Well there still are Christmas miracles. The rebuilt, over-bored to .040 351 Cleveland is now sitting under the hood where it belongs.
Won’t be long until #ProjectSportsRoof will be chewing up pavement!!!
Thanks to a long time friend DG for coming all the way from the East coast and giving me a hand!!!!
Merry Christmas to all my readers and I hope the New Year treats you well!!!!
Merry Christmas
Yeah…I know it’s just a Mopar….but we’re on a budget!!!
Thanks for reading.
Tim
I haven’t written a Parking Lot Spotlight (#ParkingLotSpotlight) in a while, but this beautiful Bonneville was worth breaking the dry spell for.
Spotted this beauty just today as I had to run back to the grocery store because there are days, although armed with a list, things just don’t make in the shopping cart. This particular return trip paid off.
The ’67 Pontiac lineup these days are pretty much dominated, at least in the collector world, by the Firebird, GTO, Tempest, LaMans, Gran Prix but I love the other two door offerings you could find in the showrooms. These include some awesome cars with long, low lines, roomy interiors and massive trunks. They came in hard and soft tops as well. Some of those sported model names like Executive series which in NO-WAY looked like a stuffy exec car. These were muscular and sporting. Cars like the Catalina 2+2 with (eight lug wheels) and the Pontiac Executive are exceptional looking cars and powered with V8s and 4bbl carbs.
I have always coveted the Bonneville models of the mid-1960, they remind me of my first car, 1966 Impala. Same long lines and big interiors and I loved the dash and instrument setup.
So check out this beauty:
Great looking paint – not original but beautiful
These are the lines I’m talking about. Long and low….AWESOME.
HUGE trunk!!! Love those inset taillights and how the bumper is incorporated into the design of the rear end.
Long and sleek belt lines and the white-painted top does this car justice!!
Over/Under headlights with the bottom set incorporated in to a beautiful distinctive chrome bumper. (One drawback of having to manage a good pic in a crowded parking lot – I couldn’t get the perfect front end shot.)
That year the Bonneville came in a 2 door hard top like this beauty as well as 4 door sedan, 2 door convertible and even a station wagon. Engines available were the 230 CID in various configurations as well as the 326 CID and the 400 CID engine and the 428 CID all as options. Sychromesh or Turbo-Hydromatic transmission were available. There were 96,708 passenger Bonnevilles produced. Of interest was that 483 Bonnevilles were sold to car converters and at least one of those turned up as the car that the fictitious (at the time) band the “Monkees” tooled around on the television show of the same name. Oh, you might have heard of the guy that bought at least one of the Bonnevilles and turned it into the this cool car – George Barris!!
MonkeeMobile
According to the for sales sign this Bonneville is powered by the 400 CID topped with a 4bbl carb which would put this between 333 HP and 350 HP. The transmission is the 400 Turbo-Hydromatic.
I love the interior of this factory air car!!!
Love the linear gauges!! Is that a factory 8 Track!?!?!!! Come on that is SO COOL!!!! Options list I found doesn’t show this as an option.
Cloth seats and look at all the room!!! Love the large center speaker and it has the front bench seats with the pull down arm rest. It looks as it should!!!
Of course I’m at the grocery store and no time to hang around and wait for the owner to show up.
As a side note I don’t know this car nor the owner.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Every now and then I get to tag along with my wife as she hops around the country working on Interior Design projects for her employer Aviar Design (a commercial design firm).
This trip was to Petaluma, Ca, where beautiful farmland meets redwood forests meets the beautiful Pacific Ocean. It also the home of U.S. Coast Guard TRACEN training center and some awesome cars.
But first a shout out to the often unsung heroes – the men and women of the United States Coast Guard. They keep our coast lines and your families safe!! After nearly 35 years of being assigned to and around military installation all over the world (both Jill – ret. E8 and I -12 years- are USAF veterans) I think the Coast Guards training facility in Petaluma is one of the most beautiful anywhere. The facilities are top of the line, the installation pristine and teeming wild turkeys, deer and a host of woodland animals. We’ve enjoyed our both are trips there. The hospitality was unsurpassed. Thanks warriors!!!!!
SEMPER PARATUS
Let’s talk about cars. Although not as plentiful as you might see in Southern California (we lived there for 4 years) but they are there. We didn’t have the time for stop and photograph all we was but there are some awesome trucks (hey…it’s farm country) and a lot of hidden gems with tons of potential. After all this is where they filmed portions of the awesome car movie – American Graffiti. Just outside of Petaluma, there’s a farm with a 69-70 Mustang tucked under a cover to protect it from the marine layer as it rolls in and out of the farmland and redwoods. The hills are dotted with homes that have 1950-1970 truck parked under over or in full service.
Here are a few I was able to get a few shots of some for the unique motor cars.
Take this 1930’s Ford Hot Rod – straight out of the move American Graffiti!!!
Check out those headers!!!!
I had to get a shot of the vintage tread, redline, red steel and wiiiiiiiiiiiiide white walls!!!!
A little further up North in the Anderson Redwoods we ran into the a 9 hole golf course tucked between redwood trees..what????? Parked in the parking lot was a good example of the 1980’s Firebird TransAm
Crager SS mags, fender scopes!!!
There were a huge number of VW vans – heck it’s California after all. There are the traditional VW buses and the Westfalia van’s every where – still! Check out this drop side van.
 Nicely restored!!! |
 Framework is there for the canvas top. |
One of the coolest we notice was this work in progress.
Citroen Van
The owner has plans for the French work horse as it’s clearly under surgery. Think of the possibilities:
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This is just a sampling of the car culture in Northern California. I’m hopping to make it back there with a couple of days free to just explore and peak under some of those car covers.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
1973 Mustang SportsRoof
Well you don’t see this every day. Followed him for a bit, hoping that rear door would flop open and drop a Lambo in my lap….no such luck!!!!
#Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and, formerly, SUVs, which is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary brand division Audi.
Founder: Ferruccio Lamborghini – I’d like to have a car named after me!!!
Founded: May 1963, Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy
Customer service: 1 (866) 681-6276 – Number is here in case you wanted to order one or file a complaint
CEO: Stefano Domenicali – We have beers whenever I’m in Italy – not really.
Latest models: 2016 Lamborghini Aventador, 2016 Lamborghini Huracan #IWantOne of each!!!!
Parent organization: Audi
Aventador SV
Huracan
Thanks for reading
Tim
I don’t really need a Lambo……but…..
I haven’t done a Parking Lot Spotlight in a while and this is a great car to pick the series back up with. Check this one out!!!!!
Wheels look great!!!!
Love the chrome work and the wrap around backup lights. That two tone paint is pretty good looking too!!!
I find these to be such a great looking vehicles and dare I say in some cases even better than some of their Mustang cousins. The hidden headlights and the full (nearly full) length tail lights make these so distinct and much more difficult to restore then the Mustang – as far as getting NOS parts.
I’m not alone in thinking that the new for 1967 Cougar was unique and that first year through 1970 were the best years. After that they became cross-bred with a Marauder and then by the mid 70’s virtually indistinguishable from the squared off T-bird not to mention it’s overtly plushiness.
In 1969 you could get the Cougar with a 302, 351W in either a V2 or V4 configuration or Boss 302. Previous years a 289 was available and in early 70’s the 351C, 351 CJ, and 351 Boss were options. Those are the best engine Ford had to offer at the time!!! (May be ever!!)
For 1969 you could get the Cougar in the Coupe, Convertible with a standard trim, Eliminator or XR-7 packages. Production numbers totaled just over 100k units broken down like this:
| Coupe – 66,331 | Convertible – 5,796 |
| XR-7 Coupe – 23,918 | XR-7 Convertible – 4,024 |
Got a Cougar? Let’s see it!!!!
Thanks for reading.
Tim
1973 Mustang Sports Roof
