Vehicle sighting - 1966 Pontiac Parisienne 2-dr convertible

Number_35

Number_35

Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
5,156
Location
Winnipeg MB CA
Dropped off a lawnmower blade and some chainsaw chains for sharpening yesterday, and thought I would try a new route to get to my 2nd errand. This was on my bike. Turned out I rode needlessly through post-apocalyptic industrial wasteland for much of the way, but the detour was salvaged when I spotted this beauty! It doesn't show up well in the photo, but I could see the "PRNDL" on the dash. That, and the unenhanced V8 decal, I think indicate a 283 SBC engine and a 2-speed Powerglide transmission, at least originally.

IMG_8550 - Copy (2).JPG


IMG_8551 - Copy.JPG


IMG_8552 - Copy.JPG


IMG_8553 - Copy.JPG


IMG_8554 - Copy.JPG


IMG_8555 - Copy.JPG
 
I believe those Pontiacs had a 3-speed automatic and the smallest engine option was a 383 cid V-8. They were big sellers for GM and this is a really nice example. Thanks for posting!
 
No Pontiac of that vintage ever had a small block Chevy OE. 389 with 2 BBL and 3 speed transmission wold be very common.. Thousands of Pontiac aficionados felt a twinge of pain at that statement.
 
Last edited:
It's a Pontiac Parisienne, a Pontiac built in Canada. In 1966 and other years, they were powered by Chevy engines with Chevy transmissions.
 
The 3 speeds in the A body came in in 1967. Not sure about the big cars.
But that 389 was a torque MONSTER.
The 65 thru 68 Goats were some of the most beautiful cars ever made.

There was a 326 cu in version of the Pontiac block as well.
It became the 350 and the '89 became a 400 and 455.
 
Last edited:
Nice car, but it deserves more than 283 cubes-- a 389 or 421 would be about right.

Were any Pontiacs built with traditional Pontiac engines up there?
 
Don't know about Canada.....But a '66 326ci Pontiac would have been backed by a Super Turbine 300 2-speed auto.

When I was a kid....My dad bought Buicks & Oldsmobiles because the engines would outlive Chevrolet engine twofold.
 
Originally Posted by ragtoplvr
No Pontiac of that vintage ever had a small block Chevy OE. 389 with 2 BBL and 3 speed transmission wold be very common.. Thousands of Pontiac aficionados felt a twinge of pain at that statement.



Actually, a true Pontiac aficionado would know that Canadian Pontiacs came with Chevy engines.
 
In NZ our American branded right hand drive cars came from Canada. A Pontiac was a badged Chev, a Dodge a badged Plymouth.
 
Originally Posted by flanso
It's a Pontiac Parisienne, a Pontiac built in Canada. In 1966 and other years, they were powered by Chevy engines with Chevy transmissions.
Agreed! This Wiki section explains it well:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac#Canadian/export_models

Canada's line of full-size Pontiacs corresponded closely to the full-size Chevies of the day (Strato Chief = Biscayne, Laurentian = Bel Air, Parisienne = Impala, Grand Parisienne = Caprice).

These are the full-size Pontiacs I remember friends owning in the '70s:

'65 Parisienne - 283/Powerglide

'65 Strato Chief - 283/Powerglide

'68 Strato Chief - 327/Powerglide

'70 Parisienne - 350/TH

All of these were equipped with Chevy engines and transmissions.

Both Chevies and Pontiacs equipped with the 2-speed Powerglide had "PRNDL" on the dash.

Chevies with the 3-speed TH had "PRNDL2L1", whereas Pontiacs had "PRNDSL" on the dash.

Remember when the Chevies had "Turbo Thrift 250 " (for the inline-6) on the air cleaner? The V8s had "Turbo Fire 283" (or 327). In contrast, we had a late-'60s Pontiac come into the tune-up shop where I worked - its air-cleaner decal read "Astro Flash 327". I did a fair number of tune-ups on Pontiacs with Chevy engines.

The high-beam light on the Chevy dash was blue, in the shape of the Chevrolet bow tie. In contrast, the Pontiac light was a red indian head.

I have good memories of those cars!
 
Silk said:
In NZ our American branded right hand drive cars came from Canada. A Pontiac was a badged Chev, a Dodge a badged Plymouth. /quote] Silk, I saw this '68 full-size Pontiac in Whangerei in 2004. Looks just like the Canadian market one (from the back anyway) with the exception of the RH drive:


68 Pontiac.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
The 3 speeds in the A body came in in 1967. Not sure about the big cars.
But that 389 was a torque MONSTER.
The 65 thru 68 Goats were some of the most beautiful cars ever made.

There was a 326 cu in version of the Pontiac block as well.
It became the 350 and the '89 became a 400 and 455.


The 396 was backed by a TH400 as the only automatic option, Meaning all auto 1965 Impala SS 396's came with the TH400. Of course if any 396 equipped '65 Chevelles had automatics, It would of had a TH400. I know a lot of '66 Chevelle SS 396 auto's were made.
 
Originally Posted by Number_35
Silk said:
In NZ our American branded right hand drive cars came from Canada. A Pontiac was a badged Chev, a Dodge a badged Plymouth. /quote] Silk, I saw this '68 full-size Pontiac in Whangerei in 2004. Looks just like the Canadian market one (from the back anyway) with the exception of the RH drive:



'37 Chev in front of the Pontiac - I had a '38 Coupe, and I remember the body plate - Body By Fisher Canada.
Click to expand...
 
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
The 3 speeds in the A body came in in 1967. Not sure about the big cars.
But that 389 was a torque MONSTER.
The 65 thru 68 Goats were some of the most beautiful cars ever made.

There was a 326 cu in version of the Pontiac block as well.
It became the 350 and the '89 became a 400 and 455.


The 396 was backed by a TH400 as the only automatic option, Meaning all auto 1965 Impala SS 396's came with the TH400. Of course if any 396 equipped '65 Chevelles had automatics, It would of had a TH400. I know a lot of '66 Chevelle SS 396 auto's were made.

Good point. I was referring to Pontiacs, which was not clear.

The '66 427 Corvettes and Chevelles with AT used the Powerglide transmission.
The TH-400 was 1st used in the '67 Chevelle and GTO.
The TH-400 was 1st used in the '68 Corvette.
I don't know too much about the big cars.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top