[arbys]

What were the different model lines for 1966 Pontiac intermediate sized cars. We all know about the GTO but what were the names of the others?

[Jeff Hamlin]

...This covers all '66 Models;

[tripower]

Tempest and Lemans of course!

You would be hard pressed to find a car with better lines than a 66-67 Pontiac A-Body

[arbys]

So I guess that the answer is Tempest, Tempest Custom, LeMans and GTO, correct?

[GT182]

Originally Posted by arbys

So I guess that the answer is Tempest, Tempest Custom, LeMans and GTO, correct?

That's only the A bodies. Jeff showed you the whole enchilada for Pontiac in 66. The GTO/LeMans/Tempest were not the only Tigers Pontiac Had.

The 66 2+2, GP, Bonneville, Star Chief, Catalina, and last but not lest.... Ventura, were no slouches either.

And I think this is the last year for the 8 lug wheels. The GTOs were supposed to have them in 66, but they were canceled by John DeLorean.

[saltman 1965]

Anybody try to put eight lugs on a GTO? Would like to see that.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by saltman 1965

Anybody try to put eight lugs on a GTO? Would like to see that.

http://www.highdefforum.com/car-foru...972-a-577.html

[Jeff Hamlin]

Originally Posted by saltman 1965

Anybody try to put eight lugs on a GTO? Would like to see that.

It was wishful thinking on Pontiac's part and was planned.
It's my understanding it was to cost prohibitive to make it work on the A-bodies,
so it was cut.

There are a few who have done it.
I'm just so used to seeing them on B-Body,
they just seem out of place on the A-Body.

[Jeff Hamlin]

The PMD (recycled) Airbrushed '66 Sprint/GTO Ad...

[Greg Reid]

I agree, I don't think they do a thing for the A bodies.

[GT182]

I'd love a set if you could get the 15". Someone was making them but I've lost the link. IIRC it was 2500.00 for the conversion. And I think they used disks instead of drums.

[rexs73gto]

It would be a lot less to have someone cast up a set of Alum. wheels that look like the 8 lugs & it would also be A LOT LIGHTER. Thats why they stopped using them because they were very heavy & by putting them on an A-Body would have added about 350-400 extra lbs to the cars. They were already heavier then the other A-bodies,,,, except the Buicks. With all the extra sound deadening & lux. items the Buicks were about 350 lbs heavier then the GTO's.

[Tempest]

very neat pics Jeff, Thank you.

never thought of 8 lugs on A Bodies, but I like the idea.


I wonder how it would look with blackwalls or RWL ?......maybe more like a "muscle" car?

[Bob with the 66]

Jeff,

I had to put both pictures next to each other and look at all the modifications.

Really nice airbrush work. You have to love how they did things back then.

[Jeff Hamlin]

Like so many things just goes to show the bean counters were really the ones in control
Cheaper to touch up an image rather then conduct another/separate photo session.

[charles bledsoe]

Jeff-

What color blue is that 66? Really like the color, is it a factory color? Maybe it's the lighting, or the white interior that makes it stand out.....or maybe it's just the 8 lug wheels with the white stripe tires.

[charles bledsoe]

Just noticed the 65 style exhaust tips on that blue 66. Don't guess it was an option back then was it?

[MikeNoun]

The 8-lug wheel designed for the 1966 A-body was also different than the standard 5-on-5 version of the full-size 8-lug wheel. The aluminum wheel option for the A-body was canceled very late, just before the options and styling cues for the 1966 models were finalized and approved for production.

BTW, the 8-lug was available up through 1968.

I wrote a lengthy article for a recent issue of Smoke Signals showing various promotional photo "errors". These were Pontiac promotional photos showing non-factory options or styling cues that were on pre-production vehicles and ended up being used in publicity photos or magazine ads. Since many of these photos were classified as "official" promotional photos for the press, they were used and reused dozens and dozerns of times in magazines and books over the years, causing more confusion for those trying to use one of these photos as a reference to restore their car.

As for the 8-lug, I just spoke to someone last week at the Pontiac-Oakland Museum GTO show that has one of the A-body style versions NOS in the box. The aluminum wheel option for the A-body was canceled very late in the promotion phase, which is why it ended up in the sales catalog and in a magazine ad.

Here's the regular 8-lug wheel:





And the GTO version of the 8-lug from the Sales Manaul. Notice there are 3 fins between each lug verses 2 fins for the production big car 8-lug wheel.



Mike

[GT182]

Charles, no, the splitter exhaust tips were before 66. None, that I know of, were offered after 65.

I did see a 66 GTO this past Saturday with them on it. To me them coming out under the rear quarters on a 66 did not look all that great. I wish I'd taken a photo of the car but I didn't. Don (dkpilot) was there at the show too. Maybe he'll chime in and say what he thought of them.

[Jeff Hamlin]

Originally Posted by charles bledsoe

Jeff-

What color blue is that 66? Really like the color, is it a factory color? Maybe it's the lighting, or the white interior that makes it stand out.....or maybe it's just the 8 lug wheels with the white stripe tires.

Charles,
If your referring to the Drop Top in Post #8 that is a 1965 GTO.
I don't recall for sure but believe it was a Teal Turquoise car.
The indoor lighting at the convention didn't show the true colors on most of the displayed cars on the floor.