Our December feature car is one that I've been asking myself "Why didn't we feature this one long before now?". Don MacKinnon owns this sinister looking 1963 Pontiac Parisienne. Thanks to Don this Poncho went from being an original humble 283 car to the nasty 409 beast you see here. Without further adieu Don gives us the lowdown:

This is a work in progress 63 Parisienne Sport Coupe, nicknamed “The Big GTO”.

A little history, my Dad sold new Pontiacs in Summerside PEI from 57-68, he had a demo 63 Parisienne 283 Powerglide and my uncle had a 327-300 white 4 speed he drag raced up in Ontario where he lived. So I had lots of Cdn Ponchos in my life until 68. Got my first speeding ticket in a 66 2 door HT.

I got into old cars after my Dad passed away in 2000, he was a founding member of the PEI antique car club and we always had an old car kicking  around, mostly all flathead Fords from 35-41.

In 2002 I decided I could use a pickup truck so why not an old one? I liked early 60’s to 72 GM’s but one day I saw a 60 Chev car which reminded me of 59 El Camino's and I was very lucky to find a solid one in Spryfield, NS. I had it until 2013. I also found two 62 Chev bubbletop projects and did a complete frame off resto on a red 63 Corvette split window coupe. I was down to one of the 62 bubbletops and it needed a frame off which I decided my garage and wallet did not have room for. 

I started watching Kijiji for a solid body car  that was the right price and condition and stumbled across a 1963 Parisienne in PEI that looked solid so I went to see it.  Other than the hood was a little funky by the mounts and the rear body mounts and trunk area had been repaired, it was a really solid car with mint rockers and floor braces. Paint I guessed was original in places and painted in places.

The car had a spray bomb painted black (blue underneath) 1974 350 with an Edelbrock and what I’d guess was the original powerglide. GM paperwork confirmed it was an original 283 powerglide sport coupe, black with burgundy interior, sold new in Montreal. 

It had had a minor under dash wiring fire so it had new Painless (I call it Painful) wiring harness and the dash had been repainted, plus the seats had been recovered non stock and it had a new red, not burgundy, carpet. I made a deal and bought the car in the fall of 2015. I still had the 62 bubbletop and ended up selling it in Wellington, NZ.

Back in 2007 I found and bought a 1963 car 409, 340HP and had it rebuilt some and put it in my 59 El Camino to get the 409 running good and see how it worked. The first drive in the car, I hit 2nd gear and blew up the rearend, so it worked pretty good. I put the 283 back in the El Camino and the 409 ended up in the 62 bubbletop. I removed it from there before I sold the car.

The Parisienne is a work in progress and I currently have no plans to do a frame off or even paint it. I installed the 409 in it (numbers correct for the 63) and a super T10 4 speed. I also installed 15 inch stock rims and a set of NOS 63 dog dish (met Darryl in PEI). It has a 3.08 rear and I got a pair of 28 inch X 8 inch DOT pie crust drag radials so it runs along the highway at 115ish at about 2500-2600 RPM. Still burns fuel like a pig but I’ve not had it on any long highway trips to see if I can improve the fuel economy enough to brag about it.

Things I’ve done to it are an NOS clutch fan with a left over set of blades from the 63 Corvette; correct original 409 fan shroud; correct rebuilt power steering setup including steering box; painted inner fenders and Pontiac rad area trim under the hood; new brake shoes and wheel cylinders; new 3/8ths fuel lines; Hella H4 high-low beam headlights; in bumper LED daytime running lights; 4 speed column from a 63 Impala; the exhaust is a left over dual setup from the mufflers back out under the bumper from the El Camino; stock 2.5 inch 409 exhaust manifolds have been ceramic coated; a correct 409 Carter 4 barrel with an adapter for the original air cleaner; 1 wire alternator; new Michelin Defender front tires; aftermarket tach; Pertronics 3 conversion; new KYB gas shocks; new 1 inch Addco front swaybar with poly bushings; new Smith MGB dual mechanical water and oil pressure gauge; an almost stock for these year Pontiac's and Chev’s hood scoop; rear seat belts for the grandkids; new front custom 409 license plate; and some black electrical tape added to the rear shelf speakers  because they keep popping off.

Do you like the custom funky power brake booster it used to have?:

Work in progress- remove rear speakers and install a replacement rear shelf cover; roof lining needs fixing up; replace rear bumper some day when I find a nice one (existing one is bent and chrome is shot); new front and maybe rear springs; new bushings for front and rear suspension; correct exhaust exiting behind the rear tires; front door panels; burgundy carpet; side glass metal is rusty and needs new rubbers and whiskers; paint wheels; replace 2 speed wiper motor that was spray painted black (with the nice one from my 63 convertible parts car); maybe do the same with the heater; and paint the steering wheel.

The paint could be redone, but as this car is intended to be a driver, that likely won’t happen unless I win the lottery……… I never worry when I park at Canadian Tire that someone will bump or scratch it.

I get lots of comments and thumbs up and “my so and so use to own one of those old Pontiacs”.

When I saw that roadside rock with the painted eyes, I knew what I wanted to park next to it. It’s located by the side of the 103, just below the Hubbards exit.

When I was at the pay parking lot in Lunenburg, I discovered the nose of the 63 is so long, it hits the barrier when you pull up far enough to the pay slot to pay. Be careful out there!!!!

Thanks Todd for allowing me to be the Feature Car, it is certainly in some really nice company.

Don