# 68 LeMans or GTO Endura Bumper Nonhideaway Headlights



## rlangrid (Mar 31, 2015)

Nearing end of ground up restoration of 68 LeMans basket case project. I'm now in beginning prefit stages before paint, I'm getting the normal surprises of missing pieces...wrong pieces...etc! Wish car would have been left alone as LeMans but....previous owner must have wanted a GTO! This rig has an Endura bumper which poses the question....did LeMans have an endura bumper option? Also, anyone have pics of the back side of a 68 vintage LeMans or GTO with correct headlight backing plates and fitment. The car "basket" had grills for a 68 LeMans and also two grills for a 68 GTO with no bezels. Kinda heading for bringing it back to the original LeMans but need to determine which direction to head with the parts I have and those I would need to find. Seems like I kinda bought into the proverbial Johnny Cash special of a "one piece at a time" rig! Hindsight is great on what you think you're buying. Any insights from folks out there a lot wiser than me would be appreciated. Really need to get this front end put together and complete.


----------



## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

I think you'd be ahead by going with the LeMans bumper. Easier to mount and line up. And good 68 GTO headlight bezels are hard to find and lots of $$ when you do find them. Not reproduced either. 
Sell the Endura and use the proceeds for your missing parts. 

Plus side is that the bumper brackets are the same between the LeMans and the non-hidden headlight Endura. I _think_ the headlight backing plates are the same too.

Judging by the interest lately it seems like even 68 GTO owners are looking at using the chrome bumper lol.


----------



## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

fairly sure the only common parts between the 2 are the bumper brackets and the headlight buckets...

backing plates are different and dont interchange,,,, the lemans has a kickout at the bottom of the plates and the gtos are basically flat ...

the L shaped small core support bump brackets on top are the same

but thats about it,,, alittle hardware crosses ...

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


----------



## rlangrid (Mar 31, 2015)

Much thx to y'all. Definitely considering selling the endura fixins and going back original.


----------



## 1968gto421 (Mar 28, 2014)

If your endura grill/bumper is a genuine Pontiac piece and not a repro, you definitely can get a buyer and a decent price for it. So many LeMans's have been cloned to "GTO"s that surely there are decent LeMans bumpers to be had. If you can't find one near to you, you could try our "last resort", Frank's. Here's his info:

https://www.frankspontiacparts.com/

I have a GTO but I greatly respect your desire to make a LeMans back into a LeMans!

(According to my books, 1968 did not have an endura option for the LeMans. That did not happen until 1971.)


----------



## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

BLK69JUDGE said:


> fairly sure the only common parts between the 2 are the bumper brackets and the headlight buckets...
> 
> backing plates are different and dont interchange,,,, the lemans has a kickout at the bottom of the plates and the gtos are basically flat ...
> 
> ...


Thanks for the correction Scott. I knew it had something to do with the headlights, just not positive of what it was.


----------



## rlangrid (Mar 31, 2015)

Yup....endura and grills are the real McCoy and very nice...bumper ready for paint too. Used Frank's a few times but there's got to be a closer source. Thx a million for the info and clarification of endura/Lemans correlation.


----------



## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

*Hello*

here is a pair of GTO headlight backing plates..

the LeMans has plates lower edge has 2" tall 2" deep jog, all the way across the bottom, edge...


----------



## rlangrid (Mar 31, 2015)

Pics worth a thousand words! Much appreciated!


----------



## rlangrid (Mar 31, 2015)

The parts in my basket case car are the Lemans backing plates....ha...mixed with the endura bumper, I'm again humming ol' Johnny Cash's song of " one piece at a time"!!


----------

