Canada’s Chevelle SS: 1967 Pontiac Beaumont SD396
Do you love Chevelle SS396s, but want something different than everything else at your local car shows? If so, then this 1967 Pontiac Beaumont is the car for you! This Pontiac is presented to us in project form from its native land of Ontario, Canada and bidding is up to US $5,700 with no reserve. Find it here on eBay. Although it is missing some of its 396 components, this is a largely complete car ready for a full restoration. According to the seller, just 451 Beaumont Sport Deluxe 396 hardtop coupes were produced in 1967 for the Canadian market and this is one of them! Many parts are shared with the 1967 Chevelle and Chevelle SS, so sourcing items for a restoration should be doable.
The interior appears mostly complete and frankly, it isn’t in bad condition. A good cleaning would go a long way on this car and maybe even make the interior usable! Unfortunately, as noted by the seller, the bucket seats are incorrect and probably from a Camaro. The seller is including a partial set of correct bucket seats. The seller also notes that although the interior is in place, it is worn and much will need to be replaced.
Sadly, the original 396 is long missing with a Chevrolet small block in its place. This engine is not currently in running condition, but it seems pretty unlikely that anyone purchasing this car would do anything other than source a period correct 396 for it! It is also notable that the bulge style/Chevelle SS style hood has been replaced with a standard flat hood. Fortunately, all of these things can be sourced and installed to give this car the appearance it deserves.
Though it looks fairly straight, the seller mentions that this is a Great Lakes area vehicle and has significant rust/rust repair and body filler. Again, most sheet metal is reproduced for this car. For what it is worth, this was a one-owner car for 40 years! After being parked and stored poorly since 1993, this Beaumont is ready for a full restoration. 1967 Chevelles are very cool on their own, but to have the same car in different and less common badging is an entirely different level of coolness! This Pontiac is missing some pieces and this is not going to be an easy project. It is described as “not recommended for the faint of heart,” but in the end, it would be worth the effort to save something as unique as this!
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Comments
It’s a nice car but the name makes it sound like a box of Valentines Day candy.
Until he starts it, buries the skinny pedal and that 396 roars to life
“Beaumont Sport Deluxe”
Sounds like the wagon on “Vacation”
no man –
” blew Beaumont’s – brains out, dat rhyme “
Odd. This car looks like a Chevelle but has a Tempest dashboard. GM must of been serious about this Canadian thing.
A buddy of mine had a small block Acadian, and it was a lovely car. The author said it right that it is a Chevelle with minor trim differences. I am testing my memory, but I think the dash was different as well.
I have a completely original 67 396 350hp that would fit really nicely in that car. My engine was from my own 67 Chevelle SS, 4spd, (long story), and I have owned it since 1970.
Bob S
I don’t believe these were officially Pontiacs. Sold by Pontiac dealers (Pontiac-Buick), they were a separate make. Body panels match Chevelle panels, but is any of that Beaumont-specific trim reproduced? Still, I’d prefer one of these over a similar Chevelle, just like I’d take a T-5 over a similar Mustang!
They were not Pontiacs. The were made by Acadian. They used let’s from Pontiac and Chevy. The interior were Pontiac style with out the Pontiac triangle logo.
I agree. I find the front end appearance more attractive than the 67 Chevelle.
396 Beaumonts were pretty awesome cars back in the day. I new a guy who had a white convertible with a black top and interior, 396 4 speed bought for him by his grandmother. That car was the envy of every kid in school who knew anything about cars. Never saw him do anything irresponsible with it which is more than I could have said for myself if I’d owned it.
CCFisher might be right. No one ever called a Beaumont a Pontiac in my hearing. I’d take a Beaumont over a Chevelle any day just because of the rarity factor. They have an excellent reputation up here.
Here is the story of the Acadian
The Acadian was produced by GM of Canada from 1962 to 1971. The Acadian was introduced so that Canadian Pontiac-Buick dealers would have a compact model to sell in Canada. Plans originally called for the Acadian to be based on the Chevrolet Corvair, which was produced at GM’s Oshawa plant, however the concept was moved to the Chevy II platform to be introduced for 1962. The original Acadians were re-trimmed Chevy IIs, and were offered with the same engine options as the Chevy II.
The car used Pontiac styling cues such as a split grille but was marketed as a separate make, never as a Pontiac.
They were exclusively sold through Pontiac/Buick dealers, and were a very popular car.
’62, ’63 Acadian (Chevy II)
’64, ’65 Acadian (Chevy II)
Acadian Beaumont (Chevelle)
’66, ’67, ’68, ’69 Acadian (Chevy II)
Beaumont (Chevelle) (now designated as a seperate make)
’70, ’71 Acadian (Chevy II)
Causes confusion. My dad had a ’64 Acadian Beaumont 4 door sedan, 230 inline six and a three on the tree, first car I ever drove at about 10 years old, me 10 that is.
Corrrect me if I’m wrong, but I think the Chevy II based Acadian was called the Canso, while the Chevelle based Acadian was the Beaumont. I’m not from Canada, so I’ve no knowledge of such things.
The Canso, was the super sport version of the Chevy II.
Bob
I drove a 1967 Sport Deluxe Beaumont hardtop with a 400 turbo and a 396 4 barrel, plus 12 bolt posi-traction. Did 110 MPH when I was 16 years old. Cops never bothered me and only pulled me over to look at the car.
Carb & battery went on it and I sold it for $400.00 CDN thereafter.
Nice car to drive if you like going 110 MPH.
Bob
The dashboard, quarter panel “louvers”, tail lights and GTO-esque badging above the glove box are 100% Pontiac and the strip between the tail lights looks suspiciously like Poncho trim. I can’t speak to the mechanicals, but this owes a lot more to Pontiac than Chevrolet.
Lots of Pontiac trim, but pure Chevy running gear!
To promote automobile manufacturing in Canada, the Auto Pact (APTA) in the 1960s had provisions prohibiting sales of certain American-made cars. General Motors responded by offering certain makes of cars manufactured in Canada primarily for the Canadian market such as Acadian and Beaumont.
Beaumont was a make of intermediate-sized automobiles produced by General Motors of Canada from 1966 to 1969. These cars were based on the Chevrolet Chevelle, but the line had its own logo and nameplate, and was not marketed in the United States. Its logo consisted of an arrow, similar to that of Pontiac, but with a maple leaf to signify its dual heritage from both sides of Lake Ontario.
In 1964 and 1965, GM of Canada sold an “Acadian Beaumont” based on the Chevelle A-body platform, and continued to sell the Chevy II-based Acadian. By 1966, the Acadian was clearly Chevy II-based, and the Beaumont was Chevelle-based. Many people considered the cars to be Pontiacs, but GM marketed them as a separate marque. All model years are primarily Chevrolet, with only minor trim differences and (for Chevelle-based cars) Pontiac Tempest/LeMans-based instrument panels. This is because Canada required GM to have a certain percentage of Canadian content in the vehicles sold there. The popular Beaumont became available in three series on the Acadian – Beaumont Standard, Beaumont Custom, and Beaumont Sport Deluxe. A base-trimmed Beaumont Standard convertible was also offered, a model also produced in the base Chevelle line in Canada, but not in the United States.
I wish this had a four speed to make it a nice muscle car.
So if one drives this does it stop at all Tim hortons for pancakes and Canadian bacon?
I would put a 396 back in the car even
though it’s non matching
The fastest muscle cars these days Classic Steel are automatics, not 4 speeds. No big deal to change from automatic to 4 speed and back again as needed.
Even worse for coffee drinkers is that Tim Horton’s was bought by Americans who changed the coffee recipe for the worse. The company is now owned by Brazilians who have proven to be less than stellar citizens so the Tim Horton’s brand is doing a nose dive and is now a distant second in popularity to McCafe who improved their coffee dramatically over the last year.
I thought that dash and steering wheel looked suspiciously like a Tempest/Lemans/GTO of the same year. I love the redline tire, too bad there is not a set on the car as it sits.
Here’s what else was in Canada Pontiac dealers in ’67: the Parisienne 2+2. Unlike the U.S. version of the Pontiac 2+2 (which came with the 421 from 64-66 and the 428 in ’67s (the last year for the U.S. 2+2), the Candian version was offered with either the 327 or 396 in ’67. Last year for the Parisienne 2+2 was 1970, and many were equipped with the 454. Even though they had Pontiac sheet metal on the exterior, there was lots of chevy underneath including the differential, which was narrower than a Pontiac unit, when following one of these cars the rear track isn’t as wide as a U.S. Pontiac, and doesn’t look “right”
My father had a 67 2+2, nice car, but traded it in on a 69 Road Runner, the 2+2 didn’t have air and we made trips to Arizona every year. Would love to have it now !
I had a 67 Chevelle SS, with a 427 (L-68 out of a Vette) and I miss it. I’m moving to Canada in a year or so and want one of these bad, they guy should have waited I’d have bought this in a heartbeat ! Even have a 454 sitting around just for it !
I live in Toronto, Canada and believe me when I say you don’t want this car. The whole bottom will need replaced.
It depends on whether you can weld or not. If you can, this car is a great find. If not, you stay away. It looks like it needs inner rockers and given its Toronto history the floor could be toast from end to end but it doesn’t look so to me.
If the whole floor needs to be replaced, given the rarity, someone is going to do it.
I like the Canadian version more than our US version. I find the front end appearance more attractive than the US Chevelle.
You can’t beat the looks of a split grill.
I agree. The split grille does make for a more handsome front end.
I have to agree. If you have the money for parts, the know-how to do the work, and the time to do the work, it’s yours.
This is dream car for me, and I can do about everything, I want bad !
Another pic of my Chevelle.
The engine…..
I once transplanted a Chevy 283 automatic out of a 1967 Pontiac Laurentian into a 1964 Beaumont that had a Chevy 230 six three speed. It bolted right in, even the rad cradle adapter, engine mounts and flywheel, all I needed to fabricate was an alternator bracket.
Years ago at an Oregon 1/8th and Seattles SIR 1/4, we grew accustomed to running against these big block Beamonts, from Vancouver Islands, BC and Alberta provinces, and those men were good at tuning and fast.
There is a quite large community of muscle car clubs all along our borders, and I am quite sure as to pieces for authenticity on Beaumonts they would know of them.
OK, what was in a Canadian GTO ?
Everything I saw in Canada that was branded as a GTO, was the American GTO with the Pontiac running gear and engines. I can specifically relate to a friend of mine that owned a 65 while I was living in Saskatchewan (yes it really is a place).
I don’t know if the car came from a Canadian dealership, or was imported by my friend. I met him because we both had high performance cars and liked to play with them.
Bob
I shall buy it and name it “Hugh”
Is it just me or do the tail lights look like the ’66 LeMans lights?