I've been dipping into topics in this forum since last night when I first started to play with my new high speed internet installation but maybe I should post something here.
I have a 66 Grande Parisienne 2 door hardtop 396 car in northern Alberta. It's well optioned (like AC)and doesn't have too much rust. I've started working actively on it last year but I've had it since 2002. I've had many burning questions about this beast and this sure seems like like a good place to swap some info, parts and blarney.
My dads first new car was a 66 Parisienne so I have an attachment to these cars. (That one is still rotting away in the back acres.) My brothers and I have wrecked a few over the years (notably a quite nice 66 327 four speed Grande Parisienne that we still cringe when we think about.) I guess this latest one is atonement.
I also have a 39 Buick with a 327, 700 R4, front clip from an 73 Apollo etc. an 89 Dakota convertible pickup, a 70 Chev CST with buckets and a 250 six, a 38 Willys pickup project truck (and I do mean project) and sundry parts cars.
My brother has a 65 custom sport 409 4 speed car but its a ways from running.
Anyway, good to find you guys
ken
loud said
Nov 29, 2008
welcome a good bunch of people here
1964Canso said
Nov 29, 2008
welcome to the site,wouldnt mind seeing some pics,of the car,and the willys p/u too.
eeluddy said
Nov 29, 2008
Welcome from Ontario. There are a few very knowlegeble Pontiac guru's on here who are very helpful.
57poncho said
Nov 29, 2008
Welcome from Winterpeg MB Ken. Do you have amy pics you can post of your cars.
Vern
66 Grande guy said
Nov 29, 2008
Howdy guys thanks, I've had the Willy disassembled for a lot of years actually. I found it laying on its side in the bush withe frame broken in three places, but still, its got lots of potential I was thinking of puttnig it on an S10 Blazer frame and runing a buick tubo V6 with 200 R$, but at the rate I'm getting to it I may make it electric. If a can scan an old picture I will do it. As for the Pontiac the only picture I can seem to find now is when I was already starting to take it apart. Looks pretty rough but its a beauty down deep!
Welcome aboard Ken. Your 66 looks like a rare one having factory AC and all the other options.
4SPEED427 said
Nov 30, 2008
No need to make any excuses for the condition of your car around here Ken. Some (many) of us don't even have a classic Canadian Pontiac on the road at this point.
67rag396 said
Nov 30, 2008
Some of us started with cars that were on the road in "acceptable" condition, but then started to improve them. Suddenly they are no longer "acceptable" or driveable.
This is a hobby. It is fun. All it needs is time and money. Keep repeating the mantra.
Rick
427carl said
Nov 30, 2008
You said your brohter has a 65 custom sport 409 would that not be (VERY) rare, since they changed,to 396 at mid year? can he send photos,
66 Grande guy said
Dec 1, 2008
Here is a scan of the Willys just as we found it. it had laid on its side for many years as the top of the cab just over the drivers door has a rust hole through it. Rough but doable, just a question of when.
Howdy, as far as he knows from George Z at GM the 340 horse 4 speed 409 of that year was one of about 72 or something like that. He's painfully slowly(amongst many other projects) trying to accumulate restoration parts. Right now the engine is still sitting in a 55 GMC big window we had running some years ago. The tranny is MIA but shouldn't too hard to find. It's kind of rough actually but has a lot of torky memories associated with it. If I can find some pics I will scan them.
It actually amazes us as to how rare these early big block cars seem to be and just generally how few survive that haven't been gutted. Fir instance I have a 67 2+2 parts cars that is supposed to have been a 427 car but the engine and tranny are long gone. I was thinking of just harvesting the parts I could use It has discs, rallys and a tilt and scrapping it but if it is one (even as rusty as it is) maybe I shouldn't.
Maybe they are just rare here in Northern Alberta as the roads weren't too good back then and of course a car like that was driven hard. Dunno, is it the same all over?
ken
2drpost said
Dec 1, 2008
Carl Stevenson wrote:
No need to make any excuses for the condition of your car around here Ken. Some (many) of us don't even have a classic Canadian Pontiac on the road at this point.
and some of us don't even own one.
always thought the earlier year willys front end looked better than the '40-'42s.
4SPEED427 said
Dec 2, 2008
69 belair wrote:
Carl Stevenson wrote:
No need to make any excuses for the condition of your car around here Ken. Some (many) of us don't even have a classic Canadian Pontiac on the road at this point.
and some of us don't even own one.
Ha, hadn't even thought of you Dave...!!
Stephenzone said
Dec 2, 2008
you gotta a 55 gmc?
-- Edited by Stephenzone at 07:25, 2008-12-02
4SPEED427 said
Dec 2, 2008
Stephenzone wrote:
you gotta a 55 gmc?
-- Edited by Stephenzone at 07:25, 2008-12-02
I can't believe it took you that long to notice Steve!!!
Pontiacanada said
Dec 2, 2008
Stephenzone wrote:
you gotta a 55 gmc?
-- Edited by Stephenzone at 07:25, 2008-12-02
His brother has a 409/340 horse in a 55 GMC ... wow!
427carl said
Dec 2, 2008
how correct is that, to run the Canadian Pontiac 409, in a GMC! good stuff
66 Grande guy said
Dec 4, 2008
Howdy guys, yeah we ruined a lot of cars over the years by not appreciating what we had . That 55 was pretty noce when we got it in about 74. It had the big back window, chrome grill , deluxe interior and hydramatic and was a short box to boot. We drove it for a couple years stock except I had found an original radio to put in. What fantastic visibility in that thing! For some reason my brother got power hungry and took the 409 out of the 65 Pontaic and stuffed in it there along with a 350 turbo (that was all we could find) and a chev 12 bolt. Boy could that thing smoke tires. He still has it and runs the 409 every year to make sure its still alive. This year the old old square 4 barrel was dried right oout so it ran bad.
I don't know if he has real plans for the the 55 but he has sons... (We both have a lot of trouble getting rid of stuff but he's way worse than I am.)
I have a 66 Grande Parisienne 2 door hardtop 396 car in northern Alberta. It's well optioned (like AC)and doesn't have too much rust. I've started working actively on it last year but I've had it since 2002. I've had many burning questions about this beast and this sure seems like like a good place to swap some info, parts and blarney.
My dads first new car was a 66 Parisienne so I have an attachment to these cars. (That one is still rotting away in the back acres.) My brothers and I have wrecked a few over the years (notably a quite nice 66 327 four speed Grande Parisienne that we still cringe when we think about.) I guess this latest one is atonement.
I also have a 39 Buick with a 327, 700 R4, front clip from an 73 Apollo etc.
an 89 Dakota convertible pickup,
a 70 Chev CST with buckets and a 250 six,
a 38 Willys pickup project truck (and I do mean project)
and sundry parts cars.
My brother has a 65 custom sport 409 4 speed car but its a ways from running.
Anyway, good to find you guys
ken
Your 66 looks like a rare one having factory AC and all the other options.
ken
It actually amazes us as to how rare these early big block cars seem to be and just generally how few survive that haven't been gutted. Fir instance I have a 67 2+2 parts cars that is supposed to have been a 427 car but the engine and tranny are long gone. I was thinking of just harvesting the parts I could use It has discs, rallys and a tilt and scrapping it but if it is one (even as rusty as it is) maybe I shouldn't.
Maybe they are just rare here in Northern Alberta as the roads weren't too good back then and of course a car like that was driven hard. Dunno, is it the same all over?
ken
always thought the earlier year willys front end looked better than the
'40-'42s.
-- Edited by Stephenzone at 07:25, 2008-12-02
in about 74. It had the big back window, chrome grill , deluxe interior and hydramatic and was a short box to boot. We drove it for a couple years stock except I had found an original radio to put in. What fantastic visibility in that thing! For some reason my brother got power hungry and took the 409 out of the 65 Pontaic and stuffed in it there along with a 350 turbo (that was all we could find) and a chev 12 bolt. Boy could that thing smoke tires. He still has it and runs the 409 every year to make sure its still alive. This year the old old square 4 barrel was dried right oout so it ran bad.
I don't know if he has real plans for the the 55 but he has sons... (We both have a lot of trouble getting rid of stuff but he's way worse than I am.)
If I can find a picture I'll scan it in.
ken