Land Yacht or Muscle Car: 1973 Pontiac LeMans
The automotive industry was undergoing a lot of change in 1973. The A body LeMans was replaced with the new colonnade body style. Pat L. found this example for sale here on Craigslist. The LeMans is located in Los Angeles, California and listed for sale for $6,000. The car is said to be in running condition and has had some recent suspension work. The front bumper was missing when the current owner bought the car so what looks like a truck bumper was bolted in its place.
The car is said to have 93k miles and be equipped with a Pontiac V8 engine. However, the engine size is not mentioned in the description. Factory literature on the Pontiac LeMans states that the 350 cubic inch engine was offered with a 2 barrel carburetor that provided 150 horsepower from the factory in 1973. The optional engines for the LeMans were a 400 cubic inch V8 with two-barrel carburetor (170 horsepower), a 400 cubic inch V8 with four-barrel carburetor (230 horsepower ), and a 455 cubic inch V8 with four-barrel carburetor (250 horsepower).
The interior is as rough as the exterior with torn seats and a cracked dash panel. The other surfaces inside the LeMans show fading and sun damage. The LeMans has an automatic transmission that is shifted from the column. The seller has bought new keys for the ignition and doors but not installed them. The ad states the car does not have any rust except on the body panels. The engine compartment indicates surface rust and neglect throughout.
This LeMans is riding on factory 15×7 Rally II wheels and black wall tires. This one is going to need a lot of work but at least it is drivable. The black vinyl top looks new but there are no up close pictures. All in all, this appears to be buying someone else’s problems as the ad clearly states that not much work has been done.
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Comments
I’m guessing that since trucks are more popular than
cars nowadays,the seller thought that bumper would
help it sell quickly.
Since turn signals aren’t used these days, why include them now ?
Honestly Pontiac brought out the most stylish of the GM bodies in my opinion. Don’t know the body code, but this is the Cutlass, Skylark, Malibu. Great lines !
Even if this came with 250HP, no one back in the day would refer to one of these as a muscle car. Thats like referring to “Journey” as a rock and roll band.
Unless it got the planned sd-455 motor – but it only wound up in T/A’ s & a handful of formulas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rveOLEUhkMk
I always liked the collanade body styles from 73 to 77.Had many a 73 malibu.The one I regret selling was a 73 factory power bench seat 4 speed, positraction, rear sway bar,power windows ,tilt and ac.light yellow with black stripes and a factory 454.
I forgot it was an SS too.Sold it for 1300 about 35 40 years ago.
I owned a 73 Lemans in 1975. Mine was the 400 4 speed with the 4 barrel and dual exhaust. It was pretty quick for the day, considering all the “safety and new EPA requirements reducing horsepower. But for some reason I always had issues with throwout bearings l.
This car was for sale in Burbank 5 years ago. Some movie car rental place, owner was a total tool. Overpriced then, overpriced now.
Don’t forget that Buick still made a GS 455 so muscle was around just not as much muscle
Neither land yacht nor muscle car, but nice lines…minus the balance beam front bumper.
What could have been! & ck out this incredibly rare air cleaner!
https://www.pontiacv8.com/blog/2022/11/18/found-the-only-1973-super-duty-455-grand-am-produced
Remember these well. At least they did a little design work on these to blend the dinner table front bumper. Very nice!!
All the comments on the bumper from people who think they know whats going on in that picture and ignorant to their own ignorance…that is the under bumper not an added on one that is wrongly assumed by the typical keyboard warrior loudmouths….it’s what the chrome part attaches too.(Go look up the model on google). and house the blinker lights. They are inside the grill for now till i locate a new bumper. And yeah no cosmetics had been done so its only what you narrow blinders types can see is all you know.
Its a solid derivable car with no frame rust at all. And yeah some pictures of all that would be better so the karens wont sh¡t post.
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