# 1971 lemans Questions



## bigbody (Mar 27, 2010)

Hi all, I recently sold my 72 chevelle and regretted it so was looking for another project. While doing so I came across a 71 lemans that doesn't seem like a bad deal for a project. 

My 3 questions are: 

1)What does it take to to make a 71 lemans a gto clone?

2)Whats a 71 lemans worth in this condition(will post info below)?

3)What big blocks are easy swaps for this car? I'm assuming the 455 is the most common. Definitely will go big block before its all said and done.

What I know is all through email. So, I will take it with a grain of salt but.... gto front fenders, 400 motor, auto tranny, runs and drives, body looks decent minus passenger door and passenger rear quarter, interior is pretty rough, has ps, pb, and disc brakes up front,I think factory a/c car but missing parts,

Theres a start will try to get a pic or 2 up soon. Thanks in advance for help!

Kyle


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## bigbody (Mar 27, 2010)




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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

Welcome to the forum, 

Unlike Chevy, Pontiac blocks are pretty much the same size and are not referred to as small or big blocks. They do however have 4 bolt mains on the 421, 428, 455 and the ram air 400's.

I would suggest finding a true 242 GTO if you are going to the expense of restoring one, 

Just my 2 cents,


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

The 71 GTO has a full urethane front grill/bumper and can be quite expensive to find. I believe the fenders are different too and those on the car don't appear to be GTO fenders. That is a $1,000 car in it's present condition and won't be worth near as much as a real GTO after spending MANY thousands to restore and clone it. A 71 GTO front clip can cost several thousand dollars alone. If you're OK with that and the body is solid, fix it up and drive it while you're looking for the parts to do the clone.


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## Thumpin455 (Feb 17, 2010)

Well the front ends that fit are 70, 71 and 72. The GTO had a different radiator support than the LeMans, it would take some fabricating to make one work, mainly its in the hood latch area that its different. The fenders are all unique for each year of GTO, and 72 fenders come the closest to matching the LeMans fenders, but the 72 has a scoop in them sorta like a Trans Am but lower than the body line.

70 Fenders are reproduced, and the hoods are too, 71 and 72 stuff isnt so you are hunting swap meets and asking around online for those parts. The 70 front bumper is one of those parts that sometimes you can find a decent one, sometimes you cant. Its usually the stopper for going with a 70 front end. The reproduction fenders are $500 each, give or take a few bucks. NOS 70 fenders are over $2000 each, and a beat up slightly rusted used fender will be over $1000. 

The 71/72 stuff is also known as the T41 option, because some LeMans had that front end on them. I bought a wrecked 72 in 1986 and it took me over ten years to find the front end parts, and that is when they were still in junk yards. The internet makes it a little easier to find the stuff, but you are going to pay through the nose for it and its still a chore to find everything.

Look at the line where the front bumper meets the fender on my 70, and compare it to the front end on yours. The 70 fenders are different in that area and it would take a competent fabricator to make a LeMans fender fit.










That is just the front end stuff, then you start in on other items, like interior pieces, engines, and bucket seats. My advice is to just build it as a LeMans, or find a real and more complete GTO and build that. If you are looking at it as an investment then the 242 vin of the GTO will be worth much more than the 237 of the LeMans and Pontiac guys know to look so you wont be fooling them.  I've seen some 72 GTOs going for as low as $3000, but they are rough. 

Few people will expect a LeMans to run like a GTO, so you can always build a sleeper with a 455 made to look like a 350, keep the bench seat and column shifter, and just make like its so slow it wont peel the skin off butterscotch pudding. Besides the LeMans front end is quite a bit lighter than the GTO front end. My 70 wont hook for crap even with slicks..


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## bigbody (Mar 27, 2010)

Thanks for info everyone. I know have a new question. Obviously the gto conversion is out of question. I am just wanting a driver anyhow and would prefer to build a car thats parts are readily available. So, if I just keep the car as a lemans, the car as it sits now is only worth a 1000? The guy seemed like the least he was willing to take was 1800. So, do you guys think I should pass? 

Thanks,

Kyle


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

To me, it looks like it's been in a wreck. The whole front end has been replaced. The bumper is twisted. The passenger door doesn't come close to matching the fender. May need just a door replacement. May need more. You can see a crease on the rear fender. Who knows if the frame is straight. The interior is very rough. I would think for a little more money you could start out with a much better lemans. To answer your question, if it were me, I would keep looking....JMO


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

68greengoat said:


> To me, it looks like it's been in a wreck. The whole front end has been replaced. The bumper is twisted. The passenger door doesn't come close to matching the fender. May need just a door replacement. May need more. You can see a crease on the rear fender. Who knows if the frame is straight. The interior is very rough. I would think for a little more money you could start out with a much better lemans. To answer your question, if it were me, I would keep looking....JMO


:agree You would need to check the door pillar post where the door bolts on the passenger side and see if it is bent from the crash. The whole front clip has been replaced and that usually indicates a wreck. If the pillar is bent, preventing the door from closing properly, it will take major work to pull it out or cut and replace, along with possible frame damage, making my 1k price high. IF the pillar is OK and it just needs a door, the value then lies in if it runs, drives and any rust issues we can't see in the pics. If it is solid and runs, drives OK, I might go $1,500 but that would be about it.


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## Thumpin455 (Feb 17, 2010)

If the engine and trans are fresh and it isnt just a stock rebuild, or a jasper engine or something, and it has a posi rear, then it could be worth a bit more. But if its just a slapped together 400 from a big car and a tired Th350, well he is out of his freakin mind at $1800. I have bought cars in similar condition for less than $100. Keep in mind that that rear window is worth some coin, go price one at the glass shop and see what I mean.

If the 400 runs really good and checks out on compression etc, then maybe $1000, it depends on how much more metal I would need to replace in the floors and trunk. The interior is simply wasted and the front end looks like stuff I would cut up for patches.


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## likethat (Oct 5, 2007)

Pass on it. Look around there are cars for sale everywhere people are hurting for money. Spend a bit more and get a better driver. I don't care for the rims or the paint but this one is like 1000x better. 
1972 PONTIAC LEMANS

Here are some that are around 100 miles from my house

1968 PONTIAC LEMANS
69 GTO/Lemans 'Convertible'
1971 Pontiac LeMans Convertible
1972 Pontiac Lemans sport convertible
1971 Pontiac LeMans Sport
1966 Pontiac LeMans
1964 Pontiac LeMans convertible

I would like to have this one
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/1625761696.html


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