“Pontiac Bonneville? Why a Pontiac Bonneville? For that matter, WHAT’s a Pontiac Bonneville? My wife asked, when I shared with her the good news that I just become the proud owner of a project car. I guess that thought crossed my mind as well, considering the fact that most of the automotive world had long since forgotten classics like the 1967 Pont Bonn. So Why the Bonneville? I guess it’s a long story.

You see, I’m a car guy. Always have been, always will be. When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to own a 1967 Mustang, which I rebuilt from the ground up. My passion for cars led me to study transportation design at Art Center in Pas, but I had to sell my baby to make my degree happen. Now graduated and in the real world, the 1967 Pontiac Bonneville I had just purchased was a great way for me to get back into the auto restoration game.

Current state of the Bonneville

            Some of the modifications planned for the Pontiac Bonneville are stroking out the 400 engine to a 461, porting and polishing the heads, and balancing and blueprinting the block. Some of the body fabrications that will be done are adding scoops on the hood similar to the style of the 1967 Pontiac Firebird, and hood tach added like the Catalina 2+2. Other mods include converting the column shift to a console shift. Body work and paint will be done with PPG paints and painted by Haynie Designs, with body Modifications by Foothill Fabrication. Engine work will be done by Norco Highschool auto shop and Chaffey College Automotive Technology department, and all design and art work done by Future Elements courtesy of yours truly Dwayne Vance.

The Pontiac Bonneville shares a similar body with the Catalina and Grand Prix . It was Pontiac’s flagship car from 1957 to 1970 and the name was changed to the Grandville in 1971. The 67 Pont Bonn’s unique front end was only produced for one year, as Pontiac went to side by side lights in 1968. In total, the 1967 Pontiac Bonneville is a unique car with a unique history. But then again, aren’t they all?