This month's feature car belongs to a fellow who has been a member on Canadian Poncho for quite some time. His car I have seen several times in person and quite frankly I should have featured it a long time ago. I'm talking about Bob and Carol Crocker's gorgeous 1958 Pontiac Parisienne. To learn how Bob came about owning this great car, we have to go back about 50 years. You see, this isn't Bob's first 58 Parisienne.
Back in 1960, at age 22, after driving clunkers for six years, Bob was fortunate enough to purchase a loaded 1958 Pontiac Parisienne Sport Coupe for $1800! It was two-tone Burma & Calypso Green, with the darker shade on the lower portion of the car. It was equipped with the 348 four barrell engine, powerglide transmission , power brakes, windows and steering. It also had a Wonderbar radio with rear seat speaker and backup lamps. In 1963, when Bob and his fiancee Carol decided to get married and purchase a house, the Pontiac was sold to help with the down payment. Bob was back to driving clunkers again!
Bob and Carol often wondered what happened to that Parisienne. In 2007 they asked Bill Sherk to write an article about it in Old Autos. A number of responses to the article were recieved, but none lead to the exact car. However one response led to Bob and Carol purchasing the 58 Parisienne you see featured this month.
Only July 31st, 2007, Bob recieved a phone call from a car buff in Montreal who had read the Old Autos article. He mentioned that he had seen an ad for a two-tone green '58 Pontiac on a French auto sales website and thought Bob might be interested in it. This car turned out to be a Parisienne Sport Coupe with a numbers matching 261 six with a Powerglide transmission. Although it didn't have power steering or windows, it did have a radio, rear speaker, back-up lights, white wall tires and tinted windshield. The two tone green paint was opposite to the Parisienne that Bob used to own. The interior was identicle to the first car and was 100% original.
When Bob called he was able to find out the history on the car and that the current owner after purchasing the car in 1976 had done a six year body off restoration. Photos were emailed to Bob and they showed the car to have held up very well and we well worth the trip to view and test drive. It was arranged on August 26th Bob with two friends would drive six hours to Cornwall to meet with the owner, who would make a three hour trip from Quebec.
When the car drove into the hotel parking lot, it was deja-vu again as the Pontiac was in better condition than Bob had expected! Paint, chrome, interior and mechanics were all excellent! While Bob and the owner were doing the paperwork, Bob's two friends loaded the car into the enclosed car trailer for the trip back home.
Since owning the car Bob has recieved information from GM Vintage Vehicle Service. It was sold through Omer Barre Pontiac Buick in Verdun Quebec and according to the second owner, the original owners were seniors, living in Verdun. They owned the car from March 1958 to May 1976. Total mileage was 72000.
Bob and Carol are now the third owners and the Parisienne now has about 108000 miles. This Parisienne is one of only 525 built making it one rare bird and a real survivor!
Super nice car Bob, classic colour combo. I'm glad you could find one so close to the one that got away.
The photo of the 348 car was taken at the R C Harris Water Treatment plant on the lake in Toronto. Bob and I have discussed this a few times as an east end boy it is an easily recognizable landmark.
-- Edited by 73SC on Monday 31st of January 2011 09:40:31 PM
Now that is a car!!!!! Love the engine compartment, and the dash. Great story and great choice for the feature car!
-- Edited by 03cts sport on Monday 31st of January 2011 09:42:22 PM
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"So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think... The good outnumber you, and we always will." Patton Oswalt
nice car Bob; reminds me that there was an exact match to yours in Sarnia back 1958. It was owned by the dealship which if I recall was Highfield Motor Produts ? The car was said to be a 348 / tri power car but I don't know that for sure.
i love that car, i think i have some photos of it as well. Real nice guy too, ive talked with him a couple times and he has never blown me off like most older car guys at shows, thanks Bob. Hey, i found them, heres some pics at plunketts one night.
-- Edited by 59poncho on Monday 31st of January 2011 11:46:06 PM
Congrats!!! Great to see you've found another!!! Awesome choice for the month. I love the 58 Ponchos.
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1960 Pontiac Strato Chief Safari 1960 Laurentian Safari 1960 Laurentian 4door(scrapped) 2001 Grand Am Traded on a '96 Suburban 2WD 2002 Hyundai Accent(SOLD) 1968 Grand Parisienne Scrapped and SOLD
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.