Pontiac Can Am.
Not since the late GTO has there been anything this sporty in the Le Mans lineup.
by JOHN ETHRIDGE
The best way to understand just what the Can Am really is, is to examine the bill of materials covering the pieces that go into its makeup. You start with a Le Mans Sport Coupe and be sure to check off the AB7 order box to get the louvered quarter windows-which won't cost you anything additional, by the way. Then you check off the rather ominous-sounding WW3 option which gets you the following list of goodies: In place of the Le Mans instrument panel you get the Grand Prix instrument panel assembly, including Rally gauge cluster and clock. (This is a very handsome and complete set of gauges, and the only thing you may want to add is the extra-cost WW8 instrument panel tachometer.) Next in the package is a Turbo-Hydramatic transmission (manual transmission is not available). Power front disc/rear drum brakes
and variable-ratio power steering are the next items.
The Rally RTS (for Radial Tuned Suspension) spring and shock handling package plus front and rear stabilizer bars provide excitement in the handling department. GR7O x 15 steel belted radials (or QCY white-letter tires at extra cost) give the car a handsome underfooting, as do body color Rally II wheels. You also get twin sport mirrors (the left one remotely adjustable) to see what's to either side and behind you. Also thrown in as part of the deal are front and rear protective rubber bumper strips and a blacked-out grille assembly. For motive power you get the T/A 6.6-liter (400-cid) 4-bbl V-8, that is unless you happen to live in California or certain designated high-altitude counties, in which case you'll get a 6.6-liter (4O3cid) 4-bbl V-8. And, oh yes, you can have any color Can Am your heart desires so long as it's Cameo White-they're all going to look alike.
The foregoing list is called the Can Am Option Package, and for it you'll pay your friendly Pontiac dealer $1214.43 in legal tender. But wait, there's more. There's the Can Am Appearance Package that includes Tri-tone colored accent tape stripe on hood, front fenders, doors and sport mirrors; black lower body-side with accent stripe, black painted rocker moldings; full-width rear deck spoiler with Tn-tone colored accent stripe, front and rear; Tri-tone Can Am identification on front end, rear deck and front fender; blacked-out windshield, backlite, door, window and belt moldings; Can Am interior l.D.; Trans Am-type "shaker" hood scoop with Tn-tone "TIA 6.6" identification and accent stripes (plain "6.6 Litre"in California and high-altitude counties). This particular package is sold and installed by Motortown Corporation, which is well known for providing excitement by the bundle for several brands of cars. It's also covered by the standard Pontiac warranty for parts and workmanship, and you'll get billed $375 for it by your dealer.
There you have your basic Can Am, but other extra-cost options you may want to consider are Saf-T-Track rear axle (G80), Custom Sport steering wheel (N31), Soft Ray glass (AO1), Custom color-keyed seat belts (AK1), dual horns (U05), floor mats front and rear (B37), air conditioning (C60), AM/FM stereo radio with stereo 8 tape player (UM2), CB radio (UN8), console (D55) and interior hood latch (T44).
Our test car was a 49-stater with the T/A 6.6 engine. The other California and high-altitude engine, by the way, is actually of Oldsmobile origin and puts out 185 hp at 3600 rpm-5 more than the 49er engine. The peak torque, however, is 5 less lb-ft and occurs at a higher rpm (320 lb-ft at 2200 rpm). This is quite a switch from usual practice, because Golden Staters and Highlanders normally have to be content with less of everything in de-toxed engines. The Can Am is the ideal car for the person who likes the Firebird Trans-Am or Formula but needs extra space. It provides good handling and steering response with a pleasant, firm, but never jarring, ride. Performance, while adequate, is not up to the last GTO we tested in 1974, but fuel economy is far superior, due mostly to the taller final drive ratio. Of course if you want more acceleration, the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association specifications for the LeMans lists a 3.23:1 axle for police and trailer towing as well as a 3.08:1 for police high-altitude.
Whoever came up with the idea of using the Grand Prix instrument panel deserves a round of applause. It "makes" the interior and gives the car a very purposeful air. The instruments are legible, well laid out, and the panel is totally devoid of the tacky, added-on look that plagued lots of optional instrument packages. A bonus blessing of the GP panel is a good upper ventilation system with multiple outlets to direct air wherever desired. The air conditioning and heating system leaves absolutely nothing to be desired, regardless of climate. Visibility is good, even through the louvered quarter windows which, when viewed from the side, completely hide the glass. The outside mirrors are somewhat smaller than we would like, but this is compensated for to some extent by the fact that they're well placed and can be adjusted for drivers of different stature. Although there's no good place to hang a CB radio under the dash, it looks as if one might fit under the radio/tape unit. (We haven't seen a factory or dealer CB installation.) We ended up plopping our CB unit in the cubby hole provided in the console is a temporary installation, which held it nicely. The roof of our test car, being unmolested steel, took a magnetic-base antenna which received and radiated well.
The combination of the "big foot' low-profile tires and well-proportioned brakes gave excellent braking feel and produced repeatable short stopping distances. The transmission quietly and unobtrusively went about it's business of swapping speeds.
The whole idea behind the external appearance of a car like this
is the effect it has on the beholder, and the Can Am does the job. First, the brightly hued Tn-tone trim turns heads, and then that shaker hood scoop undulating with the torque impulses of the engine mesmerizes them. The stares we got projected admiration, wonderment and envy, and we ourselves almost got carried way basking in the reflected glory of the car on a couple of occasions.
Those of you who quit visiting Pontiac showrooms with the passing of the
GTO should pay a call on the Can Am. Chances are that you'll be more than
pleased with what you see.
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