FOR TEN YEARS I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR AN OPEN CAR (CONVERTIBLE) THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY FUN TO DRIVE FOR CONNIE AND I BOTH. SURE, I COULD BUY A 1959 BONNEVILLE CONVERTIBLE WITH FACTORY BUCKET SEATS FOR $135,000. I DIDN’T WANT A TRAILER QUEEN. OUR RED LADY GORGEOUS 1957 CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE WITH RED AND WHITE LEATHER PRETTY MUCH FIT THAT CATEGORY. SO FOR THE LAST YEARS I HAVE SECRETLY BEEN ON THE SEARCH FOR A 1975 PONTIAC GRANDVILLE BROUGHAM CONVERTIBLE, RWD. IT WAS THE LAST YEAR FOR RWD AND FIRST YEAR FOR SQUARE HEADLIGHTS.
THE CAR ABSOLUTELY HAD TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING FACTORY EQUIPMENT: FACTORY AIR, 400 V-8, 400 TURBO HYDROMATIC, FACTORY RALLY TWO WHEEL
S, RALLY TUNED SUSPENSION WITH HEAVY DUTY FRONT AND REAR SWAY BARS, DUAL EXHAUSTS, 60/40 DIVIDED SEAT, POWER SEAT, POWER WINDOWS, POWER DOOR LOCKS, ATTRACTIVE RED AND WHITE COURTESY LIGHTS IN THE DOORS, AND ABOVE ALL – A TILT STEERING WHEEL.
I ALSO WANTED ONE THAT WAS IN NEED OF TOTAL RESTORATION SO I COULD REMOVE EVERY PIECE OF METAL INCLUDING INTERIORS, BUMPERS, MOLDINGS AND HAVE THE BODY PREPARED AND REFINISHED IN THE COLOR OF OUR CHOICE. I WOULD WANT THE INTERIOR TO BE REUPHOLSTERED IN A MATCHING HARMONIZING COLOR INCLUDING CARPETS, DASH AND TRUNK CARPETING. I WOULD HAVE THE TURBO HYDROMATIC REBUILT WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTER. THE ENGINE WOULD BE REBUILT WITH PERHAPS A 462 STROKER, PER OUR OWN LARRY CRIDER’S SUCCESS WITH HIS HAUL HINNY 1958 PONTIAC. EVERYTHING WOULD BE REPLATED INCLUDING MANY PIECES THAT FOR ECONOMY REASONS WERE NEVER PLATED.
SEARCHING THROUGH COUNTLESS ISSUES OF THE PONTIAC SMOKE SIGNALS (THANK YOU TIM DYE) IT APPEARED FOR SALE. I SPECIFICALLY WATCHED IT FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS. STILL FOR SALE. I HAD A STRICT ACQUISITION BUDGET. AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH ALVIN WHO HAD HAD IT FOR TEN YEARS, WE WERE IN OUR FINAL DISCUSSIONS
WHEN I TOLD HIM I CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PRICE BECAUSE I HAVE TO SHIP IT IN AN ENCLOSED CONTAINER OTHERWISE THE OLD TOP WILL RIP RIGHT OFF, THERE WAS SILENCE. I HEARD A VERY PLEASANT WOMAN’S VOICE IN THE BACKGROUND SAY, ALVIN, YOU’RE TOO OLD TO FOOL AROUND WITH THOSE CARS. TAKE THAT MAN’S OFFER – SELL IT. IT WAS MY LUCKY DAY! HE HAD SPENT MONEY IN THE RIGHT PLACES: NEW FUEL TANK, NEW DUAL EXHAUSTS, NEW RADIALS WITH WIDER WHITE WALLS WHICH I LIKE, NEW QUADRA JET. IT ALWAYS PASSED HIS STATE INSPECTION.
TO OUR SURPRISE WHEN MORENO CUSTOMS BODY SHOP FOLKS BLOCK SANDED THE CAR FOR THE THIRD TIME AND SANDED AND PREPARED TRUNK AND INTERIOR FLOORS BY HAND, WE DISCOVERED THAT SOME ONE MUST HAVE REPLACED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FLOORS – OR IT’S JUST ABOUT THE MOST RUST FREE PENNSYLVANIA CAR I HAVE EVER SEEN. THERE WERE SOME MINOR TRADITIONAL AREAS THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT EFFORTS. RICARDO MORENO AND HIS TEAM WILL PRODUCE ONLY THE BEST AND IT IS DONE TO PERFECTION.
I BELIEVE THE GRANDVILLE BROUGHAM IS GOING TO BE THE FINEST 1975 ON THE PLANET. IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE. CONNIE AND I ARE VERY EXCITED. SHE IS ESPECIALLY SINCE HER NAME IS SOLELY ON THE TITLE. WE ARE FORTUNATE BECAUSE IN GRAPEVINE TEXAS MORENO’S PERFORMS THE BODY AND UPHOLSTERY WORK IN THE SAME SHOP. IN THE SAME BUILDING ALL THE MECHANICALS ARE BEING DONE BY MUCH SOUGHT AFTER DAYNE WEST OF GRAPEVINE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES. HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE STYLING AROUND IN LATE FALL.
YOU ARE SEEING THE CAR IN PENNSYLVANIA AT TOP AND THEN THE VARIOUS STAGES OF RESTORATION BY RICARDO AND HIS TEAM AT MORENO’S. HER NAME IS CLAIR AFTER ALEX’S DAD AND MOM’S FAVORITE SONG “CLAIR DE LUNE”. HER COLOR IS A BEAUTIFUL VANILLA SHAKE! THE UPHOLSTERY WILL BE A COLOR THAT MATCHES THE PAINT WITH A PEARL ON THE PIPING OF THE SEATS. OF COURSE, THE UPHOLSTERY WILL BE A MARINE MATERIAL AS WE KNOW ALEX WILL BE DRIVING WITH THE TOP DOWN AND HAS BEEN KNOW TO DRIVE IN SNOW OR RAIN.
EVERYTHING THAT COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE CAR WAS TAKEN OFF AND IT HAS ALL BEEN CHROME PLATED. IF IT WAS ALUMINUM, IT WAS FIRST ANODIZED THEN CHROME PLATED. PULIDO PLATING IN BALCH SPRINGS (DFW) MESQUITE HAVE CHROMED OTHER PARTS FOR ME AND THEIR RESULTS ARE FIRST RATE AND GREAT PRICES. YOU CAN PICK SHOW QUALITY OR TO JUST LOOK NICE. YOU WILL SEE PHOTOS OF THE MANY PARTS JUST WAITING TO BE PUT BACK ON THE GRANDVILLE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT AND THE ENGINE IS NEXT.
WE WILL UPDATE THIS PAGE AS MORE PROGRESS IS MADE. HOPE YOU WILL KEEP RETURNING TO THE 159 CARS WEB SITE SO YOU WILL SEE CLAIRE WHEN SHE IS READY TO “GO OUT FOR A SPIN”. MOST OF GRAPEVINE IS ALREADY LINING UP FOR RIDES WITH THE RADIO BLASTING, LOUD PIPES AND SQUEALING TIRES AT THE STOP LIGHT.
