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Post Info TOPIC: December 2013 Feature Car


A Poncho Legend!

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December 2013 Feature Car


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



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Todd
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Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 



A Poncho Legend!

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Todd and Bjoem          CONGRATULATIONS       What a great Christmas present (for us members)     Love Love the BIG cars

 

Awesome story     love the tri power 283   love it      and the Cragar rims and whitewalls (on this car) are Perfect!!

 

love the info on the American quarters and doors working    

 

Great member      beautiful car   and owners

 

 



-- Edited by 427carl on Sunday 1st of December 2013 11:23:26 AM

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Addicted!

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Love it! The car is in Good Hands

Dan

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1969 300 Deluxe Post Sedan Frost Green.
1970 Buick Skylark Post Sedan Gulfstream Blue

Owner of: The 1969 SS396 300 Deluxe Post Sedan Chevelle Registry

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PM3DE8qI2NY&feature=youtu.be

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn4xEmGypUw



Guru

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good choice todd 3 convertibles in a row beautiful car congrats



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A Poncho Legend!

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I must be longing for Summer! lol

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Todd
Site Founder

Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/CanadianPoncho

Canadian Poncho World Headquarters - Prince Edward Island

 



Poncho Master!

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Wow, a beauty!



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Victoria, BC



Uber Guru

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Great choice Todd and congrats Bjorm on a job well done!

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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 



Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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looks great !



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Guru

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Beautiful car!!!

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John

1972 Pontiac Lemans (daughter's car) 
2005 Pontiac Grand Am
2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac



A Poncho Legend!

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I love that car!

But that story is very cool too, it's great reading of that car's journey.

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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



Guru

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Very nice looking car.

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Barrie Ont.

409 powered 61 Poncho

best time 9.06@ 148 



Poncho Master!

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Sometimes the history of a restoration shows the dedication of the owner.

Always something to talk about at car shows .

Super nice work.

Seeing that 283 makes me miss mine, but I will just have to break in the Crate 350.
Cliff

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Cliff

Done Hurryin

Like the larger type for my eyes. 

 

 



A Poncho Legend!

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What an outstanding example of the classic Pontiac styled Canadian cars. Ever personlization on this car is perfect, tri-power, splitters, wheels ! biggrin Colour combo is perfect too.



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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 

 




Addicted!

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beautiful car ,65 and 61 are my favorite canadian pontiacs

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Addicted!

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It looks good from every angel. And a labour of love with all that work from previous photos.
And I just love '65s. Just the right time here for tops down driving!
Congrats on an unbelievable car.

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Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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I may be just a little predjudiced towards the 65s but this is 1 fine example.
Sounds like you found out what many of us Canadians go thru to save our home grown cars.
You've done just a wonderful job and the colour choice matches the cars styling very well.

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Veteran Member

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Great car and a great story!



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A Poncho Legend!

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I've always liked this car since Bjorn first posted pictures of it years ago. Very deserving of Dec. 2013 feature car!

Well deserved Checker!

http://www.americar.de/autoderwoche/autoderwoche_artikel/id=643/start=1%20%20%20%20%20%20and%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20www.cardomain.com/ride/2075493



-- Edited by Pontiacanada on Monday 2nd of December 2013 01:37:59 PM

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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.



Guru

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Beautiful car. The 65 instruments (interior) were awesome! Congratulations! 

Bjorn, I was in Mannheim in 2010 and my cousin's neighbor had a "survivor" 66 Strato Chief Safari and I drove it around the block; can't imagine how I would have reacted if I would have seen your car while driving the wagon!



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"Dad, which car are we taking?"                      "The Pontiac!"

"Which one?"                                                    "The red one!"

'67 Parisienne 2+2 - red

'01 Montana            - red

'06 Buick Allure

'12    Japanese minivan



Poncho Master!

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VERY VERY NICE CAR I LIKE THE 65'S



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Poncho Master!

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Congratulations Bjorn, your 65cs is beautiful.
Brian

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Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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Congrats on the honor, that is one special 65. And the fact of where it's based make it even more so.

Your's makes me really long for a ragtop.

Cheers, Mark

BjoernPontiac7_zps9657694f.jpg



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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT. 
 


Canadian Poncho Superstar!

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Wow!!! nice car But "please" put the Cragar S/S's back on!!! Much nicer.

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Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in    !!!!!!!! BLACKSTOCK Ont.



A Poncho Legend!

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dualquadpete wrote:

Wow!!! nice car But "please" put the Cragar S/S's back on!!! Much nicer.


          I 'think" they are still on     hope so too        Bride is a beauty   maybe a 1995 model?  

 

BjoernPontiac26_zpseadb364e.jpg



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Guru

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Congratulations Bjorn and Canadian Poncho. This '65 CS looks fantastic in its original color, and a ragtop to boot! Excellent choice.

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--Pritch--

'76 Cougar XR7 (original owner); '52 Mercury Monterey 2 dr HT (Future Project)

2013 Mustang

2010 Ford Ranger

'93 MX5

'64 Custom Sport Ragtop (Factory M20)

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