Pontiac
December 15th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
The 1969 Firebird had an identity all its own, especially when equipped with the new Trans Am Performance and Appearance Package, which included the Ram Air III 400ci HO engine. Finished only in Polar White with Blue stripes and accents, the T/A employed a special Ram Air hood, sculpted air extractor vents on the front fenders and an integrated rear spoiler. Of 697 Trans Ams built that year, only 114 of them came with the Turbo 400 automatic. This award-winning ’69 Ram Air III automatic is the recipient of an eighteen month concours-quality restoration, completed in spring 2005 by Aloha Automotive Services of Port Washington, Wisconsin.
November 26th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Barons has some real crackers lined up for its traditional Yuletide sale at Sandown Park, UK on December 8th. Whether they’re into historic racing, rallying or touring, want a touch of luxury, a sleek sportscar, something a little quirky, or a starter classic, there should be a car to sit happily under most enthusiasts’ Christmas trees.
Topping the list is the ultimate gift for a classic racer, the ex-Jo Siffert Chevron B19. In his capacity as a Chevron agent, Siffert supplied this car to Frenchman Cyr Febbraio, who campaigned it extensively for some years. It was then sold to Jean-Pierre Dumais, well known for his race preparation. Subsequent owners, including Martin Birrane (current owner of Lola) continued to race the car, which has in recent years been maintained by Adams McCall Racing on behalf of the vendor, 2007 Le Mans LMP2 winner Allen Timpany. Notable results include a fastest lap at Jarama and a 3rd overall at Spa Francorchamps in 2006, 2nd overall at Nürburgring in 2005 and 2nd overall at Valencia in 2007. Estimate: £80,000-£100,000.
There is also the ideal present for a classic rallying enthusiast: a freshly created 1972 Ford Escort Mexico works replica. Created from a rust-free Mexico road car to compete in road rallies such as the Euro Classic, this car has successfully completed its first road rally around Scotland as a faultless shake down event. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a rally-ready works replica at a fraction of the £80,000+ build cost. Estimate: £38,000-£42,000
Competitors who prefer track or touring events may well put the 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 Mk II on their Christmas lists. This car was featured in Hot Car magazine in 1982, having the Zakspeed body kit fitted, but was then stored for over ten years. It underwent major modification and is fitted with a Phil Jones 240bhp Cosworth engine on twin 48 Webers, an adjustable pedal box with hydraulic clutch, Safety Devices roll cage and Recaro seats. This special RS2000 offers outstanding performance and carries an estimate of £18,000-£22,000.
Those looking for a classic British touring car should look no further than the stunning 1969 Jaguar Series 2 E-type roadster. The car was originally imported from Cob County, Georgia and was then the subject of a complete restoration, by Streber of Devon, at a cost of £32,000 in 1991. Since then it is said to have covered just 5,000 miles and remains in the same outstanding condition. The comprehensive restoration included a bare-metal respray and complete engine rebuild to the last nut and bolt. The electrics were renewed, as were the suspension, brakes and all ancillary equipment. More recently the car has been upgraded with a Big Valve head, making this one of the best driving cars available. £35,000-£39,000.
Another great British classic is the 1961 Jaguar MkII 3.4 Saloon, which is equipped with the desirable manual + overdrive transmission and has benefited from a £45,000 restoration. The car was originally supplied to the Australian market and reimported to the UK. It was acquired by the vendor in 2000 after some time in storage and a comprehensive restoration was undertaken with assistance from Cooper Craft. It has been comprehensively rebuilt, with new interior, Coombs-style rear arches and outstanding body and paintwork. The 3.4 litre, XK engine, has recently been rebuilt and the car is said to drive like a modern version of a MKII. £26,000-£29,000.
Other notable entries include a very rare 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 HO recreation. The car has the correct 400 engine and all the correct decals and badges. It has just emerged from a five-year nut and bolt restoration. No part of this machine has been left untouched. It is equipped with the power hood and is presented in quite outstanding condition. Estimate £23,000-£27000.
Another unusual vehicle is the 1962 early Austin 7 Van (or Minivan). Versions such as this, with a curved non-ridge roof, were only produced for 18 months, and this example has had just two owners from new, the last for 44 years and has recently been brought out of long-term storage and undergone a bare-metal respray and mechanical recommissioning. It has covered just 41,400 miles from new. This is a rare find and definitely one for the serious collector (£6,000-£8,000).
September 29th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
The Pontiac GTO is a complete muscle car legend. As the car that’s most often credited with kicking off the trend of putting the biggest available engine in the smallest available body, the praise and adoration are well deserved. Despite the reality that the Goat wasn’t always the fastest ride available, Pontiac’s performer was an instant hit and it carried that momentum through the early 1970s.
A good portion of Pontiac’s success with the GTO can be attributed to Jim Wangers, who served as the brand’s chief marketing manager when the GTO was first released in 1964. It comes as no surprise, then, that Big 3 Performance, which is launching a new restomodel based on the 1969 Pontiac GTO, sought the Wangers’ name and endorsement.
Changes to the original Goat’s cosmetic appearance are minor, including wider hood scoops and a Trans Am-style ducktail spoiler. Inside, a custom dash and audio system join embroidered Recaro seats and GPS navigation. Holding it all up is a custom chassis fitted with Corvette bits up front and a tried-and-true Ford 9-inch rear end. Revised Pontiac Rally II wheels round out the visual package.
The car’s power train gets a complete work over with a Butler Performance 505 cubic inch Pontiac V8 that’s expected to put out around 700 horsepower. Shifting duties are handled by the same six-speed manual transmission used in the Dodge Viper. It’s not yet clear when the Wangers GTO will be available and how much it’ll cost, but early projections put the car at around $130,000 USD to $140,000 USD.
September 14th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
As it turns out, “old GM” still matters to someone. The Fairfield County Concours d’Elegance in Westport, Connecticut wanted to include Pontiac in this year’s show, so it went looking for the most ancient example it could find. Of the 12 Pontiacs they tracked down from 1926, the brand’s inaugural year, the very oldest resided in Minnetonka, Minnesota: a 1926 two-door coach.
Co-owned by a father and son, Roy and Paul Jaszczak, the Series 6-27 is in good running condition and has apparently made it this far in life without a major restoration: a clean-up, a valve job, and replacing the Lindbergh-era tyres is all the Jaszczak’s have needed to do.
For their munificent stewardship of the oldest Pontiac, the car will be shipped to the Concours and the Jaszczak’s will be flown to New York and put up in a fancy hotel. Then they’ll go to the show and revel in all the glory that owning the World’s oldest Pontiac brings.
May 8th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Pontiac is on its way out just as the new 2010 Chevy Camaro has arrived, coincidence perhaps, but American muscle car tuner ASC sees it as an opportunity. Had a new Camaro been released a decade or two earlier, it would most certainly be accompanied by an equally sick Pontiac version, namely the Trans-Am. But even before Pontiac ate it, General Motors had no intention of developing a new Trans-Am based off the Camaro. Someone had to do something. ASC, otherwise known as American Specialty Cars, usually a sub-contractor responsible for building convertible versions of road cars stepped up. ASC also has experience building whole specialty cars for manufacturers.
Now, ASC will be taking stock 2010 Camaros and transforming them into modern-day Trans-Ams. Details are scarce at this stage except for these few renderings, but the Pontiac-ification of the Camaro looks awesome from the front and the duck tail spoiler is sharp. The overall treatment evokes Pontiac’s past in much the same way that Chevy’s new muscle car draws styling cues from past Camaros without copying them outright.
More should be revealed soon about this modern Trans Am reincarnation.
April 8th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
The black-and-gold Special Edition Pontiac Trans Am will forever be a special vehicle to any fan of the Smokey and the Bandit movies. In the late 1970′s the Trans Am stood as the final beacon of raw ruthless V8 power with a staunch refusal to give up its link to the near dead muscle car era.
Many point to the Smokey and the Bandit movie franchise for igniting sales of Pontiac’s wild child. Now, film and muscle car fans seeking the ultimate expression of Burt Reynolds adoration have the chance to bid on the star’s own personal 1978 Pontiac Trans Am Special Edition as it goes up for auction May 2nd in Huston, USA. According to the car’s description, it wears the full black and gold paint scheme, snowflake rims and body ground effects with flairs and spoilers. The interior has been fully restored and features unique embroidered Bandit portrait headrests and for recreating scenes from the movie a period-correct Cobra CB radio.
January 17th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Eighty years have passed since the first Pontiac motor car rolled into the light of day, and the marque has been responsible for some eye-catching machines
There were also some Pontiacs that put up a good fight during the Muscle Car era, continuing through to the oil crisis years with a car that was something of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I have read that Pontiacs were, for many years, considered to be ‘ho-hum’ cars; not something I would agree with, even in regard to some of the earlier models. In that frenetic decade that bristled with the letter ‘f’, the fabulous ’50s, filled with flashy, fantastic, futuristic, flamboyant, fun-filled and finned four-wheeled flyers, Pontiac shone like a beacon in some areas. Toward the end of the decade, into the ’60s and even further, things just got better.
DeLorean
Someone who had more than just a little influence in the path that Pontiac would take was none other than John Z DeLorean, the man who fathered the Pontiac GTO in 1964. It was the GTO that brought about the phrase ‘factory hot rod’, and although the idea of cramming a large displacement, high power engine into a small-ish car was nothing new, DeLorean manipulated General Motors into putting such a combination into production for the masses. It proved to be a winning combination and the GTO, along with many other innovations spearheaded by DeLorean (a man with around 200 patents to his name), took Pontiac to third place in automobile sales, and the marque showed the highest profit (at the time) for GM.
Read the rest of this entry »November 11th, 2008 by NZ Classic Car
A recent eBay online car auction in the states started out looking very normal and ended up with a $226,521 ($391,900 NZ) sale. The auction was for a 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest obtained after owner died, appeard to have original interior but no motor, no transmission. Body had a little rust and some dents. There was stuff in the trunk, but no key to open it. The opening bid was for only $500, which initally seemed fair considering the condition of the car.
However, clues to the vehicle’s true worth could be found in the plexiglass windows, unusual suspension setup and a dash plate bearing the name of a racetrack. This tipped the owner off to the Pontiac’s racing history. But what he didn’t know is that the car is one of only six 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest Super Duty coupes ever made. The car was driven by Stan Antlocer and was the fastest drag car in 1963 before just disappearing.
After seeing the questions on the auction, it’s clear the seller truly didn’t know the car’s importance. In his answers, he’s both surprised by the car’s potential value as well as overwhelmed by the attention. He turned down an offer of $160,000 US to end the auction early because he feared getting negative eBay feedback. That decision paid off. With only seven minutes remaining, the highest offer was $95,000. When the virtual gavel fell, one bidder had bought a very rare, if a little rusty, LeMans for almost $400,000 kiwi dollars.
