ANOTHER OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES IN THE PONTIAC LINE IS FIRST THE 1959 BONNEVILLE CONVERTIBLE IN SUNSET GLOW OR WHITE. SECOND IS THE 1963 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX IN ANY COLOR AND CONDITION PREFERABLY DARK BLUE. THE PONTIAC STYLISTS WERE BRILLIANT. GREAT CONSOLE WITH HIGH MOUNTED CHROME VACUUM GAUGE, THREE GAUGE CLUSTER TOP OF DASH, BUCKET SEATS WITH CHROME OVER THE TOP, 8 LUG WHEELS AND FIRST YEAR FOR THE MAGNIFICENT CONCAVED REAR WINDOW ROOF TREATMENT. A WHITE 1963 GRAND PRIX SURFACED IN RICHMOND AND THE GUY SAID, IT’S SITTING HERE AT MY OFFICE ON OUR PROPERTY IN BETWEEN TWO BUILDINGS. THE PRICE WAS VERY ATTRACTIVE. THERE IS JUST ONE SMALL THING. I SAID, OH OH. HE SAID THERE IS NO ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR OR DRIVE SHAFT PLUS SOME OTHER STUFF MIGHT BE MISSING. THE BODY WAS GOOD AND THE INTERIOR WAS GREAT.
I BOUGHT IT, DETAILED THE CAR INCLUDING EMPTY ENGINE COMPARTMENT (THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT RIGHT). CLIFF WAGNER CAME TO MY USED CAR MANAGER’S OFFICE LATE ONE NIGHT FOR A VISIT AND I HAD THE CONSOLE IN OUR LOUNGE AREA CLEANING IT READY TO PUT BACK IN THE CAR. CLIFF SAID, WOULDN’T YOU BE BETTER OFF JUST TAKING PICTURES OF CARS WHICH YOU DO WELL AND JUST LOOK AT THE PICTURES SO YOU DON’T SUBJECT YOUR BODY TO EXTREME WORK INCLUDING YOUR RESOURCES. THEY CERTAINLY DON’T AFFECT YOUR PERFORMANCE AS A USED CAR MANAGER. IN TIME AS YOU GET OLDER, IT WILL AFFECT YOUR WELL BEING.
HE WAS RIGHT. BUYING CARS IN THAT CONDITION CAN BE A NIGHTMARE. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I LOVE CARS SO IT WAS NOT DRUDGERY. I SOLD THE CAR TO A LOCAL PERSON WHO WAS MUST ANXIOUS TO STUFF AN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IN IT THAT WERE AVAILABLE IN JUNK YARDS.