1965 Pontiac Lemans Convertible
If the GTO is the father of all muscle cars, the Pontiac LeMans has to be the grandfather. Without it, and the 6.4 liter engine pulled from the Catalina in 1964, the GTO may not have come to fruition. In 1965, the car was lengthened about three inches, the headlights became stacked and weight was increased by 100 pounds. Yet, in the '60's, it was still considered an intermediate sized car.
For consignment, a 1965 Pontiac LeMans convertible showing 16,000 unverifiable miles as the title reads Mileage Exempt. When you think of resto-mods, you probably don't think of large Pontiacs. Around here, C2 Corvettes and classic Broncos seem to be the most common recipient of modernization. But this LeMans has some hidden treasures that remain a secret when walking around the outside of the car. Let's dive in!
Exterior
Just your mild mannered LeMans here, aggressively handsome but not particularly flashy, dressed in Cameo Ivory paint which melds with the chrome parts well. That includes the front bumper, headlight bezel, grille trim, and the amazing striated rear panel that almost hides the taillights. The rear bumper contours beautifully to the rear shape and has reverse lights gracefully embedded with flush circles. Stacked headlights front forward leaning fenders and decorative gill-like trim is affixed to the front quarter panels. 17-inch polished American Racing Torque Thrust wheels are a fantastic 5 spoke addition to the profile and wear slightly staggered sized Michelin tires with an early 2022 date code. The hood is a factory GTO hood and wears the twin input hood scoop, now legendary in the muscle car world. Our white canvas top suffers from discoloration that might be reversible and there are a few tears. The large back plastic window is fully intact. Imperfections in the paint are noted as one paint chip and a few small inclusions.
Interior
Nice to open the doors and see something other than a black interior and the blue door panels with textured and lined vinyl square details are clean and the carpeted lowers arrived on the 1965 models. More lines, this time diagonal, adorn the front low back bucket seats, also in blue vinyl and also in good condition, featuring an embossed Pontiac arrowhead on the seat back. The same attractive design on the back bench, with seat belts for three and ashtrays for two. The Grant wood steering wheel has stories to tell with its patina and fronts a clean dash with Dakota VHX gauges looking almost stock, but backlit in blue with digital readouts. Vent controls and a Retrosound AM/FM radio are in the center and within reach of both front occupants. The "hold on" handle looks like it's gotten some use in front of the passenger and a metal shifter resides in the center console that presents with patina. Blue loop carpet is on the floor with fitted rubber mats, and the trunk is clean and is home to a pair of speakers.
Drivetrain
Here's where the secret is revealed! Pop the GTO hood and witness a 5.3 liter LM7 V8, fueled by an Affordable Fuel Injection stand alone system with Holley fuel rails and intake. The bay is clean and ready to surprise the crowd! On tap is a 4L60E 4-speed automatic transmission sending power to the 10 bolt rear axle with 3.73 Yukon gears and an Eaton Positraction unit. Want more resto-mod? How about power disc brakes on all four corners!
Undercarriage
Clean and dry underneath with surface rust only on some clamps and no fluids out of place. Headers lead the dual exhaust system which encounter a pair of FlowMaster mufflers before discretely dumping just before the rear bumper. Coil springs in front and a 4 link with coil springs are accompanied by Moog components, KYB shocks in front, and AC Delco air shocks in back so the tires won't scrape when your golf clubs or mother inlaw are in the back.
Drive-Ability
You don't have to twist our arm to take this for a test ride. Classic 60's lines and a modern drivetrain is a coveted combination, so open the garage door, it's time to ride! Fuel injection feeds the V8 which instantly turns over and has a healthy bellow as we cruise our usual, slow speed route. There's evident power here and throttle response is all there, while the disc brakes are more than adequate to slow this Pontiac down. The limited but modern components all work as intended and remnant functions like lights and turn signals also operate. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Carburetion got you down? Tired of tuning old engines? Analog gauges a bummer? Well, here's a 1965 LeMans that maintains its original looks that Pontiac designers worked hard to achieve. Only this time you have the benefit of a modern V8 and instrumentation and reliability that will leave vintage rides in the dust. It's a bit of a sleeper and a rare, resto-modded gem. Sure to be a crowd pleaser, especially the crowd piled into the blue interior!
237675B127629
2-Pontiac
37-LeMans
67-Convertible
5-1965
B-Baltimore, MD Assy Plant
127629-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
05C-3rd Week May
ST 65 23767-1965 LeMans Convertible
BODY BAL4319-Baltimore Body #
TR 217-Blue Vinyl
PAINT C1-Cameo Ivory, White Top
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
