# 1967 LeMans project



## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

So, car arrived two weeks ago. Much better than expected since it's ebay purchase.

























All original car. Never touched except few rattle can touch up's. lol
Engine is out, disassembled and in machine shop. Plan is to go 20 over with cylinders, 4bbl intake and carb, disc brakes, manual trans etc.
Parts are already here so I,m waiting for machine shop guys to be done. I have big pile of everything new around engine. 
Few patch panels, couple of dents and car will go, probably, dark metallic green. It'll be fun project so stick around. 
Oh yeah, and I'm doing everything myself since I build hot rods for a living.


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## 1968gto421 (Mar 28, 2014)

Looks very nice, a great project car. If you built rods for a living, this should be an easy, fun project. I assume your LeMans has a Pontiac 350 that you will be rebuilding. Are you going with a 4-speed or something with O/D?

Keep us posted on your project, pics are always appreciated!!


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

.020 over may prove to be a challenge for pistons & rings. what size engine is in it now?


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

Engine is original 326 with original powerglide. Machine shop guy called me with great news that everything will clear with .20 over. 
You have a point Pinion head. I looked up online and I couldn't find .20 over pistons. I did look for 10min lol


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## El Monte Slim (Sep 8, 2014)

omnidrift said:


> Engine is original 326 with original powerglide.



This helpful tip may or may not be relevant for your build.

The two-speed transmission in your car is not a powerglide, it is a Super Turbine 300 (ST300).

Completely different unit. It's actually a quite nice unit. You might be surprised how well the cars run and drive with only a two speed transmission.

Good luck with your build, keep us updated with pictures!


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

Oh thank you for the info. Guy that sold the car said it's all original with two speed automatic. i just assumed it's powerglide as I'm not mechanic or american  My thing is metal shaping, body and paint. I'll talk to my transmission guy and see what he can do for me with this one.
Here is a picture so thread doesn't get all text


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## 1968gto421 (Mar 28, 2014)

Very nice..looks like a great project car. El Monte Slim had good advice, before spending $$$ on the trans, try the ST300 to see how you like it. It's uniqueness may win you over. If, however, it does not win you over, a BOP TH350 is an easy swap to replace it.

My brother had an ST300 in a '65 Olds 442, but he tired of it and put in a TH400 which he loved. Anyway, like paint--it's your car, your choice.


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

Engine was bored 0.030 over. Time for assembly.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Glad to see you keeping the 326 as most don't. The 326/285 HP was the "HO" version. 

I see the "scallops" cut into the top edge of the cylinders. Was this factory or did your machinist do this for the installation of larger valves?


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

No, those ''scallops'' were there from factory. And heads are open chamber. I think this engine is 250hp non HO version but I also don't know anything about Pontiac engines lol 
Picture is when I just took it apart.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

OK. Interesting. Do the heads have "061" cast on the middle exhaust port? The valves look a little larger than the standard 1.92" intakes, but it may be the photo. The pocket around the valves also look like they may have been opened up/layed back. The scallops in the block are to allow better flow around the larger intake valve. Open chamber heads did not enter production until 1968 BUT they did off an open chamber head in late 1967 on the big cars, "061" being the casting number. You should have a closed chamber head, #140 for the 250HP or #141 for the 285HP engine.

Post the head ID numbers, because now I am curious.


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

Casting number is 140. I know that 100% unfortunately heads are still in the machine shop so I cant take the picture.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

omnidrift said:


> Casting number is 140. I know that 100% unfortunately heads are still in the machine shop so I cant take the picture.


OK. That is the right number for the 250HP engine. Just an interesting combustion chamber combined with the scallop in the block. Never messed around with any 326 engines, but might keep an eye out for one as they do pop up around my area once in a while at reasonable prices. 

A former member built up his 1964 326 to the HO specs and added the larger 2.02" valves and did a 3 angle valve job and a few other upgrades. You can listen to the engine by scrolling down to February 3, 2015. At the end of the video is a list of parts. There is also a video with the engine in the car and it being fired up for the first time. Many pics of the engine as well. Sadly, "Grumpy" passed away a few months after he got the car completed. His helper Earl has taken over the business. Grumpy told me he was real pleased with the engine and it had plenty of power for the '64 Lemans. Grumpy had quite a collection of high powered & rare muscle cars, so he knew what power was and liked how the engine turned out. https://www.facebook.com/Grumpys-Garage-MuscleCars-200941343261937/?ref=hl


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

ok guys I need help with some parts.
I need to know where to buy valves for '67 326. Apparently guy that should know this, doesn't. I got valves for 400 and up. Now I'm looking to buy it on my own and assemble my engine on my own. I also need harmonic balancer because my original is cracked.
i would really appreciate if somebody who knows this sh** to post some links because I'm tired of chasing ''engine builders'' to do their work right. Thanks in advance. 

PS: I was really busy with my other projects so no Lemans update.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Looks a lot better than mine did when it showed up on the flatbed, rocker panels 3' OFF THE GROUND AND A BAKED INTERIOR...GOOD LUCK AND Have fun re-building her, i have a bone stock all original froze up 326 if you need any brackets or such


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

400 CI valves are too large and hit. Butler has them, but confirm with them via an email. Butler is a good source of parts and will let you know what you need and match your parts so you don't get the wrong things and find your engine does not run as well as it could or fails on you.

Butler Performance - Pontiac Valves


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

Finally got the heads back. I did little bit of port matching and assembly.








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## HouTex67 (Jun 27, 2017)

*67 Lemans*

Cool, New here and wanted to say I enjoyed this thread. Where are you at with the project? I am getting set to rebuild my 326 and changing my transmission to a TH400. Just found a core today for a good price. Thanks!


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

HouTex67 said:


> Cool, New here and wanted to say I enjoyed this thread. Where are you at with the project? I am getting set to rebuild my 326 and changing my transmission to a TH400. Just found a core today for a good price. Thanks!


Thank you 
Here is some new update. I'm moving slowly because am so busy with other projects 







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## Ray Sparkman (Jul 6, 2017)

What is the best to find a 1967gto project car? This was the first car I owned and I am looking for a project I can sink my teeth into. Thanks for any help.


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)




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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Get rid of the Torker Intake! The Torker II is an open plenum single plane intake. Your engine will be a "dog" and you will wonder why after investing your hard work and money into the engine. Read the reviews.

Find a dual plane intake, even if it is factory. The best bang for you buck is always the factory Q-jet intake and carb. :thumbsup:


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)

Few updates.
Tubular front suspension, disc brake conversion, painted firewall...


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)




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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)




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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

PontiacJim said:


> Get rid of the Torker Intake! The Torker II is an open plenum single plane intake. Your engine will be a "dog" and you will wonder why after investing your hard work and money into the engine. .....


Not so fast there, buckaroo. I'd heard the same things and the Torker when I built my 461 originally. When I broke it in on the dyno, I had the opportunity to test a Torker side by side against my nicely cleaned up and port matched factory iron dual plane intake. I'll attach the actual dyno sheets here. Keep in mind that when I switched to the Torker, I changed nothing else - no jet changes, no timing changes, nothing. As I expected, it lost "a little" on the bottom end but by no stretch of the imagination was it a "dog". What I found really interesting was the "double hump" on the top end. There was a peak at 5100-5200 and then it started to fall off a little, but it came back and was still climbing at 5800 where the test ended, and was making more power than my iron intake did at that rpm. I wish I'd had more time to get the fuel dialed in and play with timing on both manifolds.

These runs were all with my gen-u-wine 455 SD Qjet and with iron #722 (Ram Air IV) heads, the engine set up to be at 9.5:1 compression (and I had to do some ugly things to it to get it down that far, but I *really* wanted to run those heads). I've since gone with 72cc Edelbrocks that were prepped by Dave Wilcox and I run the Torker all the time on this car because my iron intake won't even cover the ports in those heads :grin2:. The E-heads make quite a bit more power than the #722 's did. In this configuration, it has run a best of 11.86 @ 113 with a lousy 60ft time - and that was with the trans in Drive, upshifting at about 4800 rpm because I didn't have a rev limiter on it yet.

On a 'smaller' engine with less air flow, the results may not have been as close. My point is, don't believe everything you read and you have to consider the whole combination becase all the parts work together (or are supposed to anyway :wink3

Bear


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

BearGFR said:


> Not so fast there, buckaroo. I'd heard the same things and the Torker when I built my 461 originally. When I broke it in on the dyno, I had the opportunity to test a Torker side by side against my nicely cleaned up and port matched factory iron dual plane intake. I'll attach the actual dyno sheets here. Keep in mind that when I switched to the Torker, I changed nothing else - no jet changes, no timing changes, nothing. As I expected, it lost "a little" on the bottom end but by no stretch of the imagination was it a "dog". What I found really interesting was the "double hump" on the top end. There was a peak at 5100-5200 and then it started to fall off a little, but it came back and was still climbing at 5800 where the test ended, and was making more power than my iron intake did at that rpm. I wish I'd had more time to get the fuel dialed in and play with timing on both manifolds.
> 
> These runs were all with my gen-u-wine 455 SD Qjet and with iron #722 (Ram Air IV) heads, the engine set up to be at 9.5:1 compression (and I had to do some ugly things to it to get it down that far, but I *really* wanted to run those heads). I've since gone with 72cc Edelbrocks that were prepped by Dave Wilcox and I run the Torker all the time on this car because my iron intake won't even cover the ports in those heads :grin2:. The E-heads make quite a bit more power than the #722 's did. In this configuration, it has run a best of 11.86 @ 113 with a lousy 60ft time - and that was with the trans in Drive, upshifting at about 4800 rpm because I didn't have a rev limiter on it yet.
> 
> ...


 It is going on *326ci engine*, not a stroked 461CI cranking out 500HP with high flowing aluminum heads. I just don't see it working as efficiently as a dual plane intake for street use. :yesnod:


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## omnidrift (Feb 7, 2017)




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