Let’s be honest; There wasn’t a lot for motoring enthusiasts to become excited about in the late 1970s. Cars had become heavier and slower, with vehicles that had previously been high-performance models capable of doing little but transform fuel into noise. Finding a car that would slam its occupants back into their seats when the driver floored the gas was virtually impossible, but Pontiac tried its best to keep pulses racing. The 1977 Can Am was an example of its thinking, although circumstances beyond the company’s control saw the final production total fall far short of estimates. Finding a good one today is becoming challenging. However, our feature car looks like a gem and is ready to find a new home.
Pontiac released the Can Am in 1977 as a sporting variant of its LeMans range. It enlisted the help of Jim Wangers’ Motortown organization to transform the Cameo White LeMans into the Can Am. The process included modifying the hood to accept the 1976 Trans Am scoop, adding a unique rear spoiler, and applying distinctive stripes and decals. From there, customers could add almost any item from the LeMans RPO list to personalize their ride. Initial plans were for 2,500 of these cars to roll out of the factory, although dealer demand lifted that figure to 5,000. However, fate intervened unexpectedly. Motortown had a single mold for the rear spoiler, and this was damaged to the point where it was rendered useless. With no spare in stock, production ground to a halt. Some senior management officials at Pontiac feared that continuing would siphon sales from the more profitable Grand Prix, so the end came after only 1,377 cars left the factory. The history of this Can Am is unclear, although it presents well. The paint shines nicely, the panels are straight, and there is no evidence of rust. The bumper fillers show deterioration, and I suspect they aren’t far from crumbling. Replacements are available, and the winning bidder may find them on their shopping list fairly soon. The graphics exhibit mild checking, but the condition is acceptable for a driver-grade classic. The Rally II wheels are missing their trim rings, but the glass is in good order.
The 1977 Can Am was “V8-only” territory, with two motors offered, depending on geographic location. Some buyers received the 403ci “Olds” powerplant, but this Pontiac features the W72 version of the company’s 400 hiding under the hood. It sends 200hp and 325 ft/lbs of torque to a limited-slip rear end via a three-speed automatic transmission, with the new owner receiving power assistance for the steering and brakes. The journey down the ¼-mile will take 16.5 seconds, which isn’t fast by modern standards. However, it was par for the course during The Malaise Era when high performance wasn’t an available option on the Order Form. The seller states this classic has 95,000 original miles on the clock, but doesn’t mention verifying evidence. They also don’t furnish information on its mechanical health, although the presentation suggests the news should be positive.
Frustratingly, this is as close as we get to seeing this Can Am’s interior. We know it features White vinyl trim, and what is visible in the supplied shots shows no evidence of stains or physical damage. The new owner receives bucket seats, a console, air conditioning, and the Grand Prix gauge cluster with a hood tach. The deal includes the original Owner’s Manual, but beyond that, we’re flying blind. Those genuinely interested in pursuing this classic may wish to contact the seller to see if more shots are available.
The seller listed this 1977 Pontiac Can Am here on eBay in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sixteen bids have pushed the price beyond the reserve to $22,925, and the viewing history on this auction could see action intensify as the end draws near. Recent sales results suggest the price should top $25,000 before the hammer falls, although a higher figure is possible if two (or more) potential buyers view it as an automotive “must-have.” The limited production total makes that possible, and I would hardly blame you if you decide to pursue this classic further. Do we have any takers?
Probably about the nicest Can Am I’ve seen for sale lately! And white guts? I bet less than 2% of the total production had that. VERY rare. And I see what appears to be (not correct for `77 but…) a ‘factory’ hood tach? Nice. GLWTA!
Nice!
Really like this one – cats removed but looks all original, and nice!
These were nice looking cars back in the day. I remember when my dad moved back to his home town to retire from the military he tried to get one of these but it had been sold. Now days with social and online finding vehicles are much easier to find. :-). We ended up getting a Gran Torino…. The 1972 which would have made old Clint in the movie happy screaming get off my lawn. :-)
Beautiful looking car. The 1970 produced some cool looking cars. If only performance was as exciting. While I understand the need and wish for fuel efficient and cleaner burning emissions, you’d think they would’ve found a way to do that while still providing exciting and reliable performance.
Automakers are doing it now, providing performance and better mileage with race technology like fuel injection, overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, and turbocharging, but that would have cut too much into profits back in the seventies. Big cars and now trucks have higher profit margins. Agree that this Can Am is a nice looking car. Probably my favorite of the Colonnade style. But twenty.sometjing for a car with almost 100000 miles? Yeah I get it it’s rare but.
The ’73 & ’74 sd-455 firebirds have none of the above & still have great performance with quadrajet, cast iron intake, pts & condenser(HEI not available), mechanical fuel pump, & no overdrive. I prefer BIG cubic inches – & non of that small motor metric stuff. The dumb restrictive GM pancake cat converter alone robbed 40 hp on Can Ams – & has been removed here.
Best to open up hood scoop if it isn’t already.
If there was a way to integrate today’s technology into cars of the 60s and 70s. You don’t have to change what made the cars stylish or fun to drive. You’d just have to change the mechanics underneath, make them more reliable and safer to drive.
Nice, rare and even if perfect way way too high on price. 15-17k is the range it should be in…if perfect.
Not true. These were $25k cars until recently. In the last year or so, there have been a few that sold up in the $40s. Nice ones are getting their due.
I was a young man when this came out. It was nothing more than a decaled LeMans. It wasn’t worth the extra money. At the time, many brands were making sporty looking cars that were, at best, slightly better performing than the standard, bread and butter version. This is a perfect example of that. There are too many miles on this car for the money.
If you do a little research, you will find that it’s actually more than a “decaled LeMans’.
I like this car very much. It reminds me of the ’75 Grand Le Mans I had
I bought a Can Am new in August of 1977. I drove it until the summer of ’85 when I sold it while in graduate school… I loved the car and started looking for one again about 10 years ago… I found one on Barn Finds last year and bought it in May. I am currently restoring it, little by little, while I drive it. I love it! Lot’s of memories and people always comment that they’ve never seen one; or it’s been a long time since they’ve seen one. Mine will never be a show car, but it’s a really fun driver and it’s looking better and better all the time. I just wish some of the parts were easier to find.
I don’t get the comments about mileage. In 1984 maybe it mattered. Now, it’s unimportant. A thousand mile example would need just as much work, maybe just not as much that could be seen externally.
The GTO opened the book on the muscle car era and Pontiac finished the original mid size performance car with the Can Am. The Grand National was probably the last real muscle car. Front engine and rear drive. Other cars are faster, handle better, stop better, etc. This is just a cool a rare car.
Nelson how was my 2005 GTO not a real muscle car like a GN? 400 HP 6.OL, stick shift might even have some saying MORESO than a GN. And to be clear I looooove me some 87 GN…….
Had one in the 80s, also white interior. Had a loud ticking from the valve train so I bought it reasonably cheap at the time. Pulled the valve cover and it was total black sludge with the rockers buried under there somewhere. Guy was a dirtbag so I wasn’t surprised, just disappointed as I worked at a Pontiac dealer back in 77 and we had a few Can Am’s when new and they were pretty nice cars.
Completely removed from EBay.
Must have been a scam.