November, L for December, M for December 1966 [1967 model only]). The second or third is a digit representing the day of the month. The last is a digit representing the year. N or D represents the work shift when the block was cast, Night or Day. (Beginning in 1969, an additional two numbers represent the year; for example, 69 for 1969.)
Cylinder Head Casting Numbers
The cylinder head codes were cast into the center exhaust port area. For 1965, a portion of the head part number was also cast on the left- and right-end ports.
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Cylinder Head
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