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 Tri-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
Unique "CAN AM" Interior I.D.
Trans Am Type "Shaker" Hood Scoop with Tri-tone "T/A
6.6" Identification and Accent Stripes ("6.6 Litre"
I.D. in California and high altitude counties.)
Manufacturer's suggested retail
price $375.00
1977
GM A-Body 3rd Generation: The Can Am Colonnade Coupe Debut Timeline
The 1973 Pontiac Grand Am started out in the development
stages as a GTO.
The 1974 Pontiac Grand Am "All American"
distinctive show car designs later used on the Can Am.
The 1977 Pontiac Can Am introduced at the Detroit Auto
Show in January 1977.
The 1977 Pontiac Can Am story
The Pontiac Can Am is a mid size muscle car based on the LeMans.
It was a special edition option package, and was only available
in 1977. It was introduced midway through the production year,
at the Detroit Auto Show in January 1977 - along with the Sunbird
Sport Hatch model. The Can Am was available with two engines,
both with the Trans Ams shaker hood scoop as standard equipment.
The standard engine was the Pontiac 400 making 200hp (the T/A
6.6 "W72" version, not the base 400, which made 180).
The other available engine, (the only one available in California
and high-altitude areas) was the Oldsmobile 403 Small Block making
185 hp (138 kW). The Can Am package also included a "duck-tail"
spoiler, Cameo White paint and striking orange, red and yellow
graphics as well as blacked-out lower panels and window trim.
The standard wheel was a color-matched Rally II with chrome trim
rings, as shown at right. Many options were available, including
the same aluminum "snowflake" wheels offered on the
Trans Am, and a steel or glass sunroof. Interior color options
were the same as the base LeMans, and included Red, Black and
Tan.
The Can Am was available with two engines, both with the Trans
Ams shaker hood scoop as standard equipment. The standard engine
was the Pontiac 400 making 200hp (the T/A 6.6 "W72"
version, not the base 400, which made 180). The other available
engine, (the only one available in California and high-altitude
areas) was the Oldsmobile 403 Small Block making 185 hp (138
kW). The Can Am package also included a "duck-tail"
spoiler, Cameo White paint and striking orange, red and yellow
graphics as well as blacked-out lower panels and window trim.
The standard wheel was a color-matched Rally II with chrome
trim rings, as shown at right. Many options were available,
including the same aluminum "snowflake" wheels offered
on the Trans Am, and a steel or glass sunroof. Interior color
options were the same as the base LeMans, and included Red,
Black and Tan.
The number of Can Ams produced has never been accurately determined,
but the number most commonly used is 1,377. According to the Can
Am Registry in late 2007, 42 have the Oldsmobile 403 engine. The
rest of the cars on the Registry have the Pontiac 400 "T/A
6.6" engine. Buyers can rely on the Pontiac Historical Service
(PHS) to determine whether a car is a genuine Can Am, and what
options it was delivered with from the factory.
When the Can Am was first introduced to the dealers, Pontiac
envisioned producing 2500 units; the response from the buying
public was much more than expected and over 5000 orders were submitted.
Unfortunately, the mold used to produce the fiberglass rear spoiler
broke, and production at Motortown, Inc. (where the LeMans Sport
Coupes destined to become Can Ams were sent) ceased. Pontiac upper
management, already worried about losing sales of their Grand
Prix models (the Can Am and the Grand Prix used the same dashboard
and console, so a sale of a Can Am was seen as a loss of a sale
of a Grand Prix by some senior Pontiac executives), decided to
scrap the project after approximately one half year of production.
There have been some pervasive myths or urban legends regarding
the Can Am. It was only available in Cameo White paint, and not
any other color from the factory - such as Mandarin Orange or
Carousel Red. This rumor continues, despite the facts being well
documented via discussions with Jim Wangers, the motivating force
behind Motortown. Performance tests back in 1977 were also confusing.
Road tests commonly quoted the Can Am as having a 180 hp (130
kW) Pontiac 400, along with a 2.41 rear gear ratio. This was a
combination never offered to the public. When built with the Pontiac
400, the Can Am came with the the three speed automatic TH400
and 3.08 rear gears. When built with the Olds 403 engine, the
Can Am came with the three speed automatic TH350 and 2.41 rear
gears. There were no four speed Can Ams produced. However, one
Can Am has been restored and modified with a conversion to a Super
T10 manual transmission using all-GM factory parts, from various
years of the 73-77 GM A-body.
Performance tests from 1977 estimated 0-60 mph time for the Can
Am with the Pontiac engine at about 10 seconds flat, about the
same as the previous year's LeMans with the 455, and a 1/4 mile
time of approximately 17 seconds. However, the Pontiac 400 is
an excellent base for tuning and rebuilding for higher performance.
Simple changes, such as a switch to a 3.42 rear gearset, dual
exhaust, an "068" grind cam and an earlier Pontiac intake
manifold will make a significant improvement in performance for
very little money.
The Can Ams pictured below were photographed toward the end
of the 30th Anniversary Can Am Reunion held at the 2007 Pontiac
Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio. They appear completely stock, save
for modern tires.
1974Grand AmAll American
Show Car: The 1977 Can Am's design predecessor
Grand Am All American Collectible Auto Magazine
wrote: "Pontiac hit the auto show circuit in '74 with a
special Grand Am dubbed the All American. The high-profile flag-waver
was painted white and featured red and blue striping not only
along the hood, but also in a continuous line that ran over
the rocker panels, and specially flared wheel openings. A steel
sunroof and white honeycomb style wheels also were part of the
car's top-to-bottom reworking. The red, white, and blue theme
was continued inside where the white upholstery bore bold stripes
both front and back. Big decals on the rear quarter panels identified
the All American to passersby, and the deck sported a a bold
wedge-shaped spoiler. Some of the showmobile's
(Grand Am All American)
distinctive parts were reprised on a limited-run Can
Am version of the Le Mans Sport coupe in 1977."
1977 Pontiac Can Am: The Love of this One-Year-Wonder
Continues
As noted in the illustrations (above) of the "Killer Am",
the National Can Am club logo, and the Can Am license plate, the
love of the 1977 Can Am's continues today; including the 30th
Anniversary Can Am Reunion held at the 2007 Pontiac Nationals
at Norwalk, Ohio. Credit to these hardcore Pontiac A-body Enthusiasts:
Tropic Dave aka:
Dave Stover, Jim Wankers
aka: Bob Fitzsimmons, 77 canamman
aka Rick Lightfoot and 74GrandAm
aka Horst Fiedler.
Read the complete 1977 Can Am
story in Jim Wangers book "Glory Days".
