Y Code Restoration Files: 1972 dog dish hubcaps

                                                                        By: Patrick Smith

   In the concourse restoration realm, close doesn't count. The right parts have to be used to complete your car. For those of you getting your PHS sales invoice from Jim Mattison or his son, you can look at the options part of the invoice to see what wheels, hubcaps or tires were supplied when new. The sales invoice isn't a build sheet. It's  like  a receipt the shipping company uses to have lot guys sign off for receipt of delivery. So what they show are the billable options each car had. It doesn't show standard equipment which is what a dealership MSRP sticker does.

The 1972 dog dish hubcap was a one year only deal for LeMans and GTO. 1971 and 1973 were completely different.
Finding these won't be a cake walk. Part number is 488630.

   If you see Rally II RPO code  on the sheet, you know that car got Rally II wheels as optional equipment. What if your sheet has no code at all for wheels? Then you got the standard issue steel wheel with dogdish hubcaps for equipment. While there is a build sheet code for that wheel, there isn't an RPO code as it was standard equipment, not optional. What did these wheels and hubcaps look like in 1972? Interesting question and not as straight forward an answer as we'd  think.

This is how a dressed to kill GTO looks with dog dishes.

   The 1972 GTO and Lemans dog dish hubcap changed from 1971's design to a simple baby moon style with an embossed circle around the Pontiac arrowhead. This is quite different to the 1973 standard hubcap which had an even larger convex curve and no inner embossed circle; just a plain arrowhead. I can show you a close up of this style hubcap on a stunning GTO that was restored and later on sold by Mecum Auctions. You'll notice the steel wheel was painted gloss black. That was the default wheel color. Only a few paint codes got their wheels body color. Strangely, Cardinal Red wasn't one of them!
 

   The part number for these standard hubcaps was 488630. While not super pricey yet, no one is reproducing them and surviving stock is limited. A member of maxperf forums has been upgrading his 1972 455 HO LeMans when he took it to a major show and learned he actually had incorrect hubcaps on his car. He was a little surprised how long it took to scare up a complete set of show worthy ones. He was buying them individually from the best supply he could find. He has finished the job now.

As seen here even when it doesn't look right, Pontiac Division persevered with black steel wheels on a
color contrasting car like Cardinal Red unlike Chrysler who color matched the wheels to body color.

  Speaking of which, what color should those steel wheels be when you go to paint them? According to Pontiac, only a few paint codes were body color when it came to the wheels. The default color was Starlight Black. There were few exceptions to the rule: they were Laurentian and Wilderness Green. Shown above is a 1972 LeMans Sport finished in Cardinal Red with dog dish hubcaps.
   As we come across more Y Code GTOs, LeMans or even a survivor LeMans with those wheels we will add a pic here to illustrate the appearance.
   * Article (c) 2016 by Patrick Smith images by PHS  Y Code Registry except image b Mecum Auctions LLC and image c PHS MEDIA ARCHIVES.





 

1972 Y Code LeMans Sport Convertible

                                                                         By: Patrick Smith

We have another cool Y Code find for you to share. This one came in awhile ago.  In the meantime have a look at this remarkable car.

  Owner, Daniel Doucet, purchased this fine LeMans Sport convertible five years ago. He wasn't aware  at the time how rare it is. He discovered the Y Code Registry this Fall and submitted some details about his awesome car. Finished in Shadow Gold metallic with Dark Saddle interior, this car really looks nice although in a low key manner. Shadow Gold was one of a handful of the new "earth tone colors" GM and other manufacturers added as they moved away from the high impact day glo style hues of the late sixties and early 1970 era. Stripes were on the wane in popularity as well although if you wanted them, Pontiac sure had a loud set available!

   Dan's car is well optioned. Starting with the LeMans Sport body which includes the custom interior of bucket seats and pull strap door panels with carpet runners. You had to pay extra to get this in a LeMans or GTO! Who ever ordered this one went far out, checking off stuff that rarely gets ordered. We have power windows, console, power steering, air conditioning, power door locks, tilt steering, T41 front end package, tinted glass, and the seldom seen electric seat retractor.

   Built in the Pontiac plant, this convertible's VIN indicates mid year production so it likely has the 120 mph speedometer assembly. It is also evidenced by the use of cloth convertible header bar instead of stainless steel which is typical of convertibles when supplies run low on stainless steel trim. I haven't got photos of the interior yet. It appears the car has been worked on at one time as it sports a set of Rally Wheels in 15 inch series which wasn't available from the factory for convertibles. Fourteen inch wheels were the size offered due to a different contour of the inner wheel well housing limiting travel. Over all it is a stunning example of a rare car; one of just 36 LeMans Y  Code convertibles made. When you add the T-41 option, it goes down  lower. Nice to say we have 3 of these convertibles now in the database. Each one unique and wild.

         *Article (c) 2016 Patrick Smith  PHS Y Code Registry

Another Y Code hardtop Found Lucerne Blue with Lazer Stripes

                                                                             By: Patrick Smith
       

A Georgia built car, this Y Code sold recently in Uplands, California for a bargain $14,850.

   We have encountered another genuine Y Code GTO and it's a beaut. Finished in Lucerne Blue with white D98 stripes, the car was recently auctioned online on Evilbay. Sold out of Uplands, California, the car gavelled for an amazingly affordable $14,850. While it was not loaded with options, it definitely had a nice mix and would be considered well appointed for 1972.
 

Lucerne Blue paint with optional D98 lazer stripes make this a stand out car.

   Visible options include; air conditioning, custom interior ( bucket seats with expanded Morrokide vinyl) custom cushion steering wheel, pedal dress up, tinted glass, power windows, remote control driver mirror, sport mirrors left and right. Rally II wheels, rocker moldings. D98 lazer stripes, GTO option, power variable ratio steering, power disc brakes. The automatic transmission is a mandatory option with the Y Code V8 and the only option offered is choice of shifter. In this case, it is a column shift automatic.Not shown is this was originally a vinyl top car in white!

Nice options include the custom interior with buckets and door straps, custom cushion steering wheel, air
tinted glass among other things.

  A word about D98 stripes, LeMans and GTOs. There is a bit of confusion regarding stipe type and availability for the 1972 LeMans and GTO cars. In effect, the RPO code D98 means stripes but it does not specify which type or color on the invoices. Fortunately this part is easy to figure out. If the car is a LeMans  with GTO option, the only stripes it gets are lazer stripes in either black or white. There is a stripe to body color chart as well. If the car is a LeMans GT it would get sword stripes which are reflective and also color coded to body paint color.

 

Incorrect "Buick" style air cleaner decal is the only jarring note in this clean engine bay. The dual snorkel
air cleaner on Y Code cars is plain, without any engine displacement decal other than Ac Delco air filter number.

    Some cars didn't get stripes with GT cut into them and some did. There is also a plain sword stripe for LeMans without the GT option but with D98 option. Production of D98 cars is somewhat low. They're expressed as a percentage of total sales on the 1972 options list from Pontiac. There are certain sheets from Fred Simmonds showing more specific breakdowns within models.

A nice head on view reveals a dark set of grilles. Factory color was in fact dull gray.

    The car is well cared for and I suspect a recent restoration was done before it was listed for sale. The "Buick" V8 air cleaner decal is a sure sign someone who isn't a Pontiac nut owned the car. We hope the new owner will be forthcoming and contact us with the particulars on this car so it can be properly entered into the registry. An Atlanta built car, this VIN starts off with 2D37Y2A.  We look forward to adding another car to the registry very soon! Note: this car is now in Florida for sale at $24,500. We now have teh PHS docs and build sheet.
   * Article (c) 2016 by Patrick Smith. PHS Y Code Registry