1970 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air III
Introduced for 1969, Pontiac’s image-leading GTO Judge returned for 1970 with just 168 convertibles and 3,629 hardtop coupes built, amounting to less than 10% of total GTO production that year. The highly-respected Judge package was offered as a no-thrills alternative to the Plymouth Roadrunner, seizing that delicious sector of the market share pie. However, if seeking proper exclusivity, you’ll want to bypass the Judge and head straight for a Ram Air III.
The Tempest line received another facelift for the 1970 model year. Hidden headlights were deleted in favor of four exposed round headlamps outboard of narrower grille openings. The nose retained the protruding vertical prow theme, although it was less prominent. While the standard Tempest and Le Mans had chrome grilles, the GTO retained the Endura urethane cover around the headlamps and grille.
This is one of 3,797 GTO Judges built for 1970. It packs a 400 cubic-inch V-8 with a 10.75:1 compression ratio, rated at 366 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 445 pound-feet (603 Nm) at 3,400 RPM. Being a Ram Air iii, the 400 V-8 comes with big-valve, D-ported heads, cast-iron intake, and high-flow exhaust manifolds. The V-8 is mated to a three-speed automatic with 3.73 rear gears. As equipped, the GTO weighs in at around 3,700 pounds (1,678 kg) with the driver.
The cabin features front bucket seats and a rear bench trimmed in black vinyl with a color-coordinated dashboard, center console, door panels, and carpets. Equipment includes air conditioning, power windows, Pontiac-branded rubber floor mats, an Alpine Bluetooth/CD stereo, a trunk-mounted JL audio amplifier, aftermarket speakers, and “The Judge” badging on the glovebox door. The three-spoke steering wheel frames a woodgrain instrument panel housing a 140-mph speedometer, clock, and combination gauge with oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel level readouts. A hood-mounted tachometer displays a 5k-rpm redline.
Other standard features of the ’69 Judge included a full width rear spoiler, tri-color body stripes and 14×6-inch Rally II wheels. Additionally, any of the GTO options could be ordered with the Judge package.
