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Pontiac didn't make a GTO Convertible in 1972... or did they?

The GTO started life as an option package on the 1964 Pontiac Tempest. By the following year, the GTO was its own model, separate from the Tempest. However, in 1972, the GTO went back to being an option package rather than a separate model line. In the meantime, the Le Mans had replaced the Tempest in Pontiac's line-up. So for 1972-73, the GTO was an option package on the Le Mans.

In 1972, the GTO option was only offered on the hardtop Le Mans - there was no 1972 GTO Convertible. However, one could order the 1972 Le Mans Sport Convertible with any of the three GTO engines and the "Endura" option. This was the name Pontiac has given to its new plastic collision-resistant bumper that was introduced on the 1968 GTO. Its unique look defined the GTO style for many years. On the 1972 model year, the Endura option gave the Le Mans the GTO front bumper, hood, and body moldings; and deleted all of the "Le Mans" badging. Making it what many people call the "GTO in all but name."

The Good

This is a one-owner car. It comes with exceptional provenance including the original window sticker, owner's manual, dealer's invoice, option sheet, etc. (see photos).
Even though it is currently in New Hampshire, this is a California car. It was originally purchased there and spent the majority of it's life there. As a result, there are no major rust problems.
When the original mufflers were replaced some time ago, they were replaced with dual Cherry Bombs. Other than that one item, this car is 100% original. No other aftermarket parts, tweaks, or modifications of any kind. You could not ask for a better platform for a restoration project.
The 1972 Le Mans Sport Convertible with the Endura option is somewhere between rare and very rare. Pontiac only made 3,438 Le Mans convertibles in total that year. It is not clear how many were ordered with the Endura option, but it is definitely less than a couple hundred and could be as few as 20 to 30. How many of those are still on the road? Not very many!
While this car is being sold mainly as restoration project, it is a completely road-worthy, running, and licensed car right now. You could have great fun driving it just as it is.

The Bad

This is not a museum piece - it has been driven for nearly 40 years and shows it in some areas:
There is some surface rust. Nothing major, and all areas that are classic problems for this car, like the corners of the trunk and trunk lid, are near perfect (see photos).
There is some chipping of the paint near the front bumper and peeling of the clear coat in spots.
The upholstery has several tears and worn spots.
The transmission leaks. Most likely the rear seal needs replacement. The leak is not excessive and regular topping off with fluid takes care of it.

The Ugly

The convertible top needs replacement. The mechanism is still good, it goes up and down electrically with no problems, but the vinyl is torn and the rear window (which is actually glass on this car) is entirely missing.

Auto Services in New Hampshire

Turbo Lube ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Auto Oil & Lube

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Phone: (978) 772-4454

Swat Automotive Service Inc ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service

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Phone: (978) 454-1963

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Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Mufflers & Exhaust Systems

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Phone: (978) 458-8499

Lancaster Auto Sales ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers

Address: 475 Main St, Lancaster

Phone: (603) 788-2886

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Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Tire Dealers

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Auto blog

Junkyard Gem: 2003 Pontiac Grand Am GT 30th Anniversary Edition

Mon, May 29 2023

With the era of the 1960s-style muscle car ended by the ever-more-stringent emissions regulations, insurance costs and higher gasoline prices of the early 1970s, GM's Pontiac Division was ready with a lineup of flash-enhanced machines packed with (alleged) European-style performance and styling. Three of them were based on the midsize A Platform for 1973: the LeMans, the Grand Prix and the brand-new Grand Am. The 1973 Grand Am was cheaper than the luxed-up Grand Prix, but still had a BMW-ish interior and wild exterior styling; sales weren't great, but the 30th anniversary of this car seemed sufficiently momentous for Pontiac to create a special-edition package for its soon-to-be-axed successor. Here's one of these rare machines, spotted recently in a Denver car graveyard. The original rear-wheel-drive Grand Am was built for the 1973-1975 and 1978-1980 model years, but its similarity to the much cheaper LeMans kept sales numbers unimpressive. When the Grand Am name was revived for a Pontiac-badged compact on the front-drive N Platform in the 1985 model year, however, it became a big seller right away and stayed that way into our current century. The N-Body Grand Am was built through 2005, with platform updates for the 1992 and 1999 model years. Along the way, it was sibling to such cars as the Oldsmobile Calais, Buick Somerset, Chevrolet Beretta and Oldsmobile Alero. By 2003, though, the ground was shifting under Pontiac's feet. The iconic Firebird had been discontinued the previous year, and even the Grand Prix's days were officially numbered. Oldsmobile would be gone after 2004, and the entire Pontiac vehicle lineup would be shaken up soon after. The last year for the Grand Am (and the Sunfire) would be 2005, with the G6 taking its place. With all that going on,Â why not offer a 30th Anniversary package? After all, the Grand Prix got a 40th Anniversary Edition for 2002. Our reviewer described this car as "leaner, trimmer and more contemporary" at the time, but made no mention of the 30th Anniversary Edition. The VIN says this car is a top-grade GT1 sedan, with an MSRP of $22,325 (that's about $39,920 in 2023 dollars). Two engines were available in the 2003 Grand Am: a 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder with 140 horsepower and a 3.4-liter pushrod V6 with either 170 or 175 horsepower. This car has the 175-horse V6, complete with "Ram Air" cold-air induction. That name goes way back in Pontiac history.

Looking back at Oprah's free-car giveaway 10 years later

Fri, 12 Sep 2014

Oprah kicked off her 19th season in dramatic fashion by giving all 276 members of the studio audience a free car.
Molly Vielweber's Pontiac G6 appears unremarkable at first glance. It wears forest green paint, rolls on five-spoke aluminum wheels, and it has a sizeable scrape in the driver's side door, the scar of a decade's worth of hard use. You wouldn't notice it parked at a big box store or cruising on the highway. Pontiac made hundreds of thousands of G6s in the 2000s, and a lot are still on the road. It's unremarkable in every way except for the front license plate, which reads, "Oprah 6."

GM recalling 778,000 Cobalts and G5s, six deaths reported

Thu, 13 Feb 2014

General Motors has announced that it will be recalling 778,562 compact cars after six people were killed in accidents, partially due to the airbags' failure to deploy. An issue with the ignition switch is causing the airbag issues, as well as causing the engine and other components to shut off without warning. The recall covers the 2005 to 2007 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007 Pontiac G5. (Note that the Cobalt pictured above is a 2009 model.)
According to a report from Automotive News, a number of factors can cause the ignition to switch out of the run position, including weights on the key ring, rough or bumpy roads or other "jarring" events. Any of these situations could lead to some vehicle components not functioning properly.
There have been five fatal front-impact crashes that took the lives of six people, although as a GM spokesman noted, all five of the crashes happened off road and at high speed. In each of these cases, though, the lack of airbags wasn't the only lethal factor - alcohol and failure to wear a seat belt also played a role. Outside of the fatal accidents, there have been 17 other crashes where airbags didn't deploy. It's unclear if any of these crashes were caused by the engine shutting off.

1972 Pontiac Lemans Sport Convertible on 2040-cars