Garage find

[TiredIronGRB]

A lady that works in my building came back to my office the other day and said "George, you fool with old cars don't you?" I said of course I do. She said well I have one I need to get rid of, it's been sitting in my garage (heated) since 1978. Both of her grown children had never seen the car move.

She then tells me it's a 1965 Pontiac LeMans Sport, her husband was going to restore it, he had it painted and the bumpers re-chromed then never did anything else to it. All the chrome, trim, lights and bumpers are still wrapped up with all the hardware in boxes. It's extremely nasty from sitting so long but it's in great shape, even the carpet.

I went to look at it and the engine turned over easily and it has absolutely zero rust, after looking it over she priced it (quite reasonably) so I took it. Got it home today and cleaned the fuel tank and put a new battery and some points in it and it fired right up. It has the two speed transmission which works fine and the brakes had been done before it was parked and they worked great. The car is 100% original down to the air cleaner.

The wheels in the pictures are just some rollers as the ones that were on it were rotten.

 

[cantwell.colton]

lets see it washed up?
looks great!

 

[Timeless softshoe]

ohhh man great find, I am wanting it, lol[cl trade for a rat rod?

 

[ShovelHeadShawn]

SCORE!!!! i cant wait to see what you do with it. whats the plan?

 

[maverickmk]

Awesome! I wish I could find deals like that. Nice score, post up some more pictures as you get it together.

 

[Tripper]

I'd turn that into a GTO in a heartbeat!!!

BoB

 

[CR55]

You lucky dog!!! I've had 3 65 goats and would like to have another.....one of my favorite body styles..... .great score TI....you must be living right!

 

[TiredIronGRB]

You lucky dog!!! I've had 3 65 goats and would like to have another.....one of my favorite body styles..... .great score TI....you must be living right!

I'm very blessed!

 

[NewIronRats]

I'm very blessed!

Yes you are. Great score.[P[

 

[T DRIVER]

Great

If you dont want to take the time to clean it up you can give the car to me What A find Good Luck

 

[skull]

[dr[dr[dr


[dr

 

[Snake Farm]

Yeah, what Tripper said......Clone time! [cl[cl

Nice find George

 

[Neverdone]

I think you should just scrap it.......... be sure to tell me where though......

 

[Torch]

Nah don't clone it keep it incognito. everyone knows a clone is a fake... and every clone builder thinks a fake ss or gto is worth as much as a real one...but then again fake boobies are nice too.

Never had one of those yet. I was into 1970-1973 firebirds for about 20 years. I recently got out, still selling off extras.

Like those 64 65 chevelles but chevelles ain't pontiacs.

Got me a 68 nova i need to weld back together... just picked up a miller econotig with the bottle and about 60# of rod for $1,000
I had to hock my mig couple winters ago for gas money. I Just don't feel like a man unless I can melt metal together.

I have a set of Hotchkiss lowering springs for GM 64-67 A body that are going for $345 at summit... Brand new in the box

And a brand new (only broke in) 1967 389 bored .060 over with 6x heads and edelbrock performer cam and intake. That's going in my ratrod when I get a cab and start building.

If you're not a stickler for originality you can change your timing cover to a newer one with better flow. The older ones the water goes into the block on one side up through the head, accros to the other head and down into the other side of the block...
the newer ones about 1970 and newer have 2 transfer tubes off the back of the water pump. they push water into both sides of the block, up through both heads and out the top at the crossover back to the radiator.

My 67 389 had the old one on it. I swapped over to the new style and got $60 for the old timing cover on ebay from a gto restorer. Only the new ones are reproduced, not the old style.
I had a 2 barrel on a P350 in a firebird with 2:42 gears and it got 22 mpg and still got going pretty good. 326,350,400 all have the same stroke just different pistons. the 10 bolt rear won't be a problem if it's an 8.5 and your not running slicks. they can be beefed up a little. the only difference between a 12 bolt and an 8.5 10 bolt is the 12 bolt has a little bigger case and carrier and the ring gear is about 1/4 inch bigger. the pinion shaft diameters and the axle shafts are the same so if a 10 bolt isn't going to do it and you can;t find a cheap used 12... just get a 9" ford unless you want to pump the cars value by installing an expensive 12 bolt.

 

[Old Iron]

I new they're still out there

TI, you're killing me [dr
My all time favorite cars
I'm tickled for ya [cl [cl

Jim

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Please don't clone it. A real LeMans is WAY cooler than a fake GTO. Personally I gravitate towards the plain jane cars. I think they have way more style and real-deal potential, especially as a sleeper!

Good find!

 

[edgeabilly]

Great car!! My 16 year old daughter would kill to have that car!! We've been talking cars and in her words "I want a car I can work on" So she comes to me with ads for the 63 Galaxie and 65 Lemans. I love Pontiacs my goal is to have a 50 4 door. In high school I had a Gold 77 Grand prix with camel int it was bad ass and my older sister had a 68 Lemans It was dark green with black interior. Man that thing was the poo to me but it's funny she did not like it much.

 

[dtech]

Don't clone that car!, I spent alot of years "fixing "clones back, 2 '69's (Tempest and a Le Mans), and a '67 Le Mans, sold them all for double what the clones were going for!
Great score as far as '60's cars Pontiac's are always my number 1

 

[widewhites]

Great find George,I'm going to have to get up your way some time and check it out.

 

[cosmic12]

WOW, some guys have all the luck[dr
That is just one of those stories that noboby would believe and never happens but you did it!! congrats wonderful find[cl