Nearly
250,000 1973 Pontiac LeMans/Grand Am were built, some 16% over the previous
(1970) reshape. This was below its GM siblings, and probably due to its
jelly bean shape at the rear, which apparently wasn’t appropriate to be fitted
with the formal roof that boosted sales for the Buick and Oldsmobile
intermediates. Besides, it had the Grand Prix. Pontiac then inserted a formal-look window in
its semi-fastback roof for the Luxury LeMans the next year, which was optional
for the Sport Coupe and by 1975 also for the sporty Grand Am. By 1976 it
became standard in the base LeMans.
However, in 1977 the production was down to a mere 80,000 units.
The
1975 Grand LeMans had a hood ornament and the full line received rectangular
headlights by 1976, when the relatively slow selling Grand Am was
deleted. The Grand Prix, on the 4-door wheelbase, and with a real formal
roof, of course was the true favorite of Pontiac’s intermediate line, selling a
whopping 8 times as much as the other Pontiac intermediate coupes in 1977. It is ironical that the 4 inches extra length
of the wheelbase was granted to the longer hood, rather than the interior room,
which was equal to the LeMans coupes.
Under
the skin:
At
first, nine engines were offered, ranging from the 250 Chevy 6-cylinder-in-line
to the Pontiac V8 455, expanded to eleven in 1974, when 4-barrel 350s were
added. This is without 2 Chevrolet 350 engines which were sold in
Canada. Then in 1975 the total number
was down to six when the catalytic converter restricted the use of dual
exhausts, but the usual four engine sizes remained. A 260 Oldsmobile
engine with available 5-speed came in for 1976, but was replaced the next year
by a 350-derived Pontiac 301 (5-liter).
A next Oldsmobile 403 engine replaced the Pontiac 455 as top choice, but
for 200 hp you had to opt for the Pontiac Can Am (sic). In 1977 as well, Pontiac chose to replace
their Chevrolet six by the more economical Buick V6. Including California and Canada, V8 350
engines were available from three manufacturers (Pontiac, Oldsmobile and
Chevrolet).
Power
brakes and power steering remained optional for the lesser models through
1977. 15-inch wheels with radial tires replaced the 14-inch wheels by
1975, but Canada held the 14” wheels for another year in the basic LeMans
models.
https://mjs.home.xs4all.nl/Pontiac%20LeMans.htm
https://mjs.home.xs4all.nl/Pontiac%20LeMans%20engines.htm