If you look hard enough, you can find the unusual in almost anything; for example, this beautiful 1967 Pontiac LeMans is factory-equipped with a 326 two-barrel and a four-speed. To be clear, that’s not seeing a Panhard Dyna on I-75 unusual, nor is it finding a Citroen Dyane parked outside Harbor Freight unusual, but it’s offbeat enough to take a closer look. Our unflinching Barn Finder Curvette found this LeMans for us here on eBay in Orrville, Ohio. It’s being sold by a dealer as a rust-free Arizona car with a rebuilt engine and front end: The asking price is $39,900 or best offer.
Before anyone says anything; I noticed it, too. Although the car may have made its way to Arizona early on, it was sold new at “Maple Glen Garage” in Fishkill, New York. I love original documentation; we can see that the original owner traded in a 1961 Corvair Monza Coupe (worth $535.50) on his new LeMans. Based on the options he ordered, he wanted a sporting car at a reasonable price: It has a four-speed and the “Ride & Handling” package (which cost a mere $9.32—why wouldn’t everyone order it?). It also has a console and a “Custom Sport Steering Wheel,” so it is a fun and economical piece of “not-quite-a-muscle-car” transportation.
It wasn’t unheard of for buyers to order a four-speed with two-barrel engines, but so few seem to have survived intact that it’s a treat to see something so equipped. The basic V8 in the LeMans was the 250-horsepower regular-gas-burning 326, which also made 333 lb.-ft. of torque. With the four-speed, the standard real axle ratio was 3.23:1, which was perhaps the perfect compromise for acceleration, fuel economy, and driveability. The engine in this Code N “Burgundy” LeMans has been completely rebuilt, the brake booster and master cylinder have been replaced, and the radiator is a four-row Harrison unit. The selling dealer has posted a video of the LeMans starting and idling: it sounds great!
Then there’s the interior, which was almost always a high point in sporting Pontiacs. The fake wood looks almost real, the round gauge clusters are a country mile more exciting than the typical ribbon speedometer, and the wood wheel looks like it belongs on a British sports car. The seller says that everything is beautiful inside.
The window sticker tells us that the car was undercoated at the dealer, and between that and a full tank of gas, the buyer was charged $35. The selling dealer says that the sheetmetal looks all-original, so there’s no way that the car saw a New York winter, undercoating or no.
We’ll have to forgive someone in the car’s past for replacing the original wheel covers with a set of Pontiac’s classic Rally II wheels; while I think the originality geek inside me would prefer to see it the way it came off the line, there’s no way I’d go back once the change was made. The pictures show that the panels are all straight, the paint is shiny, and this Poncho is ready to drive. While the price is up there for a LeMans, it’s nice to know that you (probably) won’t be spending your first year with the car fixing all the little (or big things) that aren’t quite right. Sometimes, you’d rather be rowing through the gears and putting your elbow on the door with the window down.
I’m just going to come right out and say it…
GORGEOUS!!!! ALL the good looks and swagger of a Goat, but with an easy to live with 326 2 barrel, and a fun 4 speed. Burgundy really compliments the body lines too. Looks great with the Ralley rims, but I do agree with Aaron, original steel rims and wheel covers would be a nice look too. Someone’s going to enjoy this Lemans. And please, whoever buys it, please keep the original 326 2 barrel. Way more unique than a 400 equipped GTO.
Thanks Aaron. Great write up. And Curvette, once again you found a really great car!! Thank you for all the great tips. I always enjoy them on Fast Finds.
I absolutely dare anyone to compare anything made today, foreign or domestic, that even comes close. To answer the authors question, this was NOT ordered as a GTO musclecar. It was a fancy LeMans that just happened to have a 4 speed, the most expensive option they ordered. While $10 bucks fora “ride package” seems cheap, it just wasn’t needed at time of sale. Looking at the window sticker, they could have gotten a lot more on this car, but kept it simple. In fact, I read a base ’67 GTO was actually cheaper( $3100) than this car shown. I’m not sure future generations will know the difference, GTO has the name, a LeMans? Pfft, not knowing it’s the same car. Why, I bet simple investment in “GTO” badges would add millions to the car alone,,,,I tease, because future generationss wont know the difference. As customary today, add a 0 to the original cost gets you in the ballpark.I know, it’s my 4 am rant, and even went ’round with the Chief, who says the hobby is not gone. While that might be true, more like “shifted”, as only the wealthy can have this today. That wasn’t the case in 1967, where almost anyone could enjoy this wonderful car. I always say, it was a lot easier coming up with $3grand then, than TEN times that today. That’s the part of the hobby that is gone, and that’s a shame.
Come on, quick poll,,how many viewers reading this, could feasibly come up with $10grand for an outstanding car like this? At $40 grand, that number sadly drops considerably. It was clearly someones pride and joy,,,may they rest in peace.
Might have to due with the fact that insurance for a young man was
a lot higher on a GTO than a Tempest?
Agree with Dave and Howard. Fantastic car. Guaranteed its plenty of fun to drive w 333lb/ft and a 4sp. Probably sounds great too 👍 How about the 2 stage air cleaner option for $9.43 what were they about ? Enjoyed the article, thank you Toth.
I too wonder about the dual stage air cleaner. How is that different from a standard air cleaner. Could someone please inform us?
How does a car sold new in New York become an Arizona car, it might have spent time there, but how long? It’s nice, but hard to see $39,900 from this. Though it doesn’t look rusty, it’s pretty greasy underneath. There is a lot of competition in this price range, it’s likely going to be a hard sell.
Steve R
Steve, I looked pretty hard at the undercarriage pictures and I’m not seeing any grease. It does look like someone used a black spray can on some of the parts, but no grease that I can see. The under shots are really clean. Love the faux wood dash and console….just like Ma’s 67 convertible (auto) which I loved to drive. Very cool car and probably my personal favorite Pontiac (only rivaled by the 59 Catalina convertible. Love the LeMans taillights, which I believe are different from the GTO (but one of you Poncho experts will know for sure).
The bottom side of the engine (oil pan and inside of the lower pulley) and some suspension looks like it has a rattle can finish over deposits, some of which are oil, others undercoating. I live in an area where cars don’t get undercoated, it all comes across as a mess, I’d expect a car with this price tag to look better, especially since the seller is calling it an Arizona car.
Steve R
Yes, the 1967 LeMans (and Tempest) taillamps were different than the GTO’s. They resembled a mutated Impala triple style while the GTO had handsome slotted taillamps, IMHO a much improved style from the eyelid-style of the 1966 GTO. Having owned both a 1966 Tempest Sprint OHC6 and a 1966 LeMans 326 convertible (both 4-speed), I thought their 1966 crescent-shaped taillamps with their ribbed chrome accents looked more at home within the arched rear fenders and bumper they sat in…
I have had 2 luxury lemans, 65 and a 72. Best cars i ever owned.
When working at the NAPA parts store in high-school. One of my coworker’s brothers had the virtual twin to this car in a medium blue. It had an add on tachometer and that was about it for anything added on. It was a beautiful car that I never saw it dirty. (That was in the late ’60s) About 3 years ago I happened to be back in Illinois (I now live in Nevada) in my old “stomping grounds”) I went to find my old coworker and found his brother. He still has the LeMans! And it is just as beautiful now as it was then.
This is a really nice, solid looking 67 LeMans. Original documentation is a plus. With the options the original owner picked I’m a bit surprised they didn’t include safe-t-track. $39k might be a bit high, but where will you find another as nice for less? I wouldn’t mind finding this in my garage.
I guess I am going to have to accept the fact that most classic vehicles are now being sold by specialty dealers and will cost at least 40K.
In other words, it is going to take a long, hard search to find one that is reasonably priced. I’m sure it’s possible, but these dealers with their seemingly unlimited buying power are making it difficult.
I don’t think so. This site, because it relies on submissions for its content will be heavily weighted towards dealers, which also will give the appearance prices are higher than they actually are. There are plenty of private ads on Craigslist, eBay, Facebook and other platform, but they often aren’t very good and reasonably priced cars sell quickly. Then there is word of mouth, over the last 20+ years I’ve only sold cars by telling people I know I had a car for sale, that’s also how I’ve found most cars.
The market is vibrant, one of the problems with this site is that it gives an outsized voice to people that like to complain about the price of cars they don’t like and/or are permanently out of the market.
Steve R
PRA4SNW – you are right to notice that nice examples often end up in dealer hands. They can’t sell junk.
As to the prices, nobody sane pays anywhere near the asking prices with these guys.
The high asking prices are a ploy to make it appear that aging cars are “investments”, which they are not, unless you are talking real Tier I examples. 429 Mustangs and such.
It’s how they try to justify the prices and how they make it appear that prices only go up. They want you to think that someone else will gladly pay more later.
Also, these dealers haven’t paid anything near their asking prices. They dont believe their own pricing ploys. They get what they can as cheap as they can.
They love estate liquidation sales and other distress sale circumstances. Divorce settlements. IRS auctions. Tax cheats and crooks love to acquire shiny objects to show off, until they get nabbed. Or theses dealers grab no reserve stuff that attracts few bidders at auctions.
All in all, they’d go out of business quickly if they weren’t acquiring these cars cheap, or on consignment. That allows them to make attractive “deals” to move inventory.
These guys have their ears to the ground, and the keep their emotions in check, and for that reason, they seem to end up with a lot of the more well presented tier II cars.
Spot on, nice to know I’m not alone. Going out on a limb, again, one could almost say that about this site, that practically encourages this foolishness. I remember, Hemmings had a bit, called “The $5,000 dollar challenge”, and in it, readers were allowed to “pick out” from the classifieds, some great deals for $5 grand. Okay, for inflation,( I hate that word) it can be $10 grand, but this is merely a “stage” were in with overpriced classics, and it will end, and these people know it. These cars will soon sell for pennies on their dollar, if at all, but by then, we’ll all be gone,,
I agree with the points made in the follow-up to my comment. They really enforce the point I am making.
With so many dealerships looking to cash in on the “automobile as an investment” craze, and pricing them as if they just rolled through a major auction, that leaves little meat on the bone for the average car guy who wants a nice car at a good price. So many of these places have way too many resources at their disposal to scour the internet and “beat the bushes”, so they are going to find that bargain before you do. Not all of us have huge automotive connections for word of mouth to work, the time to drive around the country peeking into every garage, or the cash in pocket to wave in front of a seller.
Yes, there may be a time where the “market drops out” and everything is worthless, but who wants to gamble with that by waiting it out? Time has proven that this is not a good theory.
I do have to draw the line at pointing the finger at this site for proliferating these prices by featuring these high priced dealer listings. If anything, BF provides us with a balanced mix of high dollar offerings, quality fixer uppers, rust buckets, and super eclectic conversation starters.
PRA4SNW – it sounds like you are in the market to buy something.
There’s nothing wrong with making a lowball offer. All the seller can say is no. They are busy asking highball prices, so why not turn the tables?
In the end, it’s the actual sale price that matters, and we don’t know that except at public auctions. And live auctions are designed to create buying frenzy. That puts a false floor under the private market prices, since the selling conditions are not the same as a private sale.
Ebay sales and other online sales prices are more reflective of actual values. But a lot of those listing come and go with the reserve not met. So the seller is masking what the true value is, if they can’t muster anything close to their reserve price.
One thing is for sure. There is lot of product out there looking for buyers. Under those circumstances, on the selling side, it comes down to how bad they need cash and what offers they are willing to deny in the meantime.
When their need for cash exceeds their emotional investment in the vehicle, sales happen.
It’s not a “crash”. It’s finding willing buyers. Under the circumstances, buyers are now feeling very “risk averse” these days. That is, they understand that all these drivable, presentable tier II vehicles have been run up way past their viable market prices.
Nobody wants to be the guy taking a $20k to $30k hit on a $50k car that no longer has a market at that price.
They will buy a nice ride for $15k if it seems that they can sell it for something like that down the road.
Bluesman: I’m not in the market at the moment. Just making observations on the condition of the market over the past year or more.
Just beautiful. Only the wheels don’t appear on the order. Clearly bought by someone who liked the idea of driving without the premium fuel requirement.
nice le mans. also good to see that nobody slapped GTO crap all over it. this rare to see this optioned out this way. only thing i would change would be the wheels out to the rally 1s. i feel they look better than the run of mill wheels that it currently wears. the color combo works well on there for sure. price wise a bit on the high end but you can’t restore for that.
My Brother had a new 67 GTO in this samne color combo with the Hurst His ‘N Hers Auto / Stick Shifter for the Turbo 400. 4 Barrel / 400 ci and the car was a beuatiful beast. He got married and with kid on the way he traded it for 1965 4 door Bonneville. I knew he wasn’t as smart as I though he was.
Beautiful, overpriced, Needs AC for sure.
I’m not a big fan of muscle cars, I like them,referring to the classics, this ride is clean and only lacks AC unit, I’d think hard about buying this one, IF I HAD THE CASH, for 30gs, let me go to the bank, the seller will probably tell me don’t bother coming back, bet 35 gets me to the table, but I love everything about this car, it’s a GTO, or at least people who aren’t familiar with this body style will think that, but in reality it is, take for example the Lexus, it’s the same car as the Camry, only difference is the more luxurious interior and name, here is the same example, if I was looking for a good new car and again, I could afford to buy a new car, I’d buy this one, not a camry not a honda, nothing on the new market right now, personally, I hate New cars, so this is as good and better purchase, than a new 28,34, or 40 thousand whatever name it has, again this is a great car, pisses me off that I’m retired, and poor, but, LIKE ROBERT PLANT SAYS IN HIS SONG,(NOBODYS FAULT BUT MINE)
I feel too that there are to many classic car dealers buying up a lot of inventory from private sellers and not doing much to them other than upping the price by 5 to 10 thousand and reselling them. I remember when Hemmings was full of private owner cars for sale. Now you can’t hardly even find a private owner ad. This car is nice but it will only interest a few select buyers. But I bet it will sell.
A Lemans of this quality is possibly harder to find than the GTO model. I know I sure parted out a lot of Leman’s a few decades ago. Great source of parts for GTO’s. I like this car a lot and would be happy to own it. Price is on the high end but …. Someone mentioned they would upgrade to Rally I’s instead of the Rally II’s and I agree. No way I would go back to the hubcaps. Does the air cleaner have anything to do with pollution? Some of the 4 barrel and tripower cars for California had different air cleaners??
This has sold twice on BaT in less than a year for 22,250 then flipped for 30,250.
Tim, wow. That just proves that we’d better buy it now, or it will be $50k next year!
Ya gotta appreciate the appreciation. Beats Wall Street, hands down.