COPO Anders' Swedish LeMans !

[Belair62]

For a couple of years now, my friend Hans Olsson and I have been trying to buy a # 512 shortblock from a guy in northern Sweden. Recently when we were about to close the deal on the 427. he all of a sudden asked me if we were interested in buying his fathers car, a 1971 Le Mans. That´s how I got in touch with Allan Ogren, who bought the car in 1975 with 3700 miles on the odometer
.The Le Mans was bought brand new by a Mr A. Goransson from Rattvik, Sweden. He travelled a lot and for some reason he ended up buying the car at Myrtle Motors in N.Y. It was immediately shipped to Sweden, and was registered here on June 15, 1971. The car was to be used by his girlfriend, I have been told.
During the thirty years Allan Ogren owned this car he drove 96.000 miles with it. If you exclude one winter, he only drove it in the summer time and only on paved roads. The hitch was put on the car in 1976 and was used to trailer a mobile home. 99% of the paint is still original, but a clear coat of lacquer was applied by Allan after he got the car. As can be seen on the buildsheet and the car itself, there are a number of options. Nothing high-performance though. The AM-FM radio works fine but I haven´t tried the tapeplayer yet. The interior is still very good. A small part of the seam in the backseat is gone, but that is all we can find.
The engine in this car has it´s own story. In 1969 Allan bought a used Ram Air III 1969 GTO. During the first winter, while driving in the countryside, he met a truck loaded with timber on a narrow road. To avoid being hit by the truck, he steered off the road and hit a stone. The front part of the frame got twisted and the engine was never to run again. As a replacement he ordered a new longblock. Intake, pulleys, alternator etc. was taken from the R A III. Thanks to Da Judge, GTO DON and others on this forum, I now know it was a Ram Air II service replacement engine he ordered. Since he couldn´t straighten the frame properly, he sold the GTO with a 350 engine under the hood, and put the R A II in storage. Ten years later, when the Le Mans had something like 60.000 miles on the odometer, he pulled the 350 engine and trans and gave the NOS Ram Air II a new home under the hood of the Le Mans. He had some fun with it, but never really raced the car. Mainly because of the 2.78:1 rearend gear ratio. After having put 35.000 miles on his R A II engine, he rebuilt it totally in 1995. After that he drove the car less than 3500 miles in ten years, and never faster than 55 miles / hour, he told me.
Here in Sweden it is really unusual to find an unrestored car in this condition. We plan on preserving, as well as having fun with it. I am sure it will get some attention at the events that we will attend with it.

Best regards
Anders Stalklint
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMans-71002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMansmotor037.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMansmotor035.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMansmotor034.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMansmotor029.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMansmotor026.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMansmotor025.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMansmotor022.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeMansmotor021.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_bilen005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/LeMans-71.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/x%205-16-05%20Anders%20LeMans/tn_LeManswindowsticker.jpg

[Chevy454]

That tape player is a MONSTER! And check out the trailer hitch... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[MosportGreen66]

Hey Anders--
You got some nice cars! I would strap on some radials and Firebird style Ralleys and you'll have a sweet sleeper!

[mockingbird812]

Anders,

Nice paint! Is that a painted roof? Very http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif Thanks for the great story.

Sam

[Xplantdad]

I agree with Sam...Anders. That car is in remarkable shape for being in Sweden it's whole life....What a sleeper! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[Belair62]

Cool car...I didn't realize it had a painted 2 tone going on...and just to clarify...the fellow pictured with the car is NOT Anders but it is Allan Ogren the previous 30 year owner !

[mike s]

very nice old grocery getter that breathes fire http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[mockingbird812]

Here is another Framingham built car with the notorious "cut" buildsheet. This was discussed a few weeks back and someone had mentioned that they had seen several examples of Chevelles from the "G" factory with the left most third of the buildsheet apparently cut like Anders. My '69 L78 also presents this way. It appears that this was a local practice/habit for whatever reason. Would love to know why.

Sam

[SamLBInj]

Oh its a car http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif I thought you said Swedish massage http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

[COPO_Anders]

Thank you guys.
Finding an unrestored American car in this condition here in Sweden with 99.000 miles on it, is unbelievable. When I realized how well Allan had taken care of this car, there was no turning back.
The mess under the hood will be taken care of by Hans and his friends in Hyltebruk. I spoke to him at noon today, and he thought it would be on the road again in a couple of weeks. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gifThat Ram Air II is a mean bastard !

Mosport.. I agree fully, the original steel wheels will be substituted for something with better looks and handling !

I have never before seen a car from the early seventies with original two-tone paint. Was it unusual back then, or have most of those cars just been repainted in one colour?

Anders

[Belair62]

2 tone is pretty unusual.

[Donutblue]

That car is sweet, a good collection of tapes must be nearby as well.

[Supercar_Kid]

It seems two-tone paint schemes were becoming very fashionable towards the early to mid 70's. I've alway found these factory built two-tone '72 Elco's to be pretty interesting. I can't say I've ever even seen one in person, but it appears to have been a trail baloon of sorts for the two-tone paint/moulding design that would be incorporated into the '73 ElCamino bodystyle. Anyone got a factory documented two-tone 69 Camaro w/ a painted top?
Two-Tone ElCamino (http://chevelles.com/elcamino/weeks_ec.htm)

[tom406]

You find many examples of painted roofs in the late 50's early 60's, before vinyl roofs came on the scene. Also rooflines were more defined. Most I've come across were like my '63 Galaxie, which was delivered to the Phoenix AZ sales district with a white painted top on its burgandy body. I've seen several examples from AZ/CA areas where white tops were ordered to minimize heat soak from the sun. Ford had a large number of two tone paint combinations available that year, and I wish my car had been specified with the same Rose Beige paint on top as the interior color. As it is, I repainted it all burgandy, as the white just didn't go with anything else on the car.

Though it would appear there was an effort to keep offering two tones in the early '70's, I would think most people so inclined would have opted for the vinyl tops to achieve the same effect. Also, I've always thought '68-'72 A-bodies, the very similarly shaped '70-up Dusters and Demons, and other cars with Coke Bottle shapes and flowing C-pillar designs look awkward with that artificial break of chrome trim and color in the middle of that sweeping C-pillar.

I'm always pleasantly surprised by the strong American car culture in the Scandinavian countries. I half expect to find an American Automotive Restoration section when I go to IKEA.

[bad1racing]

Cool looking car. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gifI bought a 72 Nova AZ. car 350/350,A/C,tinted glass that had code 43green body with a white painted top.Build sheet on top of the gas tank confirmed it was ordered that way.Shouldn't have sold that one. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hmmm.gif Oh well water under the bridge.
Kendall

[SamLBInj]

[ QUOTE ]
2 tone is pretty unusual.

[/ QUOTE ]
A buddy of mine had a 64 olds F85, Blue with white painted roof, ill look for a picture.

[Ozark]

Sweet Pontiac! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif Amazing condition considering the mileage and climate it's been in. Those 2.78:1 cogs would have to go though. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[mockingbird812]

[ QUOTE ]
Here is another Framingham built car with the notorious "cut" buildsheet. This was discussed a few weeks back and someone had mentioned that they had seen several examples of Chevelles from the "G" factory with the left most third of the buildsheet apparently cut like Anders. My '69 L78 also presents this way. It appears that this was a local practice/habit for whatever reason. Would love to know why.

Sam

[/ QUOTE ]

For those keeping score, came across another "G" built car with what appears to be their characteristic signature 1/3rd "cut" build sheet. This is a '69 GTO Judge. Nice docs on this car BTW including a full buildsheet that escaped the torture:



<font color="green"> '69 Verdoro Grn Judge (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pontiac-GTO-JUDGE-Documented-Original-Judge-Ram-Air-III_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ7244QQitemZ46076312 11QQrdZ1) </font>

[Keith Tedford]

That monster tape player is a cassette deck. Pretty new for the time. Any idea what the unit is off the passenger side of the engine?

[COPO_Anders]

Keith, that´s a gas driven engine-heater. You need it if you want to start the engine when it´s way below freezing-point. I assume that kind of stuff is used in Canada as well.
I have taken it out of the car.

[Belair62]

I was hoping you would answer Anders...how the heck did it work ???

[PeteLeathersac]

Really nice car Anders! . Where's the pics of your Oshawa export '67 big Chevy....and the rest of the flock? ~ Pete

[COPO_Anders]

Hi, I have a question about dating the front fenders on this car. The left one is stamped:2A25B71 and the right one:11B2G76. What do the stamped numbers and letters mean ? I think the right front fender was replaced in -76 or -77.

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif

[parkbrau]

If no one can assist, I would try the Pontiac Historical society. http://www.phs-online.com/

[COPO_Anders]

Thanks for the reply John. I thought there would be enough Pontiac guys around to get the answer on this site. We´ll see.

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif