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Canadian Poncho Homepage -> Canadian Poncho -> Monthly Feature Cars -> April 2010 Feature Car
Post Info TOPIC: April 2010 Feature Car
Canadian Poncho


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April 2010 Feature Car
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Not all of us are lucky enough to own our first car and that's a shame. Most of our best memories are about our first rides. Ahh..the freedom! Roger Wirtz, on the other hand, is one of those guys fortunate enough to still have his first car. Not only that, his first car wasn't one of those disposable econo-boxes. It's a 1964 Pontiac Custom Sport. Some guys have all the luck!

Here's the story from "Rog":

When I was a year old , my Dad had a 64 Custom Sport, white with a black vinyl roof, and red bucket seat interior, I believe it was a 283 / glide car. I  remember helping clean it up on sundays , washing it and SOS'ing  the whitewalls.

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By the time I was 5 , the family was getting bigger, and the Custom Sport just wasn't cutting it as a family car. It was sold for $450 around 1974 , and a 1964 Laurentian wagon took it's place.  A sad day indeed. The new owner of the 64 drove it hard , and I remember seeing it up on blocks with a blown 283 for sale.

My 7 year older brother had briefly had a triple blue 64 Custom Sport until 81 when his friend totalled it off for him.  I really like that car, my dad wished he had bought it, but it just wasn't in the cards.

1984 , I've turned 15 and I start looking for my first car.  I wasn't sure yet , I looked at a 70 Monte Carlo, a Duster,  but nothing spoke to me.  I got home from school an Oct. day, mom hands me a phone # and says , I think we found your car, It's a 64 Custom Sport. They had seen it in a small town 15 miles away. I phoned , talked with the owner, the car had been moved to his friends house. He was a student in grade 12 at the same high school as me.  We met at lunch , and he drove us out to look at the car, ( I didn't have a license yet !! )

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It was raining , so it made that old black paint shiny and smooth, almost hid the rust,,,,almost. The interior was nice, the engine had the required M/T valve covers , was  warmed over 350.

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A deal was struck ..$450 , I offered $400,  the fellow just laughed at me ,, nice try !!

So, we went to pick it up with my dad driving and mom following, 1/2 way home , the car starts shaking and shimmying,  I look over at dad and say,, maybe they didn't tighten the mag wheel nuts !!! and  BAMMMMM we're skidding across the highway.  The wheel let go, broke all the studs, and flattened the 1/4.  Nice first experience !
We had a tow truck come , and take it the rest of the way home,, then the work began.

Thanks to being 15 , and having no experience, and no money , I forged ahead.  This car wouldn't have made my build list nowadays.

In the fall of that year , I bought a 64 Beaumont 4 dr. for  the low mileage 283 /glide which I installed that winter in a dirt floor garage. The 350 had a cracked block , and the glide was grinding ??

Come May 21 1985 , on my birthday , I had all the mechanical worked out , and went for my drivers test ( with my parents car )  and passed !

Over the next 10 years , after getting screwed by the first 'bodyman' , the second shop hacking the 1/4's on , and finally the 3 shop completing the body work it would get painted in 1988, vinyl top in 1989,  Floor board repair in 1992, A fresh 327 in  1995.  I swear up and down that the 283 saved the car. IF the 327 would have been in the car when I was 16 ,, I'm pretty sure I would have wrecked!!

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My 64 is an original Tuxedo Black car with factory installed white vinyl top. White bucket seat interior, sandle carpet and console, it had a full chocolate brown padded dash? now is a partial painted black. Factory tilt column.  It was an original 283 car, I have since found the original engine , a previous owner pulled it in favour of the 350 , then installed the 283 in his 56 chevy truck. I have added a factory correct tach in the side of the dash, I had to make my own bezel , I shaped it out of a chunk of aluminum mag wheel.

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If ever I resto it , I've hoarded a super nice set of custom sport trim, a mint clip, and some other goodies.

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The 64 is one of those cars that just is !  It has that special place for me, sitting behind the wheel takes my mind back to good memories and good times,  a few bad ones too!  As  family , we've used it to tow our 14' Surf Side trailer to car events and holidays,  I can get 3 bikes in the trunk!

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It's not perfect , but it is mine, it's not a restored car, it's just a nice driver, and in the old days,, a bit of a work horse, ( who else would use a 64 as a tow vehicle using a vehicle dolly ?? )

enjoy the pics....rog

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Todd
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427carl


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Good Choice!!! handshake.gif  congratulations handshake.gif  

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73SC


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Love it Rog!

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Ray White, Toronto ON

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seventy2plus2


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great feature car.  I love the coke bottle rear fenders on those 64's.

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70 2+2 convertible
70 2+2 hardtop
70 Parisienne hardtop

 

 
03cts sport


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Great choice! "It has that special place for me, sitting behind the wheel takes my mind back to good memories and good times...and I can get 3 bikes in the trunk!" A perfect definition of the good life. Congrats!!!

And I love seeing the different wheels on it.  The dog dish look rad!

-- Edited by 03cts sport on Wednesday 31st of March 2010 08:15:29 PM

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jmont64


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Good stuff Rog, enjoy the history of the car.  By the way it looks in pictures it sure doesn't need a resto for a long time and the good thing about it you are driving it and enjoying it.

-- Edited by jmont64 on Wednesday 31st of March 2010 08:38:35 PM

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Jerel
invader wagon


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Another nice choice! The '63-'64 Poncho's are really getting scarce. It looks good with any style rims. { My opinion.}

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chris newport
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67rag396


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Great story and a good looking car. Keep on enjoying.

Rick

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1967 Parisienne 2+2
1967 Grande Parisienne

1967 Laurentian
1967 Strato Chief


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ARCADIAN


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Nice April feature car!

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Pedlondarite


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Great story and cool ride!

And.. wow...what are the chances of finding the original engine after all that time?

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Mark

1968 Firebird 350 automatic
1970 Trans Am 400 RAIII 4-speed
gus


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You must be really proud of your car,I can still remember growing up with Pontiac's in the laneway 4Dr & as the family got larger a station wagon.

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Bobby J
4SPEED427


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I love car stories like this!

Also have loved 64 Custom Sports since I was a gas jockey at age 15. One of our customers had a 64 C/S convert and I always wished it was my car!

Nice car and way to go on having it at the top of the page for a month!

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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles 

1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
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cdnpont


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Thats one sweet 64!
Congrats on being featured.

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Beaumont4008


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Great story Rog, and I love your car. I had a white 64 custom sport with red interior and a 283 back in the 70's that I purchased for about 300 bucks . Looking at yours I wish I had kept it.

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rabbit64cs


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Thanks for all the compliments !! and thanks to Todd for sharing my story ! I am proud of that car, and when I was young, it wasn't that much of a standout car, but now, you just don't see as many out there, the thumbs up are appreciated!!

biggrinbiggrin


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later...rog

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I'm a collector...not a builder!!Located in sunny central Saskatchewan at the lakehead!
64 Hard Top


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Thanks for sharing the story and pictures Rog! 

I particularly like that shot of the '64 pulling the camper!  It shows that you were out there enjoying life and appreciating the car for what it's intended.  And it's a really classy way to enjoy life! 

Thanks again Rog!

Keep enjoying life,.. and the '64! biggrin

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Enjoy the ride while you can!
64ragtop


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...long live the '64!!!!!!! Love it...!



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Pontiacanada


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Congrats Roger!
Great car, and you use it, just what I'm going to do with mine.

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Prince Edward Island

'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.

davelacourse


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Excellent!

Do you have a shot or two of the interior? Engine compartment?

Dave

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56Pontiac  1956 Pontiac Pathfinder 2dr sedan, 496 - dyno'd 545 hp, stick shift, 4.11 posi - Hot Rod

  1964 Acadian Beaumont SD convert, 283 - factory 195 hp, Powerglide, 3.08 10-bolt - Cruiser

  2012 US-built crew cab truck - Daily Driver and Boat Trailering
DANO65


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Congrats Roger!!!! Awesome story, love it.

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65 Impala SS 2dr HT
65 Impala convert.
59 Impala 2dr HT
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59poncho


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very nice ride, love the pic of it towing the trailer!!

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norontcan


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Really enjoyed looking at your car and hearing the story.


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RDubya


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Very nice car, great colour combo and i really like the different wheel choices you've had on it, all look real good!

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Randy

1967 Beaumont Custom 4 dr survivor
1985 Firebird

2004 Montana shortie

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57poncho


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Great story. I bet we all wish we still had our first car

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1957 Pathfinder deluxe 4 door wagon
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65Camino


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Nice ride! Love it with the dog dishes!!

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