It never ceases to amaze me when another rare Poncho comes out of the woodwork! Our November feature car is one such beast. Rob Shull has been the proud owner of this stunning 1966 Beaumont Custom convertible for 37 years. In fact he got the car before he even had his drivers license! Rob and his father have done most of the work on this Beaumont and while Rob says the car is likely due for a freshening up, I think it looks just fine the way it is. Being a Beaumont Custom convertible is rare enough. Being a 4 speed car is icing on the cake! Rob tells us more:

My car is a 1966 Beaumont Custom convertible with the Sport Deluxe package in Royal Mist Metallic, GM white interior, and a white top.  I learned from Canadian Poncho that it was one of 57 Custom convertibles produced in ‘66 with the Sport Deluxe package, and one of 10 that had a white convertible top.  It has a 327 ci engine, with a Carter carburetor, Borg Warner T10 4 speed trans, and a Hurst shifter. 

My dad and I bought the car in 1986 in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan where I grew up.  We actually bought the car before I even had a drivers license after months of scouring the AutoTrader catalogues (the paper version, not online listings!).   My parents owned a ‘66 SD Hardtop in Madeira Maroon Metallic and I was apparently very upset when they sold it sometime in the ‘70s. I guess that’s why this one called to me later on when I was looking for my first car!

Most of the work that has been done to the car was done in the late ‘80s.  My dad was a former mechanic at the local Pontiac dealership in Moose Jaw and he and I spent a lot of time in the garage where he taught me what I know now about these cars.  I was also lucky enough to have lots of family, friends and neighbours that also had the classic car bug so there was never a shortage of advice. 

Work back then included a new top, new upholstery, new interior carpet, and new paint in the factory colour.  We also did some work on the engine which, as best I can remember, included bottom end bearings, a 350 hp cam shaft, new springs, and new cylinder heads to increase compression.  We had the transmission worked on along the way as well.  Over the years we replaced all of the fuel and coolant lines, break seals and the other usual maintenance items on a 57 year old car. It still has the original suspension and drum brake set up. 

This year it had some front end suspension work done, some brake work, and an extensive tune up.  It’s been a long time since it’s been running this well!  I also picked up some new wheels and tires that improved the stance and gives it more of a classic look that I really like. I owe a special thanks to the garage that did the work while I “oversaw” the work from Ontario, my fellow Beaumont enthusiast that gave me a part I desperately needed that I couldn’t find anywhere else, and my family members and neighbours that drove it back and forth to its service appointment when I was out of town and also helped me with some other upgrades when I was home.  And of course a special thanks to my mom who, to this day insists on keeping every receipt for anything related to the car. Thanks Mom. 

This was my daily high school driver when it wasn’t raining, windy, or snowing.  It’s an incredibly fun car to drive and my friends and I spent hours under the hood and driving up and down Main Street.  

Working on the car with my dad means a lot to me.  I remember a lot of scraped knuckles, trouble shooting problems, lessons about torquing bolts, and plans for what we’d work on next.  One day I hope to get it out to Toronto and have the same kinds of conversations with my kids.  

The car was in storage for several years between the late ‘90s and 2013 when my dad passed away.  During that time I had moved first to Alberta and then on to Toronto.  After getting the car out of storage in 2013 (all it needed a new battery, new fuel filter, new spark plugs, and a top up of coolant), it has once again become my hobby car when I’m back in Saskatchewan.  When I take it out it just needs a quick charge, a shot of gas, and it fires up like it always did.  It’s also been great to be able to share it with my family. 

I have a favourite stretch of road that I like to drive on.  It doesn’t really go anywhere I need to get to but the scenery is great, traffic is light, and I can get the car up to just the right speed with the top down where the engine and exhaust sound just about perfect to me.  That’s one of my favourite places to be. 

My dad and I always talked about a full body-off restoration and a suspension and brake upgrade to make it handle a little better.  Now with the 37 year old paint starting to show its age a little, it might be time to look into a more extensive restoration to get it looking like it did in its prime. But, to be honest I kinda like just the way it is.

Thanks for the opportunity to share it with all of you and to hear about your projects and passions.