Was that a Chevy 400 or Pontiac 400 offered on Parisienne and Laurentian?

My wife's uncle had a Parisienne Brougham 4 dr. 350 4bbl and it was an orange engine as was the 2bbl version. The 400 was either orange or blue depending on nameplate, traditional Canadian names were sbc I belive and 455 was blue.

Here's a kijiji ad listing original 400 SB in a Parisienne.

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-classic-cars-1976-pontiac-parisienne-brougham-2-door-W0QQAdIdZ67851103


-- Edited by 73SC at 00:11, 2008-10-01

I first saw that brochure in the fall of 1975 when a friend of my father's drove over to our house in Ancaster from Oshawa in his brand new 1976 Laurentian Safari 3-seat wagon. It was light blue metallic with full wheel covers. luggage rack and bodyside moldings. Under the hood was definitely a brand new orange Chevy 400 4-barrel. A few months later I got my own copy of that brochure from Douglas Pontiac-Buick-Cadillac-GMC in Hamilton (later it became Hogan).

I had a friend whose parents owned a 1975 Laurentian Safari from new. We ended up wringing a lot out of that car. It had an orange Chevy 400 4-barrel and it went faster than that heavy car witha smog motor had any right to. Many smokey burnouts, a few startled Corvette drivers, driving through cornfeilds at 70 mph... I even personally lost my licence in that car (I was in high school and slightly wild). I could tell you a lot more stories about that car. It was really tough!

Notice that the Parisiene Brougham, Laurentian and Laurentian Safari top out at the 400 4-barrel. All engines in those Oshawa-built cars were orange Chevy V8s. On the other hand Catalinas and Bonnevilles came exclusively with blue block Pontiac power, being built in a U.S. plant. I remember it distinctly when these cars were new.

The Parisienne Brougham of 75 - 76 was a unique pairing of Bonneville rectangular headlights and Catalina grille for a look that wasn't offered in the U.S. together. Interior for the Parisiene Brougham was straight from the Chevy Impala but witha Pontiac dash, steering column and wheel. The Laurentian used a Chevy Bel Air interior, the Bel Air itself being dropped in the U.S after 1975 but carrying on through 1981 in Canada.

Why no 76 LeMans' on the ad?? What the heck is a Colonade (sorry 'bout the spelling ?) Model of LeMans??
Wonder how they would shove a Chebby 400ci in some cars and maybe a U.S. Pontiac 400
in others.. Was this when you signed/ordered a brand new beast from your favorite dealer.

76betsy wrote:

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What the heck is a Colonade (sorry 'bout the spelling ?) Model of LeMans??

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"Colonnade" refers to a Roman architechural feature where rows of columns are used to support a roof or other structure. A "Colonnade Hardtop" is GM-speak for frameless door glass (traditionally for hardtops) but with a solid B-pillar to support the roof. This was done in anticipation of the proposed U.S. rollover standards from around that time that never materialized. That is a reason why all the U.S. carmakers were killing off convertibles around then (plus dwindling sales).

76betsy wrote:

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maybe a U.S. Pontiac 400
in others.. Was this when you signed/ordered a brand new beast from your favorite dealer.

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There is a term used by carmakers called "allocations". It is used to to describe which plant made which car line, model etc.

In the case of the 1976 Pontiacs it could be applied to describe the plants where the Catalina was built. I believe some were being made in Canada and would have an orange Chevy engine, while U.S plants would make them with blue block Pontiacs. Sometimes it had to do with production scheduling, sometimes it had to do with specific options ordered on the car, or sometimes specific body styles.