# GTO/LeMans Fenders



## kilkm68 (May 5, 2011)

I'm new to this forum and have a couple of questions maybe someone can answer for me. I bought, a couple of months ago a '68 GTO convertible clone. It's a beautiful car, very fast with a 472 and Grand National Transmission. The one cosmetic problem with the car is the endura bumper that fits very poorly and really bugs me. I was reading in Hemmings Muscle Machines this month about the '70 LeMans Sport convertible that the guy cloned into a GTO. In the article it says that everything forward of the cowl, is unique to the GTO including the fenders, hood, valence panel and associated trim. Anyone know if this is true for the '68? I'm thinking I have LeMans Fenders and Hood and a GTO endura bumper (fiberglass repo) and that's the reason it fits so poorly. Hate to have to buy new fenders and a hood just to make the bumper fit correctly, maybe I could have a body shop modify it, anyone ever done this? Also, I would really like to put the ram air set up on this '68. Will the '69 RA hood fit on a '68? I think this monster needs some more air to breath properly. Has a demon 850 double pumper, Edelbrock aluminum heads and intake, aluminum pistons, eagle rods and roller cam. I really think the RA would help, and besides I've always wanted a ram air car. I've never been a purist or concerned with whats correct, I just love FAST GOATS! I love blowing the doors off of Chevells and Road Runners!


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## 68GTO4004Spd (Jun 19, 2008)

The hood is the same for a LeMans or GTO from 68 thru 70
Front fenders same for 68 thru 69
Badging and trim is different from GTO to LeMans
I Believe the valence is the same on the 68's, never really noticed for sure
I think you problem might be the fiberglass nose, they just don't fit that well.
Your going to spend a bunch of money to make it a ram air car, you have to change the scoops, the air cleaner and all the seals for it. You're looking at around $1000 to $1400 in parts to do it right. You can use your existing hood and just cut out the braces (they make templates), but you will still have to be carefull not to burn the paint. I don't think you will gain that much h.p. to merit the ram air, unless it is soley for the coolness factor.


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

68GTO4004Spd said:


> You can use your existing hood and just cut out the braces (they make templates), but you will still have to be carefull not to burn the paint.


Providing he has a GTO hood. Sounds like he's unsure. To the OP, the GTO hood has the 2 scoops for ram air on it. If you have them, they're probably closed not open scoops. They can be opened up. A LeMans hood doesn't have the scoops. Maybe a Sport LeMans does...


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Fibreglass or a real endura nose, either way the fit is notoriously bad. A competent body shop (maybe one that specializes in Vettes) should be able to rework that fibreglass nose and match the paint if it's not a custom mix or too weathered.

The above posters are both correct about the 68 GTO and Lemans having the same fenders and the hoods are all the same 68-70. 

70 GTO did have exclusive front clip, fenders and all.

IMO the factory "ram air" system is ineffective and adds weight. It does have the cool factor though. I'd just open up the scoops and install the stickers if it was me .


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## kilkm68 (May 5, 2011)

Thanks for the info I appreciate it. I thought that '69 was the first year of the RA on the GTO but Ames Performance is showing a simple RA version for the 1968. Just a hood pan, a carb pan and a couple of foam seals. What happens when you get caught out in the rain?


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

kilkm68 said:


> Thanks for the info I appreciate it. I thought that '69 was the first year of the RA on the GTO but Ames Performance is showing a simple RA version for the 1968. Just a hood pan, a carb pan and a couple of foam seals. What happens when you get caught out in the rain?


That's one of the differences between the 68 and the 69 system. 69's had a "flapper door" assembly connected to a pull cable with a dash actuator that you could use to close off the scoops. I've heard that they still leak though. I/m going to find out because I'm putting a repop ram air system on my 69.

If you're interested in air for performance reason and not the "cool factor", then a better solution is to keep your factory air cleaner, rework the "snorkels" so they're much larger, and plumb the largest flex-hose you can fit in there to either an area behind the grille or to the base of the windshield where the air intake for the heating/cooling system is. The major benefit of this and of the factory ram air is not in the volume of air or the "ram" effect, it's in getting much cooler air into the motor.

Bear

Bear


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