Our Oshawa Tempest was purchased from Hogan's stock in October 1969, 350 blue block PG. being a rubber floored, no option car with the exception of 70 series rubber it screamed. Car cost with taxes frieght etc..$2,935. I'd love to see a Chevy powered 70 Tempest, never have seen one yet.
Ray, I agree about 1970 being the first year for the Oshawa-built Tempest/Lemans/GTO. I do recall however, back in the 1970s when an older friend's cousin picked up a 1-owner 1970 Lemans hardtop coupe. It was an Oshawa-built car wearing mid-year release Citrus Green (whatever Pontiac called it that year). It had an orange Chevy 350 2-barrel with a Pontiac 350 aircleaner decal, and it was also running a Powerglide. It had power steering & manual drum brakes, full wheel covers and an AM radio. It didn't stay stock for long under his ownership, but I remember when he got it. I distinctly remember looking at what was plainly a Chevy 350, obviously stock and unaltered since new, and seeing the Pontiac 350 aircleaner decal. That really jibes with the factory-installed equipment disclaimer.
Who knows for sure? I'm here to share and to learn with an open mind. That is the beauty of Canadianponcho. It is a forum to share these unique idiosyncrasies. Hey, I always thought all Luxury Lemans models 1972 through 1977 all came with fender skirts, but after you shared the photo of your dad's 1976 model I had to go back & pour over stuff. As it turns out, Pontiac stopped stating that the skirts were standard after 74 but continued to show them in 75. I don't have the 76 brochure but I do have the 72, 74, 75 & 77 brochures. The 77 brochure shows a Luxury Lemans with the skirts, and another without.
I guess I have presented my case. I will have to run it by the Jury
Nice segue back to the topic, eh?
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
No doubt the 350 was done as an insurance thing. I am surprised that being an Oshawa car it has the blue block Pontiac engine, but I suppose it may have been because of the 4-speed.
Cam, 1970 was the first year for theTempest/LeMans to be built in Oshawa and in fact offered in Canada. The decison was made for image and marketing to install only Pontiac V8's in that first year, 350 and 400, Even our lowly Tempest had a Pontiac engine. No 1970 Oshawa A Body cars will be found with a Chevy V8. From 1971 to 1977 the Chevy 350, 305 was used. Oshawa continued to install Pontiac engines in export model cars. Bill Markowski has such a 1973 model.
By the time the 4th gen A-bodies were rolling off the lines (1978+ models) the Saginaw 4-speed was coded as RPO MM4.
THAT CLEARS UP SOMETHING I ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT, AS I POSTED ABOVE, THE DATA TAGS ON THE LATER A BODIES ('78-'80) HAD M20 STAMPED ON THEM, THE PAPERWORK FROM GEORGE AT V.V. ALL HAD M20, AND A COUPLE OF THEM LISTED MM4 AS WELL. I NEVER KNEW WHAT THE MM4 MEANT. I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT ODD THAT THERE WAS 2 TRANS. CODES LISTED ON ONE CAR. SO I GUESS THE M20 DESIGNATED THE CAR AS A 4SPD. AND THE MM4 WAS FOR THE SPECIFIC MAKE OF TRANS. TO BE INSTALLED.
Carl, have you been digging through my stuff? That is the very article I was referring to.
I see that I am a little hazy on the facts. The article states that the cars had wide ratio M20 4-speeds, and my reference the the single exhaust came from the picture, not the text. Still the L65 350 was a single exhaust engine, unless either N10 Dual Exhausts were ordered, or the car was a GT-37 and came with the GTO exhuast system. Most likely the single exhaust system issue would have been "fixed" by any self respecting gearhead by the first weekend. Back then it might have meant throwing everything from the Y-pipe back into the dumpster, then rigging Cherry Bombs or Thrush mufflers and terminating them right under the floorboards.
Pontiac did still offere a close-ratio 4-speed with the 400 as late as 1971 on the Lemans. The 455 H.O. also used a close ratio box for the 4-speed but it was an M22 Muncie. Perhaps the close ratio behind a 400 also would have been an M22. An original service manual, or a Features and Specs manual would tell the story more properly. Still, think of it, a small batch of cars done for 1 dealer. It almost sounds like a COPO. Given the 3.90 gearing behind the mild 350 in 1970, it may very well have been something like that.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
I am surprised that being an Oshawa car it has the blue block Pontiac engine, but I suppose it may have been because of the 4-speed.
I have an old article in some defunct musclecar magazine from probably 20 years ago that covered the Canadian-made "Jury". It stated that the single exhaust 350 2-barrel was used, as well as a close ratio M21 & 3.90 Safe T Track rear. Unfortunately I do not have easy access to the magazine right now. I think that normally a 350 2-barrel would have used a Saginaw M20, so the steep gearing & M21 (quite possibly Warner Super T10 rather than a Muncie) would have ensured the rest of the drivetrain was tough. I have a 1971 picture of a new Pontiac V8 with a Super T10 ready for the assembly line drop, plus my neighbor's untouched 1972 Lemans GT with 400 & 4-speed had a Super T10.
No doubt the 350 was done as an insurance thing. I am surprised that being an Oshawa car it has the blue block Pontiac engine, but I suppose it may have been because of the 4-speed. There were disclaimers that stated that engine selection depended upon other equipment ordered. Also you could get a close ratio 4-speed with 3.90 rear gears as late as 1971 with the low compression 400 on any Lemans. The 350 & 400 Pontiacs differ internally, not externally so a physical bolt-up is a no brainer.
Pontiac stopped the 350 H.O. after 1969. There was no factory 4-barrel 350 Pontiac engine offered between 1970 through 1973. It was actually cheaper for Pontiac to make a 400 2-barrel than a 350 4-barrel.
By the time the 4th gen A-bodies were rolling off the lines (1978+ models) the Saginaw 4-speed was coded as RPO MM4. The Warner Super T-10 in Z28s & Firebirds with 400 V8s were coded RPO M21.
I have an old article in some defunct musclecar magazine from probably 20 years ago that covered the Canadian-made "Jury". It stated that the single exhaust 350 2-barrel was used, as well as a close ratio M21 & 3.90 Safe T Track rear. Unfortunately I do not have easy access to the magazine right now. I think that normally a 350 2-barrel would have used a Saginaw M20, so the steep gearing & M21 (quite possibly Warner Super T10 rather than a Muncie) would have ensured the rest of the drivetrain was tough. I have a 1971 picture of a new Pontiac V8 with a Super T10 ready for the assembly line drop, plus my neighbor's untouched 1972 Lemans GT with 400 & 4-speed had a Super T10.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
Ya Rog , it was repainted and the owner said the decals have been painted on as the old stickers could not be saved and of course impossible to find so he had it paited exactly as they were originally
And they were done pretty good.. But, now adays he could get a damaged one scanned and re done , I had a right fender Judge stripe scanned and flipped to be a left one for a buddy once, because he did not want to buy a whole kit.
Ya Rog , it was repainted and the owner said the decals have been painted on as the old stickers could not be saved and of course impossible to find so he had it paited exactly as they were originally
would you say the stripe is a vinyl or painted ?? I would be assuming the car was repainted sometime in it's life...
I passed on a Jury 13 years ago when I bought my convertible Lemans..could only afford one or the other ...unfortunatly ..the Jury had been harvested for all the goodies ..and was just a shell....it's supposed to be around Saskatoon area still..being restored.
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later...rog
AADD supporting member !!
I'm a collector...not a builder!!Located in sunny central Saskatchewan at the lakehead!
Good job Carl, pretty hard to call BS when we all spoke with the original owner and saw and took pics of the original bill of sale with his name on it also showing he purchased "The Jury" package! Not sure you can get more proof than that!!
I'm sure most of us have seen the newspaper ads from when they were new as well. Hard to dispute that one!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Good job Carl, pretty hard to call BS when we all spoke with the original owner and saw and took pics of the original bill of sale with his name on it also showing he purchased "The Jury" package! Not sure you can get more proof than that!!
On the Nova site someone posted these Jury pics. One of the members there said "I call BS" so I had to come to the defense of a very unique Canadian Poncho.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
M20 AS STATED ABOVE IS THE CODE FOR 4 SPEED. I HAVE HAD A LOT OF 4SPD. '78-'80 MALIBU'S, MONTES, ECT. OVER THE YEARS AND THEY ALL HAD M20 ON THE DATA TAGS. IT LEADS A LOT OF PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE MUNCIES, THEY WERE NOT, THEY WERE ALL SAGINAWS IN THOSE YEARS ('78-'80). BUT, TRY EXPLAINING THAT TO A GUY WHO THINKS HIS '79 MALIBU HAS A FACTORY MUNCIE TRANS...LOL!
