Apart from “free to a good home,” are there any better words to see on an eBay listing for a classic car than No Reserve? Those words mean you could bid on the vehicle without needing to meet the owner’s unknown expectations. That is the case with this 1959 Pontiac Bonneville. It isn’t perfect, but its solid nature makes it a strong project candidate for a hands-on enthusiast. It is listed for sale here on eBay in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bidding has raced to $8,100, with plenty of time in the auction for our readers to stake their claim.

The 1959 model year marked the peak of the prevailing fins trend, and the Bonneville was one of many cars produced with that feature. The fins weren’t as radical as those seen on Cadillac and Chrysler models, but their split design set the car apart. The history of this Bonneville is unclear, although it has spent most of its life in California. That makes its lack of crippling rust no surprise. The seller states there is some in the trunk pan, but the rest of the car is clean and rock-sold. The panels are straight, but the paint is tired. The blue it wears isn’t original and appears the result of a low-quality repaint. I also believe it isn’t the original shade because there is evidence it may have rolled off the line finished in Cameo Ivory. If I were tackling this project, that shade would quickly find its way back onto this car. The trim and chrome are in good order, and most of the tinted glass is okay. The passenger door glass is cracked, meaning the buyer will need to source a replacement.

One aspect of this Pontiac requiring minimal attention is its interior. The seller states that the tri-tone upholstery is new, making a bold visual statement. The wheel looks cracked and worn, leaving the buyer to choose between restoration and replacement. The steering column would benefit from a repaint, but life inside this Bonneville would be pretty pleasant with those issues addressed. It isn’t weighed down with comfort features like power windows and power seats, but the air conditioning and factory AM radio would be welcome on long summer journeys.

The tape measure and scales tell a big part of this Pontiac’s story. It is over eighteen feet long, tipping the scales at 3,985lbs. That gives it a sense of presence but also means the company needed to slot something special into the car’s engine bay if progress was to be anything but glacial. They came to the party with a 389ci V8 pumping out 300hp and a whopping 420 ft/lbs of torque. With that power finding its way to the rear wheels via a four-speed Super Hydra-Matic transmission, it could cover the ¼ mile in 16.8 seconds before winding its way to 126mph. The fascinating aspect of this V8 is its performance characteristics. It achieves peak torque at 2,500rpm and peak power just below 4,000rpm. Those figures confirm this is a “lazy” motor that doesn’t work hard to earn its living. The seller indicates the car runs and drives but hasn’t seen active duty for at least five years. They say the new owner will need to clean and flush the fuel tanks and lines, and a thorough inspection is warranted to ensure everything works correctly before launching this beauty back onto our roads.

I’m not surprised that this 1959 Pontiac Bonneville has already received seventeen bids because it has plenty to offer its next owner. Its lack of significant rust and tidy interior are strong selling points, while that lazy V8 under the hood makes it an effortless cruiser. Pontiac produced 27,769 examples of the Bonneville Two-Door Hardtop in 1959, but they appear on the market less often than the rarer Convertible version. With a fresh coat of Cameo Ivory gracing this car’s panels, it is a guaranteed head-turner. Are you a DIY enthusiast? If so, is this a project you might consider?