New Y Code GTO: Shadow Gold with Pewter Bucket Seats

                                                                               By: Patrick Smith
                       

This car despite the ram air emblems on hood is actually a Y Code GTO.

   Our latest Y Code find hails from Hoover, Alabama. It is Shadow Gold metallic with Pewter interior. This is one of the more unusual early 1970s color combos in the very hip "earth tones" which were all the rage in the ecological era. This particular car has some nice options; notably power steering, power disc brakes, air conditioning, custom interior (bucket seats and upgraded door skins), remote control driver side mirror, body color sports mirrors, rally II wheels, tinted glass, under hood lamp and custom sport steering wheel. There may be more options as well. This is all I could spot on the page which was listed online.
                 

The engine bay reveals a dual snorkel air cleaner, power brakes, power steering, underhood lamp.

   It appears so far from surviving examples that the Y Code GTO and LeMans were quite varied in appearance, trim and options. Some like Kirk Harbarger's car were loaded to the max while others like the one in Ranger, Georgia had the base interior, air conditioning and little else. It's making the registry quite interesting to observe. We have yet to obtain a Luxury LeMans Y Code car. They were available with that engine. In fact that was the top dog for it. The X Code 455 HO wasn't available in the Luxury LeMans to no one's real surprise. It was the luxury platform and a hulking rasping big bore with four speed or automatic and round port heads just doesn't go with smooth ride and 60 extra pounds of sound proofing!
 

Pewter custom interior is also a rare color to go with the equally scarce Shadow Gold metallic paint.

      The tip off this was a Y Code was the lack of a ram air intake system in the engine bay. Only round port 455s got the intake system from the factory. It wasn't a dealer over the counter deal. As you can see, this one sports the dual snorkel air cleaner pan as found on D port engines.The interior shows an automatic transmission which was the only gearbox offered on a Y code 455 engine.

Nice close up of this car's front end.

    Attempts to contact the seller of this car for details have been unsuccessful. If the new owner recognizes his car from these pics, give a shout out so I can confirm details for the Registry.
     I can be reached at phscollectorcarworld@gmail.com
                      Article (c) 2016 by Patrick Smith. Images from PHS MEDIA ARCHIVES