Features Anybody have a 1960 Pontiac? Pics?

Just looking to see who has one. Share some info and see some pics too!

Ken

My spelling sucks......

 

Go to Google.

Type in 1960 pontiac.

click on "go".

click on "images" at the top left corner.

222,000 pictures.

 

I think its a 59 but...
this is my older brother in his 1st car he got from our dad that he got new.

 

is this a 1960...?

 

Happy Hoppy---59


Toxictom---60

 

Yeah I've Googled the search to death. But, I like too see what folks here on the HAMB have and/or pics too.

Ken

 

Google the Golden Indian Pontiac. It's a 60 Pontiac built by the Alexander Brothers.
Red

 

Google "Mint Julep." It is a cool '60. IMO, '60 Venturas and Catalinas are some of the all-time best looking cars EVER.

 

Here is a 68 B'ville I used to have and a 67 GP I gave my daughter.

 

But the GP looks pretty much like this now.

 

Anybody, I here crickets. I know the Impala share some-what of the same profile, but different off course. I know Groucho had the "Orange" one and that's all I know.

Ken

 

The BADDEST Pontiac in all the land.....

 

A friend of mine just bought this one...

 

Great pics SoCaCarCulture!! Anyone. Is it just me, dammmnnnnnn! I need to get a more common car next time.

Ken

 

I drove one for several years. Extremely pleasant car to drive, it handled great. Just a bone-stock 4dr with the 2bbl 389, but it would go like a bat outta hell if I wanted to. I don't think I've ever had a more pleasant car to cruise down the highway with.

Wore out outer wheel bearings, generator brushes, and both motor mounts broke in a short period, but other than that it was pretty much trouble free for 30,000 miles.

A Sun mini tach will fit in the blank spot where a clock goes if you make a bracket to go over the back of it and bolt to the studs on the cluster. No cutting, no mods.

 

Very true. I was surprised how well it drives and handles too. Better that my German made car. That 389 is not slouch either.

Ken

 

OK, my last Hooraahh! before the lights are turned off for this thread. I know about Ames, Smoke Signals, etc. Just lookin for some folks here on the HAMB that's put one together or just know. Thanks

Ken

 

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I had a 60 Bonneville convert back in the 70s. Not the greatest pic however.
Also had the 47 Plym coupe next to it.

 

What is it you want to put together?

 

Nice 47Plym! Thanks for sharing the pic. I'm no Pontiac diehard by any means. Just trying to figure out the 1960 model. I have a 60 Ventura H/T coupe and fell in love with it and finding out that NOBODY makes shit for them!

Ken

 

I've had a few of these, heck I took my drivers test in a 60 Ventura 2dr and got caught doing a 100mph in a 65 two days later in the same car. Almost everything that is known about the 60 Pontiac you can find through the Sixty Owners Society, look them up. The President is Doug Bendle, his black 4speed Ventura is in the Classic Auto Restorer issue featuring the 60 Pontiac. They share parts information, history, private vendors, and reproductions within the club.

Some heads up from memory...

60 is the only year since the success of the 1959 model not to have some form of the trademark split grille. The arrowhead on the 60 is also a one year oddity as per the 59 introduction. The 60 was already set in stone before 59 sales reports came in, 59 was a success where in 60 sales slowed. 61 was a complete redesign from the 59-60 models but share more traits with 59 than 60 for this reason.

The water flow of the engine in 1960 is reverse though intakes interchange correctly from 55-60. You may find the waterpump impeller in the original pump to be "backward". This was tried to reduce drag and later changed but it does work.

Left hand wheel studs are left hand thread.

Rock N Roll Engineering used to sell fiberglass hoods, decks and I think bumpers. Fiberglass replacement fenders were made for them and sold through JC Whitney and Honest Charley.

Bunky Knudson had a custom 60 Ventura that actually sported the formal roof line from the 1959 Ventura prototype.(Similar 62 Impala roof line) Last press showed the car in a junkyard, hopefully someone has restored it. There was an "X-400" car, perimeter frame cars and factory made El Caminos. Early prototypes were nearly identical to production 60 Olds bodies.

I remember reading there were only 7 original 4-speed cars and a rather low number of 3-speed cars.

There were 5,000 and change Bonneville Stationwagons. These cars use the 122 wheelbase Catalina/Ventura platform instead of the 124 wheelbase StarChief/Bonneville one. All Wagons use single Catalina/Ventura type tail lenses per side but they are larger.

Some say otherwise, but S/S aluminum bumpers do exist as well as radio and heater block offs. I've heard tales of aluminum front clips but I've never seen one in person.

Early Bonnevilles can be identified buy having three dash moldings on the quarter panel trim, and the tail panel letters have a similar script to the ones on Catalina, Ventura, and StarChief. Late cars have four moldings and larger block letters on the tail panels. Tail panels on StarChief and Catalina say Pontiac while Ventura and Bonneville display their given names.

Rear coils do not interchange with Chevy units.

Take notice of weather strip,and window fuzzy/door trim kits as most are based off Chevy units, they will work but are slightly different than stock.

 

How about a Pontiac Ranchero?

 

Great info Algon! Thanks. I have a Ventura coupe that I'm working on and will be my daily (the Hell with GAS prices Hahahaha!!!).

Ken

 

Let me know if you have any questions. I may be able to help...

Something else thats sort of cool is with wear on the hydro it would shift the stick on its own with the gears. Add that to to some good alignment and it really would freak people out as it would run straight and shift on its own. I also found a few 1960 casting 389 Mickey Thompson Aluminum blocks years ago. I tried to buy them for my 60 Catalina gasser project but the guy kept flaking on me after sending payment. In the end I got most of it back but would of rather had the block...

I still have a few parts, and NOS tail lights if anyone has a use.

Check a search for the 1960 Dayton results on the web. At around a 154.6mph the back window pops out and Junior Johnson's 59 Chevy takes the win but in 61 a 60 takes the win. 60's did well in Super Stock and NASCAR. Jim Wagners later on mr "lets take credit for the GTO" drove the Royal Pontiac 60 to victory in S/S. One of the big tricks to the win was getting racapped slicks fresh out of the molds while they wear still soft. There is alot of history to these for a car thats often forgotten between the 59's and 61's.

 

It's got my vote! That's Forsakenfew's, paint by Harpoon Search for posts by Forsakenfew and I'm sure you'll find more pics of this swanky beauty.

 

Saw this today not sure if its a 60 tho.

 

That is a cool car I've seen it in person, it ran at the Pontiac Nationals about seven years ago and also made High Performance Pontiac magazine.

Memph thats a 60 for sure, its a smoothed out Catalina or Ventura hard top.

Which reminds me...

Catalinas were available as all body types with the 122" wheelbase. Venturas were 122" wheelbase only as hardtop 2 and 4 doors. StarChiefs were 124" wheelbase 2 and 4 door sedans. Bonnevilles were 124" wheelbase 2 and 4 door hardtops, convertibles and the 122" custom wagon.

If you look at the pictues of the sedans versus the hardtops you can see, unlike 59-60 Chevy, decklids enter change on all models. The deck panel behind the window and the trunk gets longer between the sedan to the hardtop and then again on the long wheelbase cars.

Canadian cars sport Chevy chassis lacking "widetrack" stance but benefit from easy to find parts underneath. Maybe someone up north can add those models.

 

bump?

 

That '60 with the fiberglass '62 style top was shown in a magazine ages ago and reported as taken apart with pieces including the interior found in the salvage yard the pictures showed it sitting in, it was up here in New York and I tried to track down where to go ask about 10 years ago. Never had any luck, but that was close to 20 years ago now. I don't think it would be hard to clone, though.

 

Yes, yes it is!