Big Old Pontiac Needs A Tune Up - 1975 Grand LeMans

Surprise! Not that we needed another project in the shop, but here we are. Danny’s relative just inherited this immaculate 1975 Pontiac Grand LeMans that we call the Big Kahuna. It needed some love and fine tuning to get it back on the road after 21 years! The car ain’t the prettiest but I think we all fell in love with it after we drove it. What a cruiser!
Let us know if you’d like to see us take on more short-term projects. Thanks for watching!!
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Tags:
#oreillypowered
#pontiac
#musclecar
Revival
Survivor
1975
Pontiac
400
455
Vinyl top
70s
Classic car
Project car
Car build
Original
General Motors
Lemans

[@dre4011]

OMG!!!!! MY GRANDPA'S CAR FROM WHEN I WAS A KID.....WAAAAYYYY BACK IN THE '80's!!!!!!!!!!

[@mikeocampo1516]

Liv...the look on your face. When you asked Danny if she'll take you for a ride, and he told you we'll have to test drive it...actual JAW-DROP !!

[@GnarlySpeedShop]

😆 I get way too excited about this stuff

[@floridaroadways]

I had a 1970 trans am with a 455 engine. It was 13 yrs old when I got it for $3900. Everything worked. I fixed the Ac.

[@teamkingproject9859]

Y'all are so funny. I was 14 in 1975, these cars were everywhere back then. What you need to complete the look is a Winston 100.

[@ivycycles]

Fun episode, this old lady likes it 🙂 I also just like that you guys enjoy cruising in classic cars, going to the beach, cooking, and just having fun.

[@billcobb9408]

that car is mint. I was a teen when that car was new. Its funny to see you guys reaction about it.

[@jasonfitch7977]

Just slide a Slayer shirt over the seat. It worked in the 80's and will work again today

[@Cradletothegrave67]

Gnarly Poncho is in the House !!! 😁 “BIG IRON”

[@davidwhitman9609]

My dad had a 76 with a straight 6 as a beater car. I wedged a block behind the Em brake release and used the parking brake pedal for 90 degree turns. Half the time the driver’s door would swing open into traffic. Exact same interior. Brings back memories.

[@rbwise1american976]

Olivia I dont think that you could be any cuter. You are for sure a ray of sunshine. Keep on being you.

[@Yotraj]

Big Fun! I was a mechanic back in the 70's / 80's and worked on these things. If you look under the hood, at the part of the hood that is right above the front of the AC compresor, right above the belt... if there's a stain on the underside of the hood... it comes from AC Oil coming our of the front seal being bad in the compressor. This style of compressor was famous for it. I'll bet I replaced 100 of those seals in just one year. Back in those days we had to replace the seal because buying another compressor cost an arm and a leg compared to a $30 seal.

[@GarciaVital]

After this I just saw a 75 lemans for sale on facebook marketplace lol. But I also found a 66 rivera with the 425 in it. Despite my crippling debt one WILL be purchased

[@MayhemAndGridlock]

I can tell you loved driving the car. You all looked great and Hats too. Great episode of the resurrection of the Grand LeMans!! With 58,000 original miles? Coooool.

[@Novaman66]

That Clint Eastwood movie music at the end “ Over the top cool!!!

[@CC_Top_Solutions]

I have a '73 Grand Am im evsntually going to have on my channel. Great cars!

[@glenn813]

Beautiful car love to have it

[@GTOFERN]

Yes, they put a 2 barrel on 400’s, made them surprisingly torquey and responsive.

[@McBuggs.]

The 2 bbl carb was the biggest one, no slouch... 13mpg city/19mpg hiway - Smiles Per Gallon!

[@BuzzLOLOL]

SBC 400 with 2 bbl. carb. had more HP and MPG than later SBC 400 with 4 bbl. carb... to fool people...

[@raymondtrotter4655]

This is good info. I'm looking at getting a 1970 Pontiac Catalina Coupe with an original 400sb in it. Thanks. Truck Driver Ray

[@BuzzLOLOL]

@@raymondtrotter4655 - '70 Pontiacs didn't come with SBC (small block Chevy) 400's... Pontiacs all the same, no small or big blocks... all just medium blocks... except for some low deck blocks...

[@erikalbertson7483]

I had a '73 LeMans Sport Coupe. Not nearly as nice as this one, but, I loved it ! Great car !

[@SwampersRC]

I had a '74 Grand Lemans in the '80s! I paid $100 for it and it was in as good condition as this one! Same colors, same interior, the front grill was a little different. Mine had a Pontiac 350/2bbl. I had installed a mild camshaft and the rear springs were worn out so I went to Midas and had their "load leveler" springs installed which gave it a slight rake. I loved that car!

[@kennyrichard2971]

Cool just love the Pontiacs

[@toddclark332]

I love seeing the old shoals in cars u got I love it ❤ Urban cowboy The movie , 🤘

[@curtlyon0303]

I just found your channel and admire your youthful ideas and enthusiasm, from a grumpy old dude

[@davroscaan1318]

Nothing better than a classic Pontiac! Beautiful original LeMans

[@raymondtrotter4655]

I'm a Pontiac owner, 1968 Pontiac Tempest Custom Coupe all original car. I really dig this car. You've all done well with the catchup maintenance on it. I have a name for the car and think it fit the bill. Her name is, " PMD Desert Cruiser". PMD PONTIAC MOTOR DIVISION. Enjoy your time with it. I'm looking at a 1970 Pontiac Catalina Coupe 400 CID all original for my next purchase in June 2023. Have fun. Thanks. Arkansas Truck Driver Ray

[@randyhoepker5528]

This LeMans reminds me of the many Pontiacs and Olds that I detailed as new and used cars back in the late 70s. The white paint and maroon interior was a popular color combo for cars in the mid 70s. The Pontiac 350 was a nice running motor in this period-a lot better than the Chevy 350. Same was true for the Olds 350. A couple of years later GM dropped the division specific motors in their lines., so you longer got a Olds or Pontiac motor in your Olds or Pontiac, but a GM motor. This car. Brought back a lot of memories of all the LeMans and big Pontiacs I got to pick up from the dealer and take back to the shop and detail. 😅 of course I got on all of them and tried them out.

[@BigElCat]

When you have a clock in place of a tachometer, you know you're supposed to cruise. That's a 2 barrel 400 V-8. Amazingly powerful for the era. The fastest I've ever gone in a car was a stock '73 Catalina with that very motor and transimission. It did have dual exhaust, but it went 138 MPH. Also, the Grand Lemans was basicly the successor of your '67 Tempest. They didn't share the same chassis, but family tree-wise, it's like the son, or grandson.

[@armondoborjas4362]

So yeah liv. Back then mid 70s comfortable cars still had HP great road cars. Gas was 49 cents a gallon 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😎 tires on that could come with 225/60/15s like vetts

[@OdySlim]

Awesome. What a nice car! Thanks & Regards from Ody Slim

[@Leo-DaGreek]

Dad traded the SJ in 1976 because he was racking to many tickets from DFW -To Corpus Cristy TX,I always remember him in the back of Smokey’s back seat,while getting a hand full of tickets!!,Bought a 76 Lincoln Mark 4 ,design label,no more tickets going back in forth to the Coast!! Mom wad happy & less stressful 🚀

[@kurtmckeone6578]

I also love the big old Pontiacs

[@robertstimsonreed7439]

Beautiful Car Love those Pontiacs.

[@Finnegan6674]

Beautiful car. Besides the missing sections of the door ding trim (I would get rid of it any way) The only thing I see wrong is the passenger door mirror class is missing. Damn I wish she was mine. Beautiful old school 70's car.

[@pinkladybikermamma3603]

NICE BOAT

[@nordland2235]

My friend had one in high school.....rode in it to many concerts back in the 70s. My sis had a Can Am....bought it new 455ci.

[@grand73am]

Can Am never came with a 455. Can Am was a 77 only, and only came with a 400, which is still good. The last year for 455 was 76, and then discontinued.

[@ronnievance6835]

You guys make even watching an oil change fun!

[@GnarlySpeedShop]

Haha thanks!

[@raymondtrotter4655]

Truck Driver Ray here. Yea, I was watching and trying to help her pull the ratchet 🤪 🤣

[@Leo-DaGreek]

Well ,I’m 57, I went to the showroom wi my Father in 1972 to pick up my mothers Grand Prix SJ Canary Yellow/Tan Vinyl top,Mags,air shocks on rear,Dual mufflers,Good year GT,,mom had the best car on thy block!!USMC🇺🇸2 years later the car was in for service the dealership gave us a Orange/white vinyl top Grand Lamas ,we took it to the lake for my Birthday party and we to several pictures of it and my parents friends drinking and having fun in the 70s🍿

[@donsmith8614]

Sweet 48 y/o ride, love to cruise around town in that!

[@gkanderson92]

Great video and quick project on the land cruiser. I'm not up on Hawaiian but I'm thinking it's the Grand la Mona.

[@davejordan5848]

Great stuff! Yes, definitely more...if you can find them. Classic Services 😊 Falling in love all over with all the old timers.

[@geoffblight6594]

I love these old cars

[@aereree]

Grand Lemans is an awesome cruiser, I miss mine. Name it Dolly

[@gotta56forme]

fun stuff, love the Pontiacs! Not to be THAT GUY..., just a friendly tip I thought I'd pass along a teachable moment: When you spilled the power steering fluid, filling the res... you could have avoided some/all of that by having the mouth of the fluid container at the top instead of rotated to the bottom. Having the spout at the top gives you more control over the pour. Good looking car!

[@dustyblack1855]

very cool, I normally don't like Vinyl tops, but that one is still in nice shape, and the fade on it looks so cool.

[@GnarlySpeedShop]

I agree!

[@grand73am]

I like those 73-77 GM a-body cars the best, particularly the Pontiacs. I have a 75 Lemans Sport Coupe and 73 Pontiac Grand Am. Also a 73 GTO and 73 Chevy El Camino. Used to have a 77 Malibu Classic too. As the young lady said, they're modern enough to have everything you need and often with power accessories, with roomy comfort. Mechanical parts are still readily available. And they have a better, improved chassis over previous years(72-older). So, they handle very well. They actually continued to use the same basic frame/suspension in the 77 and later Impala and Caprice up to 1990. The engines were down on power, but can be improved, if you're willing to do it. I enjoy the attention, since many people enjoy seeing the "old school" styling and want to talk about the car when I'm out and about.

[@splender88]

I'm jealous on all counts!

[@Leo-DaGreek]

She needs a cheater bar,Great content,My younger daughter needs to see this!!🇺🇸👍

[@davidmorgan5138]

Love this vehicle, it reminds me of a 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ model that I once owned. It was red with a white landau top with t-tops. It had a 400 engine with a 4bbl quadrajet carburetor which i often referred to as a 4x4. I'm a huge Pontiac fan and I love this video and especially this vehicle. Great job guys and keep up the good work....👍

[@lloyddowns9481]

Good looking old girl, one of my favorites was a 77 merc cougar 400 CID and all black

[@MrDeepwatermarine]

Olivia’s head was practically touching the sticker that would answer all questions about engine displacement and carburetor. My guess is a 4 bbl Rochester.

[@josephegon6058]

I had a 1973 Lemans my first car and I absolutely loved it wish I could get another one. In 1972 the Lemans and gto were almost completely identical in 73 they switched to what the 75 one looks like and if you notice the center of the hood look like the Pontiac emblem.

[@Fiftyx60]

I love seeing the California cars! Here in the midwest, that car would be so eaten up with road salt, that it would have likely ended up in the scrap pile years ago. There are just aren't many of those around anymore, but I can remember when they were everywhere, and while we never really thought of them as fast, they were certainly good looking.

[@waynehunter9133]

HEY, oil or antifreeze etc., Turn your container sideways so you can get it closer to the inlet if not using a funnel. The flexible metal hose on the breather is the heat riser helps to warm up the choke on old cars.

[@robhughes6377]

Love the short nice ride, more would be great

[@thruitallauto2538]

She looked like Debra winger in urban cowboy, with that cowboy hat on

[@pavelsanchez9606]

Very good car. And you guys look good in that car q is like history of the past

[@grand73am]

75 was the first year for the catalytic converter, so the exhaust dumped from the 2 pipes off the engine exhaust manifolds into a single catalytic converter with single exhaust out the back. Cats at the time were too expensive to make them with true dual exhaust with 2 cats. Good find on the cracked vacuum hoses. It's a good idea to change all the fuel line connector rubber hoses on the car to new ethanol compatible fuel hose. The old rubber can deteriorate and leak due to the ethanol in the gas.

[@79tazman]

I use to have a red on red 1974 LeMans GT it was a big car but it drove great it had a 400 in it I know the Grand Lemans was more luxury compared to the sporty GT models but it's a car that in my area you never see anymore.

[@DanielLopez-tb2fl]

Cute how she digs her '75 . Memphis Dan LeLoLai

[@bruceshook1781]

Olivia, i love Pontiacs. My 67 GTO got 16 mpg on hwy. Among others i had 76 le Mans wagon for family car. Cant beat Pontiac!

[@magnus9165]

I bought a brand news 1975 Pontiac LeMans Sport Coupe on 12 Sept 1974.

[@grand73am]

I always like the 75 Sport Coupe from when I drove a new one as a rental in 75. I finally bought one with only 62K miles on it in 2002, and am still driving it today with 192K miles on it now. Mine was built in Atlanta (Lakewood) in Nov. 1974.

[@countrytracylaurence8379]

Wow I really like your videos and what you do to those cars you really make me feel at home with those cowboy hats see I am from Texas

[@waynehunter9133]

The shifter is a slap stick shifter GM style.From low, push it to the right and up one each shift They put those in 70s Camaros as well. That body style resembles the 1st Grand AMs as well. My brother in laws had a 400 ci

[@chrisecoff6155]

Where the hell is the "like x 10,000" button? I've always had a soft spot for the GM "Colonnade" body styles of 1973-1977. The first car I ever owned was a '74 Chevelle Malibu wagon, and I had more fun with it than any other ride I've owned to date. That sweet Le Mans is the older brother of my favorite Pontiac of them all - the 1977 Can Am. Same body style, but no outside trim. Louvers over the "opera windows," and a nifty duck-tail rear spoiler that could actually shame a Trans Am from the same era! Up front, you got either the Poncho 400, or the Olds 403 - they both were crowned with shaker scoops. TH-400 spun the wheels. The sad thing is that fewer than 1500 were made. Seems that some bozo up in Lansing either lost or broke the mold for the rear spoiler just after the initial batch came off the assembly line. The rest of the run were finished as straight Le Mans coupes; a few of them even got shaker scoops, just to clear out the inventory. Liv, I'd try to snag that Le Mans if it were in my shop - it may not be a Can-Am, but I'll wager it's just as rare, 'cos the Grand Prix was generally seen as Pontiac's luxo-barge, whilst the Le Mans was the "sport" model. It's the same kind of relationship as the Chevy Monte Carlo had to the Chevelle up to the "Great Downsizing" of 1978. And yes, it would make an excellent cruiser - I think I've already mentioned how it's pretty hard to screw up the basic GM A/G-body platform, no matter what you might try to throw at it. Style and class, dig?😎 One more thing - you'll never have to go to a gym to work out if you go full-on grease-monkey, as your encounter with the oilpan drain plug perfectly illustrates...... KUTGW!!!

[@mikeerstad3705]

You're right, 8 to 9 miles to the gallon....I purchased a 1974 Pontiac Grand Am "New" in 74'....traded it in for a POS Nova...wish I had it today.....

[@jamesdewiel4736]

What man has a personal wiper 😂

[@maxmillion4216]

Damn Liv you good in that Cowgirl hat. What a cool ride. You could have a lot of fun in that back seat. Oh I remember those old days.

[@stephengay5181]

It's like the hood enters the shop 5 minutes before the rest of the car.

[@elwoodsummersjr596]

Another great video, you all are so enjoyable to watch, liv gets more beautiful every video !!!!!!

[@jakobwatts581]

I enjoyed this

[@wesmattimore2895]

We had those cars, they were boats, and they rode nice.. they had what we called idiot lights, for oil, coolant etc..Olivia loved that boat i could tell.. good video guys, thanks..

[@rocklamarre9717]

Nice I had a1973 le man's sport coupe with a 400

[@thomasalexander8420]

And Pontiac also made a GTO and CanAm same body but more sporty

[@SteveLowe65]

I love it. I'd drive that thing!

[@my357mags]

Liv, you better get back to Ontario. The Barrie Automotive Flea Market is on soon! 👍

[@jackperry9369]

Love the primered fire bird badd ass ole school badd

[@jonathanross360]

Im Buford t justice in persuit of the bandit 😂

[@arthuridis]

I remember a brown 1973 model I rode in as a kid. Those tanks were great if they were maintained properly. But being in the rust belt. A lot of these cars were gone 20 years later.

[@davidnelson6893]

That was cool

[@juniordavidson7279]

I’d call her big Shirley ! She looks like a big Shirley type. I have a 1977 Pontiac Phoenix. Need the engine rebuilt even though it runs.

[@upfactoryracing4148]

That era had mostly 400ci blocks.

[@rdecoster1]

Radial Tuned Suspension....First year for radial tires, 1975. What a low mile, unrestored, original cream puff!!!

[@grand73am]

Radial Tuned Suspension actually started in 1973 on the Pontiac Grand Am, one of the few cars in 73 which came standard from the factory with radial tires. The others were the Cutlass Salon and Monte Carlo S. Radials were available on other cars, but they weren't standard equipment...they were optional. By 1975, RTS was common as standard equipment on GM cars because radial tires had become the standard factory tires.

[@aaronhollingsworth6808]

YC is the 350 block, if you want to know for certain behind the drivers side motor mount will have the engine block, and yes pontiac 400’s did coke with 2bbrl

[@wayne1340]

Pretty sweet car I had a 77sj bought it for my wife it had a 400 small block in it you took it all the way up to Massachusetts and the parking garage I used to work at I parked it inside and had to leave it there

[@mr_mongo7228]

I didn’t think that they were ugly back in the day my brother bought a 77 Grand Prix back in the early 80’s and drove the crap out of that thing.

[@michaelburpo221]

next levels are Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac.

[@ohllysgarage3668]

Love this body style

[@bighank796]

I like it

[@MrDeepwatermarine]

Also, y’all are into nascar rn with the chevelle build. The grand lemans/gran prix was a nascar stock car back in those days.

[@leonhart2452]

That car was considered a mid size car. The Catalina and Bonneville were full size cars. The Tempest was a compact car. The Tempest body was used to build GTO's. Little car, big engines, lot of fun. The Le Mans was built on the Tempest body but had more luxury features. The grand Le Mans was built on the slightly longer Monte Carlo body to make it even more luxurious. I had a 71 T-37. For some reason they called the Tempest a T-37 that year. It had the 350 with the 2 bbl carb. Ran very well. Not the quickest or fastest, but pretty good. Around town it got around 12 mpg. Get it out on the highway and cruise at the speed limits I live with, 55 mph it would get around 19 mpg. That car should do near that. On the AC mine would blow icicles. Even on the hottest days when I lived in New Mexico. Well over 100* you wouldn't need it to run full blast to feel it like most if the newer cars I've owned since.

[@grand73am]

No, the Grand Lemans was built on the Lemans body and chassis, not Monte Carlo. The 2 door Grand Lemans has the same wheel base as the 2 door Lemans, 112". The 4 door version has 116" wheel base length, as do the Monte Carlo and Grand Prix.

[@richardmckaughan9701]

You need to get this car, appropriately named "Mom Bomb".

[@richardmckaughan9701]

Probably need to get it registered, maybe get a Used Car paper license plate.

[@allenbaker8890]

Pontiac has a 350 with the same size block as the 455 and a 400 my brother had a 76 Pontiac Lemans sport coupe with a Pontiac 350

[@edg.6163]

Great video, more short projects would be nice. Beautiful unrestored car.

[@javierramirez664]

More Pontiacs

[@joelmurphy7980]

Watching kids drive a '75 Pontiac is.......inexplicable.

[@davidowen888]

I like it, I like it a lot

[@dalebelseth3058]

Dig cool Ponchos

[@grand73am]

Found a YC code to be a 400 2 bbl. engine, 170 hp, with a/c, which matches what you have.

[@curtlyon0303]

first yr of hei, I think, pick up coil base of distributor, wires can fray and also cause hesitation from vac advance pull

[@curtlyon0303]

770 holley ish, best 2 plane, port stock heads, 108 centerline 226 236 @050 555 lift, roller sharp 1.65 intake, 1.5 exh, headers conv 3.55 gear, fast cruiser lol

[@quicksilver462]

correction, YC code is listed as a 1971 455 engine, 325 hp, 4bbl.

[@stevemayo1175]

and as a Reference any American car Built after 1974 is Emissions and HEI Ignition Oh and the Hoses you guys replaced some went to the Cruse Control and you did not try it to see if it worked there is a Button to set the Cruse in the end of the Turn signal switch you can see the Speed Oh Cable coming from Trans to it then Back in to the Speedometer