['ol Pinion head]

Was going to post this under the Lux LeMans e-Bay link in the Lobby, but really does not add much there, & is more of an interesting story about a similar car.

A few years back, picked up a red '72 Lux LeMans 2 door with parchment bucket seat interior, perfect dashpad, & tailights that could pass for NOS. Original owner had lightly rolled this car in late '72 & fellow that bought it wrecked, tried to "restore it" during winter of '72. Had heard about this car off an on for couple years but fellow had the idea it was worth quite a bit, & I simply told his business associate that while I was interested in the car, I could see no way that a '72 Lux LeMans 2 door was worth spending a bundle restoring. Not that I don't like non GTO '71-72 A-bodies (own several & they are definitely favorites of mine).

This is a bittersweet story, but if chain of events had not happened like they did, I would have never managed to buy it & much would have been lost...Wreck repairer owner's idea of a "resto" back in late '72 was to cut the roof off, flip it upside down, beat it out, weld roof back on, then slather a 1/4" a bondo on the wavy roof! Oh, & when he cut the roof off, decided to chop the top "a little" I dismissed this as a 50's thing at the time & just shook my head...

Worst part to come...trying to get the glass to fit in the now shorter window openings, this fellow ended up grinding down the tops on all the glass . Of course this was all done out in the garage with little care to what he was breathing. Ended up in the hospital for about 10 days from breathing in myriad of glass particles After getting out of hospital, our "restorer" ends up going back to work (not on car) & car ends up setting in detached garage for 26 years(!) Finally a fire in front of garage causes car to be rapidly dragged out of garage on original thin pinstripe flat tires. Result, a little smoke damage on seatcovers, but rest of the car has a ton of pieces that look like NOS, plus much of front end sheetmetal had been replaced with NOS but never painted.

While some would believe this car should be restored, it's real value is in that of a concours resto study piece, & in parts for several high point restorations. In slowly disassembling this vehicle, several restorer buddies & I have gone all over (& under) it & taken a good number of pictures & detailed notes. We've all seen cars represented as "low mile originals" but this was 1st Pontiac A-body of the '70-72 era that I had ever run across that had original paper tag on the engine block & original gummed frame ID tags on the frame...bunch of other little details to learn from too. Finally, & of equal importance, this 6000 mile car has given up parts for the concours restoration of the following:
-a '71 Judge
-a '71 455HO GTO
-a '71 455HO T-37
-a '71 TransAm
-a '72 455HO GTO

Doubt I ever find another parts car-study piece as low mileage, but never know.

[This message was edited by ol' Pinion head on January 25, 2003 at 10:59 PM.]

['ol Pinion head]

Was going to post this under the Lux LeMans e-Bay link in the Lobby, but really does not add much there, & is more of an interesting story about a similar car.

A few years back, picked up a red '72 Lux LeMans 2 door with parchment bucket seat interior, perfect dashpad, & tailights that could pass for NOS. Original owner had lightly rolled this car in late '72 & fellow that bought it wrecked, tried to "restore it" during winter of '72. Had heard about this car off an on for couple years but fellow had the idea it was worth quite a bit, & I simply told his business associate that while I was interested in the car, I could see no way that a '72 Lux LeMans 2 door was worth spending a bundle restoring. Not that I don't like non GTO '71-72 A-bodies (own several & they are definitely favorites of mine).

This is a bittersweet story, but if chain of events had not happened like they did, I would have never managed to buy it & much would have been lost...Wreck repairer owner's idea of a "resto" back in late '72 was to cut the roof off, flip it upside down, beat it out, weld roof back on, then slather a 1/4" a bondo on the wavy roof! Oh, & when he cut the roof off, decided to chop the top "a little" I dismissed this as a 50's thing at the time & just shook my head...

Worst part to come...trying to get the glass to fit in the now shorter window openings, this fellow ended up grinding down the tops on all the glass . Of course this was all done out in the garage with little care to what he was breathing. Ended up in the hospital for about 10 days from breathing in myriad of glass particles After getting out of hospital, our "restorer" ends up going back to work (not on car) & car ends up setting in detached garage for 26 years(!) Finally a fire in front of garage causes car to be rapidly dragged out of garage on original thin pinstripe flat tires. Result, a little smoke damage on seatcovers, but rest of the car has a ton of pieces that look like NOS, plus much of front end sheetmetal had been replaced with NOS but never painted.

While some would believe this car should be restored, it's real value is in that of a concours resto study piece, & in parts for several high point restorations. In slowly disassembling this vehicle, several restorer buddies & I have gone all over (& under) it & taken a good number of pictures & detailed notes. We've all seen cars represented as "low mile originals" but this was 1st Pontiac A-body of the '70-72 era that I had ever run across that had original paper tag on the engine block & original gummed frame ID tags on the frame...bunch of other little details to learn from too. Finally, & of equal importance, this 6000 mile car has given up parts for the concours restoration of the following:
-a '71 Judge
-a '71 455HO GTO
-a '71 455HO T-37
-a '71 TransAm
-a '72 455HO GTO

Doubt I ever find another parts car-study piece as low mileage, but never know.

[This message was edited by ol' Pinion head on January 25, 2003 at 10:59 PM.]

[Lloyd-TX]

Roger:

Great story - and I'm particularly fond of the donations it has made to the last car in you list!

Talk later,
Lloyd

'72 Formula 400 - soon to be a 455HO, TH400, A/C, etc.; Lucerne Blue with Medium Blue Interior
Restoring a '72 GTO 455HO, TH400, A/C, etc.; Sundance Orange with Parchment buckets

[Tripowergoat66]

Hmmm..are you sure the "Organ Doner" box was checked off on the reverse side of the title?

Good story