Baby got "new" shoes

The Bonneville arrived from Tuscon last week. I've been trying to remove 3 decades of desert dust.
I've fixed the broken glovebox, replaced the heater/temperature control valve, touched up the dash woodgrain and started in on underhood cleaning and wiring clean-up.
But I haven't been comfortable driving the car because the tires are so bad.

I had to track down the proper lug nuts for these Pontiac honeycomb rims.
I think it looks a lot better with these rims.....
And now I can drive it!

BEFORE:


AFTER:

Oh yes. I love this. My dad had those wheels on his '84 Cutlass when I was younger. So nice.

Nice looking Bonny Joe.Have you sold your caprice yet?
Jim

Jim;
No, the Caprice is still here.
Know anyone who wants an LO5?
Joe

WOW does this bring back memories! I fixed up a burnt orange over dark red 83 Bonny Model G wagon for my younger brother to drive when he got out of college. He just needed transportation, and the Bonny fit the bill.

It was a very basic model, 3.8 V6 and low-end interior, but it was a Texas car, rust free and no wrecks, even the paint was original. It got the car for $100, it had an electrical fire on top of the engine, and I had to re-wire it, plus install a new fuel pump, did a tune-up, and then it ran fine. I also put a good stereo and speakers in it, and then replaced the shocks. It really drove well for what it was after that.

I did a salvage yard restoration on it. I found a set of 14-inch Rally II wheels from an 80's Grand Prix, repainted them, and installed the white-walls that were on the car originally blackwall out. I painted the door and window frames on the side of the car black, installed a Firebird steering wheel, Grand Prix gauges, Bonneville Brougham door panels, and waxed and detailed that car to the hilt. I liked the car when it was done. The only part that bothered me was the rear door windows not rolling down. What was GM thinking???

David only kept it a year. As soon as he got a "real" job he sold the Bonneville and bought a Honda Accord.....I still think he's adopteded......and I kick myself for not buying it back. It was a useful and good running little car.

Yours looks really good! I like your color a lot better than my cars, and those snowflake wheels look wonderful on there. Is yours a V6 or does it have the 305 Chevy in it?

Neat project! Please keep the updates coming!

-Mike

Just saw your pic in the other thread. Looks like a 305, nice! Those run forever. I also see you have the power rear vent windows. Those are so funky! Do they work? I've only seen them once on a salvage yard car.

Neat toy! Oh and Pioneer makes 4x10 speakers to go in the stock locations on the rear wheel humps, just and FYI. Also it's easy to intall G-Body bucket seats in that car, since your front bench is torn up.

Good luck!

-Mike

Mike,
Yep, already put new speakers in it. Planet Audio 4 X 10s in the original locations out back and pioneer 3.5" 2-ways in the dash.

Yes, the power vent windows work (meaning that they open and close like they're supposed to, not that they are any good for comfort...)

It's a 305 4bbl with 78k miles. Hope to find some G body buckets on my next JY trip!

Here's how it looks today after compounding and glazing:





I think I'm gonna call it a victory and enjoy it!
I still need to push out those two dents and attack the interior and the engine compartment, but the car looks much better than it did a couple of days ago.

WOW! You put some elbow grease into that! Looks awesome! Nice work! I really like it!

Keep the pics coming and good luck on the seat hunt!

-Mike

Wow Joe!
She really buffed out nice, and those wheels make all the difference!
Looking at the rear end of her, and I was thinking you need that wing that sits above the rear window. Not sure if the bonni's came with them, but I think the Chevy's did.
I'll look and see if I can find a picture of one and...., ahhhh found one...




While I was looking, I found this link, and think it's super cool. ( 80 Buick (G) wagon with a 87 T type turbo engine)
A GN wagon no doubt. : )

http://gbodyforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=10048


Of course..., I'd let that GN wagon have the jump on me at the red light, just to run it down in my AWD 4.3L inter-cooled, turbocharged GMC Typhoon..., just saying...