Canadian GTOs w/ factory B.B. Chevy power?

**PeteLeathersac** · #1 12-12-2005, 07:43 PM

I woke up this morning dreaming again of the good ole' days of 25+ years ago workin' at the boneyard....yep more bad dreams of sending the innocent ones into the squeezer. . Like I've mentioned in previous posts, being a GM guy the Fords were usually my first choice to go and I often enjoyed giving the Rustangs a good beating on their way through the yard to the press....just to let them know who the real Boss was??? . Anyway, I've admitted before to sending tons of rare cars including a '69 Judge coupe and was thinking this morning of another GTO I killed. . From memory it was a '70 GTO coupe, auto....the interesting part is I had previously pulled and sold the original motor....a L35 396/325! . Of course Chevy drivetrains in Pontiacs is old news to us Canadians but these GTOs must be a somewhat rare combination as I can't ever recall seeing another? . From what I understand, GM Oshawa had built these Hybrids but I wondered if anyone here knows more info? . I'd love to know what years these were produced and are there any known survivors? . What engines/trans were offered....any L78/L89s, L36/L72 427s and what suffixes did they use?? ~ Pete

**prototype** · #2 12-12-2005, 07:56 PM

I've never seen one before. I'm just hoping you didn't crush one of the Pontiac Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe cars that came with an L79.

**PeteLeathersac** · #3 12-12-2005, 08:10 PM

Fred....I crushed lots of Acadians but never a 66/67 L79 car on purpose as I've always been looking for one too. . I remember one in Oshawa when I was a kid that had the opposite snorkle air cleaner....don't know if it was genuine L79 or not? . It was a yellow '67 but I never found it in later years when I was smarter and went back looking for it. . Were they actually produced and in both '66 and '67....I'd imagine '67 would be really rare? . Do you know of any and/or have you ever seen any genuine ones? ~ Pete

Keith Tedford · #4 12-13-2005, 02:37 AM

A freind's '70 GTO Judge was Oshawa built and had the Pontiac engine from the factory. Perhaps the only year that GM built them in Oshawa. I'm not sure. Acadians and Beaumonts got Chevy power. Through the '60s Oshawa built full sized Pontiacs had a Chevy chassis and drivetrain. There were six cylinder, 283, 307, 327, 350, 396, and 427 engines used. Perhaps 454s in '70. In the early '70s things started to change and the Chevy drivetrains were fazed out. Our '72 Oshawa built Lemans Sport had the Pontiac L78 400 engine. Had it been 350 powered it would have had a Chevy 350. An American built Lemans would have been Pontiac powered. You could get a battery tray for either side depending on application. Chevy powered Canadian Firebirds from the '60s is a myth. They weren't even being built up here until many years later in the St. Therese, Quebec plant. Back in the '60s, in Oshawa, there was a full sized '66 Pontiac Parisienne convertible with the 425 hp 427, 4 speed, bucket seats, and all the other good stuff. That would be a nice rare piece to have in any collection. It actually performed pretty well despite the size.

Bavss70 · #5 12-13-2005, 06:04 AM

Pete,
There were no '67 Acadian L79's, with 63 L79's being built in '66. "Beaumont Bill" from NY has purchased a '66 Acadian L79 from a friend here on Vancouver Island. It is an ex race car, low mileage, bench seat hard top. There may have been only 3 built! John.

**PeteLeathersac** · #6 12-13-2005, 04:56 PM

John....thanks for the info. on the Acadians....any pictures, documents etc. on this stuff would be great if anyone can come up with anything and something I'm sure a lot of the US guys would enjoy.

Keith....I agree on the Firebirds and all your Chevy powered notes....and don't forget the great 348/409 stuff too. . If built or not I have doubts, but my dream car has always been a Canadian '61 Strato Chief 409 4-spd. 2 dr. post. . Did you happen to see that 61 Poncho 4 Dr. in Peterboro' this summer....I saw it one day down by the GE? . Anyway, on the Chevy GTO's, don't discount this yet as the car I killed back then was a factory setup. . I remember I had another strange piece, a '70 Falcon 2 Dr. post car sitting beside this GTO in the yard....just waiting 'til the day came to meet their maker. . Did you ever go to Springville Auto Wreckers back then....it's what's ABA now? ~ Pete

**mockingbird812** · #7 12-13-2005, 06:08 PM

The "70 Falcon 2 Dr. post car" that you refer to is probably a '70 1/2 Falcon. Looked like the Torino, but with a B pillar post and rubber mats - generally austere look to it

. What an odd/rare bird. "Rich P" was brokering one on here awhile back and I looked into it. Neat, neat car. This one was supposedly a factory race car with a special HD auto floor shifted tranny and the venerable 429 SCJ/shaker hood to power her. Car was every bit of a knuckle dragger. Unfortuately, when I submitted the VIN to Marti, they claimed it was invalid. I don't know my Fords well enough to debate that issue and I do not think that the owner was pulling any shenanigans. I really liked the car and the owner I dealt with was a decent person too.

**PeteLeathersac** · #8 12-13-2005, 06:22 PM

Yep, that's the Falcon post car alright....pretty cool for a Ford! . I don't think the one years back was any Drag Pack car or anything....it's temporary reprieve was only for the fact it was a post car as all it's hardtop Ford brothers were on the fast track to the press. ~ Pete

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