We were talking about 73 Pontiacs and this was cool.

[SteveSS]

This is from Hagerty. 2nd Gen Chargers were down 12% but I think they were talking about the ultra-high-end Chargers. The Can Am was a reincarnated 73 Grand Am. Unfortunately, someone broke the mold for the rear spoiler and they didn't make very many Can Ams, very cool though. We have two G/As one is under construction and the other is pretty rough.

1977 Pontiac LeMans Can Am +40%​

Mecum
The muscle car era may have come to an end by the early 1970s, choked to death figuratively by insurance costs and literally by smog regulations. But that didn’t mean auto manufacturers didn’t try to keep the party going. A plethora of cars with sporty graphics packages and aerodynamics kits started to hit the market shortly after, bringing us hits such as the Dodge Magnum, Chevy Laguna and the Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds. The undisputed king of 1970s sports packages, however was Pontiac. Best known for the Trans Am and its role in Smokey and the Bandit, they also brought about the sporty, mid-size Grand Am and, perhaps best of all, the limited run Can Am.

 

[demonram]

This is from Hagerty. 2nd Gen Chargers were down 12% but I think they were talking about the ultra-high-end Chargers. The Can Am was a reincarnated 73 Grand Am. Unfortunately, someone broke the mold for the rear spoiler and they didn't make very many Can Ams, very cool though. We have two G/As one is under construction and the other is pretty rough.

1977 Pontiac LeMans Can Am +40%​

View attachment 1504313Mecum
The muscle car era may have come to an end by the early 1970s, choked to death figuratively by insurance costs and literally by smog regulations. But that didn’t mean auto manufacturers didn’t try to keep the party going. A plethora of cars with sporty graphics packages and aerodynamics kits started to hit the market shortly after, bringing us hits such as the Dodge Magnum, Chevy Laguna and the Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds. The undisputed king of 1970s sports packages, however was Pontiac. Best known for the Trans Am and its role in Smokey and the Bandit, they also brought about the sporty, mid-size Grand Am and, perhaps best of all, the limited run Can Am.

Pontiacs we’re my favorite GMs.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

That there is my favorite Pontiac

 

[RemCharger]

Haha somehow we jumped from SD TAs to these things. Stretching it for a Mopar site

 

[SteveSS]

I'm a car nut. I like all brands. I've often said I've never met a car I didn't like. This started with what 50-year-old (1973) I guess it morphed into this. Hey I gave a little B body price information at the beginning.

 

[Geoff 2]

Some trivia. Unfortunately, Pontiac were known for cheating:

[1] The famous Car & Driver road testing of a 64 Pontiac GTO v the Ferrari GTO [ The Pontiac won ]. Years later it was discovered that the Pon had a 421 engine in it, not the 389. 421 was never available in the GTO.
[2] 1968. I believe it was C&D again [ I have the magazine somewhere ]. Comparison of the bare bones, factory stock, Econo racers. Chev, Ferd, Pontiac, Chrys. The Chrys Hemi won quickest 1/4 mile, Pontiac disqualified for having modified ign.
[3] Road tests of the 1973 Pontiac 455 SD. Road testers were given cars with the RA4 cam. Cars sold to the public had the less powerful RA3 cam because the RA 4 did not pass emissions.

 

[chargervert]

Pontiac was well known for giving the magazines cars that were ringers!

 

[PlymCrazy]

A plethora of cars...

Thanks, that means a lot to me

 

[440 PHIXX]

Good looking cars the ‘77 Can Am. The California ones got the crappy Olds 403. At least the 49 state versions got the “better” Pontiac 400 called T/A 6.6 from the Trans Am. I used to goof on my brother… he had a ‘75 Trans Am 400 turbo 350. He put header side pipes on it but I think it had a 2.76 rear in it. Oh, and 7.5 to 1 compression with all of 180 HP. But, in ‘75 it was slim pickin’s. The E bodies were gone, the Javelin/AMX was gone, the Z/28 was gone, the “Charger” was a Cordoba. You could still get a 400 BB in the Fury “road runner”, and that may have been the T/A’s only real competitor as a muscle car. 1975 was a **** year.

 

[440 PHIXX]

Pontiac owned the “muscle car” segment from 1977-1979. In 1979 alone, Pontiac sold 116,000 Trans Ams. That’s not including Firebirds, Formulas and Esprits. To put that into perspective Chrysler made less E body Barracudas in 5 model years. That includes Hemis, Six Packs, Convertibles, 318’s all of them.

 

[Ron H]

A lot of Pontiacs I liked, owning several btw family and me. Got my license in my dad’s 63 GP with trip-power setup (another story how I gave the tester mini-whiplash due to a throttle hesitation we later fixed dropping vacuum advance). Five GTO’s and another GP all pre-70’s, later had a 6000. Later yet, company rides I had for a while was a Grand Am and a Sunbird. Fun little rides. When the Cuda/Challenger came out, can’t say there’s another car’s looks I liked better. Had one of each. They were late to the stage after the Firebird and Camaro. Not enough were made making them gold now.

MO, long span of meh cars after 73 with some nicer ones btw. A lot of them got grampa looking given safety reg’s while the big-3 tried to figure it out. Look at a 70 vs 74 Torino as an example. But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

 

[440 PHIXX]

A lot of Pontiacs I liked, owning several btw family and me. Got my license in my dad’s 63 GP with trip-power setup (another story how I gave the tester mini-whiplash due to a throttle hesitation we later fixed dropping vacuum advance). Five GTO’s and another GP all pre-70’s, later had a 6000. Later yet, company rides I had for a while was a Grand Am and a Sunbird. Fun little rides. When the Cuda/Challenger came out, can’t say there’s another car’s looks I liked better. Had one of each. They were late to the stage after the Firebird and Camaro. Not enough were made making them gold now.

MO, long span of meh cars after 73 with some nicer ones btw. A lot of them got grampa looking given safety reg’s while the big-3 tried to figure it out. Look at a 70 vs 74 Torino as an example. But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

Even more jarring… look at the great looking ‘72 Gran Torino front end… then check out the ‘73.

 

[Dennis H]

Wow. Sad. Guess they did what they had to do.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Pontiac owned the “muscle car” segment from 1977-1979. In 1979 alone, Pontiac sold 116,000 Trans Ams. That’s not including Firebirds, Formulas and Esprits. To put that into perspective Chrysler made less E body Barracudas in 5 model years. That includes Hemis, Six Packs, Convertibles, 318’s all of them.

Not in 78, the Lil Red Express truck was the fastest.

 

[chargervert]

Don't be disrespecting the LRT! They all got spanked by my pickup! Lol

 

[440 PHIXX]

Not in 78, the Lil Red Express truck was the fastest.

The NHRA factored the W72 400 at 250 HP. And yes Dodge did a great job using that loophole to bring a performance engine into production. But sales #’s aren’t even close. And that’s why I said Pontiac owned that market. I had a ‘79 Dodge W200 Club Cab. It was a truck, not a muscle car, no matter what engine was in it.

 

[Ron H]

more jarring

Exactly what I'm thinking..

 

[Davefinan]

That 73 CanAm is pretty rare. Since the mid nineties I kept an eye out for one to restore if I could get it cheap enough.
never happened and too late now.
good looking car for 73 though

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Don't be disrespecting the LRT! They all got spanked by my pickup! Lol

View attachment 1504559

View attachment 1504560

I wasn’t disrespecting yours, mine, or the other 2,000 LRE that were the quickest American vehicle in 78. I was disrespecting the inferior TA, corvette, Camaro, and the god awful sorry excuse for a Mustang that was out at that time. Lil Red was faster than all, but the gm guys are too butt hurt to admit a truck was faster

 

[440 PHIXX]

Funny this thread becoming quickest car in 1978. Kinda like who was the hottest “golden girl”. Pontiac made the most $’s. They sold the most “performance” cars. Even if 90% of the ‘79 Trans Ams were powered by the siamese cylinder 403 Olds.