By: Patrick Smith
One of the problems with low production cars especially if they're obscure is finding reliable information about them. The Y Code LeMans and GTO from 1972 fits the bill on both counts! Yes, they're rare, more so than the notorious 455 HO high performance engine. However, the Y code 455 engine wasn't really a performance engine nor was it marketed as such. It was one step up from the base 400 four barrel T code GTO engine and a stop gap engine for those wanting big bore torque for pulling and power accessories without the hassles associated with highly tuned engines. Pontiac gave the Y code one picture in their 1972 brochure and a few scant lines of text. Were it not for the technical column at the rear, we'd know even less of the engine configuration.
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factory promo pic of 1972 "Y code GTO" is believed to be a 455 LeMans air brushed
to resemble a GTO. Artist forgot to remove the fender emblems. |
Where we run into trouble is with appearance and trim features. Although Pontiac Division did produce a photograph of a Y code GTO for publicity, it's authenticity regarding accuracy is in serious doubt. First off, the car in question sports white decals on the rear quarter panels stating 455 CID. This is how a Y code GTO is supposed to be labeled. The same car also has a pair of die cast 455 emblems installed just behind the front side marker lens! After several years of research using primary and vintage secondary sources (pre restoration era magazine articles) I haven't located a single 1972 GTO using die cast fender badges and only one 1972 with rocker panel call outs, it was a 400 T code car.
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LeMans 455 cars however did use die cast emblems. It could be a D or Round port engine, either one
got those badges. It had to be a Lemans though. pic credit: Pat Brown |
Not leaving anything to chance, I also contacted a few veterans in the car hobby with strong Pontiac connections.
Dan Jensen was asked about the die cast fender emblems. Jensen owned several classic Pontiac LeMans and GTOs from those years and is heavily involved with engine tuning and set ups for top restorations. Jensen is of the opinion that the GTOs came with decal call outs only in 1972. I also spoke with
Jim Luikens who was famous as the "Berger Connection" man at Berger Chevrolet during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Luikens wound up dealing with other Divisions of GM performance through Beger Chevrolet and owned some nice GTOS during that era as well. Luikens also believed the GTOs from 1972 were decal call out cars. He doesn't recall seeing one with die cast engine call outs on the fender or rocker panels. It would appear so far that the weight of primary research sources indicates the 1972 Y code GTOs at any rate didn't use 455 fender badges nor rocker panel chrome trim with those call outs. It is a simple matter however, to switch the 400 trim with a pair of 455 trim.
It appears according to research that the cars wearing die cast fender emblems were primarily LeMans with either Y or X code 455 engine option. If it is a LeMans GT, that combination adds a full length sword stripe which covers the area where either a 455 HO or 455 CID decal would go. To get around this problem, the front fenders were pierced for die cast 455 emblems and installed. Since no rocker panel call outs were used with 455 engines on LeMans, the same die cast badges are used on LeMans cars whether they're T 41 or plain front end equipped. To date these are the only 1972 A bodies seen with 455 fender badges.
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These are the emblems used for LeMans big bore cars. Note part number on box. Super low production might mean
reproduction pieces may not be available for awhile. pic credit: Pat Brown, |
Recently Pat Brown finished a show quality repaint of his 1972 455 HO LeMans hardtop which he purchased as a really nice survivor car from California in 2006. The paint re spray and replacement of a few sundry items were all that was needed to bring the car up to show status. He supplied me with before and after pics of this car. You can see clearly the original paint and die cast fender badges. Now we know the badges weren't Y code specific, Instead they were LeMans specific, used for either X or Y code 455s,
* Article (c) 2015 by Patrick Smith. Images from PHS MEDIA ARCHIVES except 2,3 which are (c) Pat Brown used with permission.
