Michigan junkyard holds rare muscle cars from Detroit's glory days including a 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge
Published on Oct 20, 2025 at 4:27 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Oct 17, 2025 at 1:51 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A car enthusiast visiting a Michigan junkyard unearthed some hidden gems, including a rare 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge.
Pontiac introduced the GTO in 1963, and it stuck around for four generations until 1974.
In 1969, Pontiac launched the Judge model, before retiring it in 1971.
With only a handful of years in production, the Pontiac GTO Judge is a rare find, but one was recently discovered in a Detroit junkyard.
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Why the 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge is such a rare find
The Pontiac GTO Judge was spotted by car enthusiast Ryan Brutt from the Auto Archaeologist YouTube channel.
Ryan has a real knack for finding rare and unusual vehicles, like this 1969 Dodge Super Bee, or this 1978 Dodge Magnum Force G that could be the last remaining example in existence.
On a recent adventure, Ryan headed out to a Michigan junkyard that was packed full of old muscle cars from Detroit’s automotive heyday.
But even among a whole heap of classics, the Pontiac GTO Judge stands out due to its rarity.
In 1970, Pontiac built just 3,700 Judge hardtops – like the one in the lip – but, of course, more than 50 years on, those numbers have seriously dwindled.
The example found by Ryan has been verified as the real deal by Pontiac Historical Services and is an incredible find.
Sadly, the poor old Judge has seen better days; it is in a junkyard, after all.
The vintage vehicle has been left outside, exposed to the elements and has a large smattering of rust across the bodywork.
But it does look more or less complete, aside from its missing interiors, which means if the right sort of collector came along, it could make a pretty neat restoration project.
The Judge wasn’t the only interesting car in the junkyard
The 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge wasn’t the only cool find stashed away inside the junkyard.
The sprawling yard was full of old muscle cars and mopars, including 1970 Plymouth Barracuda Gran Coupe that was sat on top of a 1972 model.
Ryan also spotted not one, but two, 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS models – two of just 7,500 made that year – and a Buick GS convertible.
Unfortunately, the cars were all in need of some serious TLC, but it’s nonetheless a very impressive haul.
You can check out the full video on the Auto Archaeologist YouTube channel.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
