I Bought The RAREST Pontiac GTO Ever Made (Then Destroyed It)

Today on LeeC Parts Salvage Stories: We bought the RAREST Pontiac GTO ever made at salvage auction and promptly sent it to the grave. I break down the financials behind the auto salvage business and see if this GTO is a solid money maker with a good LS1 engine, or a grade-a bust..
Have a salvage Pontiac GTO story of your own? Put it in the comments!
#SALVAGE #GTO #LEECPARTS

[@andrewmays1057]

being a GTO owner.... This breaks my heart

[@scraplifegarage]

💔💔

[@Drippedvenom]

Hurts my soul

[@eldrinkramers1246]

Me 2 as a GTO owner. And they selling the parts so expensive

[@atticalaboratory]

Kinda angered my soul a tad... I had a Barbados 04 just like this.

[@tommylindsay8613]

Pissed me off

[@antoniop1968]

Previous owner bragging, “Dude I got a bad ass GTO.” His friend “Dude I got some cheap ass wheels you can put on it.”

[@michaelpace64]

Couldn't watch you destroy this car

[@rossbrumby1957]

Those bolt on panels would never been wasted here in Australia. 3rd gen Monaros are big time popular (mostly from nostalgic reasons- only first gen models were seriously raced). People here buy the GTO grilles and bonnets to replace the Holden ones to stand out more ( let's face it, they're pretty nondescript styling)

[@skipads8784]

Nobody ever claimed Australians have good taste.

[@scraplifegarage]

We have TOOOOONNNNNNSSSS of them, don’t worry!

[@pmscalisi]

Funny in the US people buy Holden stuff to put on their GTO

[@brumtownbaby8601]

Funny in the uk people by Holden and Gto stuff to put on there Vauxhall

[@megamiteexplosion]

people here buy the holden badges for the same reason haha. There should be a trade group!!

[@mikeprice8307]

Man yall destroyed a perfect donor panel 🤣 why?

[@andrewc6602]

Because they're a dime a dozen and would need painted anyway. Nobody would buy it.....economics.

[@mikeprice8307]

@andrewc6602 I agree to disagree.

[@4Wardlogistics]

Damn bro I really needed that fender badge you scrapped.

[@shadowwolf5150]

You should keep the rack and pinions on those GTOs if they are salvageable. They are discontinued and hard to find.

[@mikestoms4015]

Modified a corvette one to work

[@detonationpyrotechnics4156]

I'd rebuild it in a heart beat

[@scraplifegarage]

Plenty of fish in the sea 😎

[@hoponspot]

Plenty of fish? You just said it is the rarest GTO?!

[@paulsz6194]

@@hoponspot exactly. Do you know how much these are going for in Australia??

[@Steviebobbie883]

I dont understand the hate you have for these cars. I own one and I love it. Like many commenters the body panels and glass alone are worth a ton. It's rare not everyone has one it's not a Camaro, Mustang or Challenger that everyone and thier Brother have. One of the best and most fun cars ever. So where does your hatred come from. Yeah the video upset me but if I need a part at least I know where to go

[@scraplifegarage]

Of course we’re just exaggerating a bit for contents sake! Don’t get me wrong, GTO aren’t my cup of tea, I’m a vette guy. But i just like getting people worked up 😉

[@Steviebobbie883]

@@scraplifegarage it made me cry more than anything. I get it you only have so much room. I discovered your Instagram page then your you tube when shopping for parts for my gto. I like to keep a list of pages where I can parts when needed. So you are saved in all my media.

[@mikestanly749]

there built 10 times better than any dodge or ford , just sayin . 🍺🍺, they drive better too. G.M. TORQUE EAT IT .

[@CJColvin]

​@scraplifegarage The 04-06 GTOs aren't my cup of tea either and they sure don't look as beautiful as the 66-67 GTOs (considering the 04-06 GTOs are nothing but rebadged Holden Monaros from Australia (which there for they aren't real Pontiacs like the originals from the 1960s)).

[@willkincaid5841]

Damn I would've have tried to save that car.

[@patrickaloia4063]

The side mirrors and rear quarter windows with exterior trims are pretty hard to get in Australia

[@scraplifegarage]

We have plenty on the shelf, come get em!

[@sturm7130]

GTO was a rebadged Australian Holden Monaro with 5.7L LS1, manual and auto offered. Commodore VY, VZ. derivative so lots of common parts. Lead to Holden designing and developing 5th gen Camaro. GM had forgotten how to design RWD cars. All GM unibody cars had been front wheel drive for a long time. Corvette was not a unibody, nor were trucks.

[@mazdaspeedg2380]

Been wanting to buy cars and sell parts for now more like a hobby because I don’t see myself making crazy profit or even breaking even at first but looks like fun and alot of stress on spending money and trying to make it back 😂

[@scraplifegarage]

It can be fun, but you’re right, it definitely is NOT the money maker people seem to think it is. It’s a grind!

[@stangbanger93stickshiftonl3]

There was sooo many usable parts on that car. The steering racks are something you should keep no matter what.

[@tilkanash]

You keep the firewalls too. They are very sought after in the USA to convert Australian RHD Holen UTEs imported into the USA to LHD for Registration in the USA.

[@glennarnold3970]

it makes me cry to see it parted out. here in oz they are now like rocking horse shit and are like unaptanium in price quarter window rubber deteriorates and you cant buy the windows new and the most rarest part on the car is the door belt molds no one makes them at all you can ask what you like for them in any condition they will sell so are the quarter panels and doors as a panel beater i should know cheers from down under

[@MrMatty6878]

Makes me kinda sad when these cars are going for $30k to 60k in Australia, and 30k is for a V6 model

[@scraplifegarage]

Nobody wants to pay anything for them over here!

[@Mr-th5hw]

@@scraplifegarage you mf’s wake up thinking violence with GTO’s 😂

[@richki.24]

when I bought my 2004 GTO I asked the dealer if they could get 1 in this color they claimed they searched but couldn't locate a Barbados Blue ... so I went with Silver

[@scraplifegarage]

What a shame!

[@PicklePringleCanPhallactic]

Live here in Vegas and a neighbor has one of these, absolutely loved and cared for. Will document if I get the chance.

[@scraplifegarage]

Absolutely man! There’s no middle ground on GTO, they’re either someone’s pride and joy that they cared for, or a completely ratted out POS!

[@shawnlibby4762]

​@@scraplifegarage that's with most cars lol all depends on what Richie Rich brat got... hehehehe 😂😅😅

[@DC-Deezy]

I own one of these LS2 gtos. It's been hell to maintain but I still have love for it. It does kill me to see it destroyed. Y'all should have fixed this it would have sold for sure.

[@Kingcadillac816]

20 years from now those parts and color a million dollar car 😂

[@scraplifegarage]

Just doing my part to increase the rarity!

[@concernedcitizen2868]

Ive always wanted a nice one of these. But was fun watching you rip it apart. :)

[@DJLAWOLF]

That's really f****** stupid just to destroy it you should just rebuilt that car and putting into a showcasing as a big huge diecast cars that's what people do now

[@robertmartin1269]

Right, or could have gave it to someone if thats the case smh

[@bobbycone2]

On my GTO I didn't do a full exhaust, all I did was a resinator delete and added a couple Flowmaster 10 series mufflers and let me tell you it made it sound perfect! In my opinion, better than ones with the full SLP exhaust.

[@jwills818]

I'd rather see you guys make content with it and part it out than have good parts rot in a scrapyard for decades! Sad to think that car was once someones baby..oh well, it just makes mine more rare! Keep up the good work

[@scraplifegarage]

You can count on us to keep it up!

[@ajroth419]

This was my friends car. He was 18 and hit by a drunk driver. I remember when it happened and i was so upset for him. He misses it so much and now drives a lame ass car

[@scraplifegarage]

That’s super unfortunate…

[@QkSilver04GTO]

You should direct him to this video so he can see what these guys did to his old car.

[@NoBSTriumphGuides]

Kind of breaks my heart especially seeing what these guys did to it

[@Sin3xtreme]

Funny watching a vy Monaro getting stripped in the states, as a Holden wreaker, gto guys here would pay a lot for the gto branded gear

[@shawnlibby4762]

Oh yeah trying to be a whistling diesel cleetus McFarland and who's that guy in the red mustang that's really heavy with a big diesel motor that destroys stuff.... Yeah this guy reminds me of those guys😂😂😂😂

[@cecilbrannon8665]

Do you guys sale parts from the GTO'S

[@scraplifegarage]

We do indeed. Leecparts.com

[@GTOjoe6.0]

brb while I go throw up... but anyways you guys a driver side window motor for a 2004 GTO???

[@scraplifegarage]

Sorry to make you sick. We have plenty of those we can pull out for you give us a shout

[@richki.24]

Would love to get a hold of an LS1/LS2 ....

[@1969Risky]

You guys have no idea on how much prices for parts/trim are going in Australia, UK, NZ & the Middle East that people will pay, & yet you trashed that Monaro. Try & do some research before you trash it mate or are you just there to trash to help other Monaro owners make their vehicles more rare.

[@scraplifegarage]

We’ve been down that road with them plenty of times, they’re desirable overseas 100%, but not enough for people to pay the crazy intl freight rates. We have plenty and I mean PLENTY of all this in stock and Intl buyers rarely if ever buy due to the economics.

[@1969Risky]

@@scraplifegarage The seatbelts alone, you cannot get in Australia anymore & trying to get a set made here is way, way expensive. Many Monaros in good condition get knocked back at yearly registrations just for a fraided seat belt. People will pay the shipping if they really want/need it. Only 18,000 Monaros were sold here & you guys got more than what we bought. Look at Australian CarSales to see how much Monaros are going for & it'll make your eyes water. That LS1 that you pulled out is an easy $16K here which is fine, but it's the smaller & hard to get pieces is damned hard. I understand you're in business but at the end of the day, you're throwing money away.

[@wasabicars]

"Platform X" better than "Platform Y"... You don't get it. "Car people" love even the lamest of cars. YOU = just lame

[@bradj78]

You stooges are destroying a Monaro 😛

[@zanestandlea8368]

Definitely like brazen orange metallic more but it is a pretty color

[@scraplifegarage]

Love that color

[@T.R.R.Jolkien]

I owned an ‘06 with the 400 h.p. LS-2, 6 speed car. It was super fun to drive but it always had some problem. Leaking rear diff. @ 38k. Air conditioning compressor grenaded around 50k. Drive shaft rubber isolator broke. Oil pressure sensor let oil pass into the wire loom to the computer. Hard to find that one. It had a broken stud in one of the exhaust manifolds. I bought the car brand new and it was all factory. Both plastic sun visors broke due to use. Plastic mount the wires pass thru. But the engine was powerful enough to drag all those problems down the road. I loved the car and especially the interior. Sold it at 76k after I paid it off.

[@ebonymiller9240]

Why would you do that there wasn't many made

[@mattfisher4256]

This is a Holden Monaro in Australia, sad to see it get beaten and destroyed like that.

[@eagerbordercollie3200]

Those red Gto seats in the background still available?

[@wasabicars]

You guys and car guys are different people.

[@scraplifegarage]

I don’t know about that ;)

[@wasabicars]

@@scraplifegarage Hey, I totally accept there are waaaaaay different car peeps. People are into all sorts of cars. Facts. BUT, destroying usable parts is... NO car dude is celebrating that. Oh, wait up. Is that how it's done in the States?

[@scraplifegarage]

We run a business. If the $$$ say it’s not worth keeping, then we will find a way to have fun with it!

[@peter28619]

You silly boy....you have an Australian market you're missing out on...big dollars here ole mate..that whole car $20k...

[@scraplifegarage]

Trust me I wish it was that easy! We’ve talked to hundreds of aussies over the past decade regarding these parts. It simply isn’t cost effective to ship the parts there. When given the pricing, 99/100 Australians that have inquired about parts, have declined to purchase. This is a business, if there is an avenue there that works for both parties I’d be MORE than happen to send every single GTO part that comes through our doors to Australia.

[@mikeprice8307]

@@scraplifegarage yall could've even saved the badges at the least 😆

[@dhicks59]

This was my dream car

[@sling__sh0t909]

How do I ask to reserve a part 🤣🤣🤣 I'm looking for a semi rare part and I cant find them

[@scraplifegarage]

Give us an email at [e-mail]

[@austinroot5039]

Looking for a 04 dipstick tube!!!

[@Plantdaddy55]

I’m on your website. But I can’t seem to find your used parts

[@flamer38544]

I would have traded my 04 for this one with cash to let you guys destroy mine. It was totaled due to a bumper being busted. Hell I need the ac line and the condenser.

[@scraplifegarage]

We’ll buy yours! I promise we’ll take great care of it 😬

[@murdaya69]

Plenty of those here in Australia.

[@scraplifegarage]

Kangaroos, wallaby’s and holdens pretty much sun up Australia?

[@murdaya69]

@@scraplifegarage Holden's yes..Holden's are everywhere, just like Fords. Gotta be a V8 under the hood.

[@Phil451]

Barbados blue?

[@thomasmontalbanojr9159]

I’m looking for a passenger side front fender for an 04-06 GTO. Any chance you you have one of those from something you are parting out?

[@scraplifegarage]

We do! leecparts.com/search?q=gto+passenger+fender

[@pmscalisi]

I’d like to do a Scat Pack like that! 🤣🤣

[@scraplifegarage]

You know that’s a pretty good idea…

[@deadknight7617]

@LEEC where is this car at today!

[@Nimbus.]

I want to build this lifestyle and biz. I see the business like an engine with intake (crashed cars) the combustion(dismantling) and exhaust (Listing selling and scrapping) I'm dialing my process in to where I'm trying to reach 1 car a week. At first I wasn't getting good enough intake (cars with too cheap or little of parts) so I've been getting more luxury Japanese cars that have a higher price per listing therefore making my listing efforts more efficient on a dollar listed per hour basis; then my bottle-neck became how long it took me to get the cars apart and some parts I didnt have the skill to get without breaking so I hired a contractor/diesel mechanic (turbo!) to do the more difficult stuff and paying him top dollar to do so, resulting in my bottleneck being currently at my exhaust/listing stage so I'm looking to hire some help for that to increase my power/revs (cashflow/profits). Once I do that I think I might have liner growth. Apologies for the word vomit, I'm just using your comment section to organize my thoughts. This channel is mad inspiring to know how far up this can 'rev'. Keep making videos please.

[@grayzbildz]

Such a waste of panels and parts that are very sought after in Australia. I wish we had never sent people like you the GTO. Such a huge shame and waste.

[@scraplifegarage]

Can’t get them over there for anything resembling cost effective unfortunately…

[@dennisbeaty9217]

He's eithier filthy rich your just plain stupid these car I the united states are bout 45 to 65 gran for that's nice

[@bowlochili]

Those grill inserts...

[@RonRexSTi]

Is there any money in cutting off the front ends for a bolt on front clip?

[@speedgoat2824]

Sacrilege! This guy needs a priest...

[@dalecolbert2193]

I need a steering collar with the key for a 2005 Pontiac gto 6.0,

[@SpiritedAdventures-wb4eb]

This coupe is actually Holden monaro from Melbourne Australia, and was modified to u.s standards as front bumper bar and change to left hand side, but all Australian car guys

[@ls1hinchy546]

Actually built in south Australia at Holden's Elizabeth factory then exportet to the US & rebadged as a Pontiac GTO & also exported to the UK as a Vauxhall VXR monaro, It's a damm shame what these guys are doing to the monaro

[@christopherhardy4926]

How much for the grills

[@scraplifegarage]

Those were the first thing that sold actually

[@docz9176]

UGH...I understand this is a business, but I (personally) would have fixed that car. It really wasn't that bad, hood, fender, header panel and possibly a subframe (front LCA / radius rod) and you'd almost be done. If anything, you could / -- > SHOULD < -- have driven taken out those tail lights and used them for batting practice!!! Those depot tails are (hmm...where's that poop emoji???)!!!

[@scraplifegarage]

Funny enough I don’t hate the depo tails! This car easily could’ve been fixed, that’s just not our business.

[@dennisbeaty9217]

Exactly

[@iflyrcmike]

Those panels are worth a heap in Australia or NZ... It's a rebadged monaro.

[@shaunwalsh85]

Got any c5 engines from 01-04 LS1 or 02-04 LS6 with less than 47k on it?

[@jesseallan3886]

All Monaro parts are worth money in Australia. The Holden Monaro is an Aussie icon. 💔😢

[@luisarteaga9219]

Oh the humanity 🤣 those rocker panels might be worth something to someone tbh

[@scraplifegarage]

We have about 600 more (slight exaggeration 🤣)

[@ryangamache1455]

I need a 06 rear valance do yall have one forsale?

[@doublesynchrohelix8613]

All that clickbait and still didn't get the whisltndiesl crowd? Keep tryin

[@scraplifegarage]

One day they’ll notice us 🥲 until then, I wouldn’t want to be a GTO…

[@TheFrogga69]

You just trashed a Monaro!

[@scraplifegarage]

That is a factual statement

[@67judge]

White rage 😮 On that poor GTO 😢

[@chevytony122540]

Poor goat.. rip

[@billybubenick3076]

I agree with almost all your purchases and tear downs , however this was not a good choice.

[@nostalgic_pokemon_memories]

why did you not fix the car...

[@geraldf4193]

yall got any gto plastic engine covers I need some let me know thanks

[@cristianmarrero13]

I like my red gto

[@MrGTO-ze7vb]

WOW...................LOL

[@outwestwade]

You monster

[@angry9901]

Poor old Monaro...☹️

[@pedrogaribay7156]

Whaaa i have a exact one, blue too I bought it for 5k running and driving

[@JoeVinson]

I wish I could find a GTO wrecked just like that. It would be awesome in my 56 Chevy.

[@anthonycucci9206]

It wasn’t even wrecked bad lmao

[@CJColvin]

I totally agree brother

[@ugapug5150]

It's your business, but you'll never get mine or any other GTO person I know. Sounds like you got gapped in your Vette by one. Clown.

[@scraplifegarage]

You win some you lose some!

[@adamwright6433]

This video does suck as there are many GTO lovers out there who would have made you a handsome profit!

[@matt996-i6g]

Why you’re not keeping the doors/quarters panels/frames pieces/glass? 😅 no money coming?

[@andrewbeetz2196]

C5 articulation though.......

[@scraplifegarage]

Right!

[@sebashtonwarren1125]

I love the old GTO way better than the new GTO

[@CJColvin]

I totally agree 100% (considering the 04-06 GTO is nothing but a rebadged Holden Monaro from Australia (which there for not a real true Pontiac like the originals)).

[@keith-jo6wg]

​@@CJColvinit Dont Look like a Holden the grill is diff.& the scoops they look Way Better thell be worth alot money oneday same as 3rd gen camaro people thght they were Junk too now there goin for good money

[@keathflohr2480]

Fortunately, NOT the rarest GTO...maybe the rarest color, but definitely the not the rarest GTO

[@scraplifegarage]

I was referencing the rarest color, but so I know, what’s the rarest rarest?

[@ZOMBIEKILLER5632]

@@scraplifegarage if you want to include the Holden Monaro it would be the all wheel drive models

[@ls1hinchy546]

​@@scraplifegaragethe rarest of all Holden monaro HSV GTO GTS/Pontiac GTO/Vauxhall VXR monaro is the 'HRT 427 MONARO" there's only 2 -built with the 427ci 7.0 litre LS7

[@jucedcustoms2274]

You destroyed a bunch of money.

[@cheapme1850]

I thought the doors would be valuable and not a lot of labor cost to remove. Guess not.

[@PeytonHobien]

Next 2006 GTO you get can I buy the whole thing please I want one so bad for my first car

[@justaclosedaccount]

Mm, that's a Holden HSV Commodore coupe...

[@George-zq2sk]

this is really cool! would be interested to see what you sell a 6spd GTO swap for!

[@TheBBodyBuilder]

I understand your business is to dismantle but could you not have made more money fixing that car? It looks like it would have been a fairly easy fix? Given the rarity of the color combo and overall rust free condition.

[@pete2076]

What do i need to do to win a emblem off the GTO?

[@kevinvanwulpen9598]

How can you stay in business with 10-15%? Yeah you need a lot of them but rent, payroll, owners distributions, etc… this doesn’t make much sense to me and again, I really am not trying to hyper critical but you need min 28% gross to keep the lights on and staff paid..

[@nathanhendricks9839]

Y'all should pull the doors and sell them, some of us like to drift lol

[@scraplifegarage]

We have a ton of them, let me know how many you want to buy!

[@mikehoskin]

So I’m wondering anybody can tell me how many Barbadoes blues were made before May 4 of 2004 for the Pontiac GTO

[@darrellbrixey5341]

Awesome video

[@juniorperez366]

How much for the cat and exhaust

[@scraplifegarage]

Everything from the GTO’s we take apart is listed on leecparts.com

[@colejohnston4571]

made my barbados 6 speed more rare

[@ChevyGang-j4s]

Why not give away some Of the stuff you scrap id love to take the body off ya hands 😂😂

[@codycrawford2385]

Not the GTO owners getting butt hurt, it’s crashed and these cars have ALOT of quality issues so not much lost Tbch

[@georgeg.5763]

Do me a favor skip the GTO next time and do that to one of those overgrown flat motor Volkswagens called a Porsche.

[@Dirtygarage06]

I bought my perfect running rebuild gto for 7k in 2023

[@CHEGTO]

I had 2 GTO's and both where taken from me by some non driving asshole my 06 spice red metallic was my baby

[@evoxus11]

Not much profit. Should have fixed it.

[@BurntToastFTW]

Why tf would you just start destroying it? Even if the frame is too far gone, there are plenty of good parts lot of us goat owners could use. Definitely a dick move. Nobody gives af about some kids poor s15 that needs an ls1 lol. Bout to get hella down votes and trash with this being shared in multiple gto pages/forums.

[@scraplifegarage]

We have tons of those ready to ship, come get them! I think a fair argument could be made that the s chassis is a much better platform, no?

[@Superkaioken87]

Good destroy as many as you want make my resale value go up!

[@scraplifegarage]

Happy to help!