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Big Ol’ Bonneville: 1966 Pontiac Convertible

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The seller of this 1966 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible relates a typical barn find story of the car having been purchased as a project many years ago, but the work was never started and so it sat parked in the barn. It’s located in Statesville, North Carolina and is up for sale here on craigslist for $3,000. Based on the pictures, the roof covering of the barn is gone and that may be prompting the sale.

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It’s hard to tell from this view, but it looks like the front half of the car wasn’t covered during it’s storage period. I wonder how long the roof has been gone from the structure? There’s rust on the front bumper for sure, but I don’t see a lot of rust on the body in the admittedly grainy pictures. The seller states that there is very little rust, mainly in the trunk, but that there is some old bodywork on the driver’s side rear quarter panel that has caused some rot.

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Speaking of trunk rust, here’s some. I don’t think the car left the factory with that hole, and there’s more pictures showing more rust back there. I find it interesting that the area that presumably was covered up at some point is the area showing the most rust.

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The seller says the interior is good for patterns–I think I’d clean and see what I could live with for a while. The top, however, is essentially non-existent, so that would be my first priority unless I had indoor storage lined up.

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The seller doesn’t detail the V-8, but does state that it won’t turn over by hand, although they didn’t try a breaker bar. If it’s the original engine, it will either be a 389 or 421 V-8, but based on the air cleaner shape I think it’s the 389 with a single four-barrel carb rather than the three 2-barrels fitted to the 421. Value guides show that the convertibles are worth about 2-1/2 times what the coupes are, but there’s a lot of work to do here. Is it worth the work to you?

Comments

  1. Avatar Luke Fitzgerald

    blackhole

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  2. Avatar randy

    They waited a few too many years if they want that kind of money from this classic.
    This car would be loved at my place though.

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  3. Avatar Vince Habel

    Storing it on dirt was not good.

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    • Avatar Mike R

      Nope, and it happens all too often on a lot of desirable vehicles…

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Charles

    This will be an expensive restore!

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  5. Avatar Mark S

    Be careful not to open the doors it might fold in half, it looks like it’s had bath tub floor boards for a long time. If there’s no rust what’s all that brown stuff. Better find an 11′ pole because you wouldn’t want to touch this one with a 10′ pole. End of rant thanks for your patience.

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  6. Avatar Charles

    My parents owned a 66 Bonneville coupe with a factory installed 421 tri-power. It also had factory A/C, PS, PB, and an automatic transmission. They bought it new in 1966. We lived at the beach, and the car rusted severely in few years. To me that is the one we should have kept, however at that time no one would spend the money it costs to restore a 60’s car. Things have changed!

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  7. Avatar piper62j

    I always liked this body style.. Sharp, crisp lines and lots of power under the hood.. Captivating.

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  8. Avatar Charles

    If I were to win the lottery… Buy this beast and send it to a professional restorer. Have a full frame off restore done, and while having the work done fit the car with factory A/C, tri-power, and 8 lug factory wheels. Not that one couldn’t find a running driving example for less then the total cost of restoration, but purely for the fact of saving one more old poncho from extinction. Nothing better for someone who was raised and weaned on these cars.

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  9. Avatar John

    If one would breathe on the upholstery it would disintegrate from being in the weather! With the tires sunk in the dirt the frame would most likely do the same.

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  10. Avatar Charles

    No doubt.

    Like 0

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