This one is a head-scratcher for me. The seller has this car listed as a 1986 Pontiac Parisienne, which it sure looks like in every way other than the grille. Most of us remember that GM offered the Parisienne in Canada for years, but it also sold this car in the U.S. from 1983 through 1986. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Aurora, Colorado, and they’re asking $5,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Mike F. for the tip!
Is this is, or is this ain’t a Chevrolet Caprice grille? Specifically, a pre-1986 grille? The Parisienne grille, I believe, would have had vertical bars, not an eggcrate-like grille like this. This is where my head starts spinning. It’s wearing a Pontiac Parisienne hood ornament, and the other badging and details look Pontiac’ish. Bill Owens wrote about basically this same car, but in much nicer condition, here on Barn Finds back in 2018, and you can see the grille.
The taillights and badging are correct everywhere, that’s why I can’t figure out the grille. One of you will know, maybe it’s a Canadian version rather than the actual Pontiac Parisienne that was sold at U.S. Pontiac dealers from 1982 or so, until the end of 1986? In any case, you can see how incredibly faded this car is inside and out. Colorado is a sunny state, but dang, this car is dull and faded, sort of like me. Page 20 of this 1986 Pontiac brochure shows a 1986 Parisienne.
I’m not a value expert, but I just don’t see $5,000 here, given how faded this car is inside and out. The seats appear to have lost all of their color on the top surfaces, the dash has a cover on it, and I’m assuming it’s due to cracking, but we don’t know for sure. I’d bet that this fabric could be redyed back to looking like a nice burgundy velour again. Have any of you done fabric dying on seats? I’m assuming quite a few of you have, since a lot of you have restored vehicles for decades. The back seat looks plush, but similarly faded, and here’s the trunk.
The engine should be a Chevrolet-sourced 305-cu.in. OHV V8 with 165 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque. Power passes through a four-speed automatic to the rear wheels, and the seller says it’s original, and it runs and drives great. Oh yeah, the best part: there’s no rust, according to the seller. What are your thoughts on this Pontiac Parisienne? Is it wearing its cousin’s grille?
Cheviac??? Pontichev??? Bonnarice?? ParriesineImpala? I’m out of ideas on names here….This is a first. I guess its obviously possible that everything bolts up. I’m guessing they needed a grill and couldn’t find a Pontiac one, so I guess this had to do. These are comfortable nice riding cars. It actually looks pretty good. And complete and no rust showing which are all huge pluses. This was definitely a more interesting find Scotty. Maybe I’d try to source a correct grill. Because I have C.D.O. It’s like O.C.D…..Except…… The letters are in order…. As they SHOULD be!!!
Thanks Scotty!!!
Thanks for the info, Dave, Stan, and everyone! I wasn’t sure if it was maybe a Canadian version, or an older model, or something. I’m assuming a Chevrolet grille is much easier to find than a Pontiac grille, so that’s probably what happened. I sort of knew that, but wasn’t positive. Thanks!
It’s common to see different wheels/hubcaps shared by the General’s family. The Caprice/Impala front end is a sure thing I’d say.
Nice riding car comfortable cruiser, 5 digit odometer so you are taking the seller at their word for how many miles are on it. Personally I would rather have the Pontiac grill but for something that I don’t care much about getting beat up in the Walmart parking lot I guess it’s ok
It’s definitely a Pontiac. Not sure it’s worth the money being asked. I know a mechanic who has one. Last time I checked, he had 500,000kms on it. It was pretty rough but still going
Reminds me of the Plymouth Dodge Dart Scamp that was posted a few days ago.
Probably a boneyard replacement.
There’s nothing particularly mystifying here. Aside from grille and trim, the Parisienne used a Caprice front end. The Caprice grille was a bolt-in substitute for Pontiac item, and given the Pontiac hood ornament, my guess is that’s what happened here.
I had a 1986 Chevy Caprice Brougham back in the 1990’s black and grey 2 tone paint and it got wrecked in 1998 with 220,000 miles on it. Great car. The Chevy header front on this Pontiac is from a 1985 and older. The 1986 had a slightly different header panel with a newer grille and still 4 old school headlamps. The 1987 had the newer grille and the flat one piece headlamps. I also put a 1987 header panel on my 1986 Caprice so everyone thought it was a 1987.
I never understand why someone who decides to repaint a car a different color do not paint inside the doors and trunk areas.
‘Cause Earl Scheib wanted to charge extra for the jambs?
This poor car has been baked in the sun…$5K? Nah…These were nice when new,but I’d pass on this one.
Must be a typo, there’s an extra zero in the price.
yeah, this looks worn out.1500.00 tops. put a poncho grille in it at least
I’m thinking he is very optimistic and may be stretching the truth a bit.
“This is an all-original Pontiac Parisienne, well-kept and complete.” is taken directly from his ad…So the Chevy front end, the repaint, In a different color no less, still qualify this car as All Original???
His math is definitely different than mine.
LOL.
Everything is Pontiac but with a Caprice nose clip. Why are the seats so faded?
My first post got lost so, Scotty, I’ve done redying on crushed velour seats in the 80s. I had a Binks 150 gun & a small compressor in the back of a Dodge Aspen wagon. For this material, my process was to spray it on, rub it in to get into the fiber, then go back over it just spraying. If the material was cooked enough, then you’re wasting your time & the dealer money If you keep going over it to cover worn material, it creates a hard surface. Like painting sandpaper. My job was to help the dealer sell the car. I also fixed cracked dashes ( these cars, the Eldorados, full size Chevrolets & Caddys, Firebirds & Camaros of this vintage were almost notorious for cracking in 4 places. That probably explains why this one has a dash cover.
To this car, I’d say this got hit up front & the most handy & cheapest fix was a Chevy clip from a yard. Doesn’t say much about the maintenance & “originality” of the rest of the car, does it?
The dash is original but sadly looks like Pontiac got lazy and just used the Caprice dash. The earlier Bonneville at least had a different dash.