# 68-70 GTO hood on a 71 Lemans?



## 4birdman (Apr 22, 2016)

I've heard this was possible, but I'm thinking the spot at the nose isn't going to look right. Anyone have any insight on this?

Picked up a 71 Lemans from a friend, and it has a flat hood with a shaker cut into it and it has some rust holes and needs to be replaced. Rather not go back with a flat hood if I don't have to, this is going to be a street/strip machine and I don't want to go flat.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Won't work, the the front of the '68 and '69-70 LeMans and GTO hoods are bowed up in front of the "ironing board" going down the center of the hood. Have yet to see an aftermarket scooped hood that added an improvement to the clean styling of the '71 T-37/LeMans flat hood frontend. just my .02


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## 4birdman (Apr 22, 2016)

Kind of what I figured but I read a couple places that said it would. I was pretty skeptical. 

I'll make something work, maybe repair the hood I have now or something. Or go with a flat hood. Who knows.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Might post what part of the country you are in if looking for a decent flat hood. Know, just personally, have had over half a dozen extra '71-72 hoods at one time. Ones with few little dents or a light scrape type dent, have gone fairly cheap, or were traded off. Many Pontiac guys around the country are also deep stocked. Personally wouldnt mind having a VFN Fiberglas bolton hood to bolt on and use with the factory hoodpins on my 455HO GT-37, but being restored and prepped to run at Pure Stock Challenge, have to run stock steel body panels.


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## 4birdman (Apr 22, 2016)

I'm in Wake Forest, I have a Jeep shop up in Butner, but I'm a Poncho guy at heart. I have a 98 TA with a built 6.0L and an 89 Formula, and have owned a few dozen second gens in my life. Glad to be back in a classic Pontiac. Unfortunately it is 355 Chevy powered now, but I am going to rectify that situation.....


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## squirrelbox (Apr 25, 2015)

4birdman said:


> Unfortunately it is 355 Chevy powered now, but I am going to rectify that situation.....


Hey birdman, just so you are aware, I have heard ( although I dont know personally) that over exposure to Pontiacs with chevy power can cause mad cow disease. Might not be true , I read it on the internet.


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## thomer (Apr 22, 2016)

Okay so if we change the front nose to match the 70 hood with it work then? I plan to use a 70 GTO hood, and have a 69 GTO nose as well for the car. trying to decide if I want the open headlights or the hideaways, sorry I dont like the looks of the 71 front end and hoods withs scoops.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

thomer said:


> Okay so if we change the front nose to match the 70 hood with it work then? I plan to use a 70 GTO hood, and have a 69 GTO nose as well for the car. trying to decide if I want the open headlights or the hideaways, sorry I dont like the looks of the 71 front end and hoods withs scoops.


A '68 or '69 Endura nose is not going to work with '70 or '71-72 fenders. The '68 and '69 Endura noses integrate well with the last years coke bottle styling of the '68 and '69 body's.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

thomer said:


> Okay so if we change the front nose to match the 70 hood with it work then? I plan to use a 70 GTO hood, and have a 69 GTO nose as well for the car. trying to decide if I want the open headlights or the hideaways, sorry I dont like the looks of the 71 front end and hoods withs scoops.



Pop rivets, #12 sheet metal screws, and metal patch work will attach just about anything and you can have the look you want. Knock out the back window, cut out the panel between the rear window & trunk, pull off the trunk lid. Then add a large 100 gallon fuel tank to fill up the space where the back seat/window/trunk lid was. Paint the car flat black and go with the Mad Maxx look. All it takes is imagination and anything will work. :thumbsup: See you in the movies. :yesnod:


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## thomer (Apr 22, 2016)

well bummer, Guess we will have to use the 70 endura gto nose then. Wanted to go with the hideway light of the 69 and either modify the fenders or find some 70 gto fenders New to pontiac's so im going to have lots of questions im sure.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

4Birdman, grabbed some screen images off the Net, showing diffenent views of '70-72 Pontiac A body's. 

'70 1/2 GT-37 400...
very rare car, 400 stick versions were the quickest Pontiac models Pontiac engineers tested for 1970










note the '70 Tempest/ LeMans front bumper/header panel/grilles, the raised "ironing board" bulge down center of the hood. clone builders often throw a GTO hood on this body style of Tempest or LeMans.

'70 T-37 Coupe with GT-37 stripes (not a GT-37)









'71 T-37/ LeMans standard chrome bumper front end.
note thin front chrome bumper backed by full width fiberglass header panel. The thin bumper seems to float. The std '71 T-37/LeMans front ends were the lightest built from '68-72.

Kevin G's Crowne Pontiac HO T-37









Kevin G's HO T-37, as restored









Glasco/then Dan Jenson's/ then not sure whose '71 T-37 Coupe (actually is a'72 LeMans Coupe trimmed out as a '71)










'71 1/2 GT-37, Lucerne blue









'72 LeMans, note the slightly thicker center bar plastic grilles for '72, not as clean as '71.









'72 Luxury LeMans 
AKA Grandma goes to church
(am slowly parting it's twin, a 4,000 mile orig red '72 LLM) 










Most would agree, all the LLM trim, the hideous grilles, and the flash chrome valance litterally kill the clean looks of the body style. Many fellows pick up '72 LLMs, strip off all the dinged up trim, try to get it to look like a standard LeMans, but leave the hideous LLM grilles, don't get that, the regular '71 and '72 grilles are cheap.


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## thomer (Apr 22, 2016)

good stuff Pinion, I just dont like the metal bumbers and the fact they wrap around the sides.


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## 4birdman (Apr 22, 2016)

squirrelbox said:


> Hey birdman, just so you are aware, I have heard ( although I dont know personally) that over exposure to Pontiacs with chevy power can cause mad cow disease. Might not be true , I read it on the internet.


Don't worry, this thing is going to be all Poncho powered. I have a high nickel 400 block here and some .04 over forged pistons, going to put a 4.21" stroke crank in it, spray some nitrous, have some fun at the strip with it. 

I think I am actually going to do a fiberglass frontend on it. We were all hanging out at the NHRA race over the weekend and it was decided that we need to make this a wicked street/strip car.


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