Frosty

Since I had a '73 Lemans back in the day, I did have a set of Cragar SS wheels on it. It looked great. My mistake was putting to large a tire on the rear. The tires were wider than the fenders by 1/8 of an inch. So when the suspension bottomed out, it with cut into the sidewall (not good). As a 19 year old kid, L60x15s were way too much tire. I still have those Cragar rims to this day. They are rusted and need to be stripped and re-chromed. I may put them on the '72 some day. Another look couple of ideas about the Cragars would be get the fake knock-off center caps. Also, back in the day, you could get gold or blue anodize spokes. Personally, if you are going with an orange/black paint, the gold anodized might look good. Stock Cragar SS Center Caps Gold Center Caps Fake Knock Off Center Cap I have never been a fan of the Rally I wheel. I have always like the Rally II wheels. So taking a set of Rally IIs, you have some paint options. You can maintain the stock argent silver/charcoal colors with chrome/stainless trim rings. You can two-tone the Rally IIs like Pontiac did in the 70s to color match the wheels to the body color. Finally, you paint a nearly chrome looking paint instead of the argent silver and clearcoat to a highly polished version. Finally, you can purchase chrome or billet remakes of the Rally II. Chrome Rally II Painted Rally II

While I agree that this is pretty bad, it is not the worst thing. The worst I have seen is someone around my neck of the woods took a Buick Grand National and donked it. Now that is really sacrilegious! This person obviously needs to get their proverbial butt kicked but good. You get the idea with this Buick T-type. The horror!!!!! The horror !!!!

I would suggest trying to find a Chiltons, Haynes, or even an original GM shop manual for your car. Lots of pictures and exploded diagrams. Some manuals have even been digitized and are available as a CD-ROM. It is a very worthwhile investment. It pays for itself, especially at times like these. You can usually find Haynes or Chilton books at your local auto parts stores. By the way,

It is...I've been going for years. They have had all sorts of GM one off cars there before, plus the late John Sawruk use to come and talk. Once even Mac McKellar (the famous Pontiac engine engineer) showed up. I am trying to convince Notallthere to bring the Vibe this year. I

Nothing shows dirt like a white interior. Beleive me, I know. I'd rather deal with a tan interior. At least some of the dirt appears to blend in. On the other hand, nothing shows road dirt. dust, and grim like a black car. Beleive me, I know. I've had 2 black/gold Trans Ams and a black S15 Jimmy.

My Black and Gold Trans Am has a matching beige/tan interior, so I would say I am biased towards the current interior or red. Black interiors are nice but the car can get a lot hotter in the summer with a black leather or vinyl interior. It looks killer but it is a tad warmer on the backside when you first get in the car until the AC gets going or you get the windows rolled down. I also realize that some window tinting would also help, but you have to be aware of how much tinting is legal in your state. Now if you are going to stay with the black interior, red piping on the seats and door panels and a matching red exterior pinstriping would look good, it would break up all the black (inside and out) nicely. Blue is a good choice, but you have nothing else within the car to tie it too. Plus the shade of blue against the black is key to making it stand out. As it was stated before, the red window decal, tail lights and pinstripe all help pull the red look together.

...and as we all know, GTOs could only be had with either a 400 or 455. If the car was a manual transmission, then you could only have a 400 with it. All '73 GTO 455 cars had automatics. So no GTO was built with a 350 until the '74 Ventura-based GTO.

I just got this as an email from their chapter president, so I thought I'd share it. "Car Show Press Release Date of Show: Saturday June 11, 2011 The Michigan Widetrackers, Chapter 16 of the Pontiac-Oakland Club International invite Pontiac, Oakland and GMC vehicle owners of all ages to attend the 23rd Annual Spring Dust-Off Car Show on Saturday June 11th. The show will be held, rain or shine, at the Springfield Oaks County Park 12451 Andersonville Road Davisburg, Michigan 48350 (look for the signs at I-75 and Exit 93.) Participants and vendors may begin setup at 8:00 am. Cars can be pre-registered for $15.00 or $20.00 by noon on the day of the show. 10 foot by 20 foot swap spaces are available for $20.00 if pre-registered or $30.00 on the day of the show. You can sell your car in the car corral for only $10.00. The spectator gate opens at 9:00 am. Free parking and admission is only $4.00 per person - 15 years and under free. Trophies will be presented to Best of Show and also in 25 different classes based on participant judging. Sponsored by Golling Buick GMC in Lake Orion. The first 125 vehicle entries will receive goody bags and magnetic dash plaques. The plaques are donated courtesy of Sellers Buick GMC in Farmington Hills. DJ, food and refreshments are available on site. Questions or more information, call 810-724-6334; vendors can call 248- 673-2796 or email [email protected]. Download a show flier at www.widetrackers.com."

The only recommendation I suggest is get some sort of guarente or assurance from them that the AM radio still works otherwise you are paying for an radio shell and you would still have to pay someone to fix it (I know you said you were going to use another radio for a modern sound, but I would still want a working radio for that much money). If he can provide you some close-up pictures of the parts he intends to sell you, it doesn't hurt to ask. I think the prices are fine since they are hard to find items anyway. No one is re-popping this stuff. Any reproduction steering wheel will cost at least $150 or more (like from Grant). As it is, I have three steering wheels for the '72. I have the stock factory 3-spoke wheel (black with wood tim accents), my old Formula/Trans Am steering wheel (which is currently on the car), and a Grant wooden steering wheel with a Pontiac center cap. So write the check. Get some sort of assurance on the radio if you can though.

My thoughts exactly.

I would still contact them to see if they may have a line on one. The siren doesn't care if it's a Pontiac or Chevy motor under the hood. I do understand the subtle and sometime exasperating differences between Canadian and US built Pontiacs. Since you mentioned Canadian built, there is also a Canadian chapter of POCI, but I would suspect that the membership is largely based closer to Toronto/Ontario and not Alberta or BC. There is also the Canadian Poncho forum website. You never network enough when you are looking for a particularly rare or hard to find piece. http://canadianponcho.activeboard.com/index.spark http://www.canadianpontiac.org/ Also, could these sirens have been used on police/RCMP cars, and other emergency vehicles? Since this is a speciality vehicle, it stands to reason that this siren was used on other non-Pontiac cars or trucks else where in Canada or in the US.

While reading this month's Hemmings Muscle Car, they had an article about the '73 GTO. It stated that the GTO had a 1.25" front sway bar and a 1" rear sway bar. So in your calls to the bone yards, if they are parting out a '73 GTO, ask for the sway bars since the Lemans would have a 7/8" or 1" sway part in front. As I said earlier, some of the 2nd gen Firebird stuff will bolt in too. You just have to do your homework first.

I was just reading this month's Hemmings Muscle Car and I ran across an ad for a company I had not heard of before. USA Parts Supply is the name. They claim to have parts for 61-75 Pontiac Lemans, GTO, and Tempest. I downloaded their catalog and scanned it rather briefly. Looks like they do have some interior pieces for 73-75 for it but I didn't see any seat covers. Sheet metal or just patch panels are still not re-popped for 73. Interestingly though there are parts for a 74 GTO but that is because the 74 Goat was based on the X-platform (Ventura and Nova), so there are lots of parts for that platform in 74. Here is the company's link: http://www.usapartssupply.com/index.php

I am with you on this. I think it would be far more creative if you took old 8-track tape deck (or made one that looked original) that hung below the dash and mounted your new radio/CD player there. I suspect someone re-pops the casings but since I am not in the market for one, I have not looked. Also, I can also remember mounting an AM/FM converter that plugged in between your antenna and the stock AM radio that allowed you to receive FM stations. That was something back in the day for not a lot of money. These were mounted under the dash too. I guess I am starting to date myself. Also, if you go with Custom Autosound radios, you still have to "trim" the dash bezel since most Pontiacs radios had dash cover that also went between the radio push buttons and the radio dial itself. With Custom Autosound radios, you have to cut this small piece out. To me, this is still hacking the dash.

Try contacting the Pontiac Commercial & Professional Vehicle Chapter of the Pontiac-Oakland Club (POCI). They are a speciality vehicle chapter dedicated to preserving and restoring Pontiac, Oakland, and GMC commercial vehicles. Since most of Pontiac's ambulances were built in Alabama, they might have a line on parts. Web: http://pcpvpoci.info

Excellent! Glad I could help!

Now that I think about it, the bumper plastic filler might be tad hard to come by. You might have to make your own for plastic or metal if you strike out at the bone yards.

Use the same sources I posted in the interior blog. Same bone yards.

Glad I can help. Needless to say I have done a lot of scouring the internet for valueable parts sources. If you find any GM/Delco radios, mostly of them will be AM radios since that was standard in the day. AM/FM radios, AM/FM/8-track and AM/FM/Cassette became more common in years following '73. So you might end up having to buy a Buick, Olds, or Cadillac radio to find the upscale radio that you seek. It should fit with little or no problem. The only thing to be concerned with is the speaker hook ups, which you may have to wire yourself if your car only has a front speaker and you know want or now have rear aftermarket speakers. You should be able to purchase the necessary wiring connectors and clips from a reputable wiring company. There are lots of companies that refurbish old OEM radios on the Internet. Some require a core radio, other don't. However, these radios are not cheap either. So be prepared to spend some coin. I sent my '72 AM/FM radio to a company in PA that switched the internals from analog to digital and put an interface in it for a CD disc changer or XM Radio. The exterior of the radio is stock and bolts into the factory slot and brackers but it has all new internals. It kicks out way more power than the stock unit originally did too. It also cost $700 (including the 10-disc CD changer). Also, if your dash pad is totally trashed, you can have it re-done by a company called Just Dashes. You can send them your core dash and they will strip and re-pad the dash like new. Again, this is not the cheapest way to go, but if it is beyond all repair, this is a good way to go. I was fortunate on my '72 and I was able to use a dash pad repair kit from Eastwood and black vinyl dye to repair a couple of holes in my dash. http://www.justdashes.com/

I must admit that I like this color scheme a lot better than the "suede".

I would also recommend that you attend national swap meets that might be close to you like: POCI Convention - Bowling Green, KY GTOAA Convention - Portland OR Spring Carlisle, GM Nationals, Fall Carlise - Carlisle, PA

OK, certain interior pieces are hard to come by, just like your car's unique sheet metal, and you have to find bone yards that carry this sort of thing. I would suggest contacting these bone yards, since they might have what you need. Also, I would look for good pieces regardless of the color and then vinyl dye them to your interior color. If they have your color, it still could be weather faded and you might still have to dye them. In many cases 73-77 or 78 cars should be nearly interchangeable. You might have some luck with similar year Grand Prix interior parts too. GM put the GP interior in the Can Ams in '77. So try these places: East West Auto, Inc - Tulsa OK - http://www.eastwestautoparts.com/ Frank's Pontiac Parts - Twentynine Palms, CA - http://www.frankspontiacparts.com/ GM Sports Salvage - San Jose CA - http://www.gmsportssalvage.com/ Indiana Pontiacs - Muncie, IN - http://www.indianapontiacs.com/ Desert Valley Auto Parts - Phoenix AZ - http://www.dvap.com/ ** Note: this is the same DVAP that is now being featured in the new Discovery show called "Desert Car Kings" ** Memory Lane Cars - Wilmington CA - http://www.oldautoparts.com/

Thanks for the compliment. Beware assuming it is a 350TH tranny. That is what I did on mine until I got a B&M shift kit for it. I installed everything on it and then installed the included gasket and it didn't fit correctly and fluid leaked over the driveway, which didn't please me or my dad. First we thought it was a Chevy 350TH case. It wasn't. It turned out to be a 375TH, or that is what it was called in some of the parts catalogs. It is a 350TH case with some hardened 400TH gears. The tranny pan is slightly different to accomodate the small changes in the valve body. So the gasket was slightly (but significantly enough) different. So if you touch the tranny, make double sure you have the correct gasket. As for suspension upgrades, you might consider replacing the steering box with a 24:1 or lower ratio. A 3rd gen Camaro/Firebird steering box with a 24:1 ratio bolts right in place of the stock unit. It reduced my lock to lock turns from 4.5 to 3.0 on my '72. Heavy duty front sway bars from 2nd gen Firebirds and Trans Am should bolt in place of the factory units. I purchased a 1 1/4 front sway bar from a '79 TA for $50 and bolted it right onto my '72. I am looking for a 1" or higher rear sway bar from a Chevelle or El Camino. Popular Hot Rodding did a project with a Colonade style Chevelle Malibu and turned into a street driven Nascar tribute car. The brake and suspension pieces they used will bolt onto your Lemans. I also installed Gabriel premuim ride front shocks and Gabriel air shocks in back on the '72. So if I carry a bunch of tools or people in back, I can air up the rear to handle to the load. I use to have QA1 12-way adjustable rear shocks but they didn't work well for the street (or at least for my taste). Plus the Gabriels are way cheaper. I will admit that I do not like a car with "suede" or "primer" looking paint. I am enough old school to think that if it looks like primer, it just ain't finished. I know a lot of rat rodders like that look, it is just not for me, not matter how well pinstriped the car may be.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures of my old Lemans that I know of. There might be a picture of it somewhere in my folks pictures. Heavenly only know where that could be. It was Lucerne blue with a white vinyl roof and a matching white interior. The carpet and dash were black. It was a console shift automatic. As a teenager, I put a Delco 8-track and later a Delco cassette player (out of a junk yard) in it with some better speakers. I had "14 Cragar SS rims in front, and "15 Cragar SS rims for the back. I purchased a Trans Am steering wheel to replace the stock steering wheel. It had the factor rally stripe that went from the peak of the hood to behind the driver door. It was a different shade of blue against the Lucerne blue. It had some fender rust and I spent the whole summer of '79 grinding off the rust, bondoing, priming and painting it. When it came time to paint it, instead of Lucerne blue, I used the Lombard blue metal flake PPG lacquer that was used on the '77 & '78 Trans Ams. I did not put the factory stripe back on before I sold it. The stripe is being re-poped though. Unfortunately my hard work didn't last long enough. Some little A-hole keyed the car about 2 weeks after I finished it. It was at the local community college student parking lot too. Needless to say, I was seriously pissed and I had to spend the following summer re-doing it and then I sold it. I still have the Trans Am steering wheel from it. It is now on my '72 Lemans Sport convertible. It too has a blue metalflake paint and a white interior (since it was one of the main reasons I purchased this car was the thought of my old '73). My dad kept my old Cragars in his garage all these years!!!! They are badly rusted up (since they are chromed steel) and I will get them cleaned up and re-chromed in a few years once I finish my exterior tweaking. You can get dress up air cleaners like a '14 chrome air cleaner with "Pontiac" stamped into it off of eBay or swap meets. GM has discontinued carrying it from dealers directly. Reproduction chrome factory valve covers are available. GM and some other catalog/speed shops now carry aluminuim valve covers with the word Pontiac stamped on it for Pontiac motors. A factory 4bbl (non-HO or Ram Air) intake manifold can be purchased at swap meets for real cheap. There are a lot of aftermarket intakes out there too but if you don't have a ton of cash, a factory manifold will do very nicely on the street for a ton less money. Edelbrock and Cal-Custom finned valve covers are also available. Holley or re-built Rochester carbs can be found nearly anywhere. I installed a Petronix Ignitor II to eliminate the points and condenser in the distributor. Igniter III is now on the market. Also, if the distrbutor is stock, consider replacing the vacuum advance with a new one to insure you have good advance. Also a lighter spring set on the timing weights will help bring all your timing in sooner. These weight kits are cheap. If all the rubber fuel lines are original - replace them ASAP ! The reason is the original factory rubber tubing was made to accomodate '73 era fuel formulations! Today's fuel have had the lead removed, and lower/different sulfer contents as well as different additives are included. Today's fuels will break down the old factory rubber from the inside out - which could (worse case) lead to a vehicle fire. Also, time, UV exposure, and usage all help to deteriorate the factory rubber. Modern rubber hoses can accomodate today's fuel. So replace all rubber fuel and vacuum lines that go anywhere near the fuel system. So fuel lines, brake booster, vacuum lines, evaporation canister, and the small rubber hose between the fuel tank and the hard lines should all be replaced ASAP!!! The hard lines should be okay unless they are badly rusted. Here are a couple of pictures I found on the internet with the factory stripe. I like the white with the orange strip since that is sort of what the '77 Lemans Can-Ams were all about. The black GTO with the maroon stripe does not doing anything for me color wise, but it does give you an idea what the factory strip looked like. I also found a picture with the factory GT rally stripe. I also found a '75 Lemans with a paint scheme similar to what your proposed...albeit it is not orange/white or orange/silver. White w/ Orange stripe - front view Black '73 GTO w/ Maroon stripe 73 Factory Rally GT Stripe scheme 75 Lemans with similar paint scheme you had

Depending on how dark or light the silver/charcoal metal flake is, you might consider a color scheme GMC used on the early 2-door Yukon GTs. It was a sharp blue and a quicksilver with a small lower red accent stripe and red GT letters. They also had a red and quicksilver version. I also am partial to a bright red (some people like to call it "resale" red) with silver. http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images...50001_large.jpg