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Solid Restorer: 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix

I always find it interesting when an owner lists a car for sale with what looks like a pretty fair opening bid, and while they finish up with a pretty good number of people watching the auction, nobody seems to be willing to submit a bid. That is precisely the situation with this 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix. It is located in Columbus, Georgia, and is listed for sale here on eBay. On the surface, the owner has set the opening bid at $3,500, which seems quite reasonable. While 54 people are currently watching the auction, at the time of writing, nobody has submitted a bid.

It appears that the owner has commenced the restoration of the Grand Prix, but has decided to sell the car rather than proceed any further with it. He says that the body is in good condition, but makes no mention of the state of the floors, as to whether or not they are free of rust. The body itself looks quite clean, but there is a bit of panel-work required before a repaint could be undertaken. One thing that stands out to me is the alignment of the hood, which looks right at the front near the grille but looks odd along the edges where it meets the fenders. It might be nothing, and a simple adjustment could well bring everything right. If the bumpers look good, that’s because they have recently been re-chromed, while the rest of the external trim looks like it would respond well to a good dose of polish. The car does sport one of my favorite features, which is those great looking 8-lug wheels.

The interior of the Pontiac shows plenty of promise, but there are plenty of fiddly little detail items to be attended to, and that will help occupy some time. The driver’s seat will need a new cover, but the rest of the seats look fairly reasonable. Other items that will need to be sourced are carpet, armrests for both doors, a few missing knobs and items off the dash, and the floor console looks like it could benefit from restoration. A new headliner has also been partially installed but will require completion, while it seems that the same may be true for the dash pad. Life inside the Grand Prix has been made a little more pleasant and enjoyable with the inclusion of power windows and air conditioning.

I might be wrong, but I’m wondering whether people have been put off slightly by this photo, and that might account for the lack of bids. It looks like someone is partial to their rattle cans, and have been testing their skills under the hood. It’s a crying shame that they’ve done this, because the fact that the Pontiac sports new brakes, a new radiator, and a new exhaust actually sounds quite promising. What you get for your money is a 389ci V8 engine, a 3-speed automatic transmission, and power steering. The owner is a bit secretive here and doesn’t provide any information regarding the mechanical condition of these items. I suspect that this lack of information, coupled with the rattle can work, is probably key to the current lack of bids.

At first glance, this Pontiac Grand Prix looks to be a really great project car, and there is a lot there to suggest that it could be a pretty nice car once restored. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but hopefully, the owner will be willing to provide this information if asked by a prospective buyer. If the answers prove to be positive, then it is possible that someone could potentially land themselves a pretty desirable project.

Comments

  1. Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

    Looks like a good start overall here. Going to take some elbow grease and $$ to get it done but looks like it’s got good bones overall.
    It may not be for everyone but for the right person it looks like it could be a good fit.

    Like 1
  2. HoA Howard A Member

    Nah, it’s not the rattle can paint, proof positive, people today just don’t recognize one of the most beautiful cruisers of the 60’s, and that’s troubling. This was the nicest Pontiac and one of the few times, I say, worth whatever the seller wants, it’s that nice of a car. I think many people would like a car like this, but restoration nightmares are finally keeping people away, THAT’S your problem here. If it was nicer, it would be long gone.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Miguel

      I agree with you Howard.

      If there was a prize for the most beautiful ’60s car, it would have to be this car.

      When they are all done up, you just can’t take your eyes off of it.

      Like 2
    • Avatar Mountainwoodie

      Ya know, back in the “the day”, whenever that was, a car in this condition would just be considered a fixer upper…and a good prospect at that.

      No internet to look at competing opportunities just the Auto Trader down at the 7/11

      Once old cars became investments, and auctions with shinier than off the lot appearances were pushed across auction stages, I think a fundamental change in the brain chemistry of car addicts occurred.

      Combine that with the advancing age of the demographic of those that would have gladly once take a car like this on, (cough…cough), and you have the perfect storm.

      Our brains say : That’s a great looking and desirable car followed by….oh man that’s gonna take a lot of money…followed by …do I really want a behemoth that will take a long time to get to the point where I’m happy with it…followed by….will I have to give her half of everything we have when she says its me or the car?

      Which is followed by……….I wonder whats on the next page of fleabay.

      Sic transit tempus

      Like 4
  3. Avatar Mike Thor Member

    I’ll tell ya what the problem is. There is a big difference between a “buyer” opening his mouth and opening his wallet. But then something strange often happens… if the vehicle gets bid on, others see that, and before you know it the sometimes you got a monkey-see, monkey-do reaction in others or situation and then everybody wants to get in the action, bidding wars, etc.

    I am not suggesting that some buyers are like sheep or lemmings, heck, I often find that a vehicle that has bids on it seems to be well worth it and participated myself. Maybe it would be accurate to say that a few folks would rather see other people jump off a financial or commitment cliff before they do.

    The truth is that a lot of people cannot see the value in something by working it out themselves and commit unless they first see OTHER people who have done so and this finally validates the value of the vehicle in their own mind, but this mindset does not mean the vehicle is really worth it or not, or could be worth little or a lot. Just my opinion tho… mike

    Like 3
  4. Avatar rod444

    Always found it odd that this car in the US was the Grand Prix, but the one I owned was Canadian made and named the Grande Parisienne.

    Did they assume Americans wouldn’t like the French spelling and european connection?

    Notably with a 283 and a 2 spd slushbox it wasn’t exactly go-kart like off the line.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ralph

      Grand Prix is a pretty European connotation too, it was a race before it was a car after all.

      I don’t think the Grand Parisienne and the Grand Prix are the same cars overall, the Grand Prix came out in 1962, pre-dating the Grand Parisienne from what I recall, also the Grand Parisienne was a mix of Chevrolet and Pontiac bits where the Grand Prix was all Pontiac, the coupe Grand Parisienne did share the Grand Prix’s unique rear window and roof treatment.

      Like 1
    • Avatar Jerry Brentnell

      the thing here they are 2 different cars all together the canadain pontiac sits on a chev frame with a chev power train! the american pontiac is sitting on a olds frame the front fenders are longer on the US pontiac and hood, we had no gto’s lemans, we had beaumonts, with chev engines

      Like 0
      • Avatar Glen Riddle

        BTW the American Pontiac did not use an Oldsmobile frame.

        Like 0
  5. Avatar dyno dan

    had a 66 Catalina 2+2 convertible. 421,3 speed dual exhaust. paid 500 for it in oct 72. bought it after air force tech school and drove it to new mexico. got orders for Thailand and wound up selling it. to this day I wish I still had it. kind of like your first love. lots of memories.

    Like 6
  6. Avatar francis

    I got two cars on fleabay now and between the dumb questions and people not liking the opening bid trying to sell a car is nuts! Look people we do not own the cars since new, please don’t ask questions as if we do?

    Like 3
    • Avatar triumph1954

      francis! Why put your two cars on fleabay (Ebay)? There is other avenues to sell cars.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Francis

        Suggestions? Please. Craigslist = Bad also

        Like 1
      • HoA Howard A Member

        Um,,,here maybe? Barn Finds has quite a following.

        Like 3
  7. Avatar Rick

    my dad had this car in a beautiful shade of green, around 1970…what a drive, was there a 426 available because that bad boy could haul ass…?? this is what I called a “true” Grand Prix although I liked the model J as well…great memories in this one

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ralph

      A 1970 would have had a 455, a 66 like the featured car could be optioned up to 376hp 421HO with 3x2bbl carbs.

      Like 1
      • Avatar PatrickM

        That’s a nice set up!!

        Like 0
  8. Avatar TominPS

    Those wheels alone are almost worth the opening bid.

    Like 2
  9. Avatar local_sheriff

    That’s why I’ve come to look in the Chief’s direction as it seems 60s big-body Ponchos are completely overshadowed by their a-body brethren. They offer Impala size and comfort at the fraction of the cost, and have LOTS of identity!
    I simply cannot comprehend there aren’t more bidders in this auction, good buys still seem to be out there

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Bob McK

    I think Pontiac made some of the most beautiful cars back in the 60’s. I have always wondered why they have not gotten crazy expensive.

    Like 2
    • HoA Howard A Member

      Because, Bob, the scary part, is future generations may say, “what’s a Pontiac?”

      Like 3
    • Avatar Jerry Brentnell

      here another question for you? why don’t cougars bring the kind of money fools fork out for mustangs! I had a lady friend with a 67 cougar xr7 plumb with a white leather interior sun roof with a 390 4 gear it was 5 times the car a mustang could ever be! no gut less 6 bangers in cougars

      Like 1

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