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1965 Pontiac 2+2 Convertible 421/Tri-Power/4-Speed


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This awesome full-sized Pontiac ragtop is something of a unicorn in the Pontiac world. Factory triple black. 421 with Tri-Power. 4-speed manual gearbox. Factory A/C. Power windows and antenna. Tilt column. Factory 8-lug wheels. AM/FM radio with reverb. Console. Factory tachometer. In fact, it seems to have almost every single available option, all backed up with a 100% legible build sheet. How many such animals did they build? 2? 3? This is one of those special cars that just shouldn't exist, yet here it is and it is very, very cool.

 

Restored about 30 years ago by the second owner in Oklahoma (or Iowa, I don't recall which at the moment), it still shows amazingly well. It's got about 32,000 miles on that restoration, but they were clearly careful miles because aside from a bit of grunge on the undercarriage and maybe one or two chips on the nose, it looks extremely fresh. This car has never seen a day of snow or salt and wears 100% of its original body panels, and with that glossy black paint, there's just no place for sub-standard workmanship to hide. This sucker is laser-straight form every angle. 

 

I suspect that the interior is original--the seat covers are just too deeply detailed to be repros, especially 1990s repros. The carpets are surely new, but door panels and dash look to be OEM as well, which should tell you about the easy life this car has led. When you're behind the big wood-rimmed wheel, you'll find a factory tach on your left and a 4-speed manual shifter on your right. In-between, there's a cool trio of gauges (the clock isn't working--big surprise there), plus the original and fully operational AM/FM radio with rear speaker and reverb. Total 1960s hi-fi cool. Factory A/C means you got a unique dash with the vents on top and eyeball vents on either end, and while the system is complete, it has not been charged and still uses R12 refrigerant--we're ambivalent about charging it. The back seat looks almost new, the power black convertible top is nearly new, and the trunk is outfitted with a correct mat set and a full-sized spare that's never been used.

 

The engine is the original WH-coded 421 cubic inch V8 with factory Tri-Power spelled out right on the build sheet. It's rated at 356 horsepower (you couldn't get the 376 horsepower version with A/C) and nearly 500 pounds of torque. Yeah, it's a big car but it doesn't mind hustling. It was rebuilt to stock specs and dressed for show with correct Pontiac Turquoise engine enamel, a trio of rebuilt carbs under a massive K45 heavy-duty air cleaner that's unique to these cars, and a bold '421' badge on the radiator shroud just to advertise a bit. It also has the correct A/C cover on the firewall--good luck finding one of those! Turn the key and it fires easily and idles smoothly without much of a muscle car lope--this was more luxury car than muscle despite its credentials. Carburetor response is smooth and crisp and it barks through the gears of the Muncie M20 gearbox with authority. The clutch is a little firm but it's probably got to be pretty tough to handle this job, and it has factory 3.23 gears on a Saf-T-Track limited slip out back. The undercarriage shows some minor signs of use from 30,000 miles of fun, but nothing of note and certainly no rust. 8-lug wheels are factory-installed and carry 14-inch radials with the right-sized whitewall.

 

Documentation includes the original, very legible build sheet. a window sticker that's got to be a repro, and a magazine article featuring this car, plus owner's manuals and a few other pieces of history.

 

Cars like this aren't supposed to exist. Guys build clones like this all the time, but some guy walked into a Pontiac dealership in 1965 and ordered a triple-black 2+2 ragtop with every single option you could get. That's just plain cool. Price is $79,900, and for something extraordinary like this, that might even be a bit of a bargain. Thanks for looking!

 

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Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
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11 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

That's Ironic,  I just got done listing the big prestige catalog for 1965 Pontiac cars and here is the 2+2 section.  Neat car you never see. 

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How much would you like for the catalog? Might be a nice addition to this car's pedigree.

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