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Post Info TOPIC: April 2010 Feature Car


A Poncho Legend!

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April 2010 Feature Car


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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A Poncho Legend!

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

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A Poncho Legend!

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Love it Rog!

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Ray White, Toronto ON

1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 




Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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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
72 GMC Sierra

 

 



Uber Guru

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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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"So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think... The good outnumber you, and we always will."  Patton Oswalt



Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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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


Addicted!

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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



Poncho Master!

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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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Poncho Master!

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Nice April feature car!

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Veteran Member

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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


A Poncho Legend!

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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



Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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Thats one sweet 64!
Congrats on being featured.

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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT. 
 


Uber Guru

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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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Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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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

AADD supporting member !!
I'm a collector...not a builder!!Located in sunny central Saskatchewan at the lakehead!


Addicted!

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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!


Addicted!

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



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A Poncho Legend!

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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.



Poncho Master!

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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



Poncho Master!

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

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Stony Mountain, MB

65 Impala SS 2dr HT
65 Impala convert.
59 Impala 2dr HT
67 Acadian Canso 2dr HT

 

 

 



Poncho Master!

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

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1959 El Poncho!!


Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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Really enjoyed looking at your car and hearing the story.


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Poncho Master!

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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

2007 Uplander extended*newest addition to fleet*

 



Uber Guru

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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
1961 Pontiac Parisienne bubble top Traded for a Harley sorry guys.

2007 Grand Prix Gxp

2009 Pontiac Montana SV6

Winnipeg MB 



Uber Guru

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Nice ride! Love it with the dog dishes!!

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