Kevin Toohey is the lucky owner of our December Feature Car. It was well over a decade ago that I saw Kevin at the swap meet in Paris Ontario and he confided in me that he owned this 1965 Acadian Beaumont convertible. It's not just any Acadian Beaumont convertible. This is one of "less than 8" built wth the legendary L79 327 engine. The icing on the cake is the 4 speed transmission. Wrap it all in stunning red sheetmetal with white interior and I'd say the Hope Diamond never looked so good!  I'm glad I don't have to keep this secret any longer! Kevin tells us more:

The story of my 65 starts in around 2008. At some point I got wind of a Red on White 65 Beaumont convertible lurking in Southwestern Ontario, another good restoration candidate?

The car was last seen in the Petrolia area, in a wreckers, and it's condition was said to be quite rough at that last sighting. I finally got around to it and contacted the wreckers, Scott's? I think, but alas, the car had been sold. The owner and his wife remembered it well, and said it had been recently bought and moved to storage somewhere. Always seeming to be just one step behind it, I finally tracked it down to another yard, and was actually able to see it in person. In checking it out I discovered a 3/8 fuel line, rear 4 speed frame braces, 4 speed floor hole, cowl tag bearing M20. Could it actually be a rare L79 4speed car? At this point I bought it anyway in the hope it just might be.

Sent away for the GM or Canada documents in 2009, and when they came back, sure enough, it was a rare L79 4 speed car!!

Forward a few years. In a stroke of good luck, I was able by chance to get connected to the original owner. In 2014. My brother took a 64 Beaumont convertible I'd recently completed and he'd just bought, to a car show in Windsor, and in getting into a conversation with a passer by, learned that the fellow once actually owned a similar 65 L79 4 speed convertible just like the 65 I now owned and was ready to restore. Hmm. Was it Red on White? Yes it was! Later I contacted the original owner. He was thrilled that the car has survived, and had some original documents along with a small trove of original pictures for me. How nice is that when you can see the car as it used to be!

Original owner, as new image, 1965 Plates,

Just a little proud eh Mr. Wright?

It's Oshawa built, sold through Dauw Motors Ltd in Wallaceburg Ontario. Sales receipt dates April 7th 1965 to a Mr. Gary Wright, Chatham for $3169.67. One dollar down and 3% sales tax in the end. I think it has stayed down in the that region it's entire previous life. 350 HP L79 = $177.35

Remnants of the old Dauw Motors Ltd?

Serial and engine # intentionally obscured,

Original keyset and dealer tag,

 ...manual and Protecto Plate,

Documented one of 336 built, but one of only 8 built with the L/79. And it's a Flint built 327, not a McKinnon motor. Positraction as well. 

 I bought the GM package just after I picked the car up, but kept the fact of ownership basically to myself over the past years, expecting to reveal the details only when the car was done.

 As announced by GM Canada at the time of introduction, the 65 Beaumont was not scheduled to receive the 350 HP L79 engine, but the 300 HP. But at production time, GM of Canada relented, and the 350 HP was installed. And just like the Chevelle SS, it also came factory dressed with that same full chrome package.

One interesting story; The original owner had related to me that he'd waited months to receive it. On the very first day he picked it up, he proudly went to visit a certain special girl, and in going for a drive, she had flicked her cigarette butt out the window and it got sucked back into the car, landed on the rear seat, smoldering and eventually started the seat base on fire...on the very first day! Luckily the dealer took pity on him. Seeing the car was so new, the dealer simply ordered a new seat bottom placing it under GM warrantee as being "Defective". Anyone who has or smokes knows how this can happen...Is that the Ciggie Girl above?

One little story came out about when the car was almost new. Mr. Wright had it in at the dealer for an oil change, and at the same time there appeared another L79 65. The guy admired the power steering in Mr. Wright's car, as his was mis ordered somehow and didn't receive it. Well, a deal was conjured up where they'd actually switch PS for non, as it was thought non gave a little better pulling power and road feel. The dealer agreed, and completed the switch for $50.

In street racer livery,

In the years following, the car as told to me developed a bit of a local reputation as a street brawler, able to compete well with the new 396 cars. One summer in the middle of the night, he even had some guys knocking on his door wanting to "Run". He didn't say no.

Side exits!

The original owner eventually sold it, and last saw it in a forlorn state in an apartment parking lot. He tried as best he could to buy it back, but it wasn't to be.  

So after years of collecting tons of parts, border crossings until the guards knew me by name, it was time to begin the work. I was lucky enough to have a very good connection to a great restorer willing to take on the big project. So it began. Work progressed into the finished body stage at which point it came home for a couple of years. Then returned just to the shop to be finally assembled and detailed. Really, it has just been completed only two weeks ago as of this posting. 

Coming together,

Getting close,

My original plan was to get the car finished in time for MCACN 2022, to enter the car in the "Debut" class. But time fell short due to the last couple of years. So now I just plan on enjoying it. Driving it sparingly, showing it next summer locally.

It's been a long, long road, but the results have been worth all the trouble, and I'm thrilled with it. I'm sure Mr. Wright will be too!

Thanks to all for reading the story.