Collectors, is it time for something a bit different, something in the after-the-muscle vein? Maybe you’d be a good candidate to restore this 1977 Pontiac Le Mans Can Am two-door? Just don’t choke on your cereal when you see the opening bid demand (nobody’s bitten yet) of $9999 here on ebay. And if you win, know that you’ll be headed to Philly, PA to collect your new project.
These mid-1970s GM offerings have always reminded me of the cars that superheroes might drive. Not for their performance, which we all know took a hit in the mid-1970s and didn’t recover, arguably, until the Mustang reignited the performance era in the 1980s and 1990s. Rather, the colors, the accent stripes, the names are what enthralls me. Can Am—who remembers that historic racing series, which ran from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s? Funny that it was a series with few restrictive rules run at a time when street cars were increasingly being choked down by bureaucratic rules and regulations. The “Can Am” of Pontiac fame was a one-year offering, 1977 only. It was introduced mid-year, replacing the Pontiac Grand Am (a name revived for a front-driver in the 1980s), which had been a slow seller.
Features included the shaker hood set-up from Pontiac’s Trans Am, and a 400-CID V8 engine putting out 200 horsepower. Unless, of course, you had the “bad” luck to live in Cali, in which case you got a 403 V8 Oldsmobile engine with 185 hp. Speaking of that, importing this particular unit to California, where smog rules apply to 1976-and-up vehicles, might not be possible. Check before you commit, in other words. Then again, if you want one of these and are a Golden State resident, you can probably safely pass on this one and wait for a more pristine dry-climate candidate to present itself. Though be warned that only about 1400 were ever made, so the wait could be lengthy. (Wiki notes that there would have been more but for production issues. Take a look at this interesting history to see for yourself.)
Anyway, do you want this car? It is going to need some TLC. First off, the engine is listed as having traveled 149,000 miles, though the seller does offer to send a video of the car running. Then a look around will tell you that there are surface rust issues, as near the rear louvres. More serious corrosion bubbles appear in the front fender area. On the plus side, you have the Pontiac invoice to show you what came on the car originally. One such option is the Trans Am “snowflake” wheels. Equipment aside, the car appears worn and weathered, needing a total restoration. Any missing parts might be hard to find, and possibly expensive. Further, you probably want to ask for more photo documentation before you bid—you have no idea what the engine bay looks like as it now stands. So do your due diligence, and have a look around at what’s in the marketplace. This is a cool car, and one that hopefully someone can save. But it might not make economic sense at this starting bid.
According to the sticker, the base model came with a V6 and a 3 on the tree? That’s crazy
Those are the standard options for a base 77 Lemans, which these were part of. Checking the box for Can Am option designated the only available engine whether it was the Pontiac 400 or Olds 403 in Cali.
Yes, I see that. I’m just surprised they offered a 3 spd column shift in this model and as late as ’77. I know they offered it in a Nova in ’77, but that’s a much lighter car. It was also cheaper and sold as taxis and to governments, etc. I would think they sold this model as a personal luxury car. This heavy beast with a smogged 3.8 sounds dangerously slow and having to row a column shift like it’s the 50’s doesn’t sound fun.
If you think about it, GM ran the straight 6 w/3 on the tree combo in trucks until the intro of the 4.3 v6 in 84. They were comparable in weight to these. Sounds nuts I know but more common than we all seem to remember. My Grandfather had an 82 C10 with that combo and it got around just fine.
I sure like the car but I don’t see 10 grand I had a 75 Sports scoop back in the 80s and I loved it love the quarter glasses on it
Base Lemans.
For such a “rare” car there’s sure been a bunch on the site lately.
Keep ’em comin’! I’ve seen, maybe, 3 of these in the wild since 1977. Love that I can see ’em here.
Can Ams have been featured 23 times. That’s just about 2% of total production. I’m sure there are some duplicates in there, but it’s hard to tell, since they were all painted the same color
The article fails to mention why so few were manufactured. The machine used in making the spoiler “grenaded” and was too expensive to fix for an option car. The other item the article does not address is that the pillar louvres leaked water into the rear floor board foot wells. I am sure this one will need rear floors as well.
The article fails to mention why so few were manufactured. The machine used in making the spoiler “grenaded” and was too expensive to fix for an option car. The other item the article does not address is that the pillar lovures leaked water into the rear floor board foot wells. I am sure this one will need rear floors as well.
Looks like it’s sitting in a junk yard. I’d approach this one carefully.
Yes, and very nicely stored to get that $9999.00 opening bid.
Number 5 in the Can Am count? These used to be rare!😉
I think I’ve seen more of these on BF the last 6 monthes then I ever did in the wild back in the day. This car is a bondo bucket bubbler.10k opener? I don’t think so.Seller needs to come back down to earth.Nothing wrong with 403’s either.
On your comment.. bad luck to live in California, if you ever suffered through a smog filled summer LA day, you would realize why California needed to have the toughest anti-polution laws in the USA. Too bad these hideas GM boats ended up under-horsepowered as we Californians led the nation in foreign car imports, a much smarter choice especially during the Arab Oil Embargo. jv – smash palace
I have a 73 Grand Prix SJ factory sunroof 455 loaded w options, that’s how I like my cars, I’d love to find a sunroof 73 Grand Am w a 455, loaded with options next
Rather have the 74 got behind the Can Am
A much funner car.
I know this car. I detailed several cars for this owner at his Northeast Philly business. That was 10 years ago. This very car was sitting in the same spot in the blazing 90 degree sun. It was rough then. I like these cars, but not this one. 149,000 miles on a 70s GM car is rare in itself.
Had 230k on my 79 olds 88 with a gas 350 and it ran like a sewing machine.Body was shot .Sold it for 400.00 in 92 to help buy a p-up truck.
Oops GTO
The dealership where my dad was working at the time had one of these and he wanted my mom to replace her 66 Bonneville convertible with it. She wanted something smaller and held out for a 78 Grand Prix. Yuck.
With the spoiler and bodywork intact, this could be a fun restomod. Or go Pontiac and drop in a 455 backed with a five speed. Problem is the price. Maybe the rarity makes it worth the money, but wow – this is a big number for something that needs a full restoration. Ten years from now, it will be sitting there with the 74 goat behind it and someone shaking their head.
I like this a lot. my sister had a1975 lemans sprort coupe red with white buckets console and landau white roof .real nice..
the can am is a land yaght . if it has original drive train its worth about 6500. but id be interested in the blue gto behind it . granted they both look like original paint cars but the blue gto looks like its more savable…there would have to be a conversation about both. never really liked the can am . they were so much like cookie cutter cars. probably designed just to get rid of extra gm parts. now if the cant am had a w72 block id say now your cookin…anyone know if w72 were put in the can am. a good running block would be worth in the neighborhood of 5000. GOOD CARBS ALONE ARE GOING FOR ALMOST A GRAND. anyone have can am history stuck in there brain…
W72 was the only Pontiac engine put in the Can Am.
this just in unrestored Pontiac Can Am is one of 1,377 cars built. This one-year-only model is powered by a W-72 high-performance 400ci V8 engine and automatic transmission. The cars were sent to Motortown for their build by the Famous Jim Wangers back in 1977. … IS IT WORTH $10,000 NOW…
this tells it all;;;; google John Witzke Tech Advisor & Historian W72 Performance …
Pontiac must have had a bunch of leftover older style shaker scoops laying around for these ’77s, otherwise the Can Am might have got the t/a’s new “squarer” style shaker – & a different hole in the hood to accomodate it.
Looks like the bondo bucket bubbler isn’t drawing any bites! As to 400 v. 403, 403s are generally frowned upon due to the restrictive heads and weak bottom ends with hallowed out main journals. The bores are also too close together, it being a small block Olds motor. That can cause overheating and blown head gaskets. People have built them up for power, so it’s not impossible, but the Pontiac 400 would be highly preferable IMO.
I did not know Oldsmobile made a small block. Oldsmobile never had a big block small engine design.
455’s are big blocks that I know for sure.They are a little wider. Found out during a diesel swap.
Yes. Small blocks came in 260, 307, 330, 350, and 403 cu in. Big blocks were 400, 425, and 455.
The big block is two inches wider and has an inch and a half taller deck or something like that.
The 403 was not a terrible motor in its intended applications – big luxury cars and station wagons. But it was not ideal for a performance car. The weak bottom end meant that extended use over 4,000 RPM created a risk, and as I said, there were the overheating and head gasket concerns due to the fact that it was bored out to the max.