4 Reputable Places To Shop If You're Looking To Buy A Classic Pontiac Muscle Car

Pontiac made muscle car history with the 1964 GTO, kicking off a long and impressive run. That beast was followed up with other lightweight, high-powered models like the Firebird — a badge that was used on a 1954 concept car before being moved to a production model in 1967. Some of Pontiac's muscle cars aren't as universally appreciated as the GTO or Firebird, but demand remains high for these models, even as many modern electric vehicles have surpassed the classics in terms of performance.

Caution is advised when shopping for any used car, but if you're in the market for a 50-year-old vehicle that's likely to have been driven hard for many of those years, you need to be extra careful. It's advisable to have any prospective used vehicle purchase checked out by a mechanic or a car-savvy friend before committing to a purchase. You can always start shopping at old standbys like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, but those sites are rife with listings for cars with unknown issues or inflated prices. Here are a few other places you can go to find a classic Pontiac muscle car where you might uncover a hidden gem.

If you have the budget for a classic Pontiac in prime condition, seek out a Pontiac-themed car show or swap meet in your area. There you'll find examples that have been meticulously restored by brand enthusiasts. Although you'll likely pay top dollar, you should drive away confident that you've found a reliable and beautiful muscle machine. 

Swap meets are traditionally known as places to get parts for classic cars, but you can often find a solid buy on a complete car by exercising some patience and determination. The Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio bills itself as the largest Pontiac event in the United States, with drag racing events, a two-day car show, and a huge swap meet. Event information is available at the facility's website. There are also many smaller events held around the country; a quick Internet search for "Pontiac shows and swap meets near me" should yield a promising set of results. 

Hemmings Motor News has provided enthusiasts and collectors with reliable information about classic cars since 1954, and ads for used models have been included in the magazine since 1989.  In 2003, Hemmings began publishing Hemmings Muscle Machines, a special feature for muscle car enthusiasts.

Hemmings' website currently has more than 25,000 independent listings for classic vehicles, as well as an index of classic car dealers nationwide and a search tool for local car clubs that shows more than 200 Pontiac organizations around the country. Hemmings also has a classic car valuation service that gives you an accurate idea of what a particular example is worth. This custom service may prove more accurate than general valuation tools from Kelley Blue Book or the National Automobile Dealers Association, particularly for rare or older models. Hemmings also partners with Lemon Squad to provide nationwide inspections on prospective purchases, and the site offers financing, shipping, and an insurance comparison tool for classic cars.

Another website that has loads of useful information on Pontiac muscle cars for sale is Classic.com. You can peruse thousands of detailed listings for classic models pulled from other sites like Bring a Trailer, Auto Hunter, and many auction sites, including Hemmings. Classic.com is a great place to learn what a particular model has sold for recently, with its huge transaction database going back years. Each car shown has detailed information on specifications and condition, and there are more than 7,000 listings for Firebirds alone. 

The site was founded by brothers Nelson and Juan Diego Calle, who parlayed their interest in Land Rover SUVs into this robust index of thousands of models from manufacturers worldwide. Their information is drawn from hundreds of dealership and auction sites. Classic.com can help you locate detailed sales listings for Pontiac muscle cars near you and provide you with plenty of information to negotiate a fair price from a position of authority.

If you'd like to take a more old-school approach to buying a muscle car, find your way to Maple Motors in Hendersonville, Tennessee, just northeast of Nashville. Maple Motors has been in that same spot since 1983 and is run by James "Pops" Fite, Sr. and his three sons: Jim, Jason, and Jeff. The Fite family claims they try to stock muscle cars that most people can afford and will be able to drive on a daily basis. According to the lot's website, "You won't find 'trailer queens' or 10 point show cars here, but rather a good, clean, driver quality car that has potential to be made into more if desired in the future."

The website also lists current and past inventory, as well as contact information for the dealership and links to their social media pages. Maple Motors works with its partners Affordable Auto Transport, Lightstream Lending, Collector Car Lending, and J.J. Best Financing to help get you in the muscle car of your choice. They have an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from more than 850 Google reviewers, and as of this writing their inventory includes a 1981 Trans Am with an asking price of just under $16,000.