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#41
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Wow, that is a loaded LeMans. I imagine all the sheet metal is solid being in Australia. That is one place I want to travel someday with my family. My kids think that is the best place to live. Yes, we'd be interested in rear quarters on there own. Thanks! Dennis |
#42
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I think the 068 would work great in the the 350 you have with the 3.23 gear and the 4 speed.Plus your brother is one of the best tuners around so i can't wait to see how that Lemans runs after yall are done! |
#43
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There was no 350 4bbl option in 1970. If you're trying to keep the car "Pure Stock" you'd need to bump up to the 400 to run a 4bbl. The heads that came on 400 4 bbl in the Tempest/T-37/Lemans were small valve 16s
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1966 GTO 1969 Lemans Convertible- F.A.S.T. legal family cruiser. 12.59 on G70-14 Polyglas tires. 1.78 60' 1969 Bonneville Safari- cross country family cruiser. . 1979 Trans Am 400, 4-speed, 4 wheel disc. View from the drivers seat racing down Atco Raceway- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhYDMdOEC7A Ride along in the other lane-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIzgpLtF_uw |
#44
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Yes, you are correct about no 350 HO in 1970, but I was just "what-if-ing" since we could make one somewhat easily with the parts we have lying around (using the '69 HO engine casting numbers as a guide and transcribing them with '70 numbers). It's a fun exercise on paper at least. As far as we know, you could get a 400 4-bbl WT-code motor in front of a HD M-13 3-speed or M-20 4-speed even in the 4-door A-bodies, just like you could in the 2-drs. I'm not sure about the wagons, though. I'm also not sure if you could order 3.90/4.33 rears with the M-21, but that sure would be cool if they were available and a real car was built. You are correct about the XZ-code small valve 400 4-bbl engine being the only high compression 400 for automatic equipped non-GTO A-bodies for '70. We looked at a very nice GT-37 so equipped in Ohio about 20 years ago, Cardinal Red with black top and interior. We also have the parts to make a 400 WT motor for the LeMans as well, and it is very tempting. Dennis |
#45
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The 350 seems to be experiencing lower than preferrable oil pressure and the bottom of the oil pan is pretty beat up, so the oil pump pick-up screen is probably blocked hampering oil flow. So, I think we are going to bite the 400 bullet this fall after the Pure Stock Drags. Dan's pretty busy until that event is over. Dennis |
#46
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Have you tried Memory Lane collector car dismantler in Wilmington, CA?
http://www.oldparts.com 800 281-9273
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Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. -RONALD REAGAN 462 cid/ 6x-4/ TH400/ 3.36:1/ 28x10.5/ 3880#/ 12.35 @ 109.36/ 1.69 60 ft/ 4 wheel disc brakes/ 15 mpg |
#47
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#48
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An Obscure Question
Do any of you LeMans experts out there know what chrome trim or brite metal work came standard on a regular LeMans? Ours has the chrome trim around the door window frames, on the back edge of the hood, rocker moldings, and wheel opening moldings. It was ordered with the Decor Group (324 - $62.14) and came with the deluxe full size wheel covers. What was standard on the Base LeMans and what did the Decor Group option get you (other than the wheel covers). I almost forgot, it has the pedal trim (gas, brake, and clutch) too. Thanks!
Dennis |
#49
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Dennis,
I really like what you and Dan are planning for this car. I am glad it went to a good home. From what I recall the Lemans series 4-door sedans came standard with the side window reveal moldings and rocker panels. All of the other bright trim work......roof drip, belt window and hood molding, body side, door edge and wheel well moldings were optional. Not really sure what the 324 Decor Group consisted but I would guess it consisted of all of the other brite work that you mention other than the standard side window reveal and rocker panel molding. I am not sure if this was a Lemans or Lemans Sport only molding in 1970, but some cars have a trunk lip and quarter edge molding as well. |
#50
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Hi John,
Thanks for selling the LeMans to Dan and I. We have been enjoying tearing it apart and examing it to the 'enth' degree. It was amazingly complete after all these years and not many things were changed or missing. We did pop in a new clutch assembly and flywheel since the pressure plate rivets ended up biting into the original flywheel. But, we have a couple of resurfaced spares to use. Thanks for the info on the brite-work. I know it's somewhat trivial, but we were trying to figure out what was standard vs. options on the Tempest, LeMans and Sport models. We are thinking of keeping an 067 style cam in the WT 400 primarily to offset the 3.23 gears needing a little more bottom end torque to get the car off the line better. Did you know that the 4-door V8 A-body has 50/50 weight distribution vs. the 2-drs 55/45? Another interesting fact about the 4-drs is they weigh about 200 lbs less than a comparably equiped GTO. A Tempest, LeMans, or LeMans Sport 4-door ordered with the M-20, 400 4-bbl (345 hp WT motor), and the 3.55 Saf-T-Trak rear (std. gear w/ 400 4-spd?) would be quite the sleeper and insurance beater, not to mention would humble the "Humbler". Dennis |
#51
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Interesting car... I like it. I don't make it up to G.R. often (I live in Battle Creek), but if/when I do I would like to check it out in person someday. It's nice to see that this unique car will be well-cared for and enjoyed.
Scott
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'70 Lemans Sport - Upgrades: HEI, console, dual-gate shifter, tilt steering, formula wheel, dual exhaust, dash clock, stock 4v intake, Q-jet, dual snorkel air cleaner, GTO hood, hood tach, GTO spoiler, chrome Rally II's and sport stripe. '09 Yamaha Vmax '94 GMC Sierra GT |
#52
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Dennis |
#53
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This 4 Door LeMans is way, way cool! A sport sedan before its time.
When I was in HS in late 70's mid size GM fans were all '2 door, 2 door', but I liked all styles of A bodies. |
#54
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I actually drove it for the first time today and was impressed with how tight everything felt and how precise the Hurst shifter was and how smooth the M-20 shifted. Even the 350 2-bbl motor felt strong and peppy. We put a mechanical oil gauge on to check the oil pressure since it was reading low on the factory gauges, and found to our surprise that the pressure was fine, it was just a bad (original) sending unit. That car can actually break the rear tires loose in first gear on pavement with barely more than half throttle! It impressed me anyway. I can't wait for the 400! Dennis |
#55
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Exterior decor trim features bright-metal side-window reveal moldings and concealed windshield wipers on Tempest; deluxe wheel covers, dual horns and wheel opening moldings on both Tempest and LeMans. Interior decor trim features brake, clutch and accelerator pedal trim plates and deluxe safety steering wheel on Tempest and LeMans; wood grain appearance instrument panel and rear armrests with ashtrays on Tempest. (F) for factory install. And, it appears that maybe the original owner preferred a four speed over 400 cubes, as in the available options, it appears that only the 350 could be ordered as a 4 speed. Both the 2bbl and 4bbl 400's list as t400 only, the 2bbl having a 2.56 rear and the 4bbl receiving a 3.08. In the deluxe 70 brochure, it doesn't even show different trans or rear ratios as being available by special order. The trunk lip and quarter molding that John mentioned is LeMans Sport, but our 4 door Sport doesn't have it..always wondered if it should be there but was left off or was taken off over here by a previous owner. It's not like I have seen heaps to compare with! Just out of interest, in the 1970 preview brochure there is a Bermuda blue (maybe Mint Turquoise? Hard to tell.)70 LeMans 4 door that looks like yours! |
#56
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"it appears that only the 350 could be ordered as a 4 speed. Both the 2bbl and 4bbl 400's list as t400 only," -70steve
...interesting info! Reminds me of the Firebird situation in the '80s where you could get a stick but you got a 305...you want cubes? Ssssorry, sailor...automatic only. |
#57
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Hi 70Steve,
I have seen the brochures that list only the 350 being available with 4-spd, however, we know that the factory was allowing 400 (WT-code) motors in the 2-dr coupe Tempests and LeMans well before the GT-37 being offered in Feb. '70. The Magmum 400 Tempests (4-spds) are a classic example of this. John Sawruk showed me a build sheet, or manifest sheet of a PMD co-workers Tempest 2-dr post coupe (Palladium Silver with black guts) that was ordered with the 400 and HD 3-spd (M-13) trans and 3.55 Saf-T-Trak rear end very early in the model year. It may of had a radio, but nothing else. John was trying to find that car at the time and said it was the car that beat the Ram Air GTO's (still can't believe that). He also said this was the car that he thought came with a WS-code RAIII motor, but found out later it was the standard GTO WT 400 motor. Apparently, a lot of salesman didn't know you could order the 400 & 4-spd together, hense, very few Tempest/LeMans 2-drs were ordered this way until the introduction of the GT-37. We are going to ask Jim Mattison if he has run across any 400 4-spd non-GTO/GT-37's, because you (and the brochures) may be correct regarding the 4-drs. We would love to think that you could get the 400 4-spd combo in a 4-door model as well. Thanks for the other info about the trim options as well. I drove the LeMans for the first time last Friday and had a blast. The new clutch assembly and flywheel engaged smoothly and the Hurst shifter rowed through the gears so nicely (after degreasing, cleaning and readjusting). I was surprised how quick the car felt with the 3.23 gears and was more surprised to get wheelspin in first gear from a roll with half throttle! The oil pressure that we thought wea low ended up being a faulty sending unit, so all is well with the motor. Take Care, Dennis |
#58
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Hi, Dennis, how are you?
Mark Hodge knows of a 400 3-speed car that's not a GT-37 somewhere in Ontario. |
#59
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You don't happen to know how to get a hold of Mark do you? I'd love to know more about that car. Dennis |
#60
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His exact user name is "CDN2PLS2" so you can send him a PM.
Otherwise, Carlisle/GM show this weekend. :-) |
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