Lost: 1972 Y Code Revere Silver GTO hardtop

                                                                     By: Patrick Smith

   This is a different post for certain. Instead of listing a new entrant in the Y Code Registry, we're describing a car long ago cast away by a previous owner. This was in the past when he wasn't aware just what he had. Looking back, he wishes it had been a different outcome! Our story begins with a nice looking 1972 GTO hardtop finished in Revere Silver metallic and a lush black Expanded Morrokide interior. The drive train was a 455 four barrel L75 motor which was code "Y" on the VIN and backed with the TH400 automatic transmission and 12 bolt carrier. All 455 powered A body Pontiac cars had the 12 bolt carrier that year.

A bit grainy, but it's all we have of Bill Wolfe's Y Code GTO. 

   For options this car had Am Fm stereo radio with 8 track player, Rally II wheels on 15 inch rims with the TXL wheels 15 inch Goodyear Polyglas G60 x 15 raised white letter tires, rocker panel trim, wheel well moldings, console, Safe T Track limited slip differential, Formula steering wheel, tinted glass, custom interior group which gave you upgraded door panels with pull straps and carpeted runners and of course, Expanded Morrokide seat coverings in bucket seat style. finally the car had chrome fixed pedestal rear view mirrors and Y98 suspension option. The owner was Bill Wolfe at the time and the picture you see was when he owned it.

  This is the second Revere Silver Y Code in our registry. Revere Silver is one of Pontiac's nicer colors that year. You could get a number of interiors to go with it but to me, black is the best choice. Available that year was a Pewter vinyl interior which is quite difficult to get colors to look right when dying it. As for Revere Silver paint, we have another one located in North Dakota which was for sale. Sure would be ironic if it was the same car, wouldn't it? A quick look at the options scratches that theory. Our North Dakota car had a vinyl top and base steering wheel with power windows. I guess Mr. Wolfe will have to keep searching for his old ride. I hope he finds it.
  * Article (c) 2017 Patrick Smith PHS 1972 Y Code Registry

The Rear Spoiler--The "Option" that never was!

                                                                      By: Patrick Smith

  This is sort of an awkward subject. I liken it to saying "the bull jumped over the fence" when talking about someone's kid in front of their parents in mixed company. I will dispense with the unpleasantness now and move on to the actual topic at hand; rear spoilers for 1972 GTO and Lemans. You see, Pontiac didn't offer a rear spoiler on their 1972 GTO  as such. There was a duck tail spoiler, new for 1972 shown in print but the mold for the three piece unit broke the first week in production and it was never repaired. Some say the mold broke the first day. All I can tell you for sure is two LeMans cars got them from the factory and one GTO had it added using a parts counter purchase. Those are the only known cars to have ducktail spoilers. John Sqwirblies' Sundance Orange 1972 GTO hardtop is the single GTO and the LeMans cars were early production press pool cars used for road tests in Super Stock magazine. There was a 1971 spoiler standalone option listed as UPC N90 option in group 474. That was how you could get a spoiler on a non Judge car in 1971 only. By 1972 the spoiler option was gone.
 

John Skwirblies 1972 GTO as it appeared in Muscle Car Review's Factory Freaks issue. Title is a misnomer
in Skwirblies' case as the spoiler was an over the counter purchase post sale.Note the 1971 tail lamps.

   Meanwhile it was available over the counter and installed by many an owner at the dealer or by themselves, the 1972 GTO and LeMans Sport were sold spoiler free. So many have worn them over time one can be forgiven for thinking it was available that year. Reproductions are available now of every GTO spoiler from 1969 to 1972. The last one, the duck tail, was repopped using the example from John Skwirblies' car which had one installed from an over the counter purchase back in the day. We'll show you his Sundance Orange hardtop and pics of that set up for reference purposes.

The underside of Skwirblies' 1972 ducktail corner spoiler. It is somewhat rough and not up
to the usual quality of a GM part. 

    Actually Skwirblies car is interesting for a couple of reasons. It sports a bright rear view mirror assembly which has long been believed to appear on early production 1972 GTOs before the Federal Mandated black pebble finish mirror was enforced as a safety feature. Bright mirror backs were believed to cause blinding reflections on sunny days. His GTO also has 1971 GTO tail lamps which was commonly found on build out year GTOS and LeMans. Officially, the Luxury LeMans cars were supposed to be the only ones using these that year but many GTOs and LeMans have shown up wearing a set.

    My car, a last batch build example had a set. It's interesting  to see Skwirblies car had  a pair as well. Since his was restored in the mid 1980s before much was known about the 1972 cars its likely incorrect parts were installed as well. We know Ram Air induction wasn't offered with the 400 yet his car had this set up in the photo feature taken in the Muscle Car Review article for their factory freaks article. Skwirblies car also has a set of early 1972 custom interior door panels with pull straps, carpet runner and 1971 GTO emblems above the arm rests. Early build 1972 GTOs are known to have this feature and it disappeared later on. As for the rear spoiler, we have a detail image of the underside of the end corner piece. As you can see, this was a somewhat shoddily manufactured set and you can see why it would break easily. Engineering probably deemed it wise to eliminate the tooling when the dies broke.

Box containing an original 1970 GTO spoiler. Good units are $1000 apiece now but
reproductions have been available for awhile now.

  For 1970, the rear spoiler was revised completely and issued a new part number along with accessory kit. This spoiler, pn 480473 and accessory package pn 988806 were for the convertible and hardtop car. There was a 1970 convertible accessory package issued as a part number, 988833 but it is unknown if it actually made production. By the way, there is no such thing as a Judge torsion bar trunk rod. The manufacturer simply changed the position of torsion bars to add extra tension. The 1971 GTO spoiler isn't the same piece as the 1970 unit. There are minor differences between them. Basically the variations are; wide set mount, rough bottom seams on spoiler underside and smooth seams on underside.
 

Original pieces were rough underneath. The pedestal mounts were studs as well.

  When it comes to reproductions some vendors have replicated the rough seams found on the underside of spoilers. A repop also exists with the smooth underside as well.They differ by weight compared to the originals however and the pedestal mounts are studs on originals while threaded bolts are on reproduction pieces. The mold quality underneath was abysmal compared to today. This kind of sloppiness was acceptable in 1970 from an outsourced supplier to the Big Three. The revised spoiler was eventually smoother underneath but the early "3 piece" versions looked like the black one you see above. That's how it was. They are heavy pieces too. The lightweight units being reproduced now are like balsawood in comparison! By the way, the holes for studs are 4.75" apart from center to center.
 

Even when painted you can see partial separation between pedestal mount and the
actual wing underneath this 3 piece spoiler. That's how it was. Things weren't perfect back then.

   I haven't any pics of accessory kits yet to show you. Likely are the attaching hardware for the studs. Have a look at this painted spoiler underneath and you'll see what it was like to have one of these babies installed and why some cars are deemed over restored nowadays. Cars didn't come out free of paint runs, orange peel and zero roughness. An exhibition car might be like that but not a regular ordered car. Something to think about when you're trying to nail that showroom new look.
                *Article (c) 2017 PHS Y LeMans and GTO  Y Code Registry. 

Another Y Code LeMans Sport Convertible Found

                                                                          By: Patrick Smith
           

As you can see, a GTO grill badge was added by owner. An understandable sentiment since it is as
as you could get that year. Car is still in original owner's possession and in good shape!

    We recently rediscovered another Y Code convertible to add to the registry. I knew about this car 8 years ago when I'd bought mine and was doing research on the drive train and D98 stripe option which my documents stated it came with new but had nothing when I purchased it. I was considering ordering a set from Phoenix Graphix but wanted to know what the originals were like so I could compare them and see if they were close enough. Well, on a website that specializes in GTOs owned by , there was an Aztec Gold 1972 convertible with white lazer stripes, exactly what my Cardinal Red car would have. I emailed the owner and talked to him about the stripes. Turned out they were factory original. He was able to answer my question about whether the decals were sealed on top between each lazer cut out, preventing wax and moisture from getting in there and causing tears. GM did indeed do a laminate layer on top the lazer stripes. My question, answered, I thanked him and went on.
 

Another dusk view of the Aztec Gold Y Code convertible.

   I started the registry in the summer of 2015 and entered the ones I knew about off hand. Alas, I cannot find the Starlight Black hardtop that was in Peachland, BC. It had a later VIN than mine and may very well be the last 1972 455 GTO made.Maybe one day...I was on the web last week when I saw this car appear in one of many community pages dedicated to GTOs. It seemed familiar. I looked at the plates. Yes, this was the car I saw many years ago. I contacted the owner and learned that when I first made contact, the car was in his son's possession. The original owner is the father and he has the car back in his garage. It's always been and still is in good hands. In fact, the engine was rebuilt in 1995 and runs like a top. Speaking of tops, the car sports a white one from the factory. We should go over the list of goodies because this one's a real beaut!

The owner's car with his son's German Shepherd in the front. 

   Starting off with a November 18th 1971 build date at the Pontiac plant in Michigan, this convertible received Aztec Gold metallic paint, 272 White interior and code A White convertible top. It came through with the L75 250 horsepower 455 4 barrel V8 and TH400 transmission. The GM Canada documents show just 6 of the 307 convertible LeMans Sports sent to Canada had L75 engines. This is one of them. For options, the car received power windows, bucket seats, chrome front door edge moldings, wheel well moldings, heater and defroster,  sport mirrors, front console, white lazer stripes,standard rear axle ratio of 3.31, Safe T Track limited slip differential, custom pedal dress up, manual drum brakes, dual exhaust, power steering, rally II wheels, trim rings, G70x 14 white letter tires, Endura Styling option, AM push button radio, rear speaker, additional fuel for delivery and the mandatory Canadian Equipment option since it was sold new in Manitoba.
 

Notice in this pic you can see the location of the die cast 455 fender emblems as used on
LeMans Sport cars. This emblem was used for both 455 motors round port and D port but only only LeMans Sport
cars, not GTOs. For more info check out our 455 Die Cast emblem article on this site.

    The car is in good shape and still in the hands of the original owner. How about that for cool history?An early production car, it sports the 140 mph speedometer yet has the Federal mandated safety style rear view mirror finished in black pebble instead of bright metal as found last in 1971 GM cars.I've seen some 1972 cars with the older style mirror in place, but not many. In one GM promotional photo there is a Cardinal Red hardtop with the bright rear view mirror installed. Such deviations are known to exist as they are using pre production cars. Another example is the Aztec Gold 1972 GTO 455 hardtop used in promotional photos by GM. It would appear the Federal mandated mirror assembly was available early in production but perhaps not in sufficient quantity for every car to get one.
 *Article (c)2017 by PHS Y Code Registry. 
   

PHS Y Code Registry: Product Review Parts Place turn signal bezel

                                                           By: Patrick Smith

  Restoring the 1972 Pontiac LeMans or GTO can be a heart breaking experience. If your car needs a dog house for instance, those T 41 front end clips are frightfully rare and expensive. Owners looking for GTO hoods often have to make do with repairs to the front sections of their existing hood to remove the tin worm's presence. A good GTO hood is a $700 and up item....when one appears. The fenders are one year only pieces as well with those air extractors. Again these are noted for rust in the dog leg area. Patch panels are often the only way to go in light of non existing pieces. The 1972 was a build out year for the GM A body and low production makes like Pontiac's GTO model often are the last vehicles considered by reproduction companies to make parts for. Certain trim pieces such as the parking lamp bezels have been scarce for decades. Owners often just sand down the pit marks on their pieces and re spray them in silver.
  

A class 1972 LeMans T41 or GTO restoration includes new turn signal bezels. 

  Until now, that is. The Parts Place issued an eBay listing last winter for the 1972 GTO parking lens bezel. You can get the cat walk chrome trim to distinguish your car from the 1971 plain lens counterpart. It's an attractive, stylish piece, no doubt, influenced by the Camaro version from 1971. The Parts Place mentioned in their ad that this is a new, quality item NOT low pressure casting that was described as 'inferior.' Having no experience with aftermarket versions of this bezel, I cannot comment further on this. The price was right, at $29.00 a unit. I placed an order and waited.....and waited. A couple of days later I was informed it was on national back order. No where does the ad state this. I believe what was really happening is The Parts Place was collecting orders, waiting for a certain size of orders to appear, then they'd order a batch to be made by their contractor. Since these are low production cars with only 5,806 GTOs were made and a bunch more of the LeMans with the T41 front ends, The Parts Place likely has to do it this way to prevent having parts lying around taking up space and tying up money better used elsewhere. 

The original bezel from Miss Hot Stuff is on the left. The Parts Place bezel is on the right.

  The same situation occurred with Trans Am dash pads a few years ago. Some other company had eBay ads stating Trans Am dash pads were available. When you placed an order, you were contacted and told you were on a list and when enough orders came they'd tool up a run. Of course, some buyers weren't pleased with this development and cancelled. Naturally this program never got off the ground. Today very good dash caps are available at a good price. You can also send in your core to be rebuilt. Not cheap, but the only acceptable solution for a restoration. In this instance, my back order was placed on March 10, 2014. The Parts Place confirmed that my set was being made in April, 2014. Then I was contacted again to let me know they were shipping. The invoice shows a shipping date of April 29th 2014. One weird thing about the shipping, it was $68.00 American total including the parts which were listed at $58.00. The reason shipping is high is twofold. One:) they use first class postage Two:) It was an international ship from USA to Canada and of course, Customs gets their dirty paws on it. I was surprised to see they were sent in an air bubble bag which had been cut apart and taped together to make a little pocket for each bezel. It seemed to work this time out. Not sure I'd rely on that for longer distances. 

Here is the back view of the bezel. Note the part number cast right into piece like the
original.

  OK, let's talk about the bezels. First, they're die cast chromed pieces. Part number XL4155G. The plating is very good. No casting flash either. The actual die casting is smooth where you want it to be. Even the unexposed area lining the inside of the lens housing is good. High marks all around for this. How does it compare to the original GM part? You'd have a bit of trouble telling them apart if they were on the car. Once they're off you can spot one difference. On the inside the originals are duller plated than the Parts Place item. This could just be age but I believe it is also due to less plating on the originals. The other clue is a full part number after the MDC stamping on the cats eye rib. A GM original will have MDC, then 545588. Now the Parts Place items are stamped in the same place with same number, but a careful comparison reveals a sharper set of numbers. If they used original tooling, it was cleaned up. The result is a better looking piece. Installing them is identical to factory units. Two shouldered screws fit in through the lens and bottom out on the chrome chamfered seat on the bezel. Do not tighten hard on these. 

The original lens bezels get pitted and chrome peels away. Time for a change!

  Just make sure the bolt is flush or almost flush. The thread is doing the work on holding it in place. These aren't going anywhere. The army of bugs, flies sand and road dirt is going to lock that bezel in place within 100 miles. So after comparing the two items, I have to say The Parts Place knocked this one out of the ballpark. It's a great reproduction for a reasonable price and it fits just like original. You may have to wait to get your set but it'll be worthwhile.

 

You'll notice the parking-turn signal lens is a 1971 piece. Only addition for 1972 was this bezel.

   *Article (c) 2014 by Patrick Smith PHS Collectorcarworldblog. All product reviews were 

conducted with material purchased by owner. No promotional, samples or giveaways were used. You get an unbiased, accurate assessment of the product as a result.

    

1972 Pontiac GTO Y Code Revere Silver

                                                           By: Patrick Smith
 

You can see the body is more or less complete but in need of repairs. The driver side fender has been punched
and the quarter panel has rust and damage. Vinyl top looks decent. It appears to have either a Dixco or 1967 Pontiac
hood tach installed. Pontiac ceased factory hood tach installs in 1972.

We have  another new entry to the Y Code Registry on record. This is our first car finished in Revere Silver metallic, which is a nice color. From the state of Illinois, this Pontiac plant assembled hardtop came through with some nice options. I understand it is now in Horace, North Dakota and for sale.The first of course, is the L75 455 four barrel d port engine with mandatory TH400 automatic transmission. The 12 bolt rear end completes the drive line package out back. 

 

It certainly appears that someone is getting this car mobile again. A lot of extra wiring and a junction block is on the
firewall. I notice more stuff in the trunk area. Perhaps a car alarm system?

  For options it has variable ratio power steering, power disc brakes, console, black expanded Morrokide vinyl custom bucket seat interior which also gave you the deluxe door panels with pull straps and carpet runners. The car also has the GTO option,  air conditioning, vinyl roof , tinted glass windshield,  electric clock, power windows, AM FM stereo radio, rear speaker, honey comb wheels, heavy duty battery and front floor mats. It is actually a later build car according to the VIN number but it  has the second lowest VIN number in our database.

The engine is said to be numbers matching and intact. Some attempt at repairs has been done. Note the newer
power brake booster, blue anodized alternator and valve covers. Just so you know, Pontiac never used those horrible Buick inspired air cleaner decals. The D port 455 came with black air cleaner lids and no decals except for the air cleaner
filter replacement decal.

  The car was sold new out of Cunningham Pontiac on Jamaica Ave. in Richmond, Hill, NY. The invoice was a stunning $4018.24 before sales tax and MSRP! A strange thing about the invoice billing is the it was given a Date of Note in June 23rd, 1972, which is when the dealer starts paying GM for the car. It was shipped on  June 15-72 from the Pontiac plant. This time period is right around when the last batch of GTOs were being assembled, yet the VIN is quite a bit lower than mine which suggests a lot of LeMans cars were made in between. Even stranger, the VIN is lower than my car but was shipped out later. What this suggests is the span between GTO builds and regular LeMans builds was growing over time, necessitating a switch towards batch building as demand for GTOs fell.

The trunk floor 

  The current condition of this GTO is clearly a restorable candidate. Not only is the drive line  intact, the engine is claimed to be numbers matching.The body isn't rust free, but then again  it isn't poor either. The trunk has seen better days, replacement is going to involve the whole trunk floor pan to do it right. You can see the black Cordova vinyl roof still and the body paint is still accurate although I suspect it is a later re spray. The honeycombs are long gone however. That electrical wire you see hugging the driver side wheel house arch was used for powering the rear defroster fan motor or the rear speaker. My car had both options and two connectors which goes into the main wire loom on the floor pan. This one has one connector. The two connector wire will be orange and purple.

The interior of this car shows some electrical handiwork and a more or less stock appearance. Note the
120 mph speedo used on cars assembled from January onwards.

  Another interesting detail shown in this rear seat view is the use of custom seat belts. In 1972, the custom seat belt option switched style from brushed stainless steel cases to black molded plastic cases, often called "exploding buckle" due to the heavy spring loaded behind the button release, flexing and cracking the case. A second version of the custom seat belt option used actual black painted steel cases which were tougher and more likely to survive usage. This car has the steel custom seat belt version. Also notice the lower arm rest panel appears to be padded with black vinyl. This is not factory. They were molded black textured plastic similar to the front door arm rest bases. Someone has done some upholstery work here.

Rear seat photo shows steel case version of custom seat belt option. Lower arm rest panel has been
customized with black vinyl wrap. Original appearance was molded and textured plastic like the front door
arm rest base.

 We hope this car has been restored or at least saved from further damage. Revere Silver with black is a nice combination. The car is quite savable from what the pictures show. That might even be original paint although metallic silver is known for fading fast and re sprays were common.There are no interior pics so we don't know the condition of the upholstery and dash. Hopefully it wasn't butchered or baked to a crisp. They can be redone with new pieces but it won't be cheap!
  * Article (c) 2017 by PHS Collector Cars  1972 LeMans/GTO Y Code Registry

 

1972 LeMans/GTO Options: HoneyComb Wheels

                                                                   By: Patrick Smith

    For 1971 Pontiac brought out a new 455 HO round port engine to show off in the Trans Am and GTO. What better time to bring out a new set of optional mag wheels? Billed as RPO 478/ PO5, the Honeycomb wheel was available as optional equipment on the Firebird Trans Am and Pontiac GTO. To get the wheels you had to order either a 2387, 2487 or 2687 sales coded V8 powered Firebird. For the GTO, the Honeycombs were optional equipment available in Firebirds, Esprits, Formulas with the Handling Package. The Trans Am did not have trim rings included. For 1971 only the center caps were plain finished without the arrowhead. The special pattern was molded using Goodyear Neothane bonded over a welded steel disc in the center of a mag wheel. It was supposed to look like a fancy forged alloy wheel which is what designer Bill Porterfield was going for looks wise. At the time it was decided that making the wheels as alloy forgings was too expensive and GM went with this concept instead.

A set of 15 inch honeycomb wheels with center caps and trim rings.

    For 1972. the polycast wheel returned and was offered as optional equipment on Firebirds. Esprits, Formulas and was standard issue with Trans Ams. Polycast wheels were optional on Grand Prix, LeMans, T-37, and GTOs. For 1972 a new centercap was issued with the Pontiac arrowhead included. As before, no trim rings were included with Trans Ams or any cars equipped with the Handling Package which was a mandatory option to get these wheels.

  For 1973, PO5 wheel is offered once again on the Firebird and LeMans series as well as the Grand Prix. A new model, Grand Am is offered this wheel as well. Of interest is the availability of Honeycombs on LeMans Safari which is a station wagon. This year the wheel is available with trim rings. 1974 continues the Honeycomb offering for Firebird, LeMans, Grand Am and Grand Prix. Some restrictions were made for the LeMans series. You had to order the Radial Tuned Suspension package to get the Honeycomb wheels. The Trans Am of course used these as standard equipment.

  1971 is the first year the Honeycomb is issued in both 14 and 5 inch sizes. Using the same RPO code, wheel difference is distinguished with the tire sales code.By 1975, the Honeycomb is available on all models except the Ventura, Astre and full size series which used a larger 5x5 bolt pattern which wasn't made for Honeycombs. This is the last full year of Honeycomb production as it isn't listed in the 1976 accessories catalog.
 

These are the 1971 honeycomb center caps. Note the plain surface areas. part number is 9791068.

Applications and ID: Honeycombs have been available on Trans Ams and Grand Prixs right up to the end of 1976. They were available LeMans cars as well. Was there a difference in codes between the wheels issued on GPs and those on TAs and GTOs other than the obvious date codes? If you find parts still in boxes or with tags on them you will be able to figure out what they're for, otherwise you're kind of stuck. For reference only, here are some part numbers on the wheels, center caps and trim rings from the 1971-72 era.
1971 15x7 honeycomb wheel pn 483084 center cap: 9791068 trim ring: 490771
1971 14x7 honeycomb wheel pn 484425-center cap: 9791068 trim ring:483250
1972 15x7 honeycomb wheel pn 484425-center cap: 9795568 trim ring: 490771
So yes, in 1971 the 14x7 wheel used a special trim ring. I don't know what the difference was between it and the superceded part. There were no full size car honeycombs made in the 1970s, none exist with a 5x5 bolt pattern.
 Sizes Part Numbers and Codes:
 14 x 7 inch wheel      sales code 478 RPO PO5
  wheel code, none given. part number: 483084 released 1971. Available on Firebird, Grand Prix, LeMans and Tempest.
 15 x 7 inch wheel sales code 478 RPO PO5
  wheel codes,  HP. KP, NP  released 1971 available on Trans Am model only initially as standard equipment, made optional due to fears of supply shortages.
part number: 497154
Available optional equipment for  Firebird, Grand Prix, LeMans, Tempest.
   

These are the 1972 and later style honeycomb center caps. The 1971 center cap is plain and has a different part number.

           1972 and up Wheel center caps part number: 9795568 with arrowhead.
Problems and Usual Wear:
 It's fairly common to encounter worn paint surfaces on honeycomb wheels. They were sprayed onto a dull black polycast mold over a steel wheel. Distortion of the center cap hole is also common. Some can be repaired and put back into service, others cannot. Repainting the wheels usually involved blasting away the old paint and prepping the black polycast medium for new paint with a flex agent. The correct paint formula for your honeycomb will depend on the original finish., Some such as the Hurst Grand Prix and SE Trans Ams were gold. Most were argent silver.

A honeycomb wheel with distorted center cap hole. These are repairable to some degree but I consider this one
to be marginal. This, paint loss and damaged holes from nuts cutting into the polycast material can make
restoring a set expensive. Find the best condition wheels you can.

  The trim rings for honey comb wheels look similar to the style used on the  1970s Chevrolet Camaro Z28 wheels but are not interchangeable. The Camaro trim ring is shaped differently and will not fit the wheel properly. Reproduction Pontiac Honeycomb wheel trim rings are available now. They aren't cheap but at least it is out there. The Parts Place sells them as do other vendors.There is a trick to installing these trim rings. See the following text below for a smooth, drama free install. 
   There's a trick to it. The secret is in the trim ring tabs on the back. The ring has four tabs. Each tab has two outer fingers and one curved inner finger. The inner finger is what you have to get pushed under and inside the steel lip of the rim. The outer fingers grab onto the outer wheel lip.

 

Trim rings are available now but costly.

So, how do you do this feat? You start by pushing in the inner clip on one side. The wheel trim ring will be elliptical at this point, going on a rising arc and away from the rim. Slide along to the next tab, using a rat tail file with wooden handle and a hammer, tap the middle finger hard while applying light pressure on the steel trim ring above that tab. If you do it right, she'll pop int place. A tip to help you; rub a small amount of vaseline on the center tab. This will make it slip below the rim lip easier. You could have someone use gentle foot pressure on the trim ring as you pop in that center tab with the hammer and drift. Try it first alone using your free hand. It shouldn't take much pressure.

I used clear RTV sealant on each center cap finger and on the inner core to hold these in place. It also keeps
theives from walking away with your center caps. They aren't going ANYWHERE once it dries. Yet, it is easy to free
them using an Xacto knife blade when you change tires.

  Another useful hint. Those center caps are something like $70 apiece. Only three fingers hold them in place against the inner steel hub. Centrifugal force will hold them in place at speed but there's nothing to guard them from prying five finger discounters from stealing one. You can keep those center caps to yourself by using dabs of clear bathroom RTV sealant on each finger before installing and adding more dabs on the inside and spreading it around to meet the initial dab on the finger contacting the steel hub. That way it's 360 degree surrounded by silicone. When it dries, no one is going to cut those loose without a hassle. Unless you leave it out overnight or something. It should piss them off enough to give up. Will definitely buy you enough time to catch the creep and give him a knuckle sandwich.
  * Article (c) 2017 by Patrick Smith PHS Collector Cars Y Code LeMans and GTO Registry

 material collated from "Hot Options: Honeycomb wheels" by Patrick Smith and 

research.

 

   

Y Code LeMans Sport convertible Special Order Cumberland Blue!

                                                                 By: Patrick Smith
     

This car had a pretty good option list from the factory. The phs docs and VIN
is in our database. Cumberland Blue was special order for LeMans that year.

  We recently discovered a Y Code hardtop Lemans Sport rag top for auction that was special ordered in Cumberland Blue paint. This is the second special order Y Code we've encountered to date. The other one was Iris Mist and a convertible to boot. This LeMans was a Pontiac plant built car and came with parchment interior, T-41 GTO front end option, and a massive 35 option list! Someone maxed out this car in a big way. It reads like a Christmas wish list for LeMans fans. Check this out.
       

Same car at the Mecum Auction in 2012.

   Four speed manual transmission,  AM FM stereo radio, console, tinted glass windshield, front and rear floor mats, Safe T Track limited slip differential, rally gauges with dash tach, power steering, power antenna, power disc brakes, wheel well moldings, rocker panel moldings and body color sport mirrors. Just  remarkable. This one appeared at a Mecum auction in 2012. It was done up as a GTO convertible (of course) sporting lace mag wheels. This auction is an old one so it doesn't even come up in their database. I pulled this one from a printed magazine while doing research on another car. Sadly we didn't have the selling price either. This is all the information we have on this one so far. The VIN definitely is a Y Code car however.

               *(c) 2017 Patrick Smith PHS COLLECTOR CARS Y CODE REGISTRY. 

1972 LeMans Sport Y Code Convertible Quezal Gold

                                                                         By: Patrick Smith
 

   We have a new addition to the Y Code Registry from Crosby, Texas. This is a nice, clean Quezal Gold metallic LeMans Sport convertible Y Code. The car is packed with options including the T 41 endura front end package which gives the car the GTO front end treatment. The  former owner, Steve Martin says the car is numbers matching and is still pretty much the way the factory delivered it as new. The car was restored however and we can see some changes such as the Hurst Dual Gate shifter and plate. This is a very common addition and not really a drawback as so many people like this feature which last appeared on 1968 GTOs. When Pontiac developed their own ratchet shifter for 1969, they stopped using Hurst automatics to save royalty fees although the manual shifters were still used.

   A look at the options list is eye opening to say the least. Seems every rag top in the registry is loaded for bear. The invoice sheet is double row and half full.
455 4 BBL- 34W, Safe T Track 361, Radio Am /FM 403, outside body color mirrors 434, custom cushion steering wheel 461,wheel well moldings  494, power disc brakes 592, pedal trim package 514, power windows 551, endura option 602, R R hood molding 651, gauge tachometer 714. The second row includes; TH400 35L, G70x 14 WL FG TPL, console 43L, visor mirror 44L, Rally II wheels 474, door edge guards  492, power steering 501, tilt steering 594, soft ray tinted glass  532, air conditioning 582, springs & shocks Firm 621, dual exhaust 682, rear bumper guards 732. The total for this excess came to a whopping $5,242.60.

  A few deviations from stock include Honeycomb wheels, dual gate shifter,a rear trunk spoiler, a clean rear bumper minus bumper guards and a switch to AM radio from the AM FM unit. The car was finished in Quezal Gold metallic with Saddle LeMans Sport bucket seat interior.The car was sold new at Overton Cadillac in Mc Henry, Illinois. She was built at the Pontiac plant in April and shipped out by the end of the month just in time for Spring, 1972. A customer order car, this one seems to have led a charmed life. I do not how how much of a restoration was involved but in video snaps I took, it appears the inner door panels are new and the dash is in good shape. The rear bumper was changed and car was definitely repainted. Metallic paint just doesn't last in Texas! It's great seeing a rare Y Code rag top in such good condition. The owner says the air still works and the power windows work well. Situated in Crosby, Texas. This car  has found a new home soon, update, final sale @ $25,000 USD.
  * Article 2017 (c) Patrick Smith PHS Collector Car Y Code Registry