[Fullsize455]

They don't call me fullsize455 for nothing! Just picked up this '70 Bonneville - a one family car since new - complete with 360hp high compression 455!

The car popped up on craigslist several days ago, and though I replied right away, the seller said he had one guy ahead of me who he wanted to give first dibs to.. said he was going to come up Wednesday for it, but only wanted the motor. He eventually showed up, but only wanted the motor and had no means to transport it or dispose of the car after pulling the motor.. despite that, the seller still gave him until the end of the day to decide, when I made it clear that I was ready to roll any time with cash and a trailer.. well anyway, the other guy flaked out in the end, and thus I pulled up quick to retrieve it.. another plenty worthy big car with a 455, saved from the grubby paws of some GTO/Firebird guy who just wanted to cannabalize it!

The car was parked in 1998, but still runs and "drives". Doesn't appear to have much cancerous rust, but there are a few little spots here and there. Needs a hood and trunklid at least, a couple of small patches elsewhere, but the floors look solid. The 455 sounds pretty good!

Edit: Oh, and included in the deal we made was a big pile of NOS AcDelco and other parts, including an H-O Enterprises HC-01A cam and lifter set, NOS starter, distributor, fuel pump, master cylinder, distributor caps and rotors, etc.. all kinds of good stuff.

Behold, my newest project:

[Fullsize455]

A picture of the car in 1981 or thereabouts, after it was repainted in the original color, and the vinyl top was removed and painted instead:




Some paint that was mixed for it in 1992.. any guesses as to whether or not its still good??

[Fullsize455]

The fellow kept a log of all the services and repairs he performed on the car for most of its life

[GTOnly70]

Nice save and well worth preserving! Car looks solid.

[Lee]

Looks like a FUN car to me!

[geeteeohguy]

As a grubby handed GTO guy, I say this is excellent news. I haven't seen a '70 Bonnie in years and years anywhere, and I can't imagine a better vehicle to have in Nevada for those long, comfortable high speed road trips. I started out as a GTO guy and stayed that way though fate and circumstance, but I appreciate the better quality and additional features of ALL the 'full size' Pontiacs. The '70 is a GREAT looking year, rarely seen. Well done.

[dataway]

I'll give you $1000 for the engine ... I need it for a four door Tempest I want to build

[4zpeed]

Originally Posted by dataway

I'll give you $1000 for the engine ... I need it for a four door Tempest I want to build

Hmmm....... sounds pretty sketchy, hold your paws out... wanna look for signs of grubbyness...


Nice score, I mean save,
Frank

[unruhjonny]

cool!!

[hurryinhoosier62]

Dark Siders rule!

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Very cool car
2 door hardtop Bonne's are pretty unique finds on a 70 model.

Is it the YH code engine , or the XF code engine ?

The paint is very likely still good.
But maybe not what you would want to use unless its going to be a quicky type paint job just to get color on it. I can still smell Centari from back in the 80's just by seeing that can.

[Fullsize455]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

As a grubby handed GTO guy, I say this is excellent news. I haven't seen a '70 Bonnie in years and years anywhere, and I can't imagine a better vehicle to have in Nevada for those long, comfortable high speed road trips. I started out as a GTO guy and stayed that way though fate and circumstance, but I appreciate the better quality and additional features of ALL the 'full size' Pontiacs. The '70 is a GREAT looking year, rarely seen. Well done.

And you know, I have nothing whatsoever against the guys building GTOs and Firebirds.. I love them too and appreciate them just as much.. what I don't like is the wanton disregard for and casting by the wayside of anything bigger than a GTO that isn't a multi-hundred thousand dollar unobtainable Super Duty car. Countless millions of them have been slaughtered just for their 455s and it's sad. This is a car that deserves to be saved every bit as much as any GTO or Firebird, and I'm going to save it!

[Fullsize455]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Very cool car
2 door hardtop Bonne's are pretty unique finds on a 70 model.

Is it the YH code engine , or the XF code engine ?

The paint is very likely still good.
But maybe not what you would want to use unless its going to be a quicky type paint job just to get color on it. I can still smell Centari from back in the 80's just by seeing that can.

YH. XF was Grand Prix only I believe.

My thought on the paint would be that it might make for a quick paint job to make it presentable for now. I'm still in the midst of restoring my '71 Bonneville, so this would make a fine driver in the meantime.

I also do NOT like base/clear paint, due to the difference in appearance and the lack of durability compared to a good single stage like this. Well, maybe not sitting in a can for 26 years, but at one time this was good paint.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Fullsize455

... I also do NOT like base/clear paint, due to the difference in appearance and the lack of durability compared to a good single stage like this. Well, maybe not sitting in a can for 26 years, but at one time this was good paint.

I haven't read (or heard) anyone mutter anything like this in a long time...
At one time I had planned to single stage my car, but had been leaning towards base/clear from a thorough convincing of people around me...

[dataway]

If I had the space I'd love to have some giant 70's era luxury boat. I guess that's why some people are in love with the GPs, Rivera's, Toranados, etc ... kind of the best of both worlds.

[70staged1]

YH. XF was Grand Prix only I believe.

Just some info. . .
YH code is the base engine for the Bonneville. #15 heads, 7040262 carb.

XF code was an option in not only the Grand Prix but, the Bonneville and Catalina too. #64 heads, 7040268 carb.

Nice find. Hope you return it to it's formal glory. The '70 fullsize are my favorite.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

I pulled 2 or 3 XF's from Bonne's - back when.
Pretty happy days on those occasions.

One in particular was a 2 door hardtop car that looked like it just needed a battery and fresh gas. It was in excellent condition inside-out. Even the paint.
But it was in the Jyard ... so - yep.

Centari with a hardener (793s) was a good product.
Imron was my true flavor.
If they don't still service the Centari line - some universal hardener and reducer of some variation should work fine. Would do a test panel and let it cure when the day draws nearer.

Those are great looking beast-mobiles with 455 in them.

[lugnutx2]

Car looks good, even better when it a had the vinyl top!

[hoosierGP]

Great to see another '70 Bonneville saved! I got mine three years ago and did a full restoration on it. Mine came out of North Carolina and fortunately was rust free. Just needed alot of love. The 70 Pontiacs were not real popular due to the styling. You either liked them or hated them. I think the style is so unusual that they really stand out now. I get a lot of looks and compliments on mine at shows. I agree also that these land yachts should be saved and not scrapped for the engines. Parts aren't easy to find but because they do get scrapped someone will be selling parts. Keep posting pictures as you work on the car.

[Stuart]

I like it! A guy over on the Garage Journal board just bought an old Ford pickup with a lot of surface rust, and he posted pictures after attacking that rust with Metal Prep. It did a really good job of removing it and exposing the original paint underneath, it may be worth a try on your car.