Our March 2016 feature car is one that has been in the current owner's family since new. Canadian Poncho member DavePL owns this exquisitely restored 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427 4 speed tribute. No expense was spared during the restoration and Dave had the car built the way he wanted it. Dave fills in the blanks:
This car was purchased by my father in 1969 from Midwest Motors in Regina, Saskatchewan. When I turned 16 in 1984 I inherited car, and I've had it ever since, keeping it a one-family car. It underwent a complete frame-off, including chemical dip and prime, in about 2005 at Musclecar Restorations in Chippewa, Wisconsin.
The car has had the same license plate number for 45 years.
This car is not one of the 12 original 427 four speed cars, so it's not "special" in any particular way other than it's been mine forever. Sadly my parents discarded the matching baby seat I used to ride in!
I've taken some liberties that the astute Pontiac watcher might note, particularly if you're familiar with the Canadian cars. I'm using a US Bonneville gauge cluster, as only 'idiot lights' were available in Canada. I'm using a Grand Parisienne/Bonneville grille and Laurentian/Catalina tail lights, simply because that's the way I wanted it - you won't see the Endura rear pad on a 2+2 other than mine.
For those not familiar with the Canadian cars, they are built on the Chevrolet Impala chassis rather than a Pontiac chassis. Shorter and lighter, it also allowed GM to build multiple brands for the smaller Canadian market on the same assembly line, sharing parts between marques as would become standard practice decades later. Thus the car is equipped with the Chevrolet Mark IV 427, but decorated as a Pontiac "Astro Jet" rather than a Chevrolet "Turbo Jet" (in the US the car would have been built with a Pontiac 428). The interior is Pontiac forward of the seats, but all Pontiac-badged Chevrolet pieces (door panels, seats, console, etc) behind the wheel.
This brand-mashing makes certain parts, like the rally caps (which are Chevrolet caps but that do not say Chevrolet Motor Division), very hard to find. The fender louvres are a Canada-only part, as are the side markers without the side moulding. No body parts interchange (with the possible exception of the trunk lid and perhaps the doors).
Noteworthy Options:
427/390 4-Speed Power Windows Power Steering Power Brakes Rallaye Wheels Dealer Hood Tach AM/FM Stereo Radio Rear Defrost Light Convenience Group, Deluxe Belts, (etc)
Clearly 45 years of family ownership tells you the car is not and will not be for sale.
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Seeing Jim's car makes me think it'd be useful to add that the car my Dad traded in on this one was a 348 powered 1961 Parisienne in the same color scheme (white over black). This car (the 69) was repainted in that color scheme right at the dealership, back when all dealerships had body shops. So it was (Warwick?) light blue for a month and then black for 45 years, but black since new, if that makes sense.
I'll include a picture or two here of it with the rally stripe (or part of it) as well, which it doesn't wear full time.
-- Edited by davepl on Tuesday 1st of March 2016 01:10:42 PM