This awesome 1959 Pontiac Bonneville has great styling and has a ton of potential. It can be found here on eBay with a buy-it-now price of $7,800. Currently located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the previous owner purchased the car in Michigan and hauled it home where it sat covered for many years. Let’s take a look at this mean-looking car and thanks to Russ D. for the tip on this classic bubble-top!
There are definitely some spots of the body that need addressing. Unfortunately, they go a little beyond typical paint issues from a car that is over sixty years old. You can see in this photo, there appears to be a gash in the passenger door. There is also quite a bit of rust on the passenger quarter panel. The car may have a drag-racing history since the front fenders are heavy-duty vintage fiberglass pieces.
As is typical for a car of this vintage, the front seat upholstery needs to be replaced. Overall, the interior looks intact and is a good candidate for restoration. The rear seat is in much better shape than the front and could be used for a pattern if the buyer wants to reupholster it in the factory style.
The engine is a 389 cubic inch V8 and the engine stamping matches the VIN. The seller states the original intake and heads are in place as well. The engine cranks smoothly, but there’s no mention if it actually runs but it was started about a year ago. The car also features power steering and brakes, which are great options to have.
Not only does the grille and front end have great styling, check out the rear too! The split fins are a tell-tale sign of the jet-age styling of the 50s and 60s. Check out the bumper and taillight shapes as well. This thing looks like it could take off at any time! What do you think of this awesome project?
Too bad those fenders aren’t aluminum, or the whole front really, but she’s a few years old for that crazy lightweight super stock stuff. Still curious about the fiberglass fenders and still having power steering and brakes not too mention the heavy front bumper….if it was a racer.
Cool old poncho.
Who races a 59 Bonneville? Fiberglass genders are probably a damage repair with less expensive fiberglass parts.
So you’re saying that they may have gotten into a genderbender?
The styling of the cars in the late fiftys and early 60’s till the muscle car era were the coolest with the super long quarters and the fins flowing back like space ships!!! I guess we can thank Roswell and Sputnik for that!!!
Very nice car, but ’tis no drag racer. Like troy sez, drag racers used aluminum fenders, and not until the 60’s and it would never have an automatic. The reason 4 speeds were used, is automatics couldn’t take it, yet. I don’t see the headers they speak of either. This was someones big ol’ Bonne( with replacement fiberglass fenders) that rolled like thunder. “Wide-Trackin” made them great road cars. As usual, with 120 watchers, there’s clearly interest, but restorations on cars like this are incredibly expensive, and these, as shown by no bids, have to be cheaper to start with or in better shape. I just don’t see people taking on projects like this today.
Drag race a Bonnie??
What’s next, a Coupe DeVille??
40 years ago, the most consistent bracket racer at Keystone Raceway Park drove a 1973 Olds 98 station wagon. He turned in the most consistent times and used to aggravate the true racers, you know, the guys who had faster cars but either broke our or redlighted.
The 59 was the first of the Wide Track series Pontiacs but this example, sadly to say, is a rust bucket. I believe that is a Tri -Power emblem on the fender but has a 4 bbl on the engine. This thing is worth $3000.00 – $3500.00 at best. It appears to have been hit in the front end. If it came from Michigan you can bet it’s real rusty underneath. I would pass.
I remember back in the 70’s J.C. Whitney sold fiberglass front fenders for just about any car made. If anybody in Mich. needed front fenders, junkyard ones were probably full of tin worms. So in that case J.C. Whitney had everything you needed. As a kid I would spend hours looking at that catalog and adding how much it would cost to build the perfect car. And when you’re 12 that perfect car changed every week.
Guess none of the know it all’s were around when these were new – 1959 – 1960 cause they would know how fast – and held together these 389’s were. Check some NASCAR results as well. Car sold….that should tell you something – but you of course you know it all.
Good comment on the Fiberglas fenders as yes they were just replacements and came about after this car was competitive in stock class.