I have to say I have a real soft spot for the bread and butter Ponchos. Sure, I love the SD's and 2+2's and the big block powered cars, mostly because of their performance and rarity. When it comes down to it though, the base models (often with six cylinder engines, four doors and relativley few options) were the cars that kept General Motors on top in Canada during the 1960's. These are the cars most of us remember from our youth. Here's the perfect example of such a car. This extremely clean 1965 Pontiac Laurentian belongs to Rob Currie. Rob's parent owned a 65 Pontiac much like this one when he was a kid. He always wanted another one like and low and behold he found this clean example. Rob gives us the details:
"I was just driving by one day when I found this car on a lot. I test drove it and tried to work out a deal to my liking and they turned it down. Within two weeks I received a call from the car lot wanting to know if I was still interested in making the deal. I was assuming they didn’t want to keep the car stored over the winter as fall was approaching. So as they say, the rest is history.
This car is a true rust free survivor. It came with original data sheet, and the original owners manual in its original plastic bag. There was also original record showing the 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that Eric Middlemiss bought new and then traded in on this new 1965 Pontiac laurentian.
After 58 years the car still works like new. There are currently 38,850 miles showing. All the chrome is like new. Most of the interior is in great condition however for some reason it’s missing the trim on the inside of the rear window. The original paint has a few blemishes. It’s a bare bones car with manual steering, manual brakes, no radio, and a 6 cylinder with an automatic transmission.
I replaced all the door rubbers, and installed a new gas tank, fuel pump, carburetor, complete exhaust and a master cylinder. It's equipped pretty much as from the factory except for 15” wheels that the previous owner installed.
I put the 15” hubcaps from my late fathers 1978 Pontiac laurentian wagon on the car. My story has actually gone full circle. Let’s go back to 1965. My father bought a new 1965 Pontiac Stratochief with a 283 engine and a manual transmission. It was white in colour. When I turned 16 my father bought a new 1972 Pontiac and gave me the Stratochief.
It was my first car. I had a lot of good memories with that car and with my parents, and then the kids I had when I owned the car.
After I retired from my job in northern Alberta and moved back to the maritimes I actively searched for another one. I wanted one that was complete and original with little work needed so I could relive my younger years. All of a sudden this one comes along!"
I could stare at all the details on this car forever. That original seat material, the door panel "Chrome" strips, the carpet, the un rusted firewall seam, the chrome, the diecast, the doc's, F40!
This car is true to what a sweet original 65 Laurentian could be.
Congrats, it must be a joy to own.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
What an absolute gem. So well preserved and chronicled.
Is there any doubt why Pontiac was the best selling brand in Canada in 1965.
Just as an aside it's interesting when we say that bare bones cars were the foundation ( majority ) of sales. Perhaps not so, GMVVS ( above ) says 9474 Laurentian 4 door 6 cylinder models produced. In contrast other documents show 9878 Parisienne Custom Sport 2 door hardtop V8s produced.
Cant add much to what was already said, except what an awesome original trunk, looks restored like the rest of the car. My Dad drove a 1965 4 door Laurentian demo, dark blue, 283 Powerglide.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
Your car really takes me back. My aunt owned the exact same car as yours, bought new in Winnipeg. I always thought the name of the colour, Tahitian Turquoise (if that is indeed the colour of yours), was unforgettable.
Nice car, Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
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72 Nova SS, 66 Beaumont Sport Deluxe, 09 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe
Once upon a time those cars were everywhere. They did a lot of service for countless families. I even have an original GM Canada coil on my pegboard that came from, you guessed it, a '65 Laurentian 4-door 6-cylinder, plus an original wheel with an early 70s Shell bias ply.
Most people think of the sixes as wheezy gutless wonders, but I remember following a '64 Laurentian 230 onto the Don Valley Parkway from Bloor and it quickly and effortlessly was up to traffic flow.
Your 65 looks in the photos like Tahitian Turquoise, but I notice in the documentation (and trunk pics) it is actually Cypress Green, a rarely seen one. That one carried over into 1966 for Canada only.
I love seeing survivors. Yours is really sweet. Take care of it. The odds change every time a car goes to a new owner, who becomes its custodian. Most people load up their cruisers with options, but seeing such a plain, legit, rustic car is something that I'll bet most of the younger generation have never seen.
F40 is interesting. I'll bet your car lacks a front stabilizer bar, as the six cylinder Strato Chief & Laurentian sedans omitted them. I'd be curious as to the differential as I would expect a 10-bolt but am prepared to find a 12-bolt (65 was liberal with 12-bolt use). A 66 or later could have all that and a front stabilizer with rpo Z04.
"Nelson Motors is now a John Deere dealership, wonderfull classy family!" - 68 Grande. Obviously green ran deep, from selling Cypress Green Laurentians to farmers, to John Deere equipment. You know, sometimes in rural areas people would buy 6-cylinder Pontiacs with an oil bath air cleaner, rpo K45, shown attached.
I had a chance to check on the front stabilizer and the rear diff, it has both the stabilizer bar and a 12 bolt.
I never thought to ask about the 12 bolt. That's another 65 Laurentian 6 cylinder with a 12 bolt. When I was a kid my uncle had almost the twin to your car Robert (including the 6 cylinder) and it had a 12 bolt with a posi.
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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
1. What a beautifully preserved car, and a fitting candidate as the June feature car. Congratulatiions to the owner.
2. I am convinced that the car has a 12 bolt because it has the F40 suspension option. In my province I have found numerous 6 cylinder 65-70 Chev and Pontiac full size cars with 12 bolts. (I even scavenged a few. Unfortunately however, the last time I visited the graveyard, everyone of the differentials had been stripped of its internals - only the housings remained).
