New ride, American but thought you'd find it interesting!

North · Guru

New ride, American but thought you'd find it interesting!

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Wow, that is one rare car. Any idea how many were made?

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Not a bad looking car for a 4-door. Certainly uncommon today. The longer w.b. of the 4-door and the unobstructed pillar-less view along with the rational size would in my eyes make it an enjoyable ride. The colors are typical but not unattractive. A good detailing would make it a knockout.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Any pillarless 4 door is a hit in my books. Pillared, the car would look rather closed in. As it sits now that is one beautiful and rare car. And if chosen to be, would be an exceptional daily driver, owing to the relatively economical yet strong 2bbl 350, air and the more compact size. Imop, these are the last cars to be discovered and seem to be finally getting some due respect.

Good snag! Enjoy it.

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Very nice! Congrats on your purchase!

Reminds me of the one I posted about 7 years ago:

http://canadianponcho.activeboard.com/t38250073/canadian-poncho-or-not/

I'll attach the pics to this thread as it looks like the photo hosting service I used then hasn't retained all of them.

I would really like to find a nice original car like this some day. I can recall many years ago seeing a medium blue '69 Beaumont 4-door hardtop for sale that looked really mint. Makes me wonder if it ever survived as it was actually a few decades ago now...

StriperSS · Poncho Master!

If you post a close up of the body side molding at the ends, I can tell you if they're riveted on or not. Nice car!

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

hey i like those lemans thats a nice car you got there and i agree the 4drht is pretty cool you dont see those lemans much here

paris69 · Addicted!

Nice looking car. Something you don't see every day, that is for sure.

Taylor55 · Poncho Master!

I love it, 4 dr hardtop air tinted glass and all original.

Al

North · Guru

I don't have any better pics for now, car is getting picked up next week so I should have it in a few weeks. Interesting to see those notch back bench seats in different colors, on the GTO you only could get the bench in Parchment or black.

North · Guru

I got the PHS on the car as well as the original docs from the owner. There are 3 options on the car that aren't on the PHS; remote mirror, front and rear mats and the clock. They do appear on the original sales contract though so they were dealer added at delivery.

The managed to get the mirror wrong though, there was a different remote mirror for vent window models but they installed the one for non vent window cars. The correct vent window version is more "cocked" to account for it being much further back on the door than on cars without vent windows. It also used the old style (66-68) control bezel that stuck straight out rather than the oval style of the other 69-70 units. They must have had a tough time installing it because unlike the non vent version it didn't have studs, it bolted onto the door with an external bracket like the non remote. I know all this because 10-15 years ago I bought an NOS remote mirror assembly for a 69 GTO I had but the owner failed to mention it was the incorrect one, he sold me a vent window version!

All ends well since I still have that NOS mirror and now I have the car that needs it. I'll also end up with a spare mint condition 69 GTO remote mirror!

Speaking of vents the 4 door hardtop A body was the only hardtop that still had vent windows in 69; all the fullsize B cars, the GP, 2dr hardtop and convertible A bodies and all Firebirds were vent window free in 69. Just the A body 2 and 4 door sedans, wagons and the 4 door hardtop had them. Apparently the original owner downsized to the LeMans specifically because he wanted vent windows so maybe this is why GM kept them on midsize 4 door hardtops.

-- Edited by North on Wednesday 30th of August 2017 09:37:32 AM

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

A sweet ride and i would be proud of it.

Leo2+2 · Guru

Congratulations on the addition John. If you take it to the Julep let me know. I'd love to see it.

North · Guru

I've spent the winter picking at the LeMans. I pulled the front bumper which was bent, actually it was the bumper lower horizontal reinforcement that was bent. Tweaked it on a hydraulic press and now the bumper fits beautiful. While I had the bumper off I swapped in a mint set of grilles I had kicking around (the originals had been rattle canned for some reason). Put a nice Waldron factory original exhaust (single) on the car, sounds and looks much nicer! Those ugly side moldings were just stick on so I yanked them off but it took at 6 hours of hand polishing to get the glue residue and discoloration off the paint.

I also put the correct 4 door mirror in place of the incorrect 2 door mirror the dealer had put on back in 69. A set of NOS door edge guards set me back all of $10 on eBay. I rebuilt the original clock and replaced the factory AM radio with a correct and restored AM-FM mono along with an NOS rear speaker accessory kit. Besides that its just a matter of waiting for my body guy to replace the vinyl top which I found NOS from SMS. Mechanically all was good except a fuel sender and an NOS 2bbl carb I had sitting around for 20 years (correct NOS for 69-2bbl 350pontiac) and a tune up has it running sweet.

All it needs now is salt free roads, which here means 4-8 weeks and with the snow weve got 8 is more likely than 4!

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North · Guru

Here is the correct NOS mirror I had, cars with vent windows (all 4 doors and 2 door post models) ordered with a remote mirror should have this one. Because it is set farther back on the door to clear the vent window it has a much more severe twist than on the 2 door style mirror. It also mounts onto a mounting bracket (like the non remote mirror) rather than with studs like the 2 door remote mirror. I learned the reason for this trying to remove the mirror that was on the car, the studs end up right behind the crank mechanism, 2 hours of cursing to finally get the nuts off. a minute and a half to install the correct mirror.

The funny thing is that I had this NOS mirror because I got screwed twenty years ago! A guy in Hemmings sold me it for a resto I was doing on a 69 GTO convertible but he failed to tell me that it wasn't the right mirror for a two door. I know he knew because a month later he was selling the correct two door mirror (also NOS) and this time he pointed that fact out in the ad! So 20 years later, it's found its rightful home!

I wonder if the dealer just made a mistake installing the wrong mirror or they knowingly did just because they had that one on the shelf? First pic is the correct NOS mirror on my LeMans. Second pic is the 2 door style mirror as mounted on my 69 GTO.

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-- Edited by North on Thursday 15th of March 2018 12:26:29 PM

68sd396rag · Poncho Master!

WOW SHE IS GORGEOUS-WHAT A GREAT RIDE!! Just love the wide open 4 dr hardtop-seriously cool and different! Factory A/C !!!!! life is good!!!

68sd396rag · Poncho Master!

does it have disk brakes too?

North · Guru

I find it cool that the vent windows are crank operated, unlike most of them that were just a locking tab you'd have to push by hand.

68sd396rag · Poncho Master!

that's 68 and up vent window cranks thing-67 and down have the manual little lock lever dealy

North · Guru

I just found an NOS windshield (the original is cracked), what was surprising is that it's not the same as a 2 door windshield. It's 3/4" taller. took me months to find one as no one repro's the 4 door version. The 4 door roof is 1/2" higher than the 2 door. You wonder why they bothered? btw the extra 4" length is all in the back seat. Front seat position to dash is identical to the two door and trunk area is also identical. The extra 4' is about half and half between more rear leg room and a much longer rear seat cushion.

North · Guru

The option load on the car is:
Decor group (deluxe wheel covers and woodgrain dash)
350 2bbl
TH400 (non AC 350 2bbl cars would get a TH350 instead)
2.73 open axle (this is the standard ratio)
AC
Cordova Top
visor mirror right side
Deluxe seat belts
remote mirror
Custom wheelcovers
Electric Clock
Power steering
Power Disc Brakes
Mats front&rear
Under hood and trunk lights
HD battery
G78 whitewalls (standard was 8.25 black)
AM-FM mono radio (originally AM radio)
Rear speaker

By US standards this car is a bit on the higher end of typical options they'd have on their lot inventory LeMans'

North · Guru

I pulled the seat to run the rear speaker wire, amazingly clean, floors are like the day the car was built, paint is still shining even under the tar paper. Rear carpet tag, 4 DHT must mean 4 door hard top. White powder was some kind of mouse poison.

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-- Edited by North on Thursday 15th of March 2018 01:11:02 PM

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

That is truly a beautiful car. Suits green to a tee.

I'm thinking that would have been the perfect family car in 69, perfect size, nice looks, good power and comfort, decent economy owing to the smaller size.

As far as build numbers went, how did the lemans 4 doors compare to, say, the equivalent level Catalina's?

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Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Beautiful car!

North · Guru

They only made about 5,500 LeMans 4 door hardtops versus about 39,000 Catalina 4 door hardtops. What is really striking is that they made 15 2 door hardtop LeMans for each 4 door hardtop LeMans.

I think that back in those days midsize 2 doors were sporty cars but mid sized 4 doors were seen as poor mans family cars. The LeMans cost $280 less than the Catalina but if you ad back the cost of the 350 2bbl the difference drops to $170. For the average family car buyer $170 was a small amount ( less than 5% ) to step up to a much bigger and more solid car.

Mind you the LeMans has a higher trim level interior than the Catalina ( pleated seats, armrest etc).