In its early days, the GTO started out as an option package for the Pontiac LeMans but became its own stand-alone model in 1966. But the goat still wore the same body for the most part as the LeMans, making the basic ’66 car a good candidate to clone into a GTO. That’s one of several ideas the owner of this 1966 Pontiac LeMans throws out as a possibility, but he also suggests the car would be a good candidate for an LS swap or even a restomod. The good news is that the car seems solid, so whichever path the next owner chooses there should be some strong bones to work with, so if you’ve got your heart set on a mid-sixties Pontiac project this one’s got lots of potential. It’s currently in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and can be seen here on eBay, with bidding up to $7,100 at the moment.
Even though the Pontiac is now in the Bluegrass commonwealth, the seller says it was originally a California car, and while the body shows some dents and scratches the metal itself is said to be overall well-preserved. There is one area pointed out that shows some corrosion, and that’s around the rear window, but it doesn’t appear to be all that substantial and probably won’t be a huge issue to remedy. I’m generally somewhat leery of buying any vehicle sight unseen, but the seller has provided a link with more than 160 high-quality photos plus included a walk-around video, so it seems pretty straightforward what you’re getting here.
Pontiac offered a couple of different variants of the 326 V8 for its LeMans in 1966, but the standard powerplant was a 230 cubic-inch inline 6, the latter of which can be found under the hood of this one. Some good news is the motor is still functioning, and there’s a second video where we get to hear it running, but I’m guessing the future owner may already have something else in mind with additional cylinders to install in the engine compartment.
The interior is described as presentable, which seems like a more than reasonable assessment. In fact, for the age, I think it actually looks pretty decent, with both the front and rear seats seemingly in nice condition, although the carpet, steering wheel, and armrests could all stand to be replaced. We also get to see so many pictures from the underside I didn’t count them, with the frame and components on the south side appearing to be solid as stated. Even with the 6, it’s kind of fun to see a LeMans that hasn’t been tampered with very much yet, but this one does seem ripe to take to a much higher level. How would you move forward here?
I’m sure I’d give in a put in a V8. I’m weak like that. Lol. But it sure would be cool just to refresh it mechanically and drive it as is for a year or so. So rare to find one that hasn’t been hot rodded. Pretty tempting to just enjoy that cool looking six.
This reminds me of my white red interior 66 LeMans. I traded in my ‘72 Celica to pay off the bank note and got the LeMans to boot. She was a really clean and solid beaut. Just two of the cars I’d like to have back.
A friend had one with the OHC 6 and a 4 speed. Reasonably quick for a 6 cylinder.
If the friends car had a 4 bbl carbon it, it had 215 hp. If it had a 1bbl carb in made 180 hp. The 250 ci Chevy only made 155 hp. I had a college roommate who drove a white 4dr Lemans with the OHC – 6 that had 3 Webber 2bbls on it with a 3 speed manual on the column. It was white with white wheels and PMD dogfish hubcaps. Talk about a “sleeper”!!!
I had a gold 4brl 3 speed hurst just.like this one. I loved it.
I’d leave it stock. Plenty of nice restored GTOs already out there. You park this next to a GTO with the hood up and more people will comment on and want to talk about this one with the OHC 6.
Unfortunately, I think odds favor another GTO clone (replete with some reproduction parts made in China). Though it should not be so cloned. I would leave the OHC 6 and fix it up for power.
Baby Boomers, in their golden years and flush with cash, are rapidly rewriting automotive history into a world where almost all mid-sized cars sold were muscle cars. And that is unfortunate, but it is what it is. It was a natural progression, and inevitable.
Yes indeed. I am sick of this site and others making car history something as fake as the US A itself. It’s sad they think a mustang
or Camero is a ” muscle car”. No no no they are PONY CARS.
This from the guy who wanted to put a Honda in an Olds. Just for that I don’t think you should judge others (yes, ironically I am judging you when I write that).
You could drop a 3.6 LGX in it? At 335hp…you’d probably smoke most GTOs. Maybe even a 4300 Vortex for less $$. It would still be a six, that be kinda cool.
HAHAHAHA! That’s an absolutely horrible idea.
I honestly like that creativity a lot more than turning it into the 1,000,000th GTO clone.
I would have to repaint and in original stock color freshen up the interior and suspension.Also drop in a 400 motor. That is just me . Keep its stock looking..
That’s the problem with 99% of these great cars. Everyone puts a V8 and whatever to them. There’s much more value if left 100% stock especially if numbers are matching. Put a V8 in it and the value drops at least 50%
Original or restored original is best
Generally speaking, a 100% stock car is almost always worth more, but a modern update with a LS/LT 6 speed or an automatic, with updated suspension, brakes, interior, brakes, wheel/tires, etc will not be worth 50% less than this one is stock. Resto-Mods are still going strong, look at some of the Corvette resto-mods commanding prices way above a clean base original, Chevelles, GTO’s, Mustangs you name it, resto-mods are commanding ridiculous prices. I’m 71 and have had well over 125 vehicles, and easily 50% of these were “muscle cars” that I modified, hacked, butchered, and as I got older and hopefully wiser, restored them and still at it. This car, restored would bring maybe $35k unless it was a Sprint version with a 4 speed, even better as a convertible. Modifying this car (which would be a crime) would not decrease its value 50% unless the entire thing was a complete hack job. If I had the pleasure of owning this, all I would do is add front disc brakes and Rally l wheels.
For me I would definitely keep it a Lemans and maybe either put a Pontiac 400 base 461 Stroker or a Pontiac 455 base 474 Stroker in it or even do an LS swap in it and make it a really fun Hotrod out of it.
Put me down for keeping it stock. By a circuitous route, I ended up with my grandparent’s ’66 Tempest four-door with the same engine and Pontiac’s two-speed Super Turbine 300 automatic. I remember riding in it as a young person and overhearing Grandpa talking about how it would “nudge up to 90 before you knew it.” It was a smooth-running and -riding car.
By the time I took possession from my Uncle, the OHC6 had bricked itself, likely due to sludge buildup in the cam carrier, a flaw inherent in the engine. Unfortunately, I did what most recently-graduated-from-college guys with spare cash would do and built a medium-hot SBC as the car’s replacement motivation, hooked to a THM350. I was still living with Granny post-college (Grandpa passed my freshman year), and I had her work the engine hoist when installing the engine (she put up with a lot!). It ran good, and was a real sleeper, having left everything else stock with a relatively quiet exhaust.
Only kept the car a couple years, then sold it not long before moving on to a non-vehicular distraction, to whom I’ve been married 35 years. That original OHC6 cam carrier is hanging in my shop to this day!
The subject car doesn’t look like it would take much to turn it into a jewel.
I’d keep the 6 just for originality and cool factor. If i remember a 4 barrel option was avail. The powerglide will be fine and i’m guessing 3.36 gears in back. Need’s a lot of tlc but could be worth it.
It would be criminal to turn this into another GTO clone. You don’t see a lot of these 6 bangers. This was an innovative design. Not common for American cars.
It deserves at complete restoration. But at the very least a repaint and refresh.
There are plenty of common Pontiacs out there to fool around with.
I had a gold 4brl 3 speed hurst 3.55:1 just like this one. I loved it.
Love it, leave the V6 and have a blast slowly….or swap in an Australian Barra turbo??
Er straight six!
Please keep the OHC 6. I had a 67 Tempest with that motor and it was quick, light, fun. I restored mine from a $100 rat to a sweet daily driver. My mom actually preferred it to her 87 Bonneville and would borrow it whenever she could.
It would be a lot of fun to restore one now that there’s an internet for sourcing parts. Bowling Green is a bit far for me, but I my keep an eye on this one.
If I am “swapping” anything it would’nt be for the LS, but instead the legendary ZZ4 crate engine with points, plugs and carburetor—365 HP and 420 ft # of torque and buildable beyond that by a couple hundred ponies. I have that exact setup in my 79 C3. But the more I ponder this Lemans, the more I’d likely decide to beef up the 6 and restore as is.
This 1966 Lemans coupe brings back a lot of memories. I owned a 66 Sprint 6 with 4 speed and 3.90 gears. The sprint package was the OHC 6 with 10.5 Cr. 4 barrel carb ,split exhaust manifolds. I would build this back to that stage.
Very rare.
I owned a ‘66 Sprint as well. Fun and FAST…One of the Great cars that I owned and now miss very much
Why have a fake GTO when you can own a real Le Mans (pronounce Lu Manz as mentioned in the Pontiac’s advertisements of the middle of the sixties)?
I don’t know…new door seals, rear window seal (interior), tune-up, hammer out the dents, a fresh coat of period-color paint…I’d keep it as is. You don’t see many Le Mans or Tempests out there from this era.
I had a nice White 66 LeMans 2 door with a 326 4 barrel, 4 speed Hurst shifter in the console and real American Mags. Nobody wanted to change tires on it for fear of breaking a wheel.I really liked that car. A friend had a similar one in red so we raced each other a lot.Sorry but i’d do the same to this one for sale but no GTO clone, keep it what it is. A sweet V8 LeMans.It sure is a shame GM killed Pontiac, the best of the bunch.
Your post brought back fond memories of my white, red interior ‘66 LeMans. Automatic, don’t recall the engine size. But it would haul. Tough situations caused me to trade in my year old ‘72 Celica for the LeMans to pay off the note. Sure did love both cars.
This is a pretty solid Pontiac. I owned a 65 and a 68 GTO, back in the day, but I’d leave this LeMans with its 6, and rebuild it if necessary. But I’d want a different tranny, maybe a 4 speed. A brake upgrade would be nice. I hope this finds a good home.
I say not to clone it into a GTO, Pontiac Le Mens are very cool cars but there’s no value in keeping it a 6cyl first of all and why does it always have to be about money or value why can’t a guy or gal just buy it and do what they want to it, this would be a good cheaper way to get into a classic muscle car original or not, as far as I know nobody is out there spending big money collecting 6cyl cars.
The main value of keeping it a 6 cylinder is that you don’t have to buy another engine. This is a running, driving car with the original OHC-6. The least expensive option is to buy it and drive it as is. You want a V-8 powered ’66 Pontiac, there are plenty of others out there to choose from. The person who buys this I would hope is buying it BECAUSE it’s an OHC-6.
Yeah I just don’t get it how everybody’s first instinct is to butcher up a car like this. Just throw some fresh paint on it and whatever and you will have the most unique coolest car at any show. Every show you go to already has 10 gto’s or GTO clones with ls swaps and carbohydramatic 400s
There are many people collecting 6 cylinders cars on earth. Porsche flat six is probably the most known.
What’s about Lancia Aurelia with it’s famous V6?
As you probably know, those people are spending big money to collect 6 cylinders cars.
Pontiac’s innovative 6 cylinder OHC was ahead of its time, like most of the things developed by smart engineers and proudly built by implicated workers of this particular GM division during the sixties. The ten years of wide track era was Pontiac at its best forever. Thanks so much to John Z De Lorean who wanted to develop so many fabulous products.
The concept of an overhead cam engine with V8 power but lighter and cheaper to product was one of the results.
Personally, I’m collecting cars from forty years, starting early at twelve years old. The majority of my cars are American V8’s. I’m very eclectic and I have/had (too) many different cars, from very slow to ultra fast.
From 4 Bangers to straight 6 and straight 8, passing by flat 6, V6, V8, V12 and V16. Each of them, small or high value, is/was treated respectfully as an individual and compared only to its era competitors.
I’m conscient that it isn’t possible to everyone and we must all do choices, but I never bought a 6 cylinder car thinking that I’ll transform it into a V8.
If only V8 engines were allowed in the classic car world, life will be boring.
oooppps LeMans!
Yeah I just don’t get it how everybody’s first instinct is to butcher up a car like this. Just throw some fresh paint on it and whatever and you will have the most unique coolest car at any show. Every show you go to already has 10 gto’s or GTO clones with ls swaps and carbohydramatic 400s
Leave the OHC 6. If you changed it to a GTO, you’d have to change the rear fascia / taillights. I had a 65 Lemans, 2 dr Sport coupe. 326 V-8 with a HURST 3 speed stick shift with a full chrome console. Jet Black exterior with Blue buckets interior. Spinner Pontiac hubcaps. My grandpa ordered it BRAND NEW in 1965. I remember seeing the window sticker, and it was around $3 K. I think he was having a “mid life” thing. (I don’t want to say CRISIS, because I THANK HIM for passing this car down !” The BLACK exterior over BLUE interior was so sharp. Can’t find many options available like that today.
I’m glad most are saying to keep the 6. It is a rare find these days to find one of these with the original 6 still in it. It was a great engine in its own right.
This is a fairly high line car for an OHC 6 ; Being a LeMans I would have assumed that it would have a 326 in it . Bucket seats , deluxe moldings, power steering AND brakes in a mid size car like this were usually in the top tier models. I think most of the mid size OHC cars I’ve ever seen were Tempests .
Then again, I notice it doesn’t have a vinyl roof which a lot of these did, and the gold wheels tells me it likely had dog dish hubcaps instead of the full size ones. Its an oddity for sure , hopefully it stays like that. We dont need any more clones
The six is sick! Leave it alone.