[FMile Pontiacs]

Hey guys! I have this 72 Le mans that I have recently acquired. I have known about this car for probably the last 30 years or so, as an older lady who lived nearby bought it new from Red Holman Pontiac in the Detroit area. She drove the car sparingly until she moved back here to Kentucky and parked it in the Mid 80's. He elderly(at that time) father would back the car out of the garage ever so often and clean it up and fiddle with it, but they never really drove it much more. It only has around 48,000 miles on the odometer right now. She also told me that the car had never spent a single night outside of a garage since she had bought it in 72. The car still wears its original Quezal Gold Paint. I have buffed and waxed it and most of it is in great shape. The only areas on the body to speak of is the extreme lower right quarter, and the lower front drivers fender, although the inner brace seems to be solid. The trunk has a large area where paint has flaked off, however, the metal is still extremely solid. Every stitch of the black interior is original and in great shape. It even has a rear defroster and am/fm radio that still work. The car was ordered with the T41 GTO nose option. All the engine and drivetrain and other mechanicals are completely original down to the AC system. It is a 350 2bbl and 350 trans. It runs and drives well, although I have only driven it a very short distance.

Here is my problem: I have never really been into a factory stock low horse power car. I have been thinking of selling it off in order to find a new higher powered Pontiac to play with. I could change the engine and play with this one but that seems so wrong with such low mileage and original paint still looking so nice. What should I do? If I do decide to sell what should I ask for a car like this? Like I said, I have always deal more with hot rod type Pontiacs. If I keep the car I would fix the paint on the trunk, add dual exhaust GTO Splitter tips, and may change cam heads and intake just to up the fun level a bit, or would that destroy the value? I guess my real question is, before I start any further work, what would the fair market value of such a car be? I will post pictures of car.

[FMile Pontiacs]

Exterior Pics

[FMile Pontiacs]

Areas of Imperfection

Paint Flake on trunk Deck


Ding In Back Bumper


A few raised areas under vinyl roof behind rear glass.


Lower Drivers fender


Passenger Quarter Panel

[carguy66cars]

Would sure look nice sitting beside my wagon! Very nice by the way! I sent you a P.M.

Lyn.

[FMile Pontiacs]

Underhood and In trunk

I haven't had the chance to detail in trunk yet. Here is original spare and trunk mat.



Very Solid Trunk Floor with Mat pulled back


Underhood. I haven't detailed here yet either.


This is an alarm that the lady had installed on the car back in 70's.

[red1975pacer]

Im thinking 6k

[daduck]

My opinion is if you can sell it for more than you have in it, then sell it to someone that appreciates what it is.

If not, keep it and start the improvements!!!

My opinion is based on the fact that you asked.
If it was meant to be for you to be the custodian of this piece if history...you would not need to ask for opinions

Dave

[trailwing]

Good question. An original two barrel T41 isn't worth a ton but it's nice to turn the key and drive it anywhere. I upgraded the motor in my Lemans; now it's cold natured and always wakes the neighbors.

I recently put that stock Lemans motor into a Craigslist Firebird acquisition and it's a ton of low powered fun. I'd probably leave it alone if you already have something else fast. 99% of the world only cares what it looks like. The small percent that does care probably already has something faster.

[will slow gto]

I seem to recall reading about one or two of the 'Pure Stock Drags' guys finding low-po, low-mileage, original cars and dropping in period correct/blue-printed 455HO motors and running 12s all day long. Sounds like fun to me! Neat car any way you slice it and the interior looks gorgeous from the photos.

[Judge-1969]

Nice car! Would have jumped on this if it was for sale! It's a fine line to travel when you look at changing things up in my opinion. If the born with powertrain was still intact, I personally would leave it. But then again, guys pull the original sometimes and hold onto it in favor of something bigger and better. Either way, if you can put it back to stock, I think you would be fine with any changes.

[Drag Star Le Mans]

That is a great looking car, even with the few imperfections.

[trishieldchief]

Sell the car to someone who appreciates it's originality.
That car needs to be left alone.

[Andre]

Something that I noticed, but had not realized was that by the time this car was built, the fan shroud mold had deteriorated to where there is a big chunk missing. I thought that happened much later in the making of replacement parts. Or this car had the shroud replaced.

My opinion is leave it as is. No detailing, no touch up nothing. There is the right owner out there for this car.

[mgarblik]

You have posted a very tough decision here. I can relate that I went through a similar situation a few years ago. The car looks good but is not a museum piece, due to condition and the fact that it is not a rare model. So that helps a little. To me, the bottom line is it's YOUR car so you should do what makes YOU happy every time you go in the garage or open the door of the car. It has the GTO front look, so you could put big Pontiac power in it and have some real fun and enjoyment. You don't have to feel you are the curator of the Pontiac museum and must preserve this car stock, unless that's what you are into. The poster that put it's value around 6K is probably in the ballpark but that won't go very far in a another high performance Pontiac when you have a solid car right there and a great looking one at that.
One thing to keep in mind about selling the car. When you sell the car, the buyer can say ANYTHING to get the car away from you and 2 months later, it may be slammed to the ground, crazy paint and interior, sporting a Chevy engine. You have NO CONTROL over what happens to it the minute you sign over the title. So selling the car to someone who will appreciate it and preserve it as it is may not happen despite best intentions.

If it was my car and I really liked it and wanted to keep it, I would build it to make me happy.

[dataway]

Leave it be.

There are plenty of 72 Lemans out there already modified, for sale, ready to be whatever you want them to be.

Sell this one and use the money to buy one that's already been de-flowered.

I could get a huge kick out of having something like that and slowly massaging it back to excellent but unrestored condition.

['ol Pinion head]

-Cut out the rust, proper metal work, and then prep and spot paint the effect areas with correct mix of Quezal gold lacquer. Save these areas from growth of the rust damage. Then do what ever you want with it... Original class judging at Nationals, whatever... Nationals too much of a travel, and get bored of the lawn chairs and local yokel car show set, pull the original engine, trans, and rear, and start spending $$$$$

-Advertise nationally and find the person who has 8x17' of space to park and gawk at the car, someone who's bought hook, line, and sinker, into the the whole carlot hype of patina (dead paint and surface rust) and "survivor" status.

[Tempest]

Since you asked.........

You have to decide if you like the car? do you have room for it? do you want it taking up space in your garage? or are you making excuses for having it and wished you had another car in its place? only you know this.

if it was me, I would lose the white walls, detail the engine, charge up the A/C, and use it as a summer driver, and enjoy it for what it is. (not every car has to have a 455)

My buddy has a 77 Monte Carlo, low optioned car, 305 2 bbl, that he can remember picking up from the dealer with his father,(who has now passed away) it is not his favourite car in the world, but he added Rally wheels with red lines, added a performance muffler to give it a rumble and drives it regularly and enjoys it.......and gets a lot of thumbs up. (I know he has more sentimental value than you, but you have known this car for 30 years)

If you are going to make excuses for the car, and you are going think it is taking up prime space in your garage that another car could be using, then deal it to get what you really want.

[bird72]

I have had a 48K survivor Bird for almost 2 years going now. It has been an eye opener on how you do things and look at things.

On a survivor, once you start putting shiney redone or new parts on, weather chrome, plastic, or painted metal, don't matter, they stick out like a sore thumb next to adjacent old patina'd parts (no matter how nice they are). So on anything besides a knob or small, I started searching for very nice aged old parts, which is unbelievably difficult.

On old lacquer original paint, to spot repair..... I have one old door repair (only non original spot) and it lacquer, but poorly done. Spare details, I am in midst of what to do, and may try wet sand vs redo. But some painters want to blend it in and do part of fender and rear 1/4. I would only accept a small spot repair paint to preserve all possible factory paint. Could never shoot new non laquer over perfect fender or quarter. So that is dilemma on spot repair like you have.

I had to put in front turn signal filler pieces on mine (missing). In spite of mix formula's, they don't match. Two reasons I think: old lacquer vs new paint mix. Second, the old paint is aged. I think my silver is darker than originally a tad. So it will take a patient painter willing to mix, try, mix try (I think). I painted mine per mix and they are a tad off. They work as a small piece in an angular low area, but on a door it would look terrible. I think your car would be a very hard match different color.

So that can progress to "maybe shoot whole car" (never apart survivors are easy reshoots). Then the survivor game is off and might as well build car any way you want.

You also have parallel in having non desirable equity wise 2 barrel curse, like me. So a survivor argument for a GTO or Formula is different than a 350 2V car. Survivor status adds 20-40% value over comparable nice repaint ones in 2 barrel land (if lucky), where TA / GTO survivors are museum pieces and Mecum $$$$ items.

food for thought............. Nice Car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[android 211]

You need a YS block 400, 7K3 heads, the unique '72 cast iron intake and a '72 Rochester. Whether to use a single snorkel or dual snorkel air cleaner is up to you. 068 cam. Duals.

[rtanner]

if it were mine, and I dig it BTW, I would have to touch up the deck lid, leave all the other exterior and interior alone, except for the steering wheel, then I would build me nice 455 stock looking 500hp, with ram air manifolds, upgraded exhaust, 1.25 front sway bar, up graded tires, and enjoy it from now on,