Begun by Cadillac in the late Forties, tail fins were adopted by nearly all domestic and even numerous foreign manufacturers, including Mercedes Benz. By 1959, the fin craze reached its zenith with some truly outlandish offerings--who could forget Chevrolet's "bat wings" or Plymouth's shark fins? Pontiac employed relatively conservative styling all during the 50s, but even they couldn't resist the trend, entering the Jet Age with their 220-inch behemoth sporting outrageously long quarter panels sprouting twin fins left and right!
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The biggest news from the Pontiac Division was the implementation of their new Wide Track design, though. Whereas the cars gained 3 inches of width, the tire track moved a full 6 inches apart. Combined with Pontiac's Gyro Level Ride, the resulting handling improvement prompted Motor Trend magazine to proclaim the big Pontiac 1959s "Car of the Year."
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Pontiac's King of the Hill was the fully equipped Bonneville model, like the one prominently featured here. 27,769 Custom 2-door hardtops left the factory gates in '59; unfortunately, very few have survived.
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This Sports Coupe, VIN *859K3634*, loaded with factory options, surely is one of the best-presented of its kind you'll ever find. Just try to imagine how many Dollars and hours you'd spend to perform a ground-up restoration on one of these, to do chrome, paint, interior, mechanicals . . .
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Beneficiary of a frame-up restoration that took place in Albuquerque, N.M., during 2010-11, this 2-door Hardtop, a life-long resident of Arizona, comes with everything that makes an enthusiast's heart beat faster. Much original literature is among the plethora of documents:
- Original Owner's Guide
- 1959 Accessories Brochure
- Spec sheet
- 1959 Sales Brochure
- Pontiac Body Shop Manual
- Motor Trend April 1959 issue
- "Before and after" restoration photos
- 48 chronologically filed receipts for parts and repairs
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Best of all, the Bonneville comes factory equipped with the rare and desirable Tri-Power carburetion, boosting the horsepower from its high compression 389 cu.in. engine to 315, with 425 ft.-lb. of torque, thereby turning the Coupe into a true muscle car, the grand daddy of Pontiac's three-deuce-powered GTOs of the mid-sixties!
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The Tri-Power setup has been completely gone through and works as intended. To this end, a NOS vacuum control canister has just been installed. At idle, the engine runs just on the center two-barrel carb, but mash the loud pedal, and the outboard carbs enter the fray, providing the big Bonnie with sportscar-like acceleration.
Front fender emblems proudly announce the prestigious option, which is rarely seen today.
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Thousands of dollars and many, many hours of labor were spent under the hood. The engine was completely rebuilt by Hi-Purr Engines in Albuquerque during restoration, as was the automatic transmission. Master cylinder and power booster were sent to specialist Power Brake Systems in California for a total overhaul. Hardware was zinc-plated, and the engine bay presents itself toothbrush clean. Even the underhood padding was replaced!
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Starting with a completely rust and accident free car, the arrow-straight body was stripped to bare metal and a windows-out, front-clip-off, high class refinishing job was performed. There are no dents, dings, scratches, chips or ripples of note to be found anywhere. Jademist Green with a Cameo Ivory top is the factory original color combo, among the most strikingly attractive choices for '59. The finish is so lustrous and smooth, the car is poised to win a trophy at the next Pontiac show.
Brightwork is complete and in excellent original condition throughout; the mighty chrome bumpers look brand new. Most--if not all--weatherstripping was replaced during this thorough restoration.
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Bonneville rides on its original steel wheels, painted to match, adorned with the attractive, optional DeLuxe wheel discs and fitted with expensive, brand new American Classic wide whitewall radial tires of the dimension P215/75-R14 all around
Let's have a look inside now.
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From the headliner and sun visors above to the carpeting underneath, Bonnie's interior was completely re-upholstered, at great expense.
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One of the highlights of the '59 Pontiac is its amazing, chrome-bedecked dash. Everything looks original here, including the "morrokide-covered" grab bar. DeLuxe steering wheel shows no cracks and the chromed, full horn ring remains as new--and the horn works, too.
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Tri-tone vinyl-and fabric seat upholstery was painstakingly replicated by SMS Auto Fabrics in Oregon, down to the correct starburst embossings on front and rear seatbacks. This attention to detail is what really sets the Bonneville apart from lesser restorations.
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Rear bench seat is big enough for three additional adults. Yep, the big Poncho is a true six-seater.
All side glass as well as the wrap-around windshield are brand new, having been replaced during the restoration process.
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Ready for a test drive?
So are we, but before we leave, lets check out trunk and undercarriage.
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Trunk floor is healthy and free of rust. Trunk mat and cardboard side panels have all been replaced.
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Spare tire and jacking equipment.
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Undercarriage is dry and rust free. Restoration stopped short of lifting the body off the frame, thus the car remains 'au naturel' deep down under.
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Friday, March 17, turned out to be another nice California winter day in Ventura, and we were eager to take the big Poncho through its paces and take some pictures.
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Bonneville starts easily and idles with an authoritative rumble, thanks in part to its full dual exhaust system. The Hydra-Matic shifts ultra smooth. The car does not smoke or overheat.
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With power steering and oversized power brakes, the car is very easy to drive, despite its enormous size. Other motorists stare in awe as we pass by. To call a turquoise '59 Pontiac Coupe an attention grabber would be the understatement of the year, as innocent bystanders react almost like one of the Jetsons has returned from outer space in his rocket ship.
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Returning home, we once again realize how amazing these automobile dinosaurs really are. There was nothing as huge and impressive since the big Duesenbergs and Packards of the 1920s, and there hasn't been anything as huge and impressive since, and probably never will be again.
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Any attempt to duplicate this rare Tri-Power Bonneville, top-of-the-line offering from Pontiac for 1959, would most likely swallow upward of $50,000.00. Here is an unique opportunity to acquire such a milestone car for less than the cost of restoration. Add it to your collection and show it proudly. After all, this chrome-laden, testosterone-fueled, fin-tailed Fifties cruiser exemplifies the old Mae West adage: "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!"
Addendum:
We sold this stunning Bonneville early in 2012 to an enthusiast in the United States.
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