1960 Pontiac Bonneville TriPower Convertible, Frame-Off Restored & EXPENSIVE

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Ebay Item 120001110216 (if the link doesn't work, use the eBay item number)

The car is in amazing shape. What's more astounding is the price it's commanding this early in the auction: 7 days 20 hours remaining, $30,201.00
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Incorrect carb linkage. Pontiac Tri-Powers had vacuum secondaries in 1960. The change to mechanical secondaries happened around '65 or there abouts.

Very nice car, though.
 
To do a car right your looking at $35K, plus the car.
I know a guy here in Pittsburgh that does 1 Cuda Convertible a year. I don't think he has ever done one with out at least $35K-40K invested on top of the car. With the Hemi convertible clones he is getting $75K plus and at least $50K for a 383ci-440ci. He got $60K for a 440 6pk hard top last year.
His cars are as nice as that Bonneville. Believe me that car is worth $40K plus easily in that condition.
I have seen bidding hit $35K on a Cuda convertible minus the interior, top, engine and transmission with two rusty / bondo front fenders no hood or trunk lid and quarter panels that were more bondo than steel. Oh it did come with two working doors.
 
paulo57509 - interesting observation (you obviously know your Pontiac engines) - but when I look at picture 17, it looks like vacuum lines to the carbs. Just trying to learn, thanks.

Why does picture 19 bother me?
 
GM was king in the 50's, 60's,and 70's.Than General Motors seemed to go downhill in quality and looks in the 80's.Now i wouldn't go near one.We were a General Motors family in those days.Mostly Impalas and Belairs for us.They all ran just fine.

Now were a Ford family.We have Crown Victorias now and Grand Marquis.
 
Reserve not met at that price. It is probably worth at least $50k, though Chevys and Cadillacs tend to fetch higher prices than other makes. Personally, 1958-1964 GM cars dont do much for me, except the 1959 "batwing" Chevy.
 
quote:

Originally posted by paulo57509:
Incorrect carb linkage. Pontiac Tri-Powers had vacuum secondaries in 1960. The change to mechanical secondaries happened around '65 or there abouts.Very nice car, though.

Yeah I don't think I could live with that.
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quote:

Originally posted by Pablo:
paulo57509 - interesting observation (you obviously know your Pontiac engines) - but when I look at picture 17, it looks like vacuum lines to the carbs. Just trying to learn, thanks.

Why does picture 19 bother me?


The vacuum line that you see running to the center carb is for the automatic choke.

Picture 19 (floor pan) bothered me too. Looks kind of beat up.

I still think this is a nice car.

The vacuum secondary carb linkage set-up used a mechanical vacuum switch attached to the center carb, a vacuum diaphram attached to the front carb, a vacuum reservior tank and a thermal vacuum switch screwed into the coolant passage in the intake manifold.

When the center carb approached WOT, it opened the vacuum switch which allowed vacuum from the vacuum tank to be fed to the vacuum diaphram. The vacuum diaphram would pull and open the front carb. The rear carb would open simultaneously via a mechanical rod attached between the front and rear butterflies.

The thermal vacuum switch was placed in between the vacuum tank and the vacuum switch which prevented the front and rear carbs from operating when the engine was cold.

I've only seen a few vacuum secondary set-ups (I have one on the shelf), but I've never seen them in operation.

Lots of vacuum secondary set-ups got switched over to mechanical secondaries because the rubber and other parts would would wear out and deteriorate and replacements are impossible to find, AFAIK.
 
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