Finding a solid and clean classic car for sale is always a pleasant experience, but this is multiplied many times when it is being offered for sale with No Reserve. That is precisely what is on offer with this 1962 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible. It is in really nice order, and it is the sort of classic that is ready to be driven and enjoyed immediately. Personally, I can’t think of many more pleasant experiences than to be cruising the open road on a sunny day with the wind blowing through what hair I have left. With that thought in mind, you will find the Bonneville located in Largo, Florida, and listed for sale here on eBay. Even though there has been some pretty spirited bidding on the Pontiac, this has only pushed the price to a mere $8,600. If things don’t pick up fairly soon, then there is a real chance that someone is about to score a lot of car for relatively little cash! I have to say thank you to Barn Finder local_sheriff for spotting the classic Convertible for us.
The Mandalay Red Bonneville is a striking looking car. The Bonneville was Pontiac’s range-topping offering in 1962, and they didn’t hold back when it came to the task of creating something quite special. At a touch over 18′ in total length, it wasn’t the largest new car available at the time, but it certainly wasn’t the smallest. The full-length body moldings served to accentuate the vehicle’s size, and when fitted with fender skirts, that took the effect to a whole new level. There are fender skirts included in the sale. They appear to be in good condition, but it will be a decision for the next owner to make as to whether to fit them or not. The paint looks really nice, with a great shine, and no signs of any significant faults. The owner refers to the vehicle as being super solid, and I certainly can’t see any signs of any rust issues. The power top is new, and its color provides a nice contrast to the Red paint. The trim and chrome are said to have some minor blemishes and pitting, but these aren’t visible in the photos, while the glass all appears to be extremely nice.
When you lift the hood it is pretty hard to be critical of the presentation of the engine bay. The 389ci V8 looks very tidy, while the next owner will find themselves in possession of a classic that features a 3-speed Hydramatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. There were several versions of the 389 available to customers in 1962, with this one producing a healthy 303hp. That endowed the Bonneville with some surprising levels of performance. This is a big and heavy luxury car, but a sub-17-second ¼ mile time was a real possibility in the right conditions. The Pontiac has recently been treated to new tires and new brakes, and the owner says that it runs and drives perfectly. The more that I look at this car, the more I can hear that open road beckoning.
A luxury car needs to feel pretty special inside, and there’s nothing quite as luxurious as sinking into a set of seats upholstered in leather. That’s what we get with this Bonneville, and the leather upholstery does appear to be in very nice condition. There are no signs of any rips, wear, or seam separations. The remaining upholstered surfaces are in a similar state, while the carpet and console also look quite nice. The dash remains original and unmolested, but the cover over the pad does appear to hide a secret. I can see a crack poking through, and by the looks of it, it could be a big one. This might be a bit of a problem because I’ve done some searching for a replacement pad. I will admit that my search was by no means comprehensive, but I failed to locate a replacement. I did locate several companies who specialize in their restoration, so if the next owner wants to toss that cover, then that might be the strategy to follow. Of course, if that person has the bravery to spare, then they could potentially tackle the job themselves using a product like Polyvance. I have seen some pretty impressive repairs performed, but it is like every form of restoration work; The end result is entirely dependent on the level of time, preparation, and attention to detail that is applied to the task. Get it wrong and the potential is there to make a bad situation even worse. Beyond that, I am surprised that this car doesn’t feature air conditioning or power windows, but it does have a power driver’s seat.
The clean and tidy appearance of the Bonneville seems to be apparent wherever you look. I couldn’t resist including this photo of the trunk, because of the lack of scratches, marks, or apparent damage left me very impressed. The trunk is an area that can very easily be overlooked when an owner is trying to present a car to a high level, and this one creates a very positive impression for potential buyers.
I’m sure that a closer inspection would reveal flaws with this ’62 Bonneville Convertible that aren’t apparent in the photos, but there is a real possibility that these flaws could be of a minor nature. Overall, this is a classic that presents very nicely and would look great in anyone’s driveway. Bidding has been pretty healthy on this car, but it still remains within an affordable range. That could make it a tempting vehicle to bid on because you never know your luck. That’s all part of the fun of auctions.
17 seconds to run the quarter mile, and another 17 seconds to come to a stop with that single-circuit drum brake setup! Great looking car, I love it, I want it.
I had a 1960 Bonneville convertible with a 389cu, 303hp, auto transmission and I turned a 15.8 at 83 mph on the 1/4 mile dragstrip…..
You only need one good stop with drum brakes. Lol.
The author says equipped with a 3-speed Hydramatic? Actually, a 4 speed automatic, 3.82, 2.63, 1.45 and finally 1.0 in top gear. These big heavy cars, needed that low first gear, just to get moving. The Turbo-Hydramatic came along in 65-66, cheaper and lighter. My 61 Cadillac has the same trans. These rode and drove very well, can’t think of many any better in the highway.
Hopefully it isn’t the trouble prone Roto Hydramatic from that time. That was a 3 speed.
@dirtyharry. I had a 1947 Cadillac that I’m sure also had a 4 speed automatic. If I just pulled away from a stop light it only used 3 gears, but if I booted it then I’m sure it used a lower gear for about 3 seconds to get it rolling, before grabbing the next. Anybody out there that can confirm or deny the claim as 40+ years later I can’t be sure.
That’s absolutely correct dirtyharry. This is the Controlled Coupling Hydramatic/ Dual Coupling Hydramatic/ Jetaway/ Statoflight 4spd ( and a couple other names I don’t remember) used by Olds,Cadillac and Pontiac. A complex beast made ’56-’64 developed out of the first Hydramatic design; Pontiac was the last GM division to phase it out when the TH gen transmissions became the norm.
Bonnevilles/ Star Chiefs came with this transmission when auto was spec’d. If you ordered an auto spec’d Catalina/ GP in ’61-’64 you got the mentioned 3spd Roto-Problematic. It was supposed to be a cheaper to build, lighter and less complex alternative to the 4spd. The Roto is feared by many due to its reputation as a troublesome transmission
Also called a slim Jim
Bonnevilles/ Star Chiefs and wagens/Cadillac came with the Hydramatic it was the last year the rest of Odls Pont came with the slim jim Love driving my 62 Bonne
Look at that boat!! I love it, writer is correct power windows and A/C and I’m bidding. What a great cruiser. Someone posted earlier about the brakes, the brakes are the one upgrade all old cars should go through, put discs all around to stop this barge.
My Father was a Dodge man. He ordered a 1962 Dodge 880 in in blue paint interior and top. A Dodge 880 was a base Chrysler with a Dodge nose. The car came in with blue paint, but a black interior and top.The dealer stated that all Blue convertibles came with black interiors and tops regardless of what the printed sales material said.
My Father was in shock. I steered him down the street to the Pontiac dealer. The salesman said they had 5 or 7 top colors. My Father ordered Bamboo cream with a darker tan interior and tan top. In 5 weeks it was there and exactly as ordered. No more Dodges.
Was there an upgrade on the electrical system?
An alternator is fitted to this car… GM was still delivering generator equipped vehicles in 1962…?
Could this be a late ’62?
If you need to update this, update that, you do not know how to drive a car.
We drove millions of miles the way these old cars drove, and towed trailers with no brakes.
Today, these yuppies and millennials need this “update”, because driving to them is texting, on the phone, etc.
Drafting at 30 mph today, sometimes all I see behind me is the roof of some small, thin, collapsible, new car.
Many today, its not a joy to drive what you buy for gas mileage.
No air sissy cupcake, adapt. We did.
Love the 62, Grand Prix, included.
Lot more, but the attention span today here is very short
Oh, and Joe I forgot my favorite part of your letter.
The “drafting at 30 mph “. I can see a herd of blue hairs drafting each other at 30 mph on I95, a convoy, on the way to Denny’s.
You guys make me smile…
2 aspirin, and I will be betta in da mornin
I agree with you.
Yesterday it was almost 90 degrees here and humid. I drove my 1970 BelAir to work. No air conditioning, never had it. Manual drum brakes. I drove it across town and was grinning like a moron the entire time, looking at the other drivers in their air conditioned rolling living rooms.
I own a newer Kia for gas mileage, because I don’t want one of the toys to rust in the winter and because I drive to Phoenix on a somewhat regular basis. At today’s gas prices it takes about $120.00 in gas to get there. That is cheap.
I don’t think the Bel Air would even make the trip without multiple breakdowns lol.
Seller musta used the ‘fuzzy filter’ for those pics.
just sayin’…..
In 62 I believe it would have the slim jim ( rotomatic) not the most reliable trans.
The Catalina and the Grand Prix unfortunately came with the Slim Jim Roto Hydramatic, while the Executive and Bonneville came with the old tougher 4 speed Hydramatic.
Slim Jim trans in Catalina and GP. Hydra matic in Star Chief and Bonneville
This car is absolutely beautiful. Drum brakes are adequate for these cars as long as they’re adjusted properly. The main advantage of disc brakes is less fading under wet conditions. I used to work on these back in the day, adjusting the brakes meant tightening the brakes all the way then backing off six clicks. As long as all the steering components are in good condition stopping is straight and precise.
My 64 Riviera has 12″ x 2 1/2″ on front and 12″ x 2 1/4″ on rear. I have no problem stopping this heavy car with these brakes. Also I might add, drum brakes have return springs reducing drag, disc brakes do not. Now, with proper weight distribution disc brakes will last a lot longer than drum style. I have owned several Fords with 4 wheel disc brakes over the last 25 years and these brakes give 100,000 miles of trouble free miles. I once owned a 88 Chevy Corsica with front disc and rear drum brakes. The front disc pads wore out very quickly due to improper weight distribution. Modern engineering has come a long way and theirs no doubt late model cars stop more efficiently and give more mileage than those of yesteryear.
God bless America
Drum brakes always worked good. I’ve had the front disc brakes get so hot under heavy braking that the brake fluid boiled, and I lost my brakes, but the rear drums worked fine. As far as the wet drum brakes not working, all that you needed to do was just apply a little pressure to the brake petal while driving, and that dried them out just fine.
Beautiful ca. Front bumper needs adjusted so it is even. These cars are not bringing as much as they should since those of us that want them are getting old. Probably the reason this is for sale.
Others will have different opinions but to me, this is the best looking of all Pontiacs, inside and out.
I wasn’t aware that Pontiacs of this era were available with genuine leather upholstery. Am I wrong or were these seats redone?
Don’t think the interior material was leather as the only GM car in ’62 with leather might have been Cadillac. Black Vinyl was the material used in all to my knowledge. I worked part time doing auto upholstery for many years since the early 70’s and never saw genuine leather in any BOP car of this year.
The Pontiac was a beautiful car for 1962 as was the Oldsmobile Starfire, one of my favorites.
Phil; I cannot say with certainty about the ’62 however in my ’64 Pontiac fullsize sales brochure it’s stated ‘bench seats or optional bucket seats, both in genuine leather, grace the Bonneville Convertible’
Then I am probably wrong. It’s a surprise to me that a GM car that is one step above a Chevy would offer genuine leather. Thanks for the information.
Saw this one here in Brattleboro, VT a few years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSvkjHiflBk
Beautiful car built in the years of outstanding styling by the Pontiac designers from the exterior to the beautiful interiors. Love to have it to just sit back and cruise with the top down on a nice sunny day.
I can sympathize with Mr. Douglas Smith. In 1978 my wife ordered a new Mustang II with all of the options including T-tops and a beautiful blue interior. When it came in to her disappointment it had a white interior; the Ford dealer told her that with T-tops and air that the white interior was the only one available-I always wondered if he lied!
The same thing happened to me with a factory ordered ’85 Lincoln Town Car. The options were different than what I ordered and the vinyl roof was the wrong color. I am convinced that my car had previously been delivered to the dealer and that they had sold it to someone else for more than my deal with them called for. I declined to take the car and got my deposit refunded. I wound up making a better deal on a Town Car elsewhere.
Unfortunately that wasn’t all that uncommon. Or another salesman or even the Dealer wanted it on the salesman’s day off.
He did lie , my wife had a 77 Mustang II Ghia with T tops. It was all black inside and out , including the targa roof . My co worker had a silver V6 Mustang II , also with T tops , and that one had a red interior .
I’m not sure how things went in the 60s and 70s, but when i sold Chevys in the 80s we would try to discourage special-orders with all our might, as they took forever to complete and even longer to come in. Then, the car/truck/van would show up with 1 or more differences from the order sheet! Dealer trades (for something close to an actual order) far out-numbered actual S-O vehicles, at least at my store!
Nice! I took my road test in a 61′ Pontiac convert that was my father’s work car at the time,that was 1970.
GM designers hit the ball out of the park when it came to full-size cars in 1962. They’re all beautiful vehicles. I had a ‘62 Electra sedan I loved to death. Unfortunately I never got to drive a ‘62 Pontiac. I did ride in a ‘62 Pontiac limo twice, but they were trips from the funeral home to the city cemetery for two family members who died in 1979 and 1983. Both times we followed a matching ‘62 Pontiac hearse. Both cars were black and meticulously maintained. I peeked at the limo’s odometer. It only had something like 13,000 miles. My brother would have understood. 😎
Back during my lost days of inebriation I had a drinking friend who owned a 62 Pontiac Catalina. He believed it to be unbeatable in a street drag race until one night he challenged a 57 Chevy Bel Aire with a Buick 401 nail head and 4 speed manual. From the beginning he watched the Chevy’s tail lights pulling away. No money was involved, but the next day my friend Larry traded his Pontiac for a Studebaker with a 6 cylinder. He never raced again. This is not to say the Poncho wasn’t fast, for it was, just not equal to a full out street built Chevy.
God bless America
John, I also had a friend with a 57 Chevy with a 401 nail head. Where was this?
It was in Tacoma, Washington circa 1971 ACZ.
Well, now we know there were two. I’m referring to Chicago circa 1965.
She belongs in my garage!
It only takes the winning bid and follow through.
God bless America
I never had one; but my high school buddy had his brother’s Catalina convertible while he was away at college. Same metallic red, with a white top…
I put the Hurst shifter in it, for him, ( had no idea what I was doing ) and it was a 389 tri-power – 4 speed convertible with the ventura interior, and am-fm tunes. When I drove that car, it was a real treat.
I liked the Catalina, because, like the GP it had less chrome.
matt
Dating myself at 16 at the time…
I had a 1962 red Pontiac Bonneville convertible with a red interior and no bucket seats, just a bench seat. Fast car, got about 9 miles per gallon, got it up to 100mph+.
Dee
What a beautiful car and so well taken care of!!!
Didn’t Pontiac have a special name for their Naugahyde seats?
I had a black 61 Ventura with a 389 and 4 speed and the 8 lug wheels with aluminum brake drums.
My grandfather’s brother, who was a farmer in Texas, always drove a GMC pickup and his wife always drove a 4 door Star Chief with posts. Remember Pontiac/GMC dealers?
Both Pontiac and Olds had special names for their vinyl. I’ll never get the spelling right, but one was Moroceen and one was Morrokide.
Phil: That was it Morrokide. It was so hot in the summer! There were those “spring” cushions you could buy that allowed some air to circulate.
According to his daughter, Fireball Roberts, the 1962 Daytona 500 winner, (in a 1962 Catalina), used one of these as his daily driver.
SOLD for $19,000.
Yes, it showed sold for 19k on May 31.
Then relisted and sold again for $17.7k on June 22.
Sumtin’ going on there, maybe a shill bidder at 19k? oops!