BEFORE YOU IS AN ORIGINAL 1965 LEMANS SPORT CONVERTIBLE IN RED LACQUER. IT WAS A 326 V-8 AUTOMATIC ON THE CONSOLE, POWER STEERING AND BRAKES BUT NO AIR. THE IDEAL COLOR FOR A CONVERTIBLE IS RED. THIS CAR BELONGED TO MY DAD. HE PURCHASED IT IN TOLEDO. HE TOOK GREAT CARE OF IT BUT GREW TIRED OF IT.
DAD WANTED ME TO SELL IT FOR HIM. I KNEW HE NEEDED THE MONEY FOR ANOTHER PROJECT. HE WAS ALWAYS PROUD OF THE FACT THAT HE COULD REACH IN THROUGH THE OPEN DRIVER’S WINDOW, TURN THE KEY AND IT WOULD START AND IDLE FINE WITHOUT PUMPING THE ACCELERATOR TO SET THE CHOKE. HE DROVE IT TO MY HOME IN INDIANAPOLIS. MY DAD AND I AGREED ON A FIGURE FOR HIS CAR.
HE WAS ALWAYS GENEROUS STATING THAT ANYTHING OVER THAT FIGURE I COULD KEEP. THERE WAS JUST ONE SMALL THING. HE THOUGHT IN RETAIL TERMS, SO I PAID HIM HIS PRICE. I GAVE THE LEMANS THE BELOFF TOUCH. EVERYTHING CAME OFF INCLUDING EMBLEMS, MOLDINGS, SEATS, CONSOLE, CARPETS, AND AFTER EXTENSIVE CLEANING, I REINSTALLED EVERYTHING. I DYED THE BLACK CARPETS WHERE THE SUN HAD FADED IT IN THE USUAL LOCATIONS, TUNNEL HUMP AND DOOR SILLS.
I ALWAYS PAINT THE ENGINE BY HAND WITH BRUSHING ENAMEL. IT LEAVES NO STROKES AND DRIES BRIGHT AND SHINY. THERE IS NO OVER SPRAY ALL OVER THE WIRES, LINKAGE AND ACCESSORIES. OF COURSE, I REMOVE THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES CAREFULLY AND NUMBER THEM WHERE THEY GO WHEN REINSTALLED. I KEEP AN OLD SET OF THROW AWAY SPARK PLUGS TO SCREW IN THE HOLES SO WHEN I PAINT AROUND THE PLUGS, I AM NOT GETTING BLUE PAINT ALL OVER THE NEW SPARK PLUGS (REMEMBER I REPLACE PLUGS, IGNITION WIRES, DISTRIBUTOR CAP, ROTOR, POINTS AND CONDENSER).
THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NOT ONLY LOOKS NEW AND BETTER THAN ANY VEHICLE AT USED CAR OPERATIONS WHERE THEY SMEAR THE DIRT AROUND AND IT RUNS GREAT. THE AIR BREATHER I CLEAN, SAND, PRIMER AND BLACK GLOSSY SPRAY PAINT. I GET APPROPRIATE PONTIAC STICKERS FROM THE PARTS DEPARTMENT. NOTICE RED 1962 BONNEVILLE COUPE DONOR CAR TO THE LEFT OF THE LEMANS IN FIRST PHOTO. ABOVE PHOTO YOU WILL SEE IN THE REAR MY BLUE 1962 BONNEVILLE CONVERTIBLE ON THE GRASS AND DAD’S 1966 CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE THAT I GOT FOR HIM THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE PERFECT. IT WAS NECESSARY TO DRIVE TWO CARS FROM ROSSFORD TO BRING THE LEMANS TO ME.
IT WAS ALWAYS FUN AT MY PLACE TO PLAY MUSICAL CARS AS MY
GARAGE WHICH LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING ROGER PENSKE WOULD OWN. IN IT WERE MY NEW 1968 CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE AND MY PRIZED 1959 BONNEVILLE CONVERTIBLE. I ADVERTISED THIS CAR IN THE LOCAL INDIANAPOLIS PAPER AND CAR MAGAZINES WHICH ATTRACTED SEVERAL BUYERS AND SOLD IT.
