If you wanted a mid-size Pontiac convertible in 1971, you had two choices: the GTO or the LeMans Sport, the latter being the next best thing to a performance machine without the muscle stigma of the former car. This ’71 LeMans Sport drop-top is one of only 3,865 built and was treated to a frame-on restoration – but that was several years ago and it has been sitting for a while. It’s all been cleaned up and looks great, though the seller mentions a few minor things that will need attention.
You could get a 400 cubic inch V8 engine in a 1971 LeMans Sport and a bucket seat interior. So, who needed the higher insurance premiums that would come with a new GTO? This car was likely a mess before it was restored as new quarter panels, floorboards, and a trunk floor were required in advance of a new coat of Lucerne Blue being applied. The interior is matching in color and the car has a contrasting white convertible top. It all looks ship-shape, though one photo of the undercarriage appears to show a crack that has been repaired.
When the 400 V8 was rebuilt, the builder gave it a mild camshaft upgrade as would have been used with Ram Air III induction. Mostly NOS parts were used in the project – right down to some of the nuts and bolts. Being in a period of dormancy reveals the following items that need attention: the fan rotor rubs on the shroud at times (loose shroud?), the carburetor has an occasional hesitation, there is a power steering fluid leak, and one or two other minor things.
The seller may be more interested in having the car move to a new home, else why not fix these things before selling it and add a reserve to the listing here on eBay? From Woodridge, Illinois, this beauty looks to be worth the little bit of trouble that needs correcting, and the current bid is $21,400. Go cruising in style in this 1971 Pontiac!
Nice Pontiac , the frame looks like it had been painted / undercoated over a very rusty frame. Too bad it wasn’t ordered with Air conditioning
The frame does look scary, lots of previous rust repair on the body and floors.
Last time the seller ran it through eBay it didn’t meet reserve with a high bid of $24,100.
Steve R
Sold with a high bid of $38,450.
Steve R
Very nice color on a drop top Lemans. I really like that it was originally ordered with a 400 from the factory. You basically have a less obvious GTO. A lot of work and time went into this Pontiac. Hope it finds a good new home.
With the exception of what’s going on with the frame, if I got this car in the 25 K range, I would be a happy camper.
Hey Joe…it’s still at $21,900. I suspect that the reserve is $22k.
Have you got a spare frame laying around?
No AC. Hard pass, although on it’s face, the car presents well. But a closer look might turn up a few red flags.
Does it look like the frame rail has been sectioned in on the driver side? I like the other than the frame.
Here we go again…Seems like everyone forgets that Illinois used tons more salt per mile of state and federal hyways than most all of the other mid-west and eastern states.?
After reading Russs’ write up and the ebay listing TWICE the key phrase that would make a personal inspection mandatory is…”on-frame restoration”.
Ya’all have fun with this one, AGAIN.
SR, no, I would not.
Ever heard of magnesium chloride and sand? Works wonders with only 10% the corrosion.
1971 and 1972 Pontiac offered the Endura nose/hood for the LeMans Sport. If this convertible had this option and A/C I would be interested. That is, after a complete inspection to include the questionable frame.
Be careful hitting those pot holes and rough rail road tracks in this one otherwise two tow trucks will be delivering it home in pieces and you to the hospital in an ambulance.
And an average Joe could work on it him herself.
Always nice to see one of these A-body convertibles still around. Too bad that the take rate of these cars was so few. Being close to Lansing I notice more Cutlass drop tops than the others. Good looking car then and now.
Absolutely stunning!! Imagine if it was fully loaded Gran Turismo Omologato and fully loaded what the Pontiac “drip-top” market would be willing to part with to own this Lemans Sport coupe!!
Absolutely stunning!! Imagine if it was fully loaded Gran Turismo Omologato and fully loaded what the Pontiac “drop-top” market would be willing to part with to own this Lemans Sport coupe!!
Great looking car, although this example might be questionable.
nice car with great colors. just swap out that crusty rusty frame and you have a mint piece depending on what the floor repairs look like.
That is probably POR15 on the frame, added to prevent any further deterioration. Nice of the seller to provide a lot of undercarriage shots.
Anyone seriously interested will need to contact the seller to find out more about that frame repair. The rest doesn’t look too bad, and if done to a high standard, should hold up fine.
The topside of the car looks great.
Attractive blue and white color combination. Nice body style. Love the 1968-72 GM intermediates. I would add A/C because not every weather day calls for top down driving. I would also base any bid someobe makes on the cost to complete the revealed punch out list, a professional frame inspection and installing air con.
It looks like a very pretty girl with an awful personality, good to look at but that may be about it. The seller is sharing enough info so that one could not say “you didn’t tell me the frame was bad”, clearly it is in the pics and that drivers side definitely looks like it was sectioned in or repaired. To me that is a dealbreaker. If the frame is that rough, I wonder what the body looked like before it was painted Great Not sure I would want to tackle that especially in a convertible, too many variables.
Best comment I’ve read thus far especially from eyes that knows. A cosmetologist can make the ugliest woman in the world win a beauty pageant. Just stay out of the rain. Plenty of Medusas out there covered in mud and paint.
Agreed. If the internet has taught me anything, it is to always question what my eyes are trying to tell me because all is not as it seems these days.