1965 GTO
Some history & technical specifications

Sport Coupe

The Pontiac LeMans was retyled for 1965, as was the GTO. The most noticeable difference was the new front end, featuring twin vertical headlights. Output for both engine options was increased via revised camshafts and intake manifolds.

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The 1965 GTO
In 1965, Pontiac increased the rating of the standard 4-barrel engine to 335 hp but brought out a real goodie of an engine option. It was still 389 cubes, but a new cam that had 292° intake duration, 302° exhaust duration and more streamlined cast-iron exhaust headers added up to 360 big ones. And they meant it. Those weren't just paper ponies. In the May 1965 issue of Car Life magazine, Roger Huntington took some of his famed accelerometer readings in a 360-hp GTO and found that the car was being propelled by 345 actual horsepower at the clutch. And the true torque reading was 420 ft.-lb. compared to the factory rating of 424 ft.-lb. By the way, that issue was the first time the word "supercar" was used to describe the new breed of big-engine intermediates.

In addition to the straight engine stuff, there was also a ram air fresh-air package offered late in the model year. To cure the braking problem--GTOs still used the pitifully small 9.5-in. Tempest drum brakes--Pontiac offered finned aluminum drums with harder organic linings. For still more abusive driving, it also carried over the metallic lining option.

One of the best parts of the whole scene in 1965 was pricing. We thought they were high then, remember? In '65, the list price of a base GTO was $2556. That's right, $2556! A loaded GTO with the optional 360-hp engine, 4-speed transmission, power steering, power brakes, metallic brake linings, rally wheels, Safe-T-Track limited-slip differential, heavy-duty suspension, seat belts, custom steering wheel, rally gauges including tachometer, tinted glass, padded dash and AM radio listed at $3579, which means you could have probably bought the car for around $2800! Now that was a bargain.Those were the good old days.

They say that the '65 GTO was the fastest GTO ever. They may be right. The '65 body was still like the lean, taut original '64 body style. Fully loaded, the car weighed just over 3400 pounds. One thing was certain. The street guys were really into the car now, buying 75,352 of them in '65.

DIMENSIONS

Length (in) 206.1
Width (in) 73.1
Height (in) 54.0

Performance for 1965 GTO

0-60 mph		1/4 mile		Equipment		Source
5.8 sec		14.5 @ 100.0mph		360hp Tri-power, manual, 3.90 rear		Car Life

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GTO engine with single Carter four bbl. carburetor. Chrome air cleaner and valve covers are as original from the factory.

As fans of the Pontiac GTO know, it started as an option on the Pontiac Tempest. 95% of the option was the engine.

In 1964, the base GTO engine was a 389 cubic inch topped with a Carter four bbl. carburetor, high compression heads and a moderate lift camshaft. So equipped, output was rated at 325 horsepower. As potent as it was, the hot set-up consisted of a set of three vacuum controlled Rochester two bbl carburetors, known as the tri-power option. Hydraulic lifters and a 10.4:1 compression ratio gave the tri-power its 348 horsepower.

In 1965, a more radical camshaft and improved intake manifolds upped the output of the single carburetor engine to 335 horsepower and the tri-power engine to 360 horsepower.

Available Engines

389 4bbl V8
Single Carter four barrel carburetor.
335 hp
389 cubic inches
Compression: 10.75 : 1
Cyl Bore 4.0625in
Cyl Stroke 3.75in

389 3x2 bbl V8
360 hp
389 cubic inches
Compression: 10.75 : 1
Cyl Bore 4.0625in
Cyl Stroke 3.75in

Rear End Gear Ratios

Engine   Trans   3.08   3.23   3.36   3.55   3.90   4.33 Std 335hp   3-Man   Opt   Std   Opt   Opt   Opt   Opt     3-Man w air   Std   Opt   .   .   .   .     4-Man   Opt   Std   Opt   Opt   .   .     4-Man w air   Std   Opt   .   .   .   .     4-Man Close   .   .   .   .   Opt   Opt     2-Auto   .   Std   Opt   Opt   Opt   Opt     2-Auto w air   Std   Opt   .   .   .   . Tri-Power   3-Man   Opt   Opt   Opt   Std   Opt   Opt     3-Man w air   Opt   Std   .   .   .   .     4-Man   Opt   Opt   Opt   Std   .   .     4-Man w air   Opt   Std   .   .   .   .     4-Man Close   .   .   .   .   Opt   Opt     3-Auto   Opt   Opt   Opt   Std   Opt   Opt     3-Auto w air   Opt   Std   .   .   .   .

Transmission Ratios

		1st		2nd		3rd		4th		rev
Standard 3-Spd Man Floor Shift		2.58:1		1.48:1		1.00:1		.		2.58:1
Optional 3-Spd Man Close-Ratio Floor Shift		2.42:1		1.61:1		1.00:1		.		2.33:1
Optional 4-Spd Man Floor Shift M20		2.56:1		1.91:1		1.48:1		1.00:1		2.64:1
Optional 4-Spd Man Close-Ratio Floor Shift M21		2.20:1		1.64:1		1.28:1		1.00:1		2.27:1
Optional 2-Spd Auto Column/Floor Shift		1.76:1		1.00:1		.		.		1.76:1