Stored “for years,” this bad red Pontiac crawled out into the sunlight, swallowed some brake and fuel system parts, and now “runs great!” according to the seller. The hard work is done; the mysteries solved. Move along if you like the thrill of taking a discarded barn-find victim to play Dr. Frankenstein or Cyril Wecht. However, if you can see yourself behind the wheel of this hopped-up LeMans, check out the listing here on eBay, where at least two bidders have driven the market value above $7100. With the seller claiming to have dropped $7000 reviving this hot Poncho, it’s no wonder the Reserve stands unmet.
Though not a “big block” (Pontiac blocks of this era are almost identical across displacements) the 1971 mill displaces 455 cubic inches, which is “big” in anyone’s book. The 4.56 gears suggest more than a casual interest in acceleration, rendering street tires and first gear nearly useless in normal driving. I’d take the paint-job money and spring for 3.73s, a five-speed with overdrive, and a professional buffing.
Looking great, the interior has either been trapped in a time warp or overhauled at some point. What looks better than a Hurst shifter protruding from a chrome-trimmed port in the wood console? Check out the custom toggles on the left! Their function remains undisclosed, but I’m picturing “Tail Light Defeat,” “Brake Light Defeat,” while James Bond fans may favor “Oil Slick” or “Passenger Eject.”
Don’t call this LeMans a “GTO Wannabe.” After all, just as “GTO” (Gran Turismo Omologato) pays tribute to the Italian Ferrari, LeMans pays homage to the legendary French endurance race. Give the LeMans its due, and wear that “326” badge with pride. The choice is yours; motor on casually or drop the hammer on those who might see an “old car” with mismatched wheels. Blobs of primer suggest a misguided teenager’s five-minute rust control job. The latter could probably be eased off with lacquer thinner and patience, and something closer to the car’s admittedly tired paint inserted with a small brush. If you saw this car in traffic, would you expect a drag-geared 455 four-speed?
The most interesting Lemans I have seen here in a while. Right down to the toggle switches. Much potential – if it could be had for the right price.
Got the ’71 455 HO with XPort heads, ’63 421 SD rods, Ford top loader 4 speed, 12 bolt GM “big spool” rear end with 4.56 Zoom gears, Hurst competition plus shifter, it goes on and on and reads like an article out of hot rod magazine. I really like it.
I like the way it looks as is except for rust in the trunk and the small air cleaner, no fan shroud either, all it has is a 650 Holley is that enough for a rig like this?
Could be the king of the burn out contests with all that torque and steep gearing, with slicks I wonder how it would really do in the quarter mile….or if things would start coming apart. Like….!
A general rule for carbs is, the cfm should be double the cubic inches.
Double the cubic inches minus 15% is how I was taught. Not trying to pick a fight, I just know that enough people that know better than either of us will weigh in on this on this site.
Thankx for some feedback on the carburetion, seems 800-850 cfm would be the appropriate size for a 455….factoring in compression ratio, cam specs, valvetrain, type of intake and exhaust, timing, gearing, type of transmission…or I’m dead wrong. Making sure the secondaries open correctly or trimming that spring a little, jetting, dangit that kind of know and application is way over my pay scale! But a 650 Holley seems a little small here, even the Quadrajets for bigger engines were more than that, dont remember the exact cfm on those anymore. Thanks again.
Fuel injection & be done with it
No the 650 cfm Holley is plenty for a Pontiac. The stock Quadrajet was a 750 that a Pontiac never fully uses. The 650 gets higher velocities through the venturi and runs just fine. You’ll never get a Pontiac engine to rev high enough to use anything bigger which is why Holley made the 650 spreadbore carb for Pontiacs.
Nice one that you could fine tune and drive with the body as is like 370 and Troys stated. Doesnt have to be a goat. drive and enjoy and fix to whatever level you want to take it to. Am wondering if the creeping crud corona mess will bring the car prices back to some form of reality. Sadly, a lot of car folks will be selling their cars since they are out of work. We just need to get it behind us and get back to normal. Sorry off topic, but I’m sure all of the BF folks want to get back to the cars! Stay safe and Good luck!!
Cheers
GPC
This car looks like it was built in the 1980’s based on the modifications. Someone smart threw some good parts at it. The carb is newer, likely added by the seller and was probably something they had lying around or found for cheap at the swapmeets.
If it were mine, I’d buff out the paint, find a few more vintage speed parts, swap out the 4.56’s gears for a set of 3.55’s and ad some Centerline’s to the rear. Due to the age of it’s modifications it will be an attraction without wholesale revamping.
Please move that flex fan away from the radiator..electric fan ain’t expensive! More cfm definitely that big baby is choking for air! I would love to smash the go pedal on this one 💣💥
I’ve noticed that on a lot of these BF cars that are drivers have the heater hoses bypassed back the the engine. I don’t expect perfection in these cars, I understand what they are however, when I see a heater bypassed my first thought is that’s a lazy short cut and now I wonder what other unseen shortcuts have been taken. Good work isn’t always costly.
Looks like a late 70s build
Glad he put in a blowshield.
Hate to see your ankles cut off when you pop that clutch with 456:1 rear
Nice street racer light to light..
Brake light + tail light kills were standard on all our street racers in 60s + 70s harder for police to follow us 🤣🤣
Put on your wife beater T shirt , blow out your mullet and your ready cruise. The Roadrunner decal on the dash is a nice touch.
I’d leave it as is and redecorate the blacktop all over town, till the cords show….or I get caught.
Just my opinion but a 650 cfm carb is fine on a Pont. unless it has a big cam and headwork. This is a really nice car..I hope it does not get cloned into a goat..nice to see a built lemans. I would go 3:55 rear and a nice paint job and just continue the work on it while driving and enjoying it.
Where is the car located. Bid 7900
Martinsville, New Jersey, Pat. And you’re welcome….
Just gonna take a little exception to the seller’s highly emphasized command “DO NOT BID ON THIS CAR IF YOU ARE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE USA!!!
Seriously?
Ive bought my last 5 cars in the US due to the lack of rust and better selection. I even have property in the US, a US shipping address in another state and a US cell phone number so the seller would never know if I was American or Canadian.
As a car lover, Id want to know its going to someone who loves the car and is going to take care of it, not which country it resides in.
Just a little offended. Rant over.
I like this Lemans. First thing I would do is ditch the GTO hood and go with a Lemans hood with no scoop to keep the sleeper look then put some steelies on it with Lemans hubcaps, finally a nice paint job and yes ditch the flex fan and go with a electric fan plus as stated swap in 3:55 gears in the rear for street use. Just my 2 cents !!!
Nice car…..
It is already past 11K on ebay , rust is on the verge of taking over some spots on frame rails and rear quarters
Back in the late 80s I was driving a ’66 Goat with the tire scorching 389 three deuces four-speed and 3:73 limited slip rear axle. A friend owned a beautiful Dark Green with Gold bucket seats ’66 Lemans Sport Coupe with a factory 326 motor, four-speed transmission and 4:11 gear he installed in the factory limited slip rear axle. I rode shotgun one night and at 60 MPH in 4th gear that motor was turning some RPMs. The car was perfect but rather than enjoy the car as a Lemans he installed gaudy looking parking lights/turn signals to make it a GTO wannabe. I’ve never seen another one and I imagine someone had special ordered it.
No the 650 cfm Holley is plenty for a Pontiac. The stock Quadrajet was a 750 that a Pontiac never fully uses. The 650 gets higher velocities through the venturi and runs just fine. You’ll never get a Pontiac engine to rev high enough to use anything bigger which is why Holley made the 650 spreadbore carb for Pontiacs.
My brother had a 67 Le Mans with a 389 4sp. Beautiful car. I would buff the paint do something with the primer spots and enjoy it. Most definitely would keep the same gears. Have fun at the stop lights . Why change the gears and have your butt whipped by almost everything on the road. A Hyundai is even turbo charged and can outrun muscle cars of the day. Avoid the humiliation. And yes I would entertain the thought of growing a mulit and stash . Great to see cars of the day kept as they were.
when I was a kid I had a ’66 GTO, tripower and 4speed with
4;33 gears….I remember when I first got it I would accidentally start out in 3rd gear! also I remember first gear was pretty useless and the wheel hop was soooo bad…possibly the best 1200 bux a kid ever spent!