writer: Randall D. Allen
photographer: Randall D. Allen
As the flagship Pontiac marque since its introduction in 1957, the Bonneville nameplate epitomized luxury, but what about performance? Sure its fuel injection promised increased grunt, but in the decade that followed, many surmised that tire-incinerating power was best left to the GTOs, Firebirds, 2+2s, and Grand Prixs. Hobbyists know these Pontiacs well, but relatively few have seen a high-performance Bonneville of that era. Enter our subject car, a gorgeous '66 convertible owned by Ken Kucia of Bedford, Ohio.
Not only is this triple-black ragtop packing 421 Tri-Power motivation, it's decked out with almost every option Pontiac offered for that model. With an impressive resume of class wins and accolades, this 41,000-mile stunner achieved Senior Gold Status at the 2005 POCI National Convention in Greenville, South Carolina, earning 395 out of 400 points.
"It's rather ironic that the Bonneville earned Senior Gold there as that's where the story begins," said Ken. "Back in 1979, my family was on vacation there, and my cousin Joe and I decided to take a break from the beach and our families to go car hunting. We drove aimlessly and ended up in North Carolina just enjoying the bright day. On the side of the road in a small town, we spotted a tattered '66 Bonneville convertible. There were holes in the convertible top, dents all over the body, and in general, it was a mess. After noting that there wasn't any rust, I wandered around to the front end and noticed a 421 emblem on the rocker panel. Putting one hand on the hood and the other on the latch, I jokingly proclaimed, 'this is a Tri-Power.' Joe and I both had a good laugh until the hood was open. To our amazement, an original 421 Tri-Power grinned back at us. The mess had now gained my full attention.
This drop-top beauty is stunning, with some of the most distinctively styled sheetmetal to ever grace a domestic car. The straightness of the quarter-panels is a testament to the restoration skills of the owner. Anyone who has worked panels this long and then highlighted that effort with a mirror finish of Starlight Black paint can appreciate the work that went into them.
"Not only was it packing legendary Pontiac power, it had the optional leather Strato Bucket seats, console, 8-Lug wheels, air conditioning, and a host of other desirable options. When it finally registered with me what I was looking at, I knew this would be my next project car. After a few calls to the family and pleas for mercy, Joe and I scraped together all the money we could get our hands on and convinced the owner to sell it to us for $500.
"Seeing that the gentleman from Raleigh had only recently purchased it for a song from the original owner, he was happy to sell the gas-guzzler to the guys from Ohio and put a few bucks in his pocket. After getting the car home, Joe and I discussed rebuilding it together but eventually decided that it would be best if I bought him out. My then-current black '66 Bonneville convertible would have to go in order to fund the project. Little did I know that it would take 10 long years of restoration to surpass the condition of the low-option '66 I sold."
The Transformation"As a professional automotive technician and one of the original members of POCI's North Coast Pontiac chapter, restoring classic Pontiac muscle is both a hobby and passion," Ken explained. With a '62 Grand Prix sporting a four-speed and a Tri-Power '60 Catalina convertible in his collection, Ken was familiar with the tremendous effort required to restore a big car. Having a 124-inch wheelbase and a total body length of 221.7 inches (18.5 feet), the '66 Bonneville proved to be a challenge.
After disassembling the Pontiac and cataloging and storing the parts, the body panels were stripped with a DA sander and treated to Charcoal Gray Dupont lacquer primer. Custom-made sanding blocks were fabricated to tackle the supremely long and bulbous flanks. Using a hammer, a dolly, and every ounce of metalworking ability that he had, the sheetmetal began to retake its former shape.
These original panels were in remarkable condition, needing only a mild polishing and reapplication of paint by the owner. This 421 emblem served as a warning to other drivers.
Many sleepless nights were spent block-sanding until a total of 10-15 double coats of primer were expended, and the panels became arrow-straight works of steel. Once it was deemed ready for paint, Dupont black lacquer was applied by the owner. "A total of 13 double coats of the lacquer," says Ken, "and between each coat, I hand-sanded the finish with 600-grit wet/dry paper. After the final application, the paint was progressively sanded through 2,000-grit paper, then hand-rubbed and buffed out. Although the bodywork took 10 long years at home on nights and weekends, the end result was well worth the effort." Having survived the test of time for the last 15 years, the body and paint still look fresh and reflect craftsmanship that few professional shops could ever hope to achieve.