Couple's 1972 LeMans still a date-worthy vehicle
Tom Rowan had a well-defined set of prerequisites when he went car shopping in 1972.
“It had to be a factory convertible with A/C and power windows,” the Palatine resident said. “I didn't care if it was an Oldsmobile, Chevy or Buick. I just wanted an intermediate-sized GM 'A-body' (style).”
His wife, Maureen, is quick to add one more condition: “And it had to be a good-looking car for taking out your girlfriend.”
The couple was dating then as the 21-year-old Tom walked into Talman Pontiac in Libertyville on Nov. 8. He traded in his 1970 Chrysler 300 convertible on a new 1972 Pontiac LeMans Sport. Rowan paid $4,956 for the convertible, which had been ordered by the dealership's owner for his wife.
Maureen even helped chip in on the payments as the Rowans put the drop-top to regular use. The couple drove to California on three occasions, visiting relatives in San Francisco in 1973, '74 and '77.
“We loved putting the top down and cruising along the coast,” Tom said.
Maureen fondly recalls other — more local — trips made during Tom's years of serving in the National Guard from 1971-1976. During his required military-service absence one weekend per month, Maureen found the LeMans kept her from being so lonely.
“I didn't have to share our family's car. I got to drive the Pontiac,” she said. “I'd pick up my girlfriends and drive around the suburbs visiting old high school friends. We loved the wind in our hair!”
The vehicle's daily driver status changed in 1976 when vandals broke in. Tom had to replace a torn convertible top. As an extra precaution, they purchased a 1964 Dodge station wagon to drive more frequently.
Financial and family considerations in the 1990s almost resulted in the Rowans parting with their beloved Pontiac.
“Tom would park it in front of the house when he left for work. I'd go out behind him and take down the 'For Sale' sign,” Maureen confesses.
Their kids ultimately provided the motivation to keep the classic cruiser, because they, too, had fallen in love with it, the Rowans said. Weekly, the kids compiled a written list of all the reasons to keep the car. They conveniently left it where Tom would readily see it.
Their efforts paid off and the Pontiac remained part of the family. In 2001 it underwent a thorough, two-year overhaul. A big part of the rebuild was some cosmetic upgrades. A factory GTO convertible wasn't available in 1972 but the Rowans' LeMans Sport was given the necessary cosmetic touches to complete the look.
Tom had all of the GTO elements installed, including louvered fenders, dash insert and badging. The factory 400-cubic-inch V-8 was replaced with a 455-cubic-inch V-8 race engine. The transmission received a shift kit and the front-end suspension received a new sway bar and bushings.
Tom didn't care for the exhaust turnouts behind the rear wheels and instead had the pipes rerouted out the back of the Pontiac. The factory Cardinal Red paint was reapplied but given one drop of metal flake for a subtle glint.
“We're still amazed that we've had it for as long we have,” said Tom. “It was a part of our beginning and has been with us every since.”
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