A tough situation. I have a hard decision. I have come into possession of an all-original Grande with RPO LS1.
This Sedan needs so much more than I can afford to bring it back. I can transplant the drivetrain into a perfect recipient. The hard choice of dismantling a complete 427 car is not easy.
How does one proceed?
-- Edited by Shrike on Monday 18th of September 2023 01:04:46 PM
-- Edited by Shrike on Monday 18th of September 2023 01:05:30 PM
Coming from someone who did exactly that, dismantled a 69 Grande Parisienne sport sedan LS1 in the 80's, I beg you not to make the same mistake I made. I regret it to this day.
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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
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
One more vote for not parting it out. It's a rare Canada-only beast, regardless of the number of doors it has.
That said, my opinion might change if it were so badly rusted that it wasn't able to be saved without major reconstruction. As mentioned above, pics would be helpful.
Bear in mind that the 335 LS-1 wasn't really a performance engine, more a high torque engine for heavy loads like towing or just effortless power so the value in any car, particularly a Canadian Pontiac (and not a convertible) is very limited. If the body is really bad the right route may be a transplant into another clean 69 poncho or chevy.
It is certainly not beyond saving from what I can tell. I will post some pictures and hope the experts can tell me more. I knew from day one that it was quite rough and purchased the car for its drivetrain. Once I started investigating more, I discovered the rarity of the car. This is why its a tough choice. Since I have been searching a long time for the right 427 for my project, I didnt want to let the chance slip away. I had not intended to restore the car but dont really want to part it.
If I could find an LS-1 with its M40 and the fender emblems, I would much rather acquire this drivetrain that has already come out of a car thats long gone instead. If there is anyone out there that can, and would want to restore this car, Id be glad to see it saved.
I was going to say tell Kevin about it, but he already is aware.
A '69 Grande Parisienne would look a lot like the one below. My friend Gord used to own a '69 Grande Parisienne that looked almost exactly like the U.S. Bonneville below.
Thank you all for your replies and messages. Pictures are coming soon. I am very busy and away for a few more days. I am not in a rush to make a decision as I want to be sure I take the right route with the car.
-- Edited by Shrike on Thursday 14th of September 2023 03:22:30 PM
