Drive Or Restore: 1967 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible

Probably the toughest thing about writing for Barn Finds is trying to evaluate pricing of cars I’ve only seen in pictures, because I want to give cars for sale a fair shake without influencing readers too much with my opinions; in other words, I try to call them as I see them while staying in the background as much as I can. Sometimes, it’s impossible because the car is such a great deal (from what I can see) or because I’m excited about the car itself. In others, such as with this 1967 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible that Barn Finder Curvette found here on craigslist in Olympia, Washington, I think it’s fair to say that I won’t be alone in thinking it’s a pretty good deal at $10,000. As the seller says, it’s in fair condition and would be a candidate for either restoration or enjoying as-is, and just about any running, desirable, presentable 1960s ragtop has to be worth ten large, right?

On the other hand, it is definitely a little tired looking, but it wouldn’t take too much elbow grease to improve on things underhood. The 1967 Bonneville came standard with a 325-horsepower 400 four-barrel (when ordered with a Turbo Hydra-Matic, as this one was). It has power steering and power brakes, but no air conditioning, which is no surprise on a convertible, even as late as 1967. The seller doesn’t give us much information about the mechanical condition of the Bonneville, so a message will be in order.

The interior is tired but salvageable, much like the engine compartment. As a man who works on his own cars and owns a car with a white interior, I know that it’s not the best choice for a person who sometimes has dirty clothes, but I also know that it can be cleaned up reasonably well. This one could use a good detailing, but it has tough Pontiac “Expanded Morrokide” upholstery, which is a fancy way of saying that the seating surface is made of vinyl. The lack of air conditioning aside, this looks like a well-equipped convertible, with power windows and a tilt steering wheel.

It would be nice to see a picture of the trunk with the mat removed, but it’s always worth an in-person look when you’re dealing with a craigslist or Marketplace car; there just aren’t enough pictures available to really do a car justice.

But like I said at the top, things would have to be far more dire than they appear for the car to be worth much less than the seller is asking, and there’s always a chance that a motivated buyer could strike up a deal, too. If you agree and are in the position to pick this red Bonnie up, let us know in the comments.