The seller of this Pontiac LeMans Sport Hardtop lists it as a 1971 model. However, one look at the front of the car and the VIN reveals this to be a 1970 model. It was recently unearthed after being parked by its original owner, 30-years-ago. It looks like it has survived this ordeal, and it now needs a new owner to revive it and return it to the road. Located in Pomeroy, Ohio, the Pontiac has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $15,210, and the reserve has been met.
The seller has tended to be relatively sparing when it comes to information on this Cardinal Red Pontiac. He says that it needs work but doesn’t specify exactly what this will entail. The car was parked in a garage for 30-years, and it remains largely as it was when it was found. The supplied photos show a lot of promise because there is no rust visible in any of the pictures. The seller doesn’t indicate whether there are any issues below decks, but it does look quite encouraging. Scrolling through the photos reveals little in the way of corrosion on any surfaces, suggesting that the storage environment must have been quite favorable. The paint holds an impressive shine after all of these years, while the panels appear to be free from dings or dents. All of the chrome is present, and I believe that it would respond well to some work with a high-quality polish. The original owner ordered the LeMans equipped with Soft Ray tinted glass, which appears to be in good order.
The moment that I looked at this photo of the Pontiac’s interior, my fingers began to itch. It is finished in Black, and I would love to subject it to a few days of intense cleaning. I suspect that the result would be an interior that would look close to new. There might be some wear on the carpet on the driver’s side, but it would be interesting to see how obvious this would be after a clean. Unless the next owner is seeking perfection, it might prove acceptable when the cleaning is complete. The upholstery shows no signs of wear or tear, with the rear seat appearing to be in as-new condition. The dash and pad are faultless, while the same would appear to be true for the headliner. The original owner ordered the car complete with a console and an AM radio. Both of these items remain in place.
When it comes to drivetrain combinations, this LeMans treads a nice middle-ground in the range. Under the hood, we find the 350ci V8, which would produce 255hp. This is hooked to a 4-speed manual transmission, while the car was also ordered with power steering. When new, performance figures would have been quite acceptable, with the ¼ mile capable of being dispatched in 16.1 seconds. If any area of this Pontiac is going to require work, it would appear that the mechanical components will be it. The engine hasn’t been started since the car was parked. That means that it has been idle for more than three decades. The seller says that he has made no attempt to coax the 350 into life, and he doesn’t indicate whether it turns freely. This lack of activity means that the list of work will be quite long. The fuel system will need to be flushed, all of the regular maintenance tasks will need to be tackled, and areas like the rubber components and the brakes will need attention. If you have nothing planned over the next few colder months, maybe reviving this classic in your workshop would help pass the time.
When you see nicely preserved classics like this 1970 LeMans Sport that have been parked for decades, you can’t help but wonder what the story is behind them. That is the case with this car. You begin to speculate on whether the owner had family or friends who tried to encourage him to return the vehicle to active duty. You can start to consider whether the owner had received previous offers to buy the car, but he has declined those offers. The time has now come for all of that to change and for this classic to find a new home. Selfishly, I hope that one of our readers buys this Pontiac because I’d love to see how it looks after it has been revived. Do we have any takers on that one?
This looks like a really good start on owning a classic. I would (of course!) add a set of Rally II wheels to it, and dual exhaust, and maybe a set of sport mirrors and cruise. The chrome front bumper on these looks awkward to me, but I could live with it! GLWTA!! :-)
Meh. If this wallflower is worth that kind of money I need to put my GTOs on the auction block. And buy them back in a year or two when sanity returns to pricing.
Great car, I love it! I hope that it does not get cloned into a GTO. RALLY II’s, or Cragar SS’s, RWL tires, and duals would make it just perfect (for me at least!)
Love it’s has a manual.
Paint it Chestnut Brown and drive it like Gene Hackman!
I could feel the French Connection vibe right away with this one!! Maybe a Gene Hackman signature on the glove compartment door a la Carroll Shelby.
Notice the 140 mph speedo along with the 4spd trans. Pontiac did offer lots of GTOesk options to put on your plain jane Lemans or T37 to spice it up. Endura front ends & ram air hoods were all available even on their wagon’s of this era. Very cool indeed I’d leave it just the way it is poverty caps & all.
The GT37 was the performance oriented T37.
As for the endura nose and “GTO” hood, that was available on LeMans’s in 71-72, not 1970.
Steve R
PHS is needed for this one. 4-sp 2-bl cars are very rare for a Pontiac.
Hi, I purchased the car and I even have the build sheet and protecto plate. And purchase papers. This car is legit
Having owned a ’71 Pontiac T-37 with a 350 as my first car ever, I love this thing. But since it’s not a GTO and will probably never be worth all that much, I’d advocate to retromod it. How much fun would this thing be with a full blown ponch 455 SD, and a 5 speed trans, riding on a modern suspension and brakes? That would make it daily drivable and one wicked sleeper to unsuspecting Mustangs and Camaros.
Already pulled from Ebay . Must have got a offer he could not refuse. Nice car should have stayed on Ebay to see what it went to.
Stored 30 years means this car may have “only” spent 19 winters on salty Ohio roads.
If you look closely at the pictures, especially #4 hidden behind the bumper where the quarter panels meet the rear valance there are signs of rust. Lots of trim his tape lines and overspray. If a buyer didn’t do a thorough in person inspection they may be sorry.
Steve R
LOL…Steve R., I think you are imagining things. Looks like an original paint car to me.
The trunk latch has been painted red, so the trunk at least has been repainted. The bottoms of the trunk lids can rust out at the bottom from moisture held in by the gasket, so that may be way it was swapped out.
Hi Steve I purchased the car and believe me or not this car is 100% rust free. I have 100% of all the paperwork down to the 1970 plates with the registration papers to match the plates. The original owner took pride in the car.
Steve R. I purchased the car and it has zero rust. This is a solid car, and I have every piece of documentation.
Would love 455 engine instead 350 make it fun drive
My big brother had a 69 Lemans Convertible 350/330 4 speed, duals full PMD wheel covers no one saw it coming, maybe you heard the howl of the dual exhaust on a summer night, but many a sucker didn’t see it coming, only going, and the insurance company didn’t notice it at all
Great interior.
Maybe add a hood tach.
Avoid descending steep local mountains with those brakes. lol
Anybody notice the wild front tire stripes? 2 different colors & 2 different thicknesses!! I think we can bet no one reproduces those today …
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DW4AAOSwEV5f2RW7/s-l1600.jpg
A dealer? Look out. You can see and bet they don,t have much in it. Maybe they took it off because . They didn,t buy it legally. When people pass away. Some times their is alot of dirty work done to get it. We have a banker hear. It seems like when someone dies and their is no relatives. He always has a will leaving him everything and he is crooked. Has been known to forge peoples names. I,d pass on this and not want anything to do with it.
Hi Johnny I purchased the car and believe me it is 100% legit. I got every purchase papers and all original papers including build sheet and protecto plate and original 1970 plates with matching registration to match.
Wow see this car is amazing, belive it or not I had a twin to this car. Back in 85 or so a friends sister and husband, were selling there 70 lemans they bought it new. I bought it, it had 350 with a 2 bbl carb 4 spd but it was blue with blue int even had the dog dish hub caps like this one. It was a cool car to me back then still is I think only difference mine did not have a counsel wish I still had it seeing what the asking price is think I payed under a 1000, and it was running and driving 👍