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Old 12-08-2012, 03:50 PM
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Default 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

There are a lot of cars on here that you can buy at any given time - even rare ones that if you woke up one morning and decided you HAD to have one, you could find one for sale. Then there are cars that were produced in such small numbers and have such low survivability that only a handful of people could at any time claim to own one....this is one of those cars.

In 1972, for whatever reason, Pontiac would not allow you to build a GTO Convertible. Judges were removed from the option list mid-year in 1971 so to build a real top flight Pontiac - you had to know your way through the options sheet. Production of HO convertibles was low with only 33 total being produced. Of those, 7 were Lemans GT's and 26 were Lemans Sports. We only have a breakdown on the GT production with 2 being built as 4spds and 5 automatics - no breakdown on the other 26 exists, but using the same ratio we could expect 8 4spds and 18 automatics, similar in ratio to the 70 & 71 Judge convertible production. According to Dan Jensen who's been tracking these for a few decades and Jim Mattison at PHS only 12 of the total 33 are known to exist - 3 GT's (all automatics) and 9 of the Sports, 5 of those being automatic and 4 being 4spds.

Ordering the 455HO engine in an A-body in 72 forced some mandatory options. The T-41 Endura option (GTO hood, fenders and front bumper), RAM AIR, a 12 bolt rear axle and the new for 72 Unitized Ignition - checking off the box for a 4spd got you an M-22, there was no other choice. Although only available on GTO's in coupe or hardtop form, you could order your ultimate HO in a Lemans Convertible. That’s how this car got started but luckily for us, the walk through the order form didn't end there!

Normal options like power steering and power brakes were ordered, as were the performance oriented ones like in-dash gauges & ride/handling package. Honeycomb wheels, custom interior, body color sport mirrors and vinyl stripes helped in the appearance department and for comfort you got Air Conditioning, Power Windows, Power Seat and Tilt Wheel. A stereo radio made its way in and so did the stereo 8 track in fact when everything was said & done 35 options were checked off on the list making it the most optioned HO Lemans Convertible known to have survived.

This car was built in December of 1971 at the Pontiac Assembly plant where all convertibles were built and was shipped to its selling dealership in Kissimmee Florida. It is believed to have spent its entire life there as past titles show it being there back into the 80's. In the 41 years since, the car has only received one repaint, still wearing every rust free body panel it left the factory with. It has lived a well-cared for life and retains every numbers matching drive line component including the complete engine with carb & distributor, transmission and rear axle. It shows as a survivor should - honestly wearing marks and character picked up through the years. I purchased it a little over a year ago from Merritt Island and had it shipped here to Connecticut.

I honestly don’t know what the value on this car is but would have to think it is somewhere in the RA III Judge convertible range ($125,000-$185,000) not cheap, but not RA IV Judge Convertible barn find money either. My goals are changing and although this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, I’ve decided to sell the car and would like to do so before the end of the year (fiscal cliff & all that BS!). I’ll price it at $150,000 and let whoever’s interested make what offers they think are reasonable. I’ll consider partial trades but ultimately will need the majority in cash for what I want to do. There are a couple videos of the car on YouTube and that should give you an idea of how she runs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMuZDyFX3j8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlYJYY01kdE

You are more than welcome to come see & inspect the car or have a representative do so on your behalf. Please e-mail me [email protected] if you have any questions, include your phone number so I can call you back. Thanks, Chris.






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Old 12-08-2012, 04:39 PM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

HOLY &@%$! That is one amazing car.

You beat me: you have one more option than my Firebird has: 35 vs 34. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

That is an incredible piece of iron. One of the rarest 455HO cars that was ever made. In the best color, too.

Best of luck on the sale.
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Old 12-08-2012, 09:43 PM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

I worked at that Pontiac plant in 71 and through 73 as a General Motors Institute co-op student (6 weeks at the plant, 6 weeks in Flint at school)

I was fascinated by the &quot;cool&quot; cars as they went down the line, all the purple coded parts meant a &quot;good&quot; one ... 4 speeds too, I may have seen this one being built, can't remember though ...

I was there for the buildout of the 72's and noticed that the last of the convertibles were all going to Florida and a dealer in Las Vegas and they were LOADED, nearly $5k sticker or more like this one

It seemed odd to me that so many were going to Las Vegas, knowing how small that town was back then ...

It also seemed odd that all of the convertibles were nearly fully loaded with options too ...

OK, back to this century, awesome car, good luck with the sale ...
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Old 12-09-2012, 04:19 AM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

Why does it have a GTO sticker on the side if its a Lemans. Back in the day when I was a kid I street raced a 71 GTO HO 455 that had just had extensive work done at the local speed shop with my 66 Vette 427-425. I snuffed it.
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Old 12-09-2012, 11:56 AM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: frankk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Why does it have a GTO sticker on the side if its a Lemans. Back in the day when I was a kid I street raced a 71 GTO HO 455 that had just had extensive work done at the local speed shop with my 66 Vette 427-425. I snuffed it. </div></div>

I'm sure you did - you kind of had him killed in the power/weight ratio! I'd be disappointed if you didn't.

The GTO stickers are no longer on it - they came off within the first week of my getting it but it's a real good question. Somewhere in it's ownership somebody decided it was the elusive 1 of 1 GTO convertible that so many publications have claimed were built in 1972. Other than the Pontiac nameplates on the front grill, dash, and deck lid, there are no emblems or nameplates of any kind in or on the car. In an old picture I have of the car taken prior to it's paint job you can see the decals were there.

Paul Zazarine wrote a column in Musclecar Review about the car back in 1999 when it was in Hemmings listed as a GTO convertible as he had been chasing the rumor for years as well. Turns out the car does not have the W62 GTO option and no evidence has ever surfaced that in fact 1 was ever built - we've all been chasing a ghost.


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Old 12-09-2012, 06:15 PM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

Has any of the GTO wagons shown up yet?
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Old 12-09-2012, 07:21 PM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fast67VelleN2O</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Has any of the GTO wagons shown up yet? </div></div>

That's another rumor that's never been substantiated although many of the Lemans Sport wagons were built with the $41.00 Endura front end option (GTO nose) so a couple of emblems later and you were all set.
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Old 12-10-2012, 12:35 AM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

There was an original 455 ho 4speed convertible
Le Mans in the Boston area owned and bought
By a woman new the car needs a total resto
It was blue with black Interior and top
Unitized ignition
The car needed a total resto
Frame ect rusted out car
Was sold fell off the face of the earth
Buddy that found it wanted to buy it to
Strip it out .....this was about 12 years ago
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Old 12-10-2012, 09:13 AM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

Our '72 Lemans Sport had the &quot;Lemans Sport&quot; emblems on the front fenders. I believe the '71 had them on the rear part of the quarter panel. I would think that this car has been massaged a little. Beautiful colour scheme just the same. The '72 had a slightly massaged '70 455. It was considerably quicker than our L78 Chevelle but wouldn't have been a match for the COPO car and definitely not be in the L72 Corvette league. It really isn't worth bragging about to beat a car that weighs a thousand pounds more and has a lot less hp too.
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Old 12-10-2012, 11:15 AM
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Default Re: 1972 455 HO/4spd Lemans Sport Convertible For Sale

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Keith Tedford</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Our '72 Lemans Sport had the &quot;Lemans Sport&quot; emblems on the front fenders. I believe the '71 had them on the rear part of the quarter panel. I would think that this car has been massaged a little.</div></div>

Keith, I appreciate your input but you are incorrect. The regular nose Lemans Sports did have the script on the fenders behind the wheel but the Endura nosed cars did not as the air extractors behind the front wheels would have interfered with their location. You will also note the 455 emblems forward on the fender are specific to the 455 models only - all others (350-400) had the engine call-outs on the rocker molding at the heel of the front fenders.

In fact, take a look at the green automatic 455HO that Nickey sold - no emblems there.

http://www.nickeychicagoinc.com/1972...sport-455-h-o/

Also, the 72 HO was vastly different from the 70 455. The 72 had the round port heads vs the 70's d-ports, had an aluminum intake vs the cast iron one in 70 and had lower compression to comply with the newer federal &amp; corporate mandates. A minor cam change and a thinner head gasket and these engines wake up nicely - properly set up 71 &amp; 72 HO's in Pure Stock are pulling 12 second quarter times on a regular basis. My 71 GT-37 with a 455HO/T400/3:08 12 bolt with a 12&quot; no stall converter is pulling 13.60's on Wide Ovals and I'm just getting started with it.
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Some guys come home from work and wash up,
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