Our new addition 69 LeMans creampuff
 

Hello my Brothers and Sister out there, its been a while.

I wanted to share something that popped up Monday and were fortunate to be able to take a shot and score the best condition old car ever for me anyway.

My wife had decided to sell her 2009 Solstice GXP and a buyer came last Saturday with cash and it was done, Monday she paid off some bills and we still had a decent stack of cash and this car popped up about a 1-1/2 hour drive N of us and to be short we got it ! A legit one owner, garage kept , rust free, 82k mile 69 LeMans hard top coupe. Originally a gold car with black top it got repainted 40 years ago in the pretty metallic dark blue and weird light blue half top. Factory black bucket interior typical 350 2V Auto 2 spd M31 ST300 which is soon to be a proper M38 TH350 , wire wheel caps soon to be 14" Rally IIs . It does have power disc brakes and AC , PS etc. AC still turns on car was pretty well maintained and had current tags I drove it off to friends house nearby and then trailered it home. Adding some mild dual exhaust soon and a Quadrajet besides the Rallys and TH350 . Thats should get it about right. SO I guess these deals are out there still and its a cool Van Winkle car!

more pics

Congrats!

Looks fun.

And....it's a Ponitac!!!

Hey those wire wheel covers look pretty good all shined up .. give them a chance :)

Nice car.

That will clean up nice. Built in Arlington. I always think it’s cool when the dealer is in the same area as where the was built. Neat that you have the original documentation too!

Nice LeMans! Good luck with your project

Like the dealer emblem on the trunk lid. Don't see those too often.


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Nice ride, actually pretty unusual to see the 2 speed automatic in 69, especially with a relatively well optioned car like yours. btw, a 350 2bbl car with AC would have had a TH400 rather than a TH350.

Apology for diverting but did this change in 70? If so, why? My 70 350 LeMans has a TH350 with AC so this is interesting.

It was a 69 only thing, perhaps related to the TH350 being new in 69? It could be that they had production limitations or perhaps the there was a question about the torque-weight capacity until they had actual in-service experience.

It was the same case with 69 Firebirds, 350 2bbl without AC used the TH350 but TH400 with AC.

What I understand is the TH400 in a 69 Lemans was only on the 330 hp 350 HO

The code for the TH400 on the 350 2bbl Engine was PV versus PS on the HO (same codes for the Firebird as the Tempests).

What mixed up people is that when you ordered hydramatic on the 2bbl it was billed at the price of the TH350 ($205.92) with or without AC. But with AC you got the TH400 and in the PHS the option code was 351 (versus code 352 without AC). Why you weren’t billed the normal $227.04 of the TH400 like you were on a 350HO or with GTO engines is a mystery.

This is all documented by factory MPC’s, shop manual etc but some of the order forms don’t mention it. My 69 4door hardtop LeMans is an example of this. It has a 350 2bbl with AC and it has its original PV TH400.

Another glitch is that according to all factory documents a 69 LeMans With a 2bbl, hydramatic and AC is supposed to have a 2.78 axle but every single one I’ve ever owned or inspected had a 2.56.

Very cool LeMans! If it was my car I would swap those wire wheel covers for the 6 spoke PMD wheel covers. I do like Rally 2's, but everyone has em. I'd even do the Coker bias ply "looking" radials on them. Attachment 543784 I put Bias redlines on mine, and I get lots of compliments on them....and they are period correct. My car is a 68 Lemans 350 H/O with a 3 speed manual.

Interesting on the Hydramatic talk. Kind of big bummer could of had a 350 or 400 and got ole stink 2 speed. But I already got a 350 to put in it soon. Thats a pretty HO 68 those are rare as heck ! I found a 68 Tempest automatic code HO engine once in a 69 Bird at a junkyard and it was wrecked hard in front., Must of been fast !

That blue color looks like Nautilus Blue ....had a '77 GP that color

Congratulations on the new addition to the family. Looks like a great car. Not too many left out there like that.

Thanks everyone! The rally swap is done other than one more pack of chrome lug nuts later today. It had a front flexible air dam was hanging down. Took it off for now and the God awful front offset license plate stuff. Antique registration only one in the rear thankfully. Also straightened up trunk letter silly crap

Looks good with the rallye's. Which front License bracket did you have? The early cars have the 68 style that bolts and wraps onto the Valence but the later cars have a bracket that bolts to the bottom of the bumper.

Is the side molding next? Both my 69 LeMans' had those, luckily mine were all stick on rather than riveted. As for the vinyl top you could just slap on a stock vinyl top since that landau style top on it now retained all the moldings. probably cheaper than removing it and the moldings for the monocolor look.

You can always spot the 2 speed cars because they use the T handle shifter rather than the three speed auto shifter knob that looks like the one on the GTO or GP (less the ratchet feature).

Exactly what I was thinking and would do. Just put a full vinyl top on. It would look great.
Congrats on a great looking car! A neighbor of mine had the 4-door twin to it a few years ago. Same color and Cragars. He sold it shortly after moving in.