A clean, untouched classic can still stop you in your tracks, and that seems to be exactly what the seller is offering with this 1971 Pontiac LeMans. Listed here on craigslist for $17,500, this one is described as wearing its original paint along with its pearl white interior—an appealing combination for anyone who prefers a car that hasn’t been heavily altered over the years. Showing 85,656 miles and carrying a clean title, the LeMans is said to run and drive well, making it a ready-to-enjoy cruiser rather than a project waiting to drain your time and budget. It’s located with blue plates, which often signals long-term ownership in California, and the seller notes the body is “straight as a pin.”
Under the hood sits the factory V8 paired with an automatic transmission, and the seller mentions a recent valve job, which should give the next owner a little confidence in its mechanical health. Power steering and power disc brakes add to its drivability, and the car reportedly gets good fuel mileage for a classic of this size—always a plus for anyone planning weekend trips or frequent cruising. The single-exhaust system is said to be mostly original, with the Y-pipe having been replaced along the way, and the seller reports no leaks. It also comes with the original wheels, a detail many buyers appreciate when they want to preserve authenticity.
Inside, the pearl white interior is still in place. The seller notes that the dash remains perfect under its cover, which is encouraging, as cracked dash pads are common on cars of this era. Between the straight body, original paint, and interior condition, this LeMans appears to have lived a fairly gentle life compared to many surviving examples.
The seller is open to possible trades, including a street rod, Wrangler, or Harley trike—so there may be some flexibility if you have something interesting to offer. Otherwise, $17,500 buys what looks like a well-kept, driver-quality Pontiac that hasn’t been modified or molested.
If you’ve been looking for a clean LeMans that’s still largely as GM built it, this one might fit the bill. Would you keep it stock or give it a few tasteful upgrades?
Looks like the engine got a “Craigslist rebuild”….. AKA “Rattle-can resto”…
Still, a nice looking car, although the price is a bit hard to handle….
Lots of butchering in that engine compartment. Which set of wheels does it come with? The body looks straight, but does that make it worth the asking price? This is the time of year the car market slows down, patient and persistent buyers should be able to do better.
Steve R
10k at best in my book
For such a clean, straight car, where’s the A/C compressor?
I have a 1970 Le Mans sport with all the A/c intact and working with a 350/350 drivetrain, power brakes , power steering tilt wheel and power trunk release. I added 15inch Pontiac ralley wheels and dual exhaust. Is mine worth this much!
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Maybe if it had a 400 or even a 455, bucket seats/ floor shift, working ac, or even a 4 barrel carb on this 350 with working ac with buckets/floor shifter might pull it into the $14k range, but not as it sits here! I’d probably go as high as $11k if both sets of wheels came with it.
What size “factory equipped V8”? Inquiring minds want to know.
The standard engine was a 350 2bbl. And a 350 hydro transmission.
Working at a, Pontiac store when these were new. Virtually all of these we sold were the “Luxury” package. Consequently I always feel something is missing when the car doesn’t have fender skirts. (Not that I’m a fender skirt kind of guy.) When you run a tire store in the rust belt. You tend to hate fender skirts.) But I’m so used to them on this car, I think I prefer them. Nice looking car, but needs some attention and a/c repairs. This car makes me nervous.
Fender skirts were rare where I lived. The popularity of that package might have been regional.
Steve R
Yes, very “high rent district” . Other than these, Cutlass Supremes and Mercedes were the popular cars of choice in the area where our dealership was. Many of you have seen the inside of the dealership. At the time the movie was shot, it was a Porsche dealership. It was used in the movie Risky Business with Tom Cruze.
Working at a, Pontiac store when these were new. Virtually all of these we sold were the “Luxury” package. Consequently I always feel something is missing when the car doesn’t have fender skirts. (Not that I’m a fender skirt kind of guy.) When you run a tire store in the rust belt. You tend to hate fender skirts.) But I’m so used to them on this car, I think I prefer them. Nice looking car, but needs some attention, paint and a/c repairs. This car makes me nervous.
looks good but gone. they opted for the C/L rebuild on the motor and did not bother to clean the engine bay. keep the A/M mags i would rather have the factory wheels imo they look much better. that asking price seems a bit high. i would say between 10-12k but they may have got their asking price. colors look good together
Agree with your factory wheels statement and price since I have one of these cars see my comment a few back.
i see he did a valve job. just wondering,, did the mechanic torque the adjustment to the valves at 20 foot pounds like the way the manual recommends. i have a 400 w72 motor that was rebuilt approximately 10 years ago . i torqued the valves to 20 foot pounds put the rest back together, . it started right up and still runs nice to this day. still have valves adjusted 20 ft.lbs.
I’m more interested if they replaced the timing chain while in there – a notorious issue on these old pontiacs.
It was more of a “cam gear” issue. I’m fairly certain that the “nylon ” cam gears were abandoned in 1971. I remember many earlier models getting warranty or customer pay replacements. But don’t remember any past the 1970 model cars. Our techs had the job down to 60-65 minutes for the repair. Including cleaning the pieces out of the oil pan and pump.
My 1973 chevy impala had a nylon timing gear that I replaced back in 200. It was noisy and it was a 350 chevy engine.
classic case of don’t ask don’t get