It's hard to believe that autumn is upon us. That's not to say there aren't any days left to cruise in our favorite ride. In many parts of our great country autumn is the best season to take a drive and enjoy the spectacular colours of the changing leaves. What better way to enjoy the scenery than in a convertible like Brian Pritchard's beautiful 1964 Pontiac Parisienne Custom Sport? Brian has owned the car since 1975 and has restored the car twice. I'll let Brain give us the details:

I never had a brother. But I did have a first cousin named Leslie who was four years my senior.  Leslie was the “Fonz” in our family and very much like the character from the series Happy Days.  His good looks coupled with his love of life made him a natural when it came to girls and cars.  In 1971 after owning several cars Leslie purchased a Sunfire Red 1964 Pontiac Parisienne Custom Sport convertible which he promptly had painted purple which was a sharp contrast to the white interior, 4 speed, and factory tachometer.   

I experienced many good rides and even got to drive it on numerous occasions, especially when Leslie had over indulged.  Three years later after surviving his younger brother’s cruising Leslie’s Pontiac sat parked behind the house as he had moved up to a ’66 Thunderbird convertible. 

 Thus began my year long quest to purchase his Pontiac which had a seized 327.  Finally in the summer of 1975 he relinquished the thought of ever fixing it up and sold it to me for $100.00 and a promise to make it road worthy again.  

My desire to own this Pontiac was more the fact that the car was Leslie’s than the make, model or its being a convertible.  At the age of 22 I could envision a poplar tree growing through the floor boards in a few years. I just had to save Leslie’s girl chaser!

By 1977 I had it running again with a freshly rebuilt 327, new top, new windshield, and a fresh Hondorus Maroon paint job all completed to the tune of $1700.00.    Not long after I took it to a family function with the top down of course. The first person to comment on it was Leslie who said “You son of a b----, you had to park it right in front of the hall didn’t you!”  He was well pleased but declined my offer to let him take it for a spin.

Thirty three cruising years later I decided to give it another overhaul which began in the spring of 2010 and completed in the summer of 2015.  Specs are as follows:  350 Dart block, Dart heads, Voodoo cam, Cloyes timing kit, 396 stroker kit, roller lifters, roller 1.6 rockers, SFI fly wheel and balancer, 670 Street Avenger Holley, ARP bolts, 500hp; rebuilt original  M20 and 3:36 posi; ceramic headers, new drive shaft, poly urethane carrier bearing, stainless steel exhaust, Magnaflow mufflers; new locks, mirrors, seville grain white interior, carpet, door panels, etc, from NOS, A complete body job on sheet metal (floor, trunk, and mounts were all good) and a superb paint job in Ford Red Candy Metallic Tinted Clearcoat (U6).

Thank you Barry, Kenny, and Dave for your expertise in helping to make my CS look absolutely gorgeous.  Also thank you Todd for featuring my car.

Sadly my cousin passed away in 2013 and never got to see my finished product.  However my fond memories of him and my 41 years of owning and driving my ‘64CS continue to bring me much pleasure.  The Pont, or Rag as we’ve always called it is truly a part of our family and will be passed to our son when the time is right.