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Wow, the car is twisted badly. Obviously, there are no airbags in a car this old. CLICK->
Driver's side seat (or floor) is pushed way back. When emergency workers arrived, the driver was conscious but not alert, had open fractures to
his legs and a pretty bad head laceration. CLICK->
Peek in through the driver's side. Unfortunately, this GTO Judge is wrecked badly. CLICK->
The front is bent nearly 90 degrees. CLICK->
You can make out the engine in this shot. Ram Air stuff, unfortunately rammed into a pole. CLICK->
A site visitor spotted this is a 1969 Liberty Blue Judge in an insurance company's impound lot. Did it catch on fire? It was for sale in the summer of 2009. He was looking at buying it but changed his mind! CLICK->
Here it is under construction. Check out this custom 1969 Judge! Here is the Jim Wangers Signature Edition car from Big3 Performance. Check out the large chin spoiler and extra wide hood scoops. It has huge/deep Rally II style rims. CLICK->
The tires are stuffed way up under the fenders. This car was being built for a while in 2009, but by 2010, the owner of Big3 Performance announced they are closing down. In the first quarter of 2010, Bob Cloud made this announcement on the company's website: "Big 3 Performance has suspended operations and is in the process of realigning and in some cases liquidating assets and winding up. Thank you for your patience and cooperation!"
Here is the timeline for the company's rise and fall:
September 2008 - The planning. Big3 Performance sent concept renderings to a select few people including Sean Mattingly for review and comments
November 2008 - Revised concept drawings released to the public. They looked GOOD!
July 2009 - Saw the frame of the car displayed at GTOAA/POCI Co-Vention in Dayton, Ohio
August 2009 - These photos are from Tri-Power Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. The car was coming together, but had no interior in it yet.
September 2009 - Big3 Performance had an open house at their shop in Wisconsin with a sneak preview of the car
November 2009 - The car is completed and unveiled to the automotive press and car enthusiasts at the SEMA show in Las Vegas
January 2010 - Magazine HPP is testing the car in Gainesville.
February 2010 - HPP featured the car. Author Kevin DiOssi gushed: "When it comes down to it, this is the best GTO I have ever photographed, driven, or heard. It embodies what makes a GTO a GTO-power, style, and performance."
March 2010 - Along with a car show flyer, Jim Wangers reveals that the car will not make an appearance at the April show due to the dissolution of the company that makes the cars.
March 11, 2010 - Big3 Performance announces on their website that they have suspended operations CLICK->
Around the rear is a ducktail spoiler. The rear bumper is smoothed out. CLICK->
The taillights aren't in yet. At this point the car was under construction. CLICK->
The Jim Wangers name is on the wheels. CLICK->
JBOW from North Carolina found this gold 1969 GTO Judge hardtop. He wonders what a solid offer for it would be. It's a real judge that is real rough. CLICK->
It doesn't have stripes on the sides. CLICK->
It has extra parts on the trunk lid. CLICK->
Limelight Green 1969 GTO Judge hardtop owned by Jon from Aurora, Oregon. It is a triple-green Judge - green top and gut too! Jon adds, "Just finished the restoration of this original car that I found locally in a barn. I have never seen this color combination before and if I was to go back in time, I would have bought this exact car! Fully loaded w/AC, AM/FM, tilt PS, PB, hideaways, clock, tach... Always a Portland, Oregon car. Bought new by the Portland school district as a company car." PICTURE SET CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ...
Here's a comment from a recent visitor...
Says Jason (jaroke.@aol.com) - "I'm a major 1974 GTO fan and my time has come to drive and am looking for a GTO to call my own."
