[johnta1]

Here you go!

You started this thread, BVZ.

71 455HO LeMans

And Mike Ransom added the earlier link.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Thanks again John

Now I can remember some more about it.
Before anyone did anything with the car , it was a full blown rust crust dust and bust car.
Wasted to extreme with rustbelt-itis ,,, really really bad. Even the frame had given out.

I forgot who had posted some pics and briefing on the car years before on here, but it was not a car you could save with repair panels and pieces. It needed the One Big Complete Piece Fix-It Kit.

Someone bought it and tried to revive with a donor car
Things went downhill along the way until the towel got thrown in by all parties involved.
Body shop tried to recoup losses , but evidently a "proper (loose term) " VIN transplant had never been performed up to that point.

Broken Dreams
Orphan Engine

[thews]

Did that 71 Lemans convertible build sheet come with an endura front end? They only made 17 GTO Judge convertibles, so this car is a true unicorn.

This story just keeps getting better. He has the original #'s matching Sprint engine for the car. I invited him to post here... so many questions.

[MarkS57]

Originally Posted by thews

69 Firebird in Kansas at $15.5K BIN OBO. Depends on the body, but I don't think this car is worth much more than $10K. NOM 350 and a 4-speed, it needs a lot. If the body is mint then it changes things... floors look good, so maybe?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/11563839565...Bk9SR6L1qoyhYQ

I would not buy this without looking at it. Too many inconsistencies; goes from a 350 to a 455HO? Or am I the one who's nuts or off in the boonies?

[thews]

68 Firebird convertible in Michigan at $10K NR. Nice car and the building in the back really kicks it up a notch. A lot of time these cars are photographed in front of million dollar homes and it works.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/27558058216...Bk9SR5jjnLeiYQ

[thews]

Man there's a lot of cool in this car and I'd love to drive it around. 1965 Bonneville convertible frame off in Virginia at $1K with a reserve.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13436661085...Bk9SR5rjnLeiYQ

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by thews

Did that 71 Lemans convertible build sheet come with an endura front end? They only made 17 GTO Judge convertibles, so this car is a true unicorn.

Yes it had the Endura Option aka GTO front end.
Was 1 of 6 built with 455HO Automatic

I'm only speculating that the donor shell probably got sold and used for someone else's Re-Body project.
That LeMans Sport VIN has probably become extinct.

[thews]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Yes it had the Endura Option aka GTO front end.
Was 1 of 6 built with 455HO Automatic

I'm only speculating that the donor shell probably got sold and used for someone else's Re-Body project.
That LeMans Sport VIN has probably become extinct.

I dunno. Whoever bought it knew what it was. Even if it went for $10K back then they knew it was rare. That paper trail can't be that hard to trace... can it? 1 of 6 is rarer than a hemi Cuda convertible.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Notoriety in the Pontiac world is a death toll.
That is why nobody would buy it back then , and the shop split up the engine from it.
As a blank slate the body had value , as a body swap with a "rare VIN in hand" it was cursed.
That value was almost negative.
Someone likely got a fair deal on the body as a roller.

The paper trail is its curse , it has had publicity that will haunt it for another 15-20 years yet.
But there is an outside chance someone is just sitting on it still , would not have been their best decision on how to spend wisely though.

People remember ultra rare cars in ultra rare colors. Double Whammy
It is sort of illegal to do cars that way. iirc
Has to be top secret and no names

EDIT
We don't know how much the engine sold for - just that it sold - and is now in a Bird.
We don't know how much the body sold for - or if they even sold it at all , to be completely truthful.
I was working from cobwebs in my head when I thought it sold.
If it sold it was likely sold outside of the last eBay listing.

[Foxtrot]

YE

Trying to learn about this motor and what chassis its supposed to be paired with.

Still have original straight six to match the chassis which currently holds the 455 4 speed

Chassis vin in photos

Help! Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Foxtrot , go back to post # 2487 in this thread , then read your way back up to the post before yours.
A lot of info , and some other links to follow in the mix.
If you want the whole story , its covered pretty well.

The Bird VIN plate you posted is a 1967 ? in the door jamb
69 Bird VIN is up by the windshield on the dash , usually

[johnta1]

The Bird VIN plate you posted is a 1967 ? in the door jamb

And a convertible.



Welcome to PY Foxtrot.

[thews]

Originally Posted by Foxtrot

YE

Trying to learn about this motor and what chassis its supposed to be paired with.

Still have original straight six to match the chassis which currently holds the 455 4 speed

Chassis vin in photos

Help! Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

Hey Foxtrot welcome the most knowledgeable Pontiac folks on the planet. As I suggested to you when we conversed on eBay, take some pics of the 69 Sprint engine. Block code, carb etc. Post that with some pics of the inside of the wheel wells and we can tell how good the body is and how much it's worth. The first piece of advice you're going to get is to order the PHS documentation for both the Fireird and the 455HO engine car. You have to pay Pontiac Historical Society a fee, but you get the factory documents proving what you have. It'll make both worth more by having them. I think it's like $100 now?

Regarding your 455 HO engine, if the owner of the 71 Lemans convertible it belongs to can't be found, I'm sure there's someone in here that would buy it from you without paying the eBay fees. Being the Lemans is a 1 of 6 as pointed out by Baron Von Zeppelin, this car is a Pontiac treasure. There's a for sale section for both the 69 and the engine, but let's figure out the Sprint. Does it have its original transmission?

[thews]

So this ad is probably the most sketchy ad I've ever seen, but damn. Guy has a very poorly worded (not specific that it's even a Trans AM in the header) ad claiming to have more than one SD Trans AM. Has zero feedback and is probably a scam, but if you lived close it may be worth a look? $25K BIN.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/35445050689...Bk9SR_rpqYGjYQ

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

RE : Foxtrots 455HO engine

You won't need to buy another PHS packet for that VIN , just download a copy of it from the one posted and that will do fine. Also save a copy of the picture on the auction listing that shows the EUN code / YE code. So it can be cross referenced.

If you still have the 1971 Qjet it is also valuable.
And the original exhaust manifolds.

LeMans , GTO , Formula and TA all could have had the YE code engine in an Automatic car.

If you plan on yanking it out of the car soon, make video clips of it running first.

[AG]

Originally Posted by Foxtrot

YE

Trying to learn about this motor and what chassis its supposed to be paired with.

Still have original straight six to match the chassis which currently holds the 455 4 speed

Chassis vin in photos

Help! Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

Post some pics of the complete motor instead of small snipits. Include the carb also.

[thews]

69 Firebird 4-speed in CO at $14K BIN OBO. Look slike a lot of new parts in it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/11564295076...Bk9SR8LlytCjYQ

[keith k]

Originally Posted by thews

So this ad is probably the most sketchy ad I've ever seen, but damn. Guy has a very poorly worded (not specific that it's even a Trans AM in the header) ad claiming to have more than one SD Trans AM. Has zero feedback and is probably a scam, but if you lived close it may be worth a look? $25K BIN.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/35445050689...Bk9SR_rpqYGjYQ

Smells legit to me...
But that is one RUSTY car.

[thews]

69 rust bucket Firebird convertible in SC at $12K BIN. Has an 8-track and pretty much every 69 I've ever seen with an 8-track is highly optioned. Too rusty IMO.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/36408380513...Bk9SR_i5ivqkYQ

[OG68]

Look what's behind the Stop sign