LIGHT POWDER BLUE, VERY RARE FIRST YEAR CHROME BUCKET SEATS AND TRI-TONE WHITE SILVER AND METALLIC BLUE GENUINE LEATHER, GRAND PRIX CONSOLE WITH TACHOMETER, WHITE TOP, 389 4-BBL, AND SUPER 4 SPEED HYDRAMATIC, NO AIR. JOE MYERS ALERTED ME ABOUT THIS TRADE AND IT SHARED THE SAME NASTY APPEARANCE AS PREVIOUS BLACK 1958 LIMITED BUT WAS VERY SOUND. AND DIRTY.
THIS WAS A CAR I HAD HOPED TO DIE WITH. TO FIND A BUCKET SEAT BONNEVILLE CONVERTIBLE IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. TO FIND ONE WITH A FIRST YEAR GRAND PRIX CONSOLE SHIFT LEVER AND FACTORY TACHOMETER IN THE SAME CAR IS A MIRACLE. I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR IF IT DIDN’T EVEN RUN. THE CAR HAD GOOD CARE. BY BEING DIRTY IS TO MEAN ALMOST 10 YEARS OF NORMAL IMPACTED SOIL FROM COFFEE, DRINKS, FRENCH FRIES, PETS, OPEN AIR TOP DOWN DUST AND MOISTURE LADEN DRIVING.
JOE MYERS SAID, THESE FOLKS ARE BUYING A NEW OLDS 98 CONVERTIBLE. NATURALLY THEY THINK THEIR 1962 PONTIAC IS WORTH A FORTUNE. WE NEED TO FIND A HOME FOR THIS 1998 CONVERTIBLE THAT HAS REMAINED IN INVENTORY FAR TOO LONG. I NEED FOR YOU TO REALLY STRETCH ON THIS CAR TO HELP US MAKE A DEAL. I SAID, PUT MY NAME TO IT – I WILL TAKE IT.
DRIVING IT HOME, I NOTICED THE ENGINE PERFORMED POORLY AND THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD. THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO ILLUSTRATE TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO WILL EVER CONSIDER CARS FROM THIS ERA. PARKED IN MY GARAGE, THE FIRST THING I DID WAS TO REMOVE ALL EIGHT SPARK PLUGS ONE AT A TIME AND EXAMINE THEM CAREFULLY AS TO ITS CYLINDER LOCATION. YOU SEE, THE SPARK PLUG WILL TELL YOU THE CONDITION OF THE CYLINDER AND CARBURETION. PROPER EXAMINATION WILL IMMEDIATELY TELL YOU IF THERE IS BLOW-BY, WEAK RINGS, BURNT VALVES, AND FAULTY AUTOMATIZATION OF AIR FUEL MIXTURE BY A CARBURETOR IN NEED OF REBUILDING. WHY DO MECHANICS PULL THE SPARK PLUGS AND THROW THEM IN TRASH WITHOUT ANY EXAMINATION? DUMB – REMOVE AND REPLACEMENT ARTISTS. IF YOU ARE ON A BUDGET AND YOUR VEHICLE IS RUNNING POORLY, THE BEST MONEY YOU WILL SPEND IS TO SCREW IN NEW SPARK PLUGS PROPERLY AND GAPPED CORRECTLY.
NEXT I REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUG WIRES, DISTRIBUTOR CAP, BREAKER POINTS AND CONDENSER. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! THEN I CAREFULLY REMOVED THE CARTER A.F.B. 4-BBL AND PLACED IT IN A BUCKET. TOOK IT TO COLLINS OLDS CHIEF TECHNICIAN WHERE HE REBUILT IT AND HANDED IT BACK TO ME. I REINSTALLED IT AND WITH MINOR ADJUSTMENTS, IT RAN PERFECT. I CHANGE THE OIL AND FILTER ON EVERY CAR INCLUDING NEW AIR FILTER AS WELL AS TRANSMISSION FLUID AND ENGINE COOLANT.
REMEMBER THIS, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER OR VOLTAGE TO THE SECONDARY CIRCUIT OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM, IT WILL NEVER START PROPERLY. THAT MEANS WHAT? A BRAND NEW BATTERY – DON’T NURSE THE OLD BATTERY. GET RID OF IT. NO ONE WANTS TO BUY A CAR AND PAY PREMIUM MONEY AND HAVE IT HESITATE TO START PROPERLY. THE ABOVE MENTIONED EFFORTS WILL AID YOU GREATLY IN WHATEVER VEHICLE YOU DRIVE.
I PULLED ALL THE INTERIOR INCLUDING THE BUCKET SEATS, CONSOLE, THE DOOR PANELS, DOOR SILL TRIM PLATES, CARPETS LEAVING THE FIBERGLASS JUTE PACKING INTACT AND FINALLY REMOVING THAT DOWN TO THE METAL. NOW YOU CAN CHECK THE FLOORS FOR ANY CORROSION. GOD WAS WITH ME BECAUSE I WAS SHOCKED TO DISCOVER THERE WAS NO RUST ON THIS CAR. IT SPENT MOST OF ITS LIFE IN ARIZONA. ALL BRIGHT WORK INCLUDING THE FRONT BUMPER, GRILL, HEAD LIGHT BEZELS, AND WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN BADLY SAND BLASTED BY HIGH SPEED DRIVING IN THE DESERT.
IT WAS MY DREAM THAT THIS CAR SOMEDAY WOULD HAVE 8 LUGS AND A 421 TRI -POWER. I FOUND A LOCAL ONE OWNER FACTORY CORRECT 1962 BONNEVILLE COUPE RED, BLACK TRIM LOADED INCLUDING 421 TRI-POWER, FACTORY AIR, 8 LUG WHEELS IN GORGEOUS CONDITION AND I PAID ALL THE MONEY. I SPENT WEEKS SWAPPING THE BUMPERS, GRILL, HEADLIGHT BEZELS, WINDSHIELD, ALL BRIGHT TRIM ON TO MY CONVERTIBLE INCLUDING ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, 8 LUG WHEELS AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS SALVAGEABLE AND IN BETTER CONDITION THAN MY CONVERTIBLE. WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OUT, I CUSTOM CHROMED EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD INCLUDING ALL ENGINE BRACKETS, PULLEYS AND VALVE COVERS. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED THREE NEW 1964 GTO ROUND AIR BREATHERS. WITH THE GREAT GTO AIR BREATHERS AND THE PROGRESSIVE MECHANICAL TRI-POWER THROTTLE LINKAGE GAVE ME INSTANT THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE FACTORY VACUUM LINKAGE WITH AUTOMATICS HAS A TURBO LIKE LAG. BOO!
I DETAILED BOTH OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENTS PERFECTLY, REINSTALLED ALL THE BLEMISHED PARTS FROM THE CONVERTIBLE TO THE RED COUPE WHICH I NOW REFER TO AS THE DONOR CAR. THEN I DETAILED IT TO ALMOST SHOW QUALITY, GOT THE AIR TO BLOW COLD, AND SOLD IT AT A HANDSOME PROFIT. NORTHERN CARS HAVE BEAUTIFUL INTERIORS AND BADLY RUSTED BODIES. SOUTHERN AND WESTERN CARS HAVE GORGEOUS RUST FREE BODIES AND INTERIORS SHOT BY THE SUN. THIS CONVERTIBLE HAD THE BEST CONDITION OF BOTH CLIMATES.
I NOW HAD A 1962 421 TRI-POWER HYDROMATIC, 8 LUG, BUCKET SEAT CONSOLE BONNEVILLE CONVERTIBLE STANDING TALL FOR ALMOST NOTHING AND DEFINITELY A KEEPER. NOTE: THE COST BACK THEN TO REPLACE ALL NEEDED ITEMS EVEN IF AVAILABLE WOULD GENERATE PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY, DIVORCE AND DEPRESSION. MY SECRET WAS OUT. DONOR CARS SAVED MY COFFERS, MY FAMILY AND MY RESOURCES.
