i just bought this 1972 lemans or GT-37. i have been told that there werent any produced in 1972, so i sent away for the PHS an that didnt tell me anything that i all ready didnt know, like blue paint,blue interior,ralley 2 wheels,350ci 2bbl carb, turbo hydro matic trans,power steering an power brakes. thats all fine an dandy but my car has stock daul exshaust, stock in dash tach, stock posi (not sure yet of gear)car has a bench seat an colum shift an a factory wood steering wheel. the vin #100030 an on my buddies 1972 lemans has lemans under the model on his title mine has nothing
First off the car looks very nice, that blue is great on these cars.
The GT-37 appeared in 1970 on the Tempest. The body style of the plain jane Tempest was code T37 so that's where the GT-37 came from.
Pontiac product planners had wanted to introduce a low cost alternative to the GTO for a number of years but John Delorean refused. Once he left Pontiac the package surfaced.
Any V8 available on the Tempest was required, you got hood pins, GTO style dual exhaust through rear valance cutouts, 3 speed heavy duty floor shifter, rally wheels less trim rings and big white letterd tires.
This carried over to 1971 but the Tempest name was dropped in favout of T-37 so the option was availble on the LeMans.
For 1972 the Option was GT so there was no 1972 GT-37, sorry to be bearer of bad news. I don't think it really matters to the look of your car, only perfectionists will tell you and give you a hard time. The vast majority of GT-37 and GT cars are indeed 350 2 barrel cars. In 1970 Tempest offered a 350 & 400 but nothing bigger, in 71 you could oreder a 455 as well, same in 72 but few did.
-- Edited by 73SC on Monday 31st of October 2011 03:38:52 PM
ok just got back from an apraiser, he looked over my car top to bottom he is 98% sure that the car is a GT-37 being that it has all the same options being that it was built the first day for 1972 they had used up what was left over from 1971,and get this the wood steering wheel was an option in 1966 on the gto but was orderd on my car as an option, he did say that no matter how hard i looked would never find this car as a GT-37 on documentation but the fact is this is one that was built for 1972
ok just got back from an apraiser, he looked over my car top to bottom he is 98% sure that the car is a GT-37 being that it has all the same options being that it was built the first day for 1972 they had used up what was left over from 1971,and get this the wood steering wheel was an option in 1966 on the gto but was orderd on my car as an option, he did say that no matter how hard i looked would never find this car as a GT-37 on documentation but the fact is this is one that was built for 1972
car is sharp PMS says its a 1972 Pontiac Lemans but it could be a GT-37 or a Lemans GT? Interesting to find cars with factory secrets Any chance car has had tach or steering well added in last 39 years?? C2
That would be amazingly early though, even if it's day/month instead of month/day. Seldom you'd see a car built in June for the next year.
Wonder if it was a pre-production prototype, or some sort of press or show car? I would think that April '71 would be too early for a regular production '72, unless it was some special introduction (like the first Mustang, for example). IIRC, typically production for the current model year goes into July with factory changeover in August and early production rolling off the line in September. Correct me if I'm wrong on that, but I seem to recall seeing a post here about the last '69 Beaumont being built in July of '69...
Now I remember reading about the '73s being delayed one year due to a strike at GM... could that have screwed up regular production dates of '72s?
The Lemans GT as it would have been called in 1972 was really just the same thing as the 1971 GT-37. The GT-37 is a T-37 with GT equipment; for 72 the basic model was referred to as Lemans, so with GT equipment it is simply a Lemans GT.
GT Equipment, RPO WU2 was offered only on base Lemans coupes (hardtop or pillared coupe). They were U.S.-built in 1972 with Pontiac blue block engines from the 350 2-barrel through the 455 H.O. All GT engines included the performance GTO dual exhaust system with new side splitter tips (no more notched rear pan as in 1970/71). Also included was F40 H.D. Suspension, Rally II wheels minus trim rings, G70-14 white-lettered tires, dual sport mirrors, reflective side stripes, plus a H.D. 3-speed transmission with real Hurst shifter was base even with the 350. The 1972 GT was only offered with bench seats. The equipment was the same as the earlier GT-37 except the hood pins were dropped for 72.
For 1972 GM & the industry reserved the 5th character in the v.i.n. to designate the factory installed engine. The 350 2-barrel single exhaust was M if I remember correctly, and N meant the dual exhaust version (GT pkg).
During the 1971 GT-37 production the eybrow stripes were replaced mid-year with the continuous double sword stripe like the 1972
__________________
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 was thinking that the strike had something to do with the production date and VIN as well. The car may have had a wood steering wheel from the factory however the one in the photos is definitely a Grant steerig wheel.
-- Edited by 73SC on Tuesday 1st of November 2011 10:49:21 PM
found it on craigs list, was a younger guy said it was his grampas car an he wanted something faster so i had a 72 dodge dart with a 340 built that was a pretty nice car but i didnt drive it much only got 4 miles to the gallon of race fuel at 8 bucks a gallon so i made him an offer an he jumped on it so now im in the process of restoring this one.. ps just picked up the origanal paint today its a lighter blue an i had some flake added
