New Y Code GTO added: Lucerne Blue with Parchment Interior

                                                               By: Patrick Smith
                                     

Handsome Lucerne Blue Y Code GTO hardtop was saved from certain death and restored by Dan Simon.

       We can add another Y Code car to the list of survivors today. This is a proud moment for Pontiac fans. The latest car belongs to Canadian owner, Dan Simon in Ontario. Dan discovered the Registry by the Monarch Yellow eBay auction listing where Premier Motorsports included the link to my article on the car. Small world. Here is the cool story about how Dan found his car.
"I bought this car about 5 years ago for $1200 with a bunch of spare parts. I sold some of the stuff for $300 so I had $900 into a shell that was junk and a set of fenders that needed bottoms put in. I drilled all the spot welds out for the roof and changed the roof skin. I cut the floor from front to back out and part of the fire wall. I had a 1970 GTO that my dad gave me for a parts car. That 1970 GTO was hit hard on the right side and was branded un fixable so it was a great car for a few things. I cut the roof off and used the drivers door from that car along with the interior, wiring and a few other odd parts. It took me 3 months to track down all the other Endura parts for it. I did all the work my self except for rebuilding the 12 bolt rear end. I put a 3.73 in it and I think 3.55 would have been a better choice."
    

Originally a Morrokide White Bench seat interior, Dan restored it using bucket seats, console and custom interior GTO panels.

    Dan spotted this car first on eBay Motors and bidded successfully. The seller didn't want to let it go! The car was listed again, this time on Kijiji where Dan made the deal happen. Ironically I happen to have a screen capture from that very ad when Dan saw the car online. I only saved the picture. The ad text was minimal. He said it was a factory 455 car and that there was no front end available for it. He didn't even mention if it was an X or Y code engine. 
    

This is what Dan started with 5 years ago. Car was for sale in metro Toronto area.

      Dan really worked hard on this car. He did almost everything to it except rebuilding the 12 bolt rear end. The car had a previous owner who thought a sun roof would be real neat to install. Dan swapped the whole roof out to avoid the hassles of trying to install a patch. A complete new floor was installed front to back due to rust. A new frame was added. The engine is a healthy 1974 spec 455 block running 6X 4 heads with Holley 750 carb, 3000 rpm stall converter, headers and a nice 440-lift camshaft. Dan didn't want to go insane on this car because his plan is to drive it on the street. He does want to run it down the track next Spring just to see what she can do.
     

   Let's look at how this beast came equipped from the factory. Built at Pontiac's home plant in Michigan, this was a customer ordered car equipped with 455 4 barrel D port engine, TH400 automatic transmission, Lucerne Blue paint and Parchment interior, You'll notice something else too. No console. This was a  column shift automatic. While it came with the base white interior it did get the one up full Morrokide vinyl bench seat instead of cloth insert bench seat. This car also got AM radio, Safe T Track 12 bolt, outside body color mirrors, vinyl side belt trim, power steering, rear window defogger, glove box lamp, electric clock, G70x 14 inch white line fiberglass tires, rally II wheels, soft ray tinted windshield, ash tray lamp,rear seat speaker, heavy duty radiator, Canada Equipment (the heater and special -35 degree engine coolant).

       It was a pretty nicely set up car for the time. The Lucerne Blue with Parchment interior combination is very striking and one of the more popular combinations made. Dan is doing some final adjustments to the car and it will hit the road in earnest next Spring. We look forward to to it.
  * Article (c) 2015 Patrick Smith. Images (c) Dan Simon 2008, 2015 used with permission.

Y Code GTO coupe Saved from the Insurance Total graveyard and is Sold.

                                                                             By: Patrick Smith
                             

Back in the saddle again. After a sale by Co-Part, the car was repaired and listed for sale at a
Connecticut dealer, Premier Motorsports.

    When I started this registry, this was the car that kicked it off. I was heartbroken to learn this nice, rare car had been rear ended at speed and damaged. Prior to the accident, it had been thoroughly restored and was a numbers matching car. The owner had it properly insured and opted for the payout of a total instead of repairing it. Co Part Auctions wound up with the car and it was on auction for a few weeks in Fort Pierce, FLA during the summer. The reserve was quite high considering the damage done, over $10, 500 USD. Last we heard from a reliable source on the scene, the high bid wasn't high enough and it looked as though the car would be parted out.

Repair work was listed in the revised auction. I find it hard to believe they were able to pull the quarter panels out
so well. Listing says the trunk lid was straightened as well.

  Someone obviously made a deal happen because the same car is for auction now at eBay Motors by Premier Motorsports located in Connecticut. The rear of the car was completely refinished with straightened panels., trunk lid, quarters, floor, bumper and the rear section of frame was either straightened out or more likely replaced with a couple of feet from another car. Let's hope the section with the partial VIN was salvaged! The car over all looks really good. Someone did a nice job repairing the car and matching the paint as well.

 

Here are photos of the trunk section. Makes me feel good to see such a rare car
back in action.

   The best thing is it appears the car didn't succumb to the perils of being parted out. We can see the engine's partial VIN in one photo and it matches the PHS document and presumably the dash VIN tag. There is no door decal presently. It may not have had one before the accident. Reproductions are available so this is no big deal. Also present is a look at the PHS document including the shipping invoice. As you can see this car had a lot of options, almost as many as Kirk Harbarger's Sundance Orange hardtop in this registry. What's visible is as follows; cordova top, GTO option, TH400 transmission, G70x 14 wl fiberglass tires,  8 track player, remote cont mirror, custom foam cushion front seat, custom cushion steering wheel, window moldings, door edge guards, power brakes, Soft Ray tinted glass,  rear armrests, springs & shocks firm ride, luggage lamp, glove box lamp, HD battery, rear bumper guards, vinyl trim, 4 BBL 455 engine, Safe T Track, stereo radio, HD air cleaner,  custom belts,  rally II wheels, wheel well opening moldings, body side moldings,  front and rear floor mats, custom carpets, air conditioning, rear hood molding, ashtray lamp, dual horns, gauge- tach.
 

The engine block partial VIN shows it is still numbers matching.

     At press time, the listing was revised last evening to include accident damage, repairs done to body and a link to phscollectorcarworld's blog post on the vehicle from last summer.The high bid is  just starting over so we will be watching this one closely to see what happens. Even for a Y code car, it has unusual features and may not be a typical sales result. Very few were coupes. Only five GTO Y code coupes were made.
Update with Sale: In the early hours of 19/11/2015, the eBaymotors listing ended and was reposted again with a new auction. The high bid from the last auction was recorded as $11,000 USD. The current auction only has one change in description; a no reserve statement and an assumption the car will be worth $40,000 in the future. Car was re listed again on 30/11/15 due to winning bidder not having funds. On 07/12/15, this car sold at high bid of $15,877.72 USD.

High bid of $11.000 USD $14,000 CDN was reached on 19/11/2015. Car was relisted again.

Update: Since then this car has been put up for sale again and has a new owner.
    * Article (c) 2015 by Patrick Smith. Images by PHS MEDIA ARCHIVES