[Skippy597]

Hey guys,
I just got my 66 lemans and it's in a perfect project point for me to finish up and do everything the way I want. I know how I want to build it and don't really care what anyone else thinks but I have a question here.

How much do you guys hate clones or tributes? Or what about a lemans with some grills and hood but tail panel is all lemans?

Like I stated I know what I want and there's parts of a gto that will be incorporated in my build such as the hood and grill inserts but I actually prefer the tail lights of the lemans (call me crazy). The grill will say gto but I'll probably leave the lemans badge on the deck and no other badging other than the pontiac tail strip.

I really enjoy doing that some people just don't get. Just curious of your guys thoughts, I personally stick to the whole whatever floats your boat train of thought.

[Skippy597]

Sorry I realized I posted this in wrong section, admin could you move?

[johnta1]

I'd say it's your car, do what you like to it.





The thing is don't go and call it a 'GTO' ?

Just call it your car.

[4dblnkldude]

Yeah build it for your eyes, not anyone else.

[vertigto]

The trick to building the car you want is not caring what anyone else thinks. All that should matter is that you are pleased.

Remember that opinions are like buttholes...everyone has one.

[3 Chiefs]

People have been modifying their cars since the very beginning. It's actually what hot rodding is all about. But never try to sell it as something it isn't. As for having both GTO and LeMans on it, personally I would use one or the other but not both. And the tail light sheet metal is available so just do it all. You could also do it up as a full GTO but leave all the emblems off. Even a Tempest or LeMans, they have been missing from the scenery so long that they will turn heads for sure. Anything you do will be cool. Make it yours!

[roger1]

I have no dislike for a clone or tribute. What I hate is using those terms to describe a car. If you have a Lemans, call it a Lemans but make it look like anything that makes you happy and if that's a GTO, then that's cool.

As far as both emblems, I think it would make sense to go with one or the other but not both. Sounds like you want to make it look like a GTO so I say go for it. The car is for you and not anybody else.

[OCMDGTO]

I'm just happy to see an old Pontiac on the road personally, especially if it has a real Pontiac engine. Make it the way you want it and enjoy it

[Skippy597]

Yeah I completely agree with the not calling it something it isn't, but after you say lemans you normally have to follow up with "like a gto" so people have an idea of what car your talking about. The only exception there is my 4 year old calls it a gto which is funner to say than lemans (actually he calls it a GTO PTO).

Personally I could care less if it was a numbers matching 242 car or a pieced together basket case as long as it does what it should and that is make you happy. I'm not one to do a numbers matching build but I understand those who do. My heart normally lies with the (lack of a better word) "roadkill" style builds and I love seeing what you can do with very little.

As for the badging it might go all off except the rear tail plate that says pontiac.

[fyrffytr1]

I bought a car that was sold to me as a 65 GTO. It was not a matching numbers car and had a 455, 4 speed and posi-traction in it. Soon after buying it I ran into a guy that knew the car. He told me it started life as a 6 cylinder Lemans. I kept the car, cleaned it up and did a few upgrades then took it to a swap meet after driving it for about five years. I advertised it as a clone and listed what few problems remained. The right person came along and I doubled my money on the car. But, he knew what it was and its history.
I know it's your car so build it like you want to but think about this. There are very few Lemans left on the road and it could be a beautiful car in its own right.
And, I always called my car a 65 GTnO!

[Skippy597]

Yeah I've affectionately named it the G T Olmost

[Sirrotica]

When the GTOs and Lemans cars were only a couple years from being new there were tons of Lemans/Tempests with GTO parts on them. It's nothing new to put a scooped hood on either car, along with some of the other identity parts.

At the other end of the spectrum, back in the day, you got a lowly Tempest and put the GTO running gear, or a big car 421/428/455 engine in it with 326 emblems on it, and surprise that SS chevelle by beating him at the stoplight to stoplight exhibition of acceleration...........

Anyone that knows about these cars can usually pick out a real GTO, over a clone, but if you think about it how many Lemans/Tempest bodies gave up their lives to resurrect GTOs already. The GTO is the top of the line for A body Pontiacs, commands more money, and is usually the most desirable. It's always going to be that way.

Problems crop up when someone sells a clone as the real thing for real car money, then someone's feelings, and their wallet gets hurt. It's fraud, and that is in the eyes of the law.

Some people would rather own a clone, and be able to drive it as if it's a real as born with rare car, they're just too valuable to drive on a regular basis.

[george kujanski]

Way back I had Lemans Sprint. i thought the grill looked lame so I replaced those with the GTO grill. didn't use the GTO logo tho..kept the Sprint badging because it was cool.

George

[nikrnic]

I did the opposite growing up. Not with a Gto though. My favorite was a 69 Nova 396/375, dethroned the SS emblems, put on whitewallls, full wheel covers and 350 emblems on the fenders. Put many Roadrunners into shock.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[242177P]

A clone really should, at a minimum, look the part. No readily apparent mix and match. As a hotrod, I would not hesitate to use a GTO hood, but keep the LeMans badging. No badges is also an option. Or get creative... "G Mans"??

[Skippy597]

It's not going to be a clone, I personally think clones are boring. But like Sirrotica said back in the day no one would really care. No it's not a gto but hot rodding doesn't need to abide by any rules. I personally like the gto grills so they will go on the car but I also like the 66 lemans tail lights so they will stay on the car. I do not really care if someone doesn't like that it has mismatched badging since it's my car. Just seems that there is a lot of guidelines that people tend to impose when building a car and I can see some here stick to those and a few here understand that doing what you want is where it's at.

My old car was a 71 skylark that I hotrodded in a budget and one thing I did was put headers and a small length of pipe and glass packs each side and they exited right in front of the rear tires.but I also cut the factory exhaust just so the rear factory tail pipes were still there. Not many people got it but a few did and whenever I was asked why I always answered "why not".

It all comes down to doing whatever you want your car to be. Speaking purely from a hotrodding side of things there really isn't a wrong way. Heck, I almost put a buick 455 in it that I had.

[Skippy597]

Really just trying to say is I don't get it why people get upset over some one elses car. Hotrodding is all about expressing yourself

[ZeGermanHam]

Sounds like you've already made up your mind (fair enough), but are asking for public opinion, so... Personally, I'm not a fan of mixing & matching as you have described for your plan. Having a GTO grille emblem and hood, but LeMans emblems elsewhere with LeMans tail panel just looks like a half-baked project to me. But as I said, that is just my personal gut reaction to seeing cars done like that. I'd be less put-off by seeing a LeMans that had been fully converted to a GTO than I would a mix & match deal. Frankly, even as a GTO owner, I'm typically far more interested in looking at Tempests & LeMans in stock form (i.e., no GTO adornments) at car shows than I am GTOs and GTO "tributes". You just don't see many Tempests or LeMans, so they really stand out to me.

But as others have said above, it's 100% your car, and your vision. Do what makes you happiest and forget what anybody else says. Lord knows I've made many modifications to my real GTO that will surly turn off many of the purists.

[geeteeohguy]

Originally Posted by ZeGermanHam

Sounds like you've already made up your mind (fair enough), but are asking for public opinion, so... Personally, I'm not a fan of mixing & matching as you have described for your plan. Having a GTO grille emblem and hood, but LeMans emblems elsewhere with LeMans tail panel just looks like a half-baked project to me. But as I said, that is just my personal gut reaction to seeing cars done like that. I'd be less put-off by seeing a LeMans that had been fully converted to a GTO than I would a mix & match deal. Frankly, even as a GTO owner, I'm typically far more interested in looking at Tempests & LeMans in stock form (i.e., no GTO adornments) at car shows than I am GTOs and GTO "tributes". You just don't see many Tempests or LeMans, so they really stand out to me.

But as others have said above, it's 100% your car, and your vision. Do what makes you happiest and forget what anybody else says. Lord knows I've made many modifications to my real GTO that will surly turn off many of the purists.

I agree 100%. There are 10 GTO's and 20 GTO clones to every LeMans or Tempest you see. Frankenstein cars not really my bag.

[Skippy597]

I'm not trying to come off abrasive or anything I was just curious what everyone's thoughts were on the subject.

Can we all agree that anything is better than looking under the hood and finding an LS engine

But once again your car your way