421 Tri-Power/Hurst 4-Speed: 1966 Pontiac 2+2
The 1966 model year was the only one where Pontiac offered the 2+2 as a stand-alone model rather than a trim package on the Catalina, and this particular example does that change justice. It is an immaculate survivor with more than enough power under the hood to keep any owner happy. It is also a classic on the hunt for a new home, which is why it has been listed for sale here on eBay. The Pontiac is located in Coram, New York, and with bidding currently sitting at $27,000, the reserve has been met.
It doesn’t matter where you stand when you view a ’66 Pontiac 2+2, what you are looking at is a strikingly beautiful car. The lines are sleek and muscular, and this tough appearance is emphasized on this classic because it is equipped with an immaculate set of 8-lug wheels. The Burgundy paint shows a wonderful shine and depth of color. There are a few minor marks on the paint but no significant issues. The Black vinyl top is in good order, with no signs of any bubbling that might suggest problems lurking below. Speaking of below, the owner provides some good photos of the Pontiac’s underside. It is as clean as you could ever hope to find, with no evidence of any rust. The panels are in a similar state, with no apparent rust or previous accident repairs. The trim and chrome are in good order, as is the tinted glass.
This 2+2 is a vehicle that would seem to combine luxury motoring with high performance perfectly. With a view to the latter, what we find lurking under the hood is the 421ci Tri-Power V8. This 356hp monster is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission, while the Pontiac also features power steering and power brakes. From a performance perspective, the 2+2 is pretty impressive. It tips the scales at 3,950lbs. That doesn’t make it the heaviest car on the planet, but I still wouldn’t want that sort of weight parked on my big toe! The Tri-Power V8 is capable of blasting the 2+2 through the ¼ mile in 14.8 seconds. That’s motoring, no matter how you view it. The owner doesn’t specifically say that the Pontiac is numbers-matching, although he does imply it in the listing. What he does say is that the Pontiac runs and drives well. It is also worth noting that this was the final year for both the 421 and the Tri-Power setup. General Motors decreed that multiple carburetors would only be available on the Corvette and the Corvair from the following model year.
When you dive inside the Pontiac, it’s hard to find much to be critical of. The carpet’s fit behind the pedals looks a bit odd, but that’s one of the few faults. The dash is spotlessly clean and has no aftermarket additions. The upholstery on the seats and door trims looks to be in good order, with no signs of any tears or seam separations. The headliner is also in good order, and I can’t spot any problems with the console.
Taking a look at the interior from the driver’s side reveals that the Pontiac features a tachometer. This is not an aftermarket addition but is a genuine Pontiac option. It nicely complements the cluster of gauges in the dash that helps to monitor the health of the Tri-Power treat under the hood. There are no luxury features like air conditioning or power windows, but an AM radio would provide some sweet music on the road if you ever got sick of the song being sung by that 421.
This 1966 Pontiac 2+2 is a special car. The fact is that the company only produced 6,383 examples in this model year. Figures from the PHS indicate that a mere 1,109 cars featured the 421 Tri-Power/4-speed combination. That makes this a rare bird and explains why the bidding has been pretty intense up to this point. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it finds its way to $30,000, although a higher figure isn’t out of the question. If it sells for less, then the buyer could be onto a real winner. I admit that I will envy that person because I would love to park this classic in my driveway. Would you?
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Comments
Wow. Look at that stance and styling. Just bulging muscles. 14.8 is pretty impressive for a 4K car. Great color combo. Whoever checked the boxes did it the right way. I would rather have this than a goat. Anything with the 421 badges is making a statement. Love it.
Love these years of the Pontiacs. Beautiful machine indeed!
What’s NOT to like about this one! Checks ALL of the right boxes, and those fabulous Pontiac dashes!! GLWTA!! :-)
White walls don’t work on this beauty. 8 lug 14″wheels look smallish. 15″ wheels n tires on big cars were a few yrs. down the road.
Big Fords got 15″ wheels in 1965.
I’m looking in my Old Car Guide and just about every Pontiac with the 8 lug wheels has whitewall tires. These are factory photos and this 66 looks just like the factory wanted it to look.
Definately my kind of car – no more options than absolutely necessary. It seems to have the rear defroster though hinting to being an East Coast car from new. As I’ve claimed before; when fullsize muscle cruisers like this pop up I seriously scratch my head wondering why car guys still crave for GTOs – IMHO such a 2+2 is MUCH more to have!
There are non-OE 15inch rims available for the 8lug setup and it definately needs a serious suspension drop; as it sits it resembles a gasser! Personally I think it deserves red walls or black walls. Love it! 👍
Big and bold, great color and a big engine to go along with it. What bugs me, and it’s been brought up already, are the smallish wheels and tires it has. When I first saw this listing I immediately thought lowrider, which it isn’t, because of those shoes and high stance, and a look I’ve seen plenty of here in southern Kalifornia.
Four speed, tri power 421, am radio, all the best options really.
A 2+2 ordered by someone wanting the most out of their Poncho! Beautiful. And the 8-lugs set it off perfectly. Wouldn’t be surprised if this goes for $33K-$36K. I love it.
Over 450 ft. lb. of torque get’s this car moving, and the styling is terrific.
Had a chance to purchase a blue on in the late 80’s in really nice shape for….2400.
Shouda, coulda, woulda…
I woulda, if I hadn’t just bought a 69 Nova. Always loved these big bad 421 2+2s.
Wow and My neighbor has a twin to this only it’s a ragtop. He said he might buy it for the bookend effect but i know his wife and it’s not going to happen.Wish i could buy this one.
Nice to see a car on here that somebody took good care of and you don’t have to spend a lung to just enjoy it.
This car has to be one of less then 10. with this drivetrain.
Actually I can tell you it’s at least 1 of 2,208 with the manual. There were 6,383 built in total and the remaining 4,175 had the Hydramatic transmission.
wrong no way that many had a manual trans
2.208 examples, one third of total production, is not ‘many’ considering it was such a performance-oriented version. Don’t forget that amongst those 2.2K there would also be 3spds, which still was the base transmission for 2+2.
I’ve been trying to find stats showing the 2+2 #s break-down to transmission without luck so I’d be happy to learn where those tallies came from though.
It would be impossible to have one third of production on this model car to be a manual transmission.No way no how. I worked dealer and in the 10 years I was there maybe was two big car manual trans cars that came thru it and we were no small dealer.
2,208 manual trans cars would work out to about 44 per state, not including other areas they were sold to , so its very possible they did make that many – you wouldn’t have seen many at your dealership, but how many Pontiac dealerships were in your home state ?
My good friend in 1966 and still today ordered a black 2 plus 2, 4 speed 421 but opted for a single 4 barrel. Great car and lots of fun until Nam got in the way.
Beautiful car! Love those 66 Pontiacs! This car is the same color as the 66 Bonneville my parents had back in the day. I was 10 when they bought in on the spring of 66. It also had the 421 tri-power, PS, PB, but had a Turbo 400 trans and factory air. They kept that car until I was 19, so yes, if my behavior and grades were good, they let me drive it once in a while. When they were done with it, they offered to give it to me. I had a 70 Shelby GT-350 at the time that I had worked and saved for. The old Bonnie had some rear window rust and a leaking rear main seal, so I didn’t accept the gift. They sold it for a few hundred dollars in ragged but running condition. How things have changed! If I were in the position, I would be right in the middle of the biding on this one! Love it!
It is a lovely car, but I have a question regarding “The 1966 model year was the only one where Pontiac offered the 2+2 as a stand-alone model rather than a trim package on the Catalina”. I am not sure that is entirely true. The Canadian market got a 2+2 in 1969, which was on a shorter chassis than a standard Catalina, with Chevy engine IIRC. I don’t “think” it was a Catalina option, but that it was a standalone. Am pretty sure you historians out there would know for sure though :)
Canadian car production is a highly interesting subject and worth a study in itself. And considering Canadian production #s and survival rates, performance oriented examples are rare today. The Parisienne 2+2 was manufactured ’67-’70 and its 2+2 nomenclature replaced the previous Custom Sport, which again was the Canadian equivalent for Super Sport.
Now why would I even babble about a Chev designation? Well, unlike US Pontiacs there were no short and long WB fullsize Pontiacs in Canada – regardless of trim level they are the same length and are technically Chevs with a Pontiac body. That means Chev frame, suspension, brakes, engines etc. Actually the ’67 Canadian 2+2 base engine was the 250 I-6; again equivalent to the US SS fullsize Chev package it was more of a sporty trim package in contrast to the US Pontiac 2+2 which was much more performance oriented. With that said the full line of SBC/BBC were available for the Canadian 2+2
My father bought a 67 2+2 with the 428 and an auto. From the day he brought it home my mother loved that car, pop only kept it till 69 because it was hit 3 times in those two years, and ppl told him it was cursed. Very neat car that I’d love to own.
Very nice Tin Indian for sure , I’d love to be in a position to ante up for it. One question tho for Adam Clarke and any other member of the staff that does it. How do you figure E.T’s. and MPH 1/4 mile times for the various cars ? is it from any old literature you find, some kind of chart ? These 421 Tri-Power cars were indeed terrors on the 1/4 mile and when they showed up at the dragstrip it usually meant I was not going to trophy with my 383 Satellite. Them cubic inches usually pulled me down on the top end.
I actually thought that stated 14.8 quarter was a little in favor of the big poncho, and I’d take any Pontiac road tests from the sixties with a grain of salt. Always from Royal, always fiddled with somehow.
Moosie, when you were racing were all the cars stock production class, or were they worked engines with deep gears, open headers as an example?
My late uncle told me about his Pontiac 2+2, older than this one same engine though, and claimed despite being fast it was just too heavy and he always got beat by his friends 327 Malibu, clocked the 390 Fairlane but the Chevy always beat him. He always told me it was just too dang heavy. (Stock engine, everything, drag racing from a standing start, illegal too)
Troy S, I ran stock with my ’66 383″ Satellite, the class, (iirc) E/SA allowed headers or cut outs, gears, 7″slicks. You could finesse the motor, a bit of head work, an .030″ overbore, minor porting. stock cam, stock intake, stock carb. you could jet the carb. You could beef up your automatic trans but hi stall speed converters were a couple of years away. I found that if I could pull a good enough hole shot I could sometimes hold the top end charge of those big Pontiacs. With a 3.90:1 rear gear they would sometimes get me by half a car, so I took the leap and changed to a 4.56:1 gear set, that made it better but some of those Pontiac guys would still get me but now it was by only a fender. “There’s no replacement for displacement” Cubic inches are hard to beat. Then NHRA came out with Super Stock classes where you could change the intake to an aluminum Hi-riser and a cam change but not too much else. Good times , memorable for sure.
Nice ride, moosie!
Troy,
You sound like you are old enough to know what you are talking about but I
beg to differ with you on the Pontiacs.
Yes Royal Pontiac was tuning a lot of them but you could buy their kits and install them yourself if you were capable. You could also research and buy similar parts to do the same thing which was basically carb jets, distributor springs and thinner head gaskets.
When I was 17 in 1969, I talked my parents into letting me get a ’63 Catalina with a 421, tri-power 4 speed with a 3.64 posi. (wish I had it now).
With a little bit of detail (super tuning), That car was one of the most respected vehicles in the small town of Suffield.
One of the advantages of the car compared to the gto’s, etc was the huge overhang over the rear wheels which allowed the car to have more traction.
Had a buddy with a 428 4spd Cougar that hated my car. He couldn’t hook up
Like any other brand, you can get a good running one or a bad one.
I loved my car but at that age, beat it unmercifully. Went thru 3 engines 4 transmissions and 2 rear ends. The final combo was with an automatic and a 4.88 gear!
Here’s another bit of trivia, From ’65 to ’67 the BOP turbo 400 automatics had a switch pitch (2 speed) torque converter, Made a huge difference in launching that Boat. (400’s had an electric kick down switch which I moved inside onto the shifter). Was the best of both worlds high stall for takeoff and low stall for cruising. Longing for the good old days and 35 cent high test!
Good stuff, Frank
I like the part about the 428 4 speed Cougar especially. I bet he was Pissed! This is what I like about cars,, the stories, the action, what made some of these cars,
well, memorable in the first place. Thanks.
Gorgeous car, can’t say much more on that. Would I like to own it – absolutely.
Don’t know what it will go for, but I’m sure someone will end up with a wonderful car.
My friend Dutch bought a new 65 2+2 4 bbl automatic 3.32 gears with AC. With a little tuning and “cheater” slicks the car was a consistent winner at Englishtown and NY National F/SA. It regularly ran 14.5 – 14.6. GTOs didn’t stand a chance on the street.
My Neighbor has a twin to this car only a ragtop and I have a 69 Biscayne 427/425hp car. On the street tires he is quicker but only because he has 4:11 gears and I have 3:73 gears. Always gets me by a fender but I can not wait till we are both at the drag strip. If I had 4:11 gears I would beet him every time.
I bought the 66 2+2 .
Nice car, few things to repair but once I fixed the rear carburetor float . This car can move and sounds great .
Joe Kovacs
You got a piece of Pontiac history . Have fun it is a beautiful car.
Congrats Joe. I’m happy for you. Glad you got it sorted.
Did the model manufactures not produce any 2+2 models, or did Tim leave it out of his very interesting story (A Model Christmas —- page 35) in the Dec. 2022 Smoke Signals?