Hi John you pose a very hard question that will have as many answers as there are people on this forum. I'm not an active buyer or seller of cars so my scattered coffee-fueled thoughts may not be worth much but here is what I think based on what I've seen over the years.

First of all, anybody going into a big Canadian Pontiac that needs a complete restoration with an eye to making a pile of money is liable to be disappointed.

I still think the Camaro, Chevelle, Mustang mania will command the high prices because they are the ones that are hyped in the movies etc.

Big Canadian Ponchos tend to attract a fairly small pool of buyers just because they are kind of too big for most drivers  these days. 

That being said the price for any collector vehicle will be affected by the economy and the demographic that it will attract. Right now the economy sucks in Alberta anyways) and the boomer demographic that loves these cars is fading away in interest and numbers.  (Ie most of the guys who want a classic car already have one or two or....)

Also the amount you will net from any vehicle will have to be above the purchase price and the money you poured in to it.

There are three ways to go when you get a collector vehicle that needs a resto that will majorly affect the second thing.

1.You can pay a shop to do the whole thing and pick it up when it is done.  This will pretty much ensure the only person who makes money off that car is the shop owner.These are the guys who proudly show off a $30,000 car and say they it's worth 80,000 because that what they have into it.

2. You can do everything yourself.  Unless you are a really well rounded mechanic type guy with a well equipped shop and access to cheap parts etc. the car will usually end up looking pretty hacked and will not sell for much. If you know exactly what  you are doing you probably could make money here, but it takes more than an hour, contrary to what the overhauling shows on TV tend to imply 

3.  You can do what you are good at(learning as you go) and farm out the rest. Even with this option (which is the one I used) the amount you will have to spend on the specialty stuff that you cant do (machine work, upholstery etc.) will tend to make you want to throw away all your receipts so the wife and (maybe yourself) doesn't know what you are up to. (This is the option I used as well)

Even with option three I probably have a car that I could sell for as much as I spent on it IF you don't factor in your time.

As to the bottom line, dollars. here are some random, fairly uninformed thoughts as well.

The most money will be obtained from a rare, numbers matching car with a sexy body style and plenty of options (unless it is a  numbers matching, big engine, stripper as those are highly coveted too.

So the holy grail of Pontiacs would be either a numbers matching (i.e. original to the car drivetrain) high horse 409 4 speed car or a high horse (L72) 427 4 speed car. I have never seen one of those up for sale since I've been into the Ponchos.   My wild guess if a well restored one showed up it might go for 60,000-70,000.

Lower horse cars or those that have non original parts will probably be by discounted at least 15- 25%.

Clone cars will be discounted a lot more.

That all being said if you can find the right guy you can make money on any car but you need to be a really good salesman to do that.  The perfect customer is a guy who gets emotionally involved with a car and doesn't think too clearly.  This is why I have 25 cars on my property and probably why anything I just said has to be taken with a whole shaker of salt, heh, heh.

 So what you have to do in my opinion is enjoy the process of fixing and discovering stuff about your car (like on this great forum) and driving it and try not to think about the money.  Its still worth it if you have the right mindset about it.

Don't jump all over me guys.  This is about 4 cups of strong coffee talking....

-- Edited by 66 Grande guy on Tuesday 17th of November 2015 02:40:54 PM

gtodrive wrote:

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That said, I have always wanted one and didn't buy it as an investment. It's worth whatever someone will pay for it. 

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Mondo Poncho wrote:

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Thank you. I know that's a tough question and I find your advice thoughtful and bang on. I want to make it clear- I'm not looking/expecting to make money on my convertible. I know these cars can cost more to restore than they might sell for. I happen to think the car I have is pretty cool. That's why I'm suddenly on here so frequently. I'm excited to say the least. I'm going to do that car right and to the level that makes the most sense, and financial concerns will factor in but the job is not about any potential profit anywhere down the line. Just wanted to get a feel, and your comments pretty much confirmed how I already understand things. Still, the rarity of some of these models should certainly support reasonably high values as time goes on I would think. Who knows? I'm aware that I paid a strong price for my car but I feel good about the purchase of the car and everything that came with it. Here are some reasons I thought Elroy's car was super cool and worth the effort........! (Feel free to correct any errors).

1. Highest factory horsepower rating in any factory built Pontiac in 1967. No wonder some US only Pontiac fans are jealous! Catalina and Bonneville offered the 428 and 428 H.O. at 360 and 376 HP respectively. The Parisienne is slightly shorter, narrower, and presumably lighter than the US Catalina based 2+2 for 1967- and came with 427 factory rated at 385 HP.

2. Rarity. My understanding is 13 2+2's with L36 and M20 were built for the 1967 model year in coupe and convertible. The number of convertibles made could probably be counted on one hand. Few if any others remain.

3. It's ultra Canadian. 1967 was Canada's centennial year. The car is red with white top and parchment interior. It's almost certainly a 1 of 1 car. Could it be any more Canadian?

4. 1967 seems to have been the only year of the CDN 2+2 that received the factory chrome valve covers and air cleaner. And it was only the 427 cars that got them. Assuming air cleaners for 4 speed cars are different than those for automatics (like the 67 Impala), I can say that only 13 cars ever came with an air cleaner just like it with chrome lid and 427 Jet Flame decal, as seen in my avatar.

5. GM Canada documentation.

6. It's a conversation piece. I think I'm going to have a blast at local shows, just talking about the car and the Canadian Ponchos in general.

7. It's stylin!

Now I just have to get it on the road. Thanks for reading.

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