Here comes The Judge -- The ruling on Pontiac's 1969 GTO Judge

by Sam Barer

Through the course of automotive history, manufacturers have found numerous sources for inspiring the names of their products. Animals, science, geography, racing and even people have been immortalized as car brand names. To the best of my recollection, however, only one automobile was named after a comedy show skit: Pontiac’s 1969 GTO Judge.

In the 1960s “GTO” was already synonymous with performance, first with Ferrari’s unstoppable production racer, and then as the wildly successful upgrade package on Pontiac’s 1964 Tempest LeMans. In 1969 Pontiac decided to offer another upgrade package on top of the GTO brand, and for the name, it looked no further than a catch-phrase from the popular television series Laugh-In: “Here comes the Judge!”

But this upgrade was certainly no joke. Adding the $332 “The Judge” option package to a base GTO coupe or convertible got the 400 cubic inch “Ram Air III” V8 engine producing 366 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. The extra power came courtesy of a functional hood scoop delivering cold air directly to the 4-barrel carburetor. Pontiac certainly wasn’t interested in making its GTO Judge a sleeper, as the package included a trunk-mounted spoiler and large, colorful Peter Max-style The Judge logos.

Lacey resident Clay Gurnoe had been pursuing one of the 108 Judge convertibles produced in 1969, so when he received a call from the owner of one local car on August 8, 1976 offering to sell, he jumped at the chance. The owner explained his Judge had been impounded in Shelton, and had insufficient funds to either pay impound fees, so he needed to sell it that night. So Gurnoe drove to Shelton, cash in hand, and paid the owner $125 for the rather abused car, $75 to cover impound fees and $34 for a tow truck driver to haul it to Olympia.

The car sat for nearly twenty years before Gurnoe had the opportunity to restore The Judge. He knew it was desirable, but a phone call from a collector informed Gurnoe that the $125 car was actually one of only fourteen automatic Judge convertibles, as well as the lone convertible painted factory “Maroon.” Most GTO Judges came in “Carousel Red,” which looked more like orange.

With the temperature in the mid 80’s, it’s a perfect day for a cruise in this unique and well-restored Judge. As Gurnoe pulls into Tumwater Falls Park, there’s no missing the wonderfully outlandish styling cues. The wing, hood scoops, and logos scream hi-po Pontiac. Amusingly, when the state banned the use of green on white Washington license plates, the local licensing office randomly issued Gurnoe new plates with “816 LAW” for The Judge. Good things happen to good people, I always say!

The white interior initially appears non-descript GM, with flat bucket seats in front, bench in back and a floor console shifter. Gauges are recessed in the black dashboard, but there’s a clock where the tachometer usually resides. A peak through the windshield uncovers the mystery: a fantastic factory hood-mounted rev-counter. Think of it as a first attempt at a head-up display, albeit one that would get a reputation for being indecipherable in bad weather.

Starting in first, the three-speed automatic routes the prodigious torque to the rear wheels. Getting onto the freeway, The Judge is in its element, providing endless strong power that’s remarkably smooth in delivery. Think of it as the automotive equivalent of a fine single-malt scotch. There are no sudden surges of horsepower or high-RPM points where the power wanes.

The view from the cockpit at speed is wonderful and unique. The two Ram Air intake scoops give the impression that you’re looking down the snout of an alligator. And unlike the loud gulping sound associated with Chevy’s cowl-induction system, the forward-facing Ram Air cannot be heard over the exhaust’s baritone roar. The Judge certainly gets noticed – we’re getting waves, smiles and thumbs-up from every direction.

Typical of muscle cars, The Judge is better in a straight line than turning or stopping. Steering is standard GM numb and brakes fade when worked hard. Springing is soft by modern standards, so handling would benefit from modern radials over its factory-correct Redline bias-ply tires.

Gurnoe has received honest blank-check offers for his unique Judge, though he assures the car is not for sale at any price. With such a wild looking, yet comfortable, powerful and extremely fun cruiser, who can blame him?

Sam Barer writes for Apex, an Olympia, WA based freelance writing company. To submit a car for a future “Sound Classics” story, email soundclassics@apexstrategy.com

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