Ticks The Boxes: 1964 Pontiac Bonneville
For enthusiasts seeking a 1960s classic as a project build, this 1964 Pontiac Bonneville seems to tick all the right boxes. It is an original and unmolested car that its original owner loaded to the brim with desirable options. It has been sitting for years, but a dry climate has kept its steel remarkably well preserved. If all of that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, it is one of the cheapest project candidates you are likely to find in the current market. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, the owner has listed the Bonneville for sale here on Barn Finds Classifieds. You could take this gem home by handing the owner $2,750.
The original owner purchased the Bonneville from Pat Clark Pontiac in Las Vegas, trading a ’62 Impala to drive away in this classic. It saw regular use until about thirty years ago when that owner placed it into storage. It recently emerged following his passing, and it springs a surprise or two. Its Cameo White paint looks heavily baked, which is no surprise considering it lived its life under the Arizona sun. However, that same sun and climate that destroys paint is also remarkable at preserving classic steel. There is a fair coating of surface corrosion across most surfaces, but the buyer won’t need to consider penetrating rust. There is none, making a cosmetic restoration seem a straightforward task. The panels are straight, with no significant bruises or marks. The exterior trim is intact, but before spending any money on sending pieces to the platers, I’d spend some time and effort treating the parts to a birthday with a high-quality polish. The effort may produce good results that would make that journey redundant. After all, every penny that you can legitimately save on a restoration project is welcomed by most owners.
Lifting the Bonneville’s hood reveals a 389ci V8, although its specifications are unclear. That means the driver could find anything from 230 to 303hp available under their right foot. A three-speed Hydra-Matic transmission feeds the power to the rear wheels, while the original owner also opted for power steering and power brakes. Performance figures will depend on which version of the 389 we’re dealing with, but a ¼ mile ET of 19.2 seconds is what the driver might expect from the low-power motor. If there is 303hp on tap, that figure plunges to 17.1 seconds. The Pontiac has lain idle for three decades, and the seller has not attempted to coax it back to life. Having tackled projects previously, I find that approach the best. I’ve seen sellers try to revive a car with the best intentions, only for something to go wrong, causing significant damage. If that happens to the buyer instead, it’s something they must live with. There is a question mark over why the original owner retired this classic, but the seller believes it may have involved transmission failure. That is a matter that will require investigation to determine whether a specialist can save the transmission or whether a replacement goes on the shopping list.
The original owner ordered this Pontiac with its interior trimmed in contrasting White and Maroon vinyl. Some upholstery pieces like the back seat show potential and may respond to a deep clean. Other items like the door trims haven’t been as lucky. The parts are serviceable, but they are developing a baked appearance. The dash looks good, although the pad is also sun-ravaged, and the wheel has a collection of cracks. Creature comforts sat high on the original owner’s list of priorities, making it no surprise that this gem is nicely equipped. It includes air conditioning, power windows, a tilt wheel, and an AM radio with the optional reverb feature.
Considering its solid nature and unmolested status, this 1964 Bonneville is hard to resist as a project car. Alternatively, there are so many salvageable parts on this car that it would make a fantastic donor for other projects. However, I would love to see it returned to its rightful place on our road, but in what form? With nothing beyond surface corrosion for the buyer to address, a cosmetic refresh would seem a straightforward task they could tackle in a home workshop. With the chrome polished to a deep luster and the panels wearing a fresh coat of paint, it would turn heads with little effort. Alternatively, treating the surface corrosion so it can’t deteriorate further and coaxing it back to life so that it can prowl the streets as a genuine survivor has its merits. I’m unsure which option I’d choose, but can you say the same?
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Comments
Ticks the boxes ? I cant see anyone spending any money on a “cosmetic refresh” or anything to redo this , its just a plain old Bonneville 4dr hardtop. Although I like them , the 1964s aren’t really that popular – I can see this as a parts car , much like the seller states .
The good thing about 2drs is the hot rodders like them: they tend to be lighter and more solid than sedans. The good thing about sedans, is the back seat passengers can get in and out without the driver and front seat passenger having to get out. If you want a car for street racing, go with a 2dr. If you want a car for comfortable touring with friends or family, go with a 4dr. I’m not a street racer, myself, so I’d want to go with the 4dr!
It’s too bad todays buying public does not appreciate most any of those nice four doors of this era. Yeah there is work here, certainly a diy project. That period back window louver is a bonus. My gen bought these types used for $200, they made great first cars; fury,galaxie,bonneville
Is it though? Four-door classics provide an affordable alternative to those who would like to enter the hobby. Kind of the same way you mentioned that they made great first cars…
Checking the boxes for an auto Bonneville in ’64 brought the customer the 303hp version of the 389 as base engine, unless the no-cost regular fuel version was specified.
One would think that with 2door car prices going through the roof the 4door equivalents would garner interest in the market. Sadly it doesn’t appear so, I have the impression that for many guys it’s either a 2door classic car, or no classic ride at all. I’m tempted to believe it’d even sell for half of seller’s asking or less which make an extremely cheap starting point.
I own an identically optioned ’64 Bonne Safari and while feeling very similar to my ’64 Impala it’s still different enough to give the notion that it’s more than just a Chev. They have many small pieces in common however those bits that are fullsize Pontiac related tend to come with a tag. The Hydramatic transmission is usually a stout unit however finding someone to rebuild it will be challenging today – that’s why most will convert to a TH400. I fear this specimen will end up as a parts car which would be a shame as it’s really too good for such a fate
That is the biggest power steering pump pulley I’ve ever seen.
But that master cylinder….
one more thing about this car is it only gets 5 to 7 MPG
Wrong Sterling. I owned a 62 Bonneville Safari with 303 hp 389, 4sp automatic and every option available. It got 12-14 mpg. Later had one like this fully equipped but 3speed turbo, 11-14 mpg, 389/303. If you had a heavy foot then yes 6-8 mpg
True. My automatic 2-door, with the 389 and four barrel gets in the neighborhood of 13 mpg.
Typical reply from the uninformed . However you are wrong. It will get 13 or so on the highway. If you don’t like it pass on by. Many of us don’t want to see your negative crap
Even if that was true…which it isn’t, classic vehicles typically aren’t daily drivers so, your point would be moot.
I grew up driving a 1964 4 door Bonneville very simular to this one. Brings back fond memories of how much I enjoyed that boat…but gas was 35 cents a gallon and yea for 3 or 4 bucks we could crusie all night.
I tried selling a nicely optioned (factory pwr windows, pwr brakes & AC) 1964 Impala 4-dr hrd top in better shape than this car a few years ago. Even the lowrider crowd didn’t get excited and after a year on the market…it sold for use as a parts car.
This crazing of the white paint was a problem with all of the ’64 Bonnevilles. My ’64 Sport Coupe has 51,000 miles, has been stored indoors all of its life, and has the same problem. But, considering the age, I have a bit of crazing on my skin, as well… ;)
2750 is not a bad price. It will cost that much in gas to get it to the east coast though. I sold a 4 door 62 impala that ran and drove for 8500 not long ago. About the same condition with a lil more rust. So ya never know.
It’s probably gonna be a parts car, has air dash, all a/c components, tilt wheel, probably a decent rear, hood trunk, then crusher
I like this especially being a 4 door, I’m getting on in years now and a friend picked us up once from a hotel in his 4 door 37 Chev sedan, man it was great not having to climb over the front seat to get in the back. I see this as being a great project for a young fella with a young family and the plus is it has all the luxury items from that era, imagine the young kids being able to be put in the back without a hassle, for sure do upgrades on the A/C pump etc to gain efficiency, a dual master cylinder etc, all jobs that can be done at home. Yes paint it the original white to. I guess you could be the only one at the park and meet show with one of these.
I’ve had my eye out for a 4-door hardtop for a while, but have been seeking a ’66 Bonneville. This would be tempting since I have a Y-code 389 & a TH400 sitting in my garage from a wrecked ’66 Bonneville, and the swap would not be difficult. Double the sale price to get it to New Jersey…
…but the lack of a title is a deal-killer.
It’s a pity. This is a nice, solid car.
Apparently the car is still in the deceased owner’s family so having a duplicate title could be doable
Gas mileage concerns…As a 20 year old living in Las Vegas in 1969, I owned the favorite car of my lifetime, a 1965 GTO convertible with 389, tri power, M-21 4 speed, 390 traction lock differential and a good amount of “Go” power. I was a typical 20 year old and street racing on the Las Vegas strip was a constant occupation. That being said, I routinely got just over 14 MPG even when I was listening to those three carbs sing a lot of the time. I always got a kick of running the car up to 95 MPH in third gear, hitting fourth and actually smoking the stock tires…got a lot of wide eyed stares from people I was passing. I would now give body parts (mine) to have another ’65 Goat or even a ’64, and a Lemans would even be acceptable but the car would have to be a 3 or 4 speed on the floor and, in my 70’s now, I think I would prefer a coupe (with posts).
You better fit a roll cage to, we aren’t as quick as we used to be hahaha, sure quick in a straight line but if racing through mountains is the thing then maybe you’ll need a cage, hahaha, good on you keep it all alive mate.
It would be an absolute shame to turn this into a parts car. There will never again be such rolling works of art as the cars of Detroit’s Golden Years. Wagons used to be frowned upon, and that has changed immensely.
4 doors’ time will come eventually–but not soon enough to save a car like this. Unfortunately, unless one is able to do most of the work themselves, it’s just to damned expensive to restore a car now. I turned a couple of really nice, rust-free 4dr survivors into parts cars for convertibles. It still bothers me some 30 years later,
I’m with John, I’m seeing more young folks at car shows that are getting enthusiastic & it would be perfect for a young family just starting into the crowd. 1 person owned it for a long time the title might not be that bad. A death certificate & a lost title app. I agree, let’s try a little positivity (is that a word) 😀
In 64, Bonneville’s came with a 4 speed Hydramatic Transmission. The shorter wheelbase Pontiacs came equipped with the 3 speed Roto (Slim Jim) Hydramatic.
I just purchased a 1971 Chrysler New Yorker4 door hard top with all the orginal papers and the window sticker. Car is loaded with some 9 options. Had been ina garage for 35 years. Zero rust and zero dents, or dings. Interior is a very rich high quality cloth and center arm rests front and back. Mint interior. Purchased for $1,200.00 and found a good oler mechanic that feels he can get the 440 engine running without going too far into it. Factory AC soldnew 15 miles from where it has been all these years. Dry central California. There is still gold to be found, Car is Astec gold in color.
I had almost the identical car in 1981. What a tank it was. Bought it with a bad transmission, fixed that a drove the wheels off it. I think I paid $300 for it, the heater didn’t work so I sold it come winter for how much I don’t remember. Great score Tom. Enjoy!
At 95 mph in 3rd?
390 gears.
389 tri power
It must have really twisted the rpm’s.
6500 rpm…
Tom C is absolutely correct!!! They’re still out there & I hope everyone continues to say otherwise
Because I will keep seeking them out as I have for 50 plus years.
Thank you society
Hey folks, just a heads up, the Bonneville has found a new home, with a Barn Finds person. looks like it is going to a good home, really nice guy.
Thanks for your kind comments and interest in this car. My late father in Law would be happy seeing it in good hands
Craig