1966 Pontiac GTO Takes Best in Show at Musclepalooza XXI

Photos by Terry Shea, Kurt Ernst and Thomas DeMauro.

No stranger to Hemmings Muscle Machines readers, Paul Menin brought his numbers-matching Barrier Blue 1966 Pontiac GTO to Musclepalooza XXI and went home with the Best in Show trophy.

Despite his vast experience with GTOs and a trophy case full of evidence that he has been doing things right, Paul sounded a bit overwhelmed by the honor. “I was very excited and very thankful. I couldn’t have been any happier. It was quite a turnout of cars and to even place there was exciting. To get Best in Show was even more. I was surprised and excited. It’s the epitome of trophies to win the Best in Show with over 800 cars at Musclepalooza.”

Paul’s GTO, which was featured on the cover of Hemmings Muscle Machines for our “GTO at 50” story, sports its factory original Tri-Power 389-cu.in. V-8 and Muncie M-21 four-speed gearbox. A former race car (When he bought the car, it had a 12-bolt rear, headers and evidence of wheelie bars previously installed to go along with its heater-delete setup from the factory.), the ’66 Goat was restored to a very nearly stock condition by Paul.

Among the few concessions to taking the previous quarter-mile competitor on the street, Paul installed bucket seats with headrests and a console. The radio and heater-delete panels remain as the factory intended. Pertronix electronic ignition, roller-tip rockers and a .060-inch overbore are the only places under the hood that stray from stock, but help keep the car running and driveable for Paul.

With over 800 cars on the show lot, competition was fierce with every brand of muscle car well represented. Choosing the best from the field was no easy task for the Hemmings crew, but all agreed that Paul’s ’66 represented a spectacular restoration, particularly on such a striking color combination of the blue metallic paint over Parchment vinyl interior with the black Cordova vinyl top.

Paul’s GTOs have graced other HMM covers in the past. A retired schoolteacher from Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, Paul has been collecting GTOs since they were new and his assortment of restored examples now runs into the double digits. Paul financed his GTO habit over the years, buying and selling cars and components and parting out GTOs so that their pieces would help other enthusiasts’ projects see the light of day.