Great Resto Candidate Must Go: 1966 Pontiac Bonneville






















Today at the Gildea/Lynch property was a bit somber; another car was sold from our collection: a 1965 Rambler American 330 four-door sedan. Sold to two guys from northern Kentucky, seeing the Rambler go was a bittersweet sight; my family had hoped to build up the car as a daily driver, but that never happened. On the other side of the coin, however, I'm glad somebody will actually give the car the proper attention it deserves. Having said that, I now need a new project car, and vintage Pontiac cars have caught my fancy recently. A bit out of my price range but still cool nonetheless is this 1966 Pontiac Bonneville two-door hardtop, which already has the appearance of a street-racing bruiser. Find it here on Craigslist in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with an asking price of $5,800.


















After a full redesign in 1965, Pontiac's Bonneville continued with minimal changes for 1966. The Bonneville was the top-trim for Pontiac's full-size lineup for the 1966 model year. This Bonneville is a two-door hardtop model, and is one of 42,004 cars built for 1966. Resplendent in Montero Red, there is a bit of rust on the rocker panels and on the lower edges of the fenders, but otherwise the car is fairly solid. The dual mirrors and Torque-Thrust wheels make for an aggressive look, as does the Montero Red paint. I would repair and or replace any rusty metal, repaint the car in its factory color, source the chrome headlight surrounds, and wrap the Torque-Thrusts in bias-look radial tires.





















Taking a peek under the hood, you'll notice a 389 four-barrel V8 residing in the engine bay. The 389 came in two forms: in 325 horsepower and 333 horsepower form. Backed by the three-speed TH-400 automatic, this Bonneville's drivetrain recently had been inspected top to bottom and is said to run and drive perfectly. I would detail the drivetrain and drive this car with gusto, laying down the occasional burnout on the asphalt roads.





















In my personal opinion, Pontiac made the best looking interiors in terms of 1960s muscle cars. Inside, a black bench seat and column shift interior highlights this Pontiac Bonneville. There is a slight rip in the front seat, and unfortunately a picture of the back seat is not provided. Otherwise, the interior presents very well, and I love the woodgrain gauge surround that contrasts nicely with the black vinyl interior. I would fix the rip and detail and clean up the interior. Overall, this Pontiac Bonneville has a lot of potential, and if bought for the right price would make for a nice cruise night and car show attendee. Waht are your thoughts on this driveable 1966 Pontiac Bonneville two-door hardtop project?
Location: West Chester, PA, USA

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