Beautiful car you have.

Hi guys, here'* a short update on the Parisienne:

I had bought her through the internet and last weekend she arrived by truck freight (pic below).

Technically she seems to be in solid condition. The engine starts and runs with no problems and the transmission shifts smoothly.

However she'* awfully rusty and this will be the main sticking point for her restoration. Basically the whole underfloor and the chassis frame on both sides (below the doors) are rusty to the point of near breakthrough and need to be replaced.

So if anybody here knows where to get a matching frame or underfloor pan, i would highly appreciate it.

From what i read here http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au...parisienne.htm the Parisienne is built on a Chevy fullsize frame of the same era.

Judging from this i assume i can just use a 66 fullsize Chevy frame and floorpan for the restoration, which should be a lot easier to get than specific Parisienne parts. But is there only ONE Chevy fullsize chassis available from 1966 or are there different ones for different fullsize models?

Do you have a budget for this project? From the sound of your post, this may be a very costly project.

Are you partial to this particular model?

I have no fixed budget for this, but obviously i prefer to invest as little as possible.

Also i have no particular interest in the Parisienne. Any other 66 fullsize Pontiac would be just as fine for me. But since i got a good offer on this car, i'm looking for a way to get it back on the road.

Now if the restoration costs clearly exceed the value of the car (in good condition) it'* worth to think twice before wasting a fortune.

On the other hand, i absolutely want a triple black car. Unless i can find one that already is triple black, i have to consider the added costs for painting it black and changing the interior anyway.

So if i can find a reasonable priced frame and underfloor pan for my Parisienne, i believe it'* worth to restore it.

Alternatively, if i stumble across another bargain 66 Pontiac in good condition, i might very well sell my Parisienne "as is" and move on.

You may be better off buying a good solid mid-west car for $5-8 grand.

Makes sense, but so far i have never seen a solid 66 fullsize for this price.

What do own it for at this point and what do you think that you will be spending on it?

If this car needs a frame and floors, it will be very costly to restore.

Well, i have always been a classic car enthusiast. I already own a 70 Challenger in good condition and when i stumbled across this classic Parisienne for sale, i thought it makes a great addition to our garage.

Out of all fullsize cars of that era i particularly like Pontiacs split grille design in combination with the vertical dual headlights. This front is simply amazing.

I'm not in a hurry to get the Parisienne back on the road. I'm totally fine if this project is complete by next spring. When it'* done, it should be a nice summertime cruiser on weekends and to visit local carshows.

Considering everything i learned so far about this ride, it will probably take 10-15k $ to restore it. Not considering any expensive upgrades of course - just to renew it technically and get it road legal.

You could probably buy a nice turn key, solid, 4 door presentable driver quality Bonneville (which in MY mind is a better value and a better car) for about 8 grand.

Sounds good and in this case i would for definitely rethink this Parisienne restoration. But as i said i haven't found such a solid 66 Bonneville for that price yet.

It seems all major classic car trader websites are full with GTOs and Le Mans, but fullsize Pontiacs are rare.