Can you believe CP has been online for almost 6 years and we have never featured a 65 Pontiac? Well the dry spell is over! Feast your eyes on Bjorn Grudzinskas' beautiful 1965 Parisienne Custom Sport Convertible. Bjorn hails from Germany found this Canadian Poncho in dry Arizona. Although the car spent many years in a desert climate Bjorn found a few surprises. Thankfully the Custom Sport was under skilled hands and Bjorn has restored the car to like-new condition with a few subtle modifications like tri-power and American Pontiac wheels. Bjorn tells us more about the car:

My story began in 2000. I was looking for a 65 Pontiac Catalina or Bonneville convertible. In germany I didn`t found a good car and so I decided to make my search in Southwest of the United States. I traveled to LA and spend 2 weeks of my vacation for searching my dream car in LA, Vegas and Phoenix. I meet many friendly Pontiac owners but the time gets closer. In the last days of my vacation I finally found my car in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a rare 65 Parisienne custom sport convertibe with floor shifter and many goodies. Second owner, history, org. condition, complete (I thought), org. manual and prospects, all bills....I did the deal.

*In february 2003 the car arrived in cold germany and I took the first closer look under my car. Oh my god! All floor pans were faked by many "do it yourself" mechanics. It looked horrible. After two weeks of depression I decided to restore the complete body. I found out that all sheet metals, floor pans, braces, trunk floor, frame, engine, steering, axles are the same like the 65 Chevy Impala convertible. So I wrote a list with all parts I would need and ordered all parts from Classic Industries. I get all missing parts at eBay and spend many money. I did the complete brakes system new, overhauled the suspension, restored the interieur, replaced chrome parts..... I want to do it right!

***The complete new floor pans, braces, and trunk pans arrived via UPS...wow..I had to built a new car!! 6 month of heavy work, 5 days a week, all night long. The frame was still good , thx to Arizona dry clima. The car was running onkly 10-15 years in Manitoba, later in Indiana and from eraly 80`s in Phoenix.

**June 2007 and i decided to repaint the complete car in org Mist Blue code "D". I found the paint code for mixing at my local painter store. So i redone all work..stripped the complete car, removed all paint & bondo down to find the org sheet metal. The RH rear quarter panel was baaad, too. The LH & RH door, too. I contact my friends in Arizona and after 3 month i received from a desert 65 Grand Prix quarters, doors and fenders as "like new" from Arizona desert and i started the worke  a la "Made in Germany"
Finally the car gets an frame off and the list of parts to make new are more bigger each weekend.

The 65 received new 1 1/2" drop coils from classicperformance, red Koni shocks,  new Poly bushings, new frame bushings, new stock brake system; lines, hoses, everything  and an dual brake master. The new steering box with 2 1/4 turns handles the car more safety on German highways.. The old lady runs easily 80-110 mph and me and my family use the car all summer long for classic US car meetings in Belgium, Netherland, Swiss and Germany.

In 2008 the convertible won the 3rd place in nicest convertible at the Essener Motor show ! I`m very proud of!

From time to time i changed the wheels ..14" Cragar SS ..later the deluxe spinner caps and now it has 15" Rally II wheels on.

in 2009 I bought an 1965 Bonneville coupe from Kingman.. and desert found, too. Was in barn for over 30 years ... it`s now finish, too ...

Never will sell one of these cars ;)



Cheers from Germany, Bjoern