Pontiac GTO Judge

GTO Judge at a glance

The Judge belongs to the second-generation Pontiac GTO, whose 1964 launch 1CARS takes as the start of the muscle car era; the catalogue lists it as a separate version.

Where the name came from

In the late 1960s the sketch "Here Come de Judge" was a catchphrase on the comedy show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Flip Wilson made it famous; it was borrowed from the stage act of Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham. Pontiac turned it into a car. Its advertising used lines such as "All rise for the Judge" and "The Judge can be bought". Paul Revere & the Raiders recorded a song for the car and appeared in television publicity.

According to Wikipedia and Old Cars Weekly, the Judge was first meant to be a low-cost, stripped GTO to compete with the low-priced Plymouth Road Runner. The finished package went the other way: it cost more than a standard GTO and came with more equipment.

The 1969 Judge

The first Judge came with the 400 Ram Air V8 instead of the standard GTO's 261 kW (350 hp) 400. Pontiac never called it "Ram Air III"; the name is an enthusiasts' label. Functional bonnet scoops fed a Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburettor. Old Cars Weekly lists the rest of the package:

• a 60-inch rear wing on the boot lid, which needed different torsion rods for the lid;
• a blacked-out centre grille, "The Judge" decals and a "The Judge" badge on the glovebox;
• 14 × 6-inch steel Rally II wheels without trim rings and G70-14 tyres;
• a Hurst shifter with a T-shaped handle on four-speed cars;
• four-wheel drum brakes as standard, with power front discs optional.

Pontiac claimed the spoiler produced a little downforce at high speed; Wikipedia notes it was of little value at legal speeds. Early cars came only in Carousel Red, a shade that looks orange. Old Cars Weekly puts the red-only run at roughly the first couple of thousand cars, after which any GTO colour could be ordered. Hidden headlamps were optional.

Buyers could choose a three-speed manual, an automatic or one of three four-speed manuals: the wide-ratio M20 with 3.23 or 3.55 axles and the close-ratio M21 and M22 with shorter gearing. Of the 72,287 GTOs sold in 1969, 6,833 were Judges. The Ram Air IV was fitted to about 200 GTOs that year, according to Old Cars Weekly, which adds that no reliable figure exists for how many of them were Judges.

Judge engines and power

Pontiac rated the Ram Air IV only 3 kW above the Ram Air 400, and Wikipedia cites speculation that the Ram Air IV was under-rated. The 455 HO of 1970 traded revs for torque: 678 Nm at 2,700 rpm, the highest torque of any Judge engine. For 1971 the 455 HO was rated at 250 kW (335 hp, gross), and Wikipedia also gives its net figure in the GTO, 231 kW (310 hp).

No road test of a Judge is quoted on Wikipedia, but tests of Ram Air GTOs of the same body give an idea of the pace. Car Life recorded 0–60 mph in 6.6 seconds and a quarter mile of 14.53 seconds at 99.7 mph with a 3.90 axle. Motor Trend timed a Ram Air four-speed with 4.33 gears at 14.45 seconds and 98.2 mph.

1970: Orbit Orange and the 455 HO

For 1970 the Judge changed in detail. The Ram Air 400 stayed standard and the Ram Air IV optional; the 455 HO became available on the Judge only late in the model year. Orbit Orange replaced Carousel Red as the feature colour, although any GTO colour could be chosen. The stripes moved to the creases above the wheel arches, the grille surrounds turned dark argent, the bonnet air inlets were painted black and the rear wing sat higher.

Pontiac sold 40,149 GTOs that year, 3,797 of them Judges. Only 168 Judges were convertibles: 147 with the Ram Air 400, 18 with the Ram Air IV and 3 with the 455 HO. Of the 13 GTO convertibles built with the Ram Air IV and an automatic gearbox, just six had the Judge option.

1971: the last Judges

The Judge returned for 1971 with the 455 HO as its standard engine. On 11 February 1971 Pontiac announced that it would accept no new Judge orders after 1 March 1971. Production ended at 357 cars, including 17 convertibles, out of 10,532 GTOs for the year. Motor Trend tested a 1971 GTO with the 455, a four-speed and a 3.90 axle at 6.1 seconds to 60 mph and 13.4 seconds over the quarter mile at 102 mph.

For 1972 the GTO itself became an option package on the LeMans, with net ratings of 186 kW (250 hp) for the 400 and 224 kW (300 hp) for the 455 HO. The Judge name was not used again.

How many Judges were built

By our calculation, the Judge made up about 9.5 % of GTO sales in 1969, 9.5 % in 1970 and 3.4 % in 1971.

Buying a GTO Judge: points to check

• Paperwork: a Judge was an option on a regular GTO, so the build documents matter more than badges and stripes, which are easy to add.
• Engine: 1969 and 1970 Judges should have a Ram Air 400 or Ram Air IV; a 1970 car with a 455 HO is a late-year car; 1971 cars came with the 455 HO.
• Colour: a very early 1969 car should be Carousel Red.
• Convertibles: with 168 built in 1970 and 17 in 1971, a convertible Judge needs especially careful checking.
• Shifter: four-speed Judges had the Hurst T-handle.

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