1966 Pontiac LeMans Convertible

1966 Pontiac LeMans Convertible

Ask Pontiac fans about the division's offerings, and the first thing you'll notice is a smile appearing on their faces. Even after 50 years, those cars remain exceptionally popular. Today, average sale prices of the intermediate-sized Pontiacs, like the GTO and Le Mans, at times outpace the same model other-year Pontiacs of the era, and it appears that they have been sought-after since their introduction. This, of course, includes the sporty LeMans, which was introduced on the 1962 Tempest platform. It graduated to its own series in 1963, and by 1964 had grown from a senior compact Y-body into a mid-sized A-body model.

One look at this 1966 Lemans reveals why it was fashionable then and is coveted by collectors today, especially in GTO tribute form. The stacked headlamps and recessed split-grille concept that made the 1963 full-size Pontiacs so admired was expertly integrated into the LeMans and GTO. An upscale triple above bumper taillight treatment, and the integrated in body rear bumper frames this car very nicely.

ExteriorWith burgundy painted steel panels that are very straight, and chrome bumpers, split grille and of course the Pontiac nose, this car is a very nice example. Surrounding the stacked headlights are pristine bezels and resting above is a scooped smooth straight hood. Adhered to the sides are GTO 6.5 badges, (more on that later), and GTO badging in chrome on the rear quarter. Clean and shiny brightwork surrounds the upper body and paralleling it on the bottom is a stainless rocker trim piece. 17" American Racing Special Edition Torque Thrust wheels add highlight to the bottom with the rocker trim. A black canvas convertible top and a clear plastic rear window both in pristine shape finish it all off.

InteriorWith black vinyl door panels that have some added stitching we are met with excitement to get in and have our experience. Doing so reveals very nice black vinyl buckets in front and a just as nice rear bench both with the same pattern as the doors. A wood appliqu center console/glove box runs toward the front and sports a factory His/Hers shifter. Floating directly above this console are a series of 3 aftermarket gauges which keep track of volts, oil pressure, and water temp, while a manifold vacuum gauge is attached to the console itself. A Billet Specialties 3 spoke steering wheel fronts the original wood appliqu dash, with nicely restored clean gauges inserted including an all important factory tachometer. We also see a modern Pontiac AM/FM stereo with Bluetooth and a subwoofer speaker system. Just below the heater controls and in front of the passenger a GTO badge and Jesus bar above the glovebox. A shout out to the nicely restored truck with its plaid mat and spare tire cover.

DrivetrainUnderneath the scooped hood is the meat and potatoes, a Jim Taylor built YW coded 455ci V8, stock 6X heads with roller rockers, an Offenhauser intake manifold paired with a single 4-barrel carb and Pertronix ignition that can push the consignor stated 450hp to the TH350 3-speed automatic transmission with a B&M 2400rpm stall converter and further back to catch it is a 10 bolt rear. The 455 cubes are kept cool by a Griffin aluminum radiator with electric dual fans and a Flowkooler high flow water pump.

UndercarriageAll clean, no surface rust, nice coat of rustproofing, and we are all structurally sound. Ceramic coated Ram Air II exhaust manifolds send spent fossils to the rear of the car via Flowmaster mufflers. 4 wheel Wilwood power disc brakes, independent coil spring front suspension with 2" drop spindles, rear coil spring suspension finish off our tour of the undercarriage.

Drive-AbilityA turn of the key and some serious horses are about to be unleashed. My decoder, muscle car expert and myself are smiling with contentment, and we haven't even left the drop-off area. A flick of the His/Hers shifter and we can feel the car power up. We experienced a smooth ride, and it appeared that all interior features, gauges and radio/CD were operable. And the smile continues!

A well sorted 1966 example of the iconic Pontiac LeMans done as a GTO tribute. Plenty of extra power, great sound, comfortable interior, and a working convertible, it does not get much better than this as my decoder and I look at each other and note people would pay to have this job! Why not check this out and leave with a fine example and a smile on your face? Excitement!

VIN DECODE237676P3472992-Pontiac37-Lemans67-2 Door Convertible6-1966P-Pontiac, MI Assy Plant347299-Sequential Unit Number

TRIM TAG07A-1st Week July BuildST 66 23767-1966 Lemans ConvertibleBDY PON5602-Pontiac Body #TR 223 8 -Black Vinyl PNT N1-Burgundy, White TopW-Tinted Glass, AllW-2 Speed Automatic4F-Outside Remote Mirror5Y-Custom Seat Belts

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.