was way short because the geometry was
wrong with the original components, and
the quality control was terrible. Greg had
to take the whole top end apart again and
fabricate new parts to make it right.
“When the original transmission was
fi rst inspected, we were told it looked
like sewage inside, adding that the casing
would leak after it was rebuilt. It was more
cost-effective to rebuild the two-speed
automatic out of the donor car. The donor
also had factory air conditioning. We
robbed it to install in the convertible for
Matt—the only deviation from its order
sheet—which meant we had to rebuild
and install the differential from the donor
as well; it had the proper gear ratio within
the housing. This car was not going to be
a show pony—it had to work. It was a lot
more work for the team, but at least it was
going to be more than a paperweight.”
By April 2014, the engine was given
a clean bill of health after a second test,
just as the disassembly of both cars had
been completed. The entire project hinged
on the convertible’s fully boxed frame,
which was now completely exposed.
After removing the suspension and brake
systems, the body structure was media
blasted to bare metal. Much to everyone’s
relief, the frame exhibited only small
pitting, which was sealed under a skim
coat of fi ller, epoxy primer, and fi nally
a correct hue of chassis black paint. The
coupe’s suspension control arms, springs,
and steering linkage were cleaned and
powdercoated.
Not forgotten were the extensive
metal repairs that were ongoing. This in-
cluded not only the welding of the coupe’s
fl oorpan into the convertible shell, but
also structural repairs at critical section
joints—including rocker panels—and
vast sections of the rear quarter panels, the
latter made diffi cult by the obvious design
difference between body styles. As each
section was completed, the panels were
sealed in self-etching primer, followed by
red oxide primer, the latter replicating the
factory build process.
As the calendar fl ipped to August
2015, the Le Mans was photographed
with its chassis completed, including the
entire drivetrain and new brake lines, and
its restored body shell fi nished in the cor-
rect shade of Verdoro Green, key points of
which we’ve outlined here. This included
the convertible top, wiring, the entire
interior, and a lengthy list of body and trim
items throughout. By the spring of 2016
the Le Mans was presented to a jubilant
and grateful owner.
During our recent conversation with
Ward, we were informed that Matt drives
his old Pontiac a few times a month,perhaps adding 300 miles to its odometer a
year after its appearance at the Muscle Car
and Corvette Nationals meet in Chicago,
Illinois, in November. He added, “This
was an incredibly big project for us. At
one point we were cutting up two cars at
the time to facilitate the repairs. Making it
more diffi cult was the fact that there’s a
2 percent difference in everything between
a coupe and a convertible from the same
model year; you can’t direct-swap any
of the body panels, except the hood; we
saved the original. My friend, Steve Dunn,
did a masterful job of blending the two
cars together while Joe Reece ensured
that the interior matched the factory build
sheet. We fed off Matt’s understanding of
the costs, time, and his deep sentimental
attachment to the Le Mans. To bring it back
to life for him and see his emotional reac-
tion was rewarding.”