[shiftydr]

I have been unable to find any pictures to show how a 1970 LeMans with the optional
400/4bbl was dressed from the factory. In other words, did it have chrome or painted
valve covers, single or dual snorkel air cleaner? Anyone have any info or factory literature
with pictures. I have the 1970 sales brochure with plenty of illustrations of both LeMans
and Tempest models with "400" emblems on the lower stainless body moulding but that's
it. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Shiftydr

[SD455DJ]

dhiftydr,

The only A-body I ever saw personally that was a factory 400 4-bbl was equipped with the Turbo 400/3.08 gears and installed in a GT-37. The motor was the 10.0:1 small valve 400 and it had chrome valve covers with the dual snorkel air cleaner and chrome lid. I'm not positive it came from the factory that way and they could have been swapped out over the years. Not a great answer, but maybe someone else will chime in.

Dennis

[muscle_collector]

Originally Posted by SD455DJ

dhiftydr,

The only A-body I ever saw personally that was a factory 400 4-bbl was equipped with the Turbo 400/3.08 gears and installed in a GT-37. The motor was the 10.0:1 small valve 400 and it had chrome valve covers with the dual snorkel air cleaner and chrome lid. I'm not positive it came from the factory that way and they could have been swapped out over the years. Not a great answer, but maybe someone else will chime in.

Dennis

70 gt-37 cars with the 400 engine did get the chrome treatment. it was either a YS (auto) or a WT (standard shift) code which is the exact engine the standard gto came with. just fyi

[SD455DJ]

I found my info and photos from 1995 when we looked at this GT-37. It was a Canadian build car and fairly loaded with the 400 (XV code), Turbo 400, 3.08 posi, Cordova top, power steering, pdb, am radio, and dual horns on a Cardinal Red hardtop body with black top & guts. We confirmed the numbers to all match and it was indeed the small valve 330 hp 400 (#16 heads). It did have Chrome valve covers and lid on the dual snorkel air cleaner. It wasn't a YS code 400, which disappointed us at the time, so we passed on it. I will scan my photos and the GM of Canada option list from Vintage Vehicle Services this Monday. It even lists the 400 at 330 hp.

Dennis

[muscle_collector]

that is interesting about the heads, the two i know that are without a doubt untouched originals, one is a standard shift and has been off the road since 1972 (i have owned it since 79 or 80) it has the wt code engine with 12 casting heads. there was another here in town years ago and it was an automatic and it was a ys code with 13 heads.

[shiftydr]

Thanks Dennis. I am hoping that someone with some/any information will comment. I just
bought a 1970 XV coded 400 complete from intake to exhaust manifolds. I have a solid
1970 LeMans coupe that I am planning on installing it in but I cannot find any pictures of what that engine combo looked like. I've been into Pontiacs for about 30 years and have never seen a 1970 Tempest/LeMans equipped with the 400/4bbl, automatic, and dual exhaust. I have read that it was only available with automatic and 3.08 geared rear. I too have seen a GT-37 with the 400/auto but not the other models. I may get the PHS for the motor just because I'm curious. Come on, some one must have seen one, or owned one!
Shiftydr

[bigborehunter]

An XV code 400 from 1970? That's like 330 horsepower. It's optional in that its a four barrel engine. That will be a blue painted valve cover engine, painted cast iron intake, single snorkel air cleaner job. Have a look at ultimategtopicturesite under Lemans 1970.

[SD455DJ]

muscle_collector,

Do you have any documentation on the automatic GT-37? You would think that since PMD was installing GTO WT 400's in A-bodies (non-GTO), they would also use the GTO's YS motors as well. I don't know what to say about the GT-37 we have documentation on with the XV code 400, other than it's real. Maybe it was a Canadian thing.

By the way, my photos show the air cleaner lid painted on this GT-37 and you can definitely see the late '70's dull chrome valve covers that were added. These were still available from the parts department as repop chrome v.c.'s weren't yet. I'm guessing that the XV 400's valve covers were painted like bigborehunter said in his post. I love this minutia (sp)!

Dennis

[muscle_collector]

i dont have anything on it, i havent seen the car in 25 + years. i tried to buy it from him with no luck. i knew it was a really rare car and having the other one, i really wanted the automatic to go with it. a contact that i had at pontiac (way before phs were released) put me in touch with a friend of his there, who turned out to be john sawruck and he said that there were only around 50 built with the 400 engine in the 1970 models. he mentioned that the ones with the 400 were just a very lightweight gto. he also said that they were the fastest pontiac built in 1970 even faster than the ra4 cars because of the weight factor over the gto. on the one that i own, i bought it from the original owner who parked it when it was just about 1 1/2 years old. he had a truck hit him in the front end and it turned into one of those big fights as to who was at fault and he wouldnt fix it until it was settled so it just sat in his loafing shed for a couple of years and then he said he just never did anything with it until i found it and bought it. not one thing was changed on it and it has really low miles on it. as far as the engine goes, there is no difference in it and a gto.

[shiftydr]

I just wanted to thank everyone who has commented on the XV code 1970 400 I recently acquired. I came across some great information at GT-37.org. They have a plethora of information regarding this rare model and virtually every magazine article written concerning it. If you have gone there yet, I highly recommend it. One of the reprinted articles is from High Performance Pontiac, June 1994, written by Thomas DeMauro. In the article he lists the optional engines for the 1970 GT-37; a 2bbl 400 coded XX rated at 265hp, next up the ladder was the 4bbl 400 coded XV rated at 330hp, and the top of the heap was the 4bbl 400 coded WS rated at 366hp! This engine was only available with the manual transmission and utilized the 068 camshaft and reputedly had a 4 bolt main block as well. I don't know if that is true, but it is entertaining reading anyway. I still however pose my initial question: has anyone ever seen an XV code 400 in a regular LeMans or Tempest? I may ante up and pay the $65.00 for the PHS report based on the partial vin# on the block. It is quite clear and all of the engine part date codes are within one month of each other. One of the small valve #16 heads is dated G309, the other is H209, the block is also H209, and the intake is H159. I'll post up the PHS if I buck up! Thanks again, keep the information coming.
Shiftydr

[muscle_collector]

the auto car definately had a YS with 13 heads. not saying that it hadnt been changed out. ( this was in the early 80's). it did also have chrome valve covers and air cleaner. very interesting and unfortunately that is not one i could go now and verify if it had the numbers matching engine in it. the one that i own, i could bet and win the world on it being the original engine.

if you get the phs, please do post it.

[SD455DJ]

muscle_collector, I'd love to see pictures of your GT-37, wrecked or otherwise. It's very likely a-bodies got both XV and YS motors through the course of the model year, probably XV's early and YS's later when the GT-37's rolled out. I've never seen either one in person, so I have no claims to being an authority by any stretch of the imagination.

shiftydr, If you do get the PHS, that would be very interesting to see what teh XV 400was installed in. Tom Miller raced a real '70 LeMans XV 400/Turbo 400/3:90 rear end at teh Pure Stock Drags about 7-8 years ago and ran 13.30's at 104 mph, so they could run with the big dogs. I'm sure it had 10.50:1 compression, and a bit more cam than the 066, as well as threaded rocker arm studs for insurance, but it was surprising and great to see that unusual (and rare) car run that hard.

The 1994 HPP GT-37 article is now recognized to have erroneous information with regard to the WS RAIII motor. It was later determined that the WT 400's were installed in non-GTO A-bodies when ordered with a manual tranmission. We are trying to find out it the WT-code 400's could be ordered earlier (prior to the GT-37 release) in LeMans' and Tempest/T-37's. The original brochures and order forms show that 4-speed (M-20) only available with the 350 2-bbl engine. We have a late March '70 build LeMans 4-door that is factory ordered with the M-20 4-spd and are trying to find out if 4-doors body styles & wagons were able to get a 400 (WT) with the stick.

I'll try to scan the Canadian PHS and photo's of that 400/auto GT-37 tomorrow.

Dennis

[one70gt37]

I have a 70 GT-37 on here for sale you may have noticed, mine was built 5-15-70 in Pontiac Mi. plant
vin 233370P261191 Delivered 5-20-70 to Orsen E. Coe Pontiac in Grand Rapids Mi. [still in biz today]
it was a 400 4 bbl. 330 hp. muncie m-20 4 speed with some neat power factory options painted valve covers & single snorkel air cleaner, hope this helps you out a little.

[SD455DJ]

Originally Posted by one70gt37

I have a 70 GT-37 on here for sale you may have noticed, mine was built 5-15-70 in Pontiac Mi. plant
vin 233370P261191 Delivered 5-20-70 to Orsen E. Coe Pontiac in Grand Rapids Mi. [still in biz today]
it was a 400 4 bbl. 330 hp. muncie m-20 4 speed with some neat power factory options painted valve covers & single snorkel air cleaner, hope this helps you out a little.

One70gt37, Yes, I have seen your gorgeous GT-37 in the For Sale section. Do you have your build dheet and/or PHS that you could share? Did your car come with the original motor to know that it had painted valve covers and a single snorkel air clearner?

I live about 1.5 miles from O. E. Coe which is now a Todd Wenzel Buick GMC dealership. It just got a big face lift, but is esentially the same building as it was when they built the "new" Pontiac dealership in '71 when they moved from downtown GR.

Dennis

[one70gt37]

Originally Posted by SD455DJ

One70gt37, Yes, I have seen your gorgeous GT-37 in the For Sale section. Do you have your build dheet and/or PHS that you could share? Did your car come with the original motor to know that it had painted valve covers and a single snorkel air clearner?

I live about 1.5 miles from O. E. Coe which is now a Todd Wenzel Buick GMC dealership. It just got a big face lift, but is esentially the same building as it was when they built the "new" Pontiac dealership in '71 when they moved from downtown GR.

Dennis

Thanks for the kind words, yes i have the PHS docs. for it, have not found the org. build sheet, but going back to the previous owner that is what he told me as far as the way it was ordered & built. The car now has a strong 428 & new muncie in it now & he has drove it & is much stronger than with the 400 it came with.
By the way if i still have the car it i will drive it down to the big 28th st. G.R. cruise in Aug. Look me up i will be cruising it up & down 28th. st.
Thanks Gary

[3goats]

Just for info.
I picked up a XV code 400 and did some research to find out what car it came from and this is what I found. One of 1419 made. How many had the optional engine?

[SD455DJ]

Originally Posted by 3goats

Just for info.
I picked up a XV code 400 and did some research to find out what car it came from and this is what I found. One of 1419 made. How many had the optional engine?

3goats, That is the same GT-37 my brother and I looked at in 1995. I see that it has the Buick air cleaner lid decal on it that wasn't in '95 and now sports Firestone Wide Ovals. Look at the pictures and Canadian build history documents I attached to my previous posts.

Do you own this car? If you do, can you verify that the XV code motor is legit? The numbers checked out when we looked at it 16 years ago. It would be great if it had the build sheet to be sure.

Dennis

[3goats]

SD455DJ
The car in the pics is not mine. I found them when doing a search on the forums hear I think.
When I picked up the XV 400 I couldn't find that code in any of my manuals etc.
I asked a few pontiac friends and they never heard of this code either.
I couldn't find a whole lot of info until I ran across that article under optional engines for 70. The car was part of the article.
That build sheet you have for that car lists a 4 barrel L-78 engine. The article says they were all 2 barrel engines or 6 cylinder chevys standard.
Ordering the 4 barrel got you the XV code 400 330hp for the auto or WS code for manual.
I would say that car is legit if it has a XV code and matched numbers.
I currently have rebuilt the block and will be installing it in my 69 ram air 3 4-spd GTO.
Should be a good conversation piece when done.

[SD455DJ]

3goats,

Sorry, my bad, I thought youo owned the car. I got ya now. I do wonder where that GT-37 went, however. Anybody know of it?

That car did have its factory born with XV 400 motor, but that doesn't mean they didn't come with YS 400's. It may have been a plant thing, where Pontiac put YS's in and Ontario put XV's in. One of these day's we'll see a build sheet for one of them, or both motors.

Dennis

[gloryrestoparts]

a buddy of mine sent me this auction for a LeMans 400/4sp. I know nothing about the car other than what is in the auction

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...EF:MOTORS:1123