1963 Pontiac Bonneville

Convertible

389 4 Barrel

Automatic

863P231422

Clear

I am selling this car for a life long friend. Here is the information he has provided on the car:For sale is a beautiful 1963 Pontiac Bonneville convertible with 71,000 believed to be original miles. I purchased this vehicle 7 years ago from a lady in Lake Forest, Illinois, whose husband had passed away. My understanding is they owned the car for over 10 years and it was garage kept. I am frequently stopped when driving the car and asked about it. The turquoise color, attractive interior, and smooth running 389 4 barrel V8 engine make a majestic impression. The transmission shifts smoothly and the handling is exceptional for a car of this age. I feel strongly about this car going to a good home. It is my preference to sell the car to someone who inspects the vehicle in person (I live in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, about 45 minutes northwest of Chicago). I want the purchaser to see and experience the vehicle in person as pictures cannot capture everything. This car has many great qualities. There are also some things that could be repaired or improved to raise the car to the next level. Due to the car being offered locally, I reserve the right to stop the auction at any time. I also reserve the right to not sell the car for any reason. The following repairs and / or changes to the car were made since I have owned it: The undercarriage was lightly sanded and chassis saver paint was applied. The single exhaust was replaced from the exhaust manifold back with a dual exhaust system. The front drum power brakes original to the car were replaced by a new brake booster, calipers, and discs in 2014. This required changing the rims and tires from the stock 14" to 15" as shown in the pictures. New P225 75R 15 102S tires were purchased and currently show almost no wear. New finned drums were added to the rear brakes, new pads, and rear brake pistons were also installed. I lightly sanded the surface rust in the trunk and painted it. The weather sealing foam rubber around the trunk opening was replaced. There are two small metal patch panels in the trunk, about 4 inches by 6 inches, behind each wheel. There is a picture of one of the patch panels. Some of the front suspension parts appear to have been replaced prior to my purchase of the vehicle. It steers perfectly with no vibration in the steering wheel. I had the rubber bushings on the upper control arms replaced, suspension springs, and shocks. The fuel supply line was replaced from the rear axle to the fuel pump, including the filter. The belts, spark plugs, rotor, cap, valve cover gaskets, PVC valve and hose, upper and lower radiator hoses, heater hoses, and thermostat were replaced. The front seat had the padding replaced. The believed to be original top had the hydraulic cylinders and hoses replaced in July 2015 and was working perfectly. The top switch I believe is bad as the motor does not activate when the switch is pushed. I have left the top down with the parade boot on since having it repaired as it sits in the garage and is only taken out in good weather. I tried to activate it to take a video of the top working for this sale ... but no go. The front bead of the convertible top is frayed. All of the glass, and rear convertible window are in excellent condition. The one exception is there is a small arc shaped scratch on the passenger side of the windshield where it looks like someone may have activated the wipers without the blade installed correctly. I took several pictures of this but the defect will not show up. It is a very light scratch. I added the trunk light and built wood stained panels into the inside of the trunk. The driver's side flaps between the chassis and the body (inside the wheel well area) were replaced. The materials to replace the passenger side, which are in reasonably good condition, are included with the sale. The battery was replaced in April 2018. The clock does not work. The front driver and passenger windows are left down and do not go up smoothly. I have not wanted to take the door panels off (and risk damaging them), but I suspect the channels need to be cleaned and lubricated. I believe the car is equipped with the taffy colored tagged Hydramatic 4 speed automatic transmission. The transmission leaks, I believe from the front seal. It will loose about a quart of fluid over the course of a year - about 1,800 miles. If you drive it and park it somewhere for a few hours, there will sometimes be a few small quarter sized or smaller size drops of transmission fluid on the ground. The rubber transmission brace has been replaced, but might need replacement in the future as the dripping transmission fluid degrades the rubber. The engine leaves a small amount of oil on the ground if parked for an extended period of time. There appears to be no lifter noise or oil pressure problems. From the video, you can see there is no blue or black smoke when the engine is running. I believe the car has a 3.42 rear end ratio as the engine turns about 2,350 rpm at 60 miles per hour. The car is 55 years old, so there are some small dings visible up close in the paint. While the original radio can be reconnected, a pioneer DEH-X6800BT radio is installed under the dash providing good stereo music, USB and CD playing capability. The radio has blue tooth which automatically answers paired phone calls so you can chat while driving.The pictures of the car were taken May 10, 2018, with the exception of the picture with the top up which is maybe 5 years old. I have stockpiled parts, some of which might be difficult to find, in case something breaks (extra tail lamps, headlight bezels, electronic parts, etc.) which I believe to have a value of over $500. A shop manual (on CD), 1963 Pontiac Owner's Guide, and other items are included with the sale. This is a 55 year old vehicle and does have wear. The vehicle is sold as-is. There is no warranty implied or expressed. An in person evaluation of the vehicle prior to bidding is strongly recommended. I will coordinate transportation from your shipper, if applicable. Payment for the full purchase price is due within 5 calendar days of the date of the sale. I prefer a cashier's check drawn on BMO Harris Bank but will consider other alternatives that do not cost me anything or put me at risk of non-payment. The car will be available for pick-up within 48 hours after payment is confirmed.