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Most Outrageous Interiors: GM Launches the 1977-78 Pontiac Bonneville with the Valencia Interior!
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- čas přidán 11. 12. 2022
- Learn more about the 1977-78 Pontiac Bonneville with one of the craziest interior schemes of the 1970s: the Valencia interior!
Cool. Never knew those seat patterns existed. Always learning on Adam's channel...
You're lucky you never realized a few of those seat patterns existed. Many would keep the average human up at night, or give one nightmares, especially the red, white, and yellow Zebra stripe in the Pontiac Valencia. Why would anyone want anything that outlandish in a car ??? Maybe as wallpaper in a playroom but NOT in a car.
@@larrybruce4856 Definitely "cool" as in something new to me. Ugly seats for sure!
Hi Adam. My parents bought a brand new Ford LTD Landau coupe in 1977 with a 460 and I loved that car but my mom hated it so they traded it in for a black firebird in October of 1978 at the local Pontiac dealer. I can still remember like it was yesterday, seeing a 2 door Bonneville Brougham in the showroom in a metallic gold with the same gold, Brown, black striped Valencia velour interior. I thought it was stunning and it left an impression in my mind for all these years. I still look for one of those Bonnevilles with that interior today but can’t remember seeing any of recent years. My parents kept the black ‘78 Firebird for 1 year and traded it in at the same dealer for a ‘79 white Trans Am with t-tops,403, crushed baby blue velour interior and it had the screaming bird in a few different shades of blue on the hood. I took that TA to my senior prom in 1980 but I always thought it was too flashy and I was kind of embarrassed to drive it. I’m the only teen in America that liked the big, silver LTD better. Go figure. Thanks for bringing back those fond memories!
Sounds like your parents had some cool cars but I agree - should have kept the LTD with the 460 (and maybe added the black Firebird too).
That's awesome! And no, you're not alone in preferring an LTD over a Firebird. I would too lol
The T/A was an awesome car, but I always liked the Formula better.
The only drawback was that the Olds 403 couldn't (in stock form, anyway) back up the boasting of the "Screaming Chicken".
@@jimdayton8837 you have good taste
2:47 oh man, I LOVE that striped Valencia design. It’s different and a lot of fun.
@kcindc5539
I agree, they look distinguished in certain colors a bit garish in others.
You almost have to wonder how the design department got the OK for production with that, because at the time GM was being VERY conservative with styling to the point of boredom. I'd love to know who was behind that decision !
I loved my 1977 Olds 98 Regency with the 403. That car was excellent in every way. You have to remember that 1977 was the time when polyester leisure suits were considered de rigueur.
Agreed, the seats go with leisure suits, but times were rapidly changing by '79. Those seats would look mighty outdated by 1980. By the way, I never knew anyone with one of those downsized GMs with anything more than a 350, mostly 305s and the like, because of the price of fuel, and wondered who in the world ever got one. But maybe they were available for people who might tow something. It didn't seem common, and I would love to have experienced a drive in (or even hearing the sound of) one of those downsized GMs equipped with a 403.
@@70sleftover The 98 wasnt quite as downsized. I was moving up from a 77 Caprice and thought the 98 would be the same size. Au contraire, the 98 was substantially bigger and had an Olds 403 rocket engine. Still sorry about letting that one go. Suckers to the side - that ship could get up and go. No boomerang however.
Aye, this channel just hit 80k that's awesome, I'm guessing that it will hit 100k before summer 2023.
Adam, The disclaimer you see on G.M. cars: "The engine in this car may be supplied by various G.M. divisions" stems from the 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. In 1976, Oldsmobile had no idea that the Cutlass would become the 2nd best-selling car that year and the 7th best-selling Oldsmobile of all time. People LOVED the waterfall grill. The car was comfortable, quiet, and very smooth riding. In 1976, either you or someone you knew had a new Cutlass. It was wildly popular. The problem was that Oldsmobile could not keep up with building the engines because of the fast pace of the sales. Oldsmobile decided to place Chevrolet 350s, Buick 350s, and Pontiac 350s into their Cutlasses. When the customers found out, they formed a class action lawsuit against G.M. Mostly from those who got the Chevrolet and Pontiac engines. That is why you will see that disclaimer on G.M. cars beginning with the 1977s. By the way, my grandfather worked for General Motors for more than 30 years. Both William Crapo Durant and Henry Martyn Leland were cousins of mine. :)
If I'd gotten the Chevy engine I would've sued too...though I can't even imagine buying a car without even looking under the hood(!?!)...but would've considered the Pontiac engine an upgrade.
On paper, I'd say the Pontiac and Buick V8 engines would be upgrades over the Olds V8. But rewinding my expectations to how it once was, it certainly would seem wrong to have a substitute for the engine I expected in my new car. To certain buyers (unknown percentage of yesterday's buyers) part of the buying decision might have been the preferred engine ("I like the Cutlass, but the Grand Prix has the Pontiac 400...").
I would PREFER the Buick 350, I would have felt I had gotten away with a free upgrade.
I doubt that half would have known one engine from another without being told.
@@serfcityherewecome8069 I don't think it was obvious to the average customer.
That striped interior is killer
I was a lot boy for several dealers back in the mid 70's so was around for the GM downsizing. I was so disappointed with the loss of the true fullsize cars, seemed to lose a lot of stature...and definitely lost the big blocks. But then I started driving the new cars and had to admit they were superior in every way...such great driving cars...and built so much better. Still think so even though I own a '75 Grand Ville
There’s no substitute for road hugging weight and a big block.
Looked as wild as the Pierre Cardin Javelin.
@@johnchildress6717 and equally as “tasteful”
Mark I love the AMX I had a 73 in g4 paint but no cardin interior
@@johnchildress6717 agree. The standard car is a good looking beast.
The Valencia interior in the Bonneville is indeed over the top!!! WOW!!! ⛄🤶🎄
The 1960s might've been Pontiac's golden year, but I think it's fair to say they were still doing alright in the late 70s. How many cars of this era remain as iconic as the disco era Trans Am? I also think the final years of the collonade Grand Prix are standout cars in exterior styling, and the full size cars discussed in this rank among the most handsome of the new right-sized 77 GM cars.
Gotta say u nailed this 1 for me love Pontiac always liked the Bonneville /Parisienne also t top GP.. lucky to say I own an 85 Parisienne nothing like the 77-80’s but still very similar. love the videos keep them rolling 🤙🏼
Love it. Bring back fabric!!
Most successful redesign in the history of GM and possibly the entire automotive world in my opinion. Those 77s were so good.
That two-tone green 2 door Bonneville pictured at 1:07 is dazzling! Love that color combo & border design.😍
Look up the 1979 Olds Cutlass "Tahoe" interiors....was kind of a saddle blanket pattern. We had one.
It was Tahoe and Mojave. The Mojave was way wilder than the Pontiac Valencia interior.
@@rafaelfiallo4123 I remember car shopping with my Dad in 1979 and they had a Cutlass Supreme with the Mojave interior. We bought a Cutlass Salon Brougham with the Tahoe...I never new the name until I googled a dealer brochure many years later. The Tahoe, while having a fairly detailed stitched pattern was a velour/terrycloth knit material and was fairly comfortable to sit on. We did get some comments about it, especially as interior design trended more conservative into the 1980s.
Thanks for the great video Adam. I especially like seeing the vintage commercials.
That dash is actually one of my favorites. I like the deep hood on top. This is similar to the 1979 to 1985 E bodies, as well as the F bodies from 1982.
I always thought Cadillac's placement of the idiot lights at the base of the windshield was brilliant, so Pontiac was on the right track. It's too bad that that never caught on as an industry trend.
@@pcno2832 2001 to 2007 Chrysler minivans have the same arrangement.
I agree. There was a certain amount of elegance with that dash panel. I guess this is one of the rare times I disagree with Adam.
The interiors and full size GM ride I will always miss 😕
HI ADAM,, CONGRAD'S TO YOU AND ED MAKING THAT GREAT VIDEO TOGETHER .. MY SON AND I LIKE WATCHING ALL YOUR GREAT CAR VIDEO''S WE SEEM TO AGEE SOME TIMES WHAT WE LIKE .. THE 1959 PONTIAC THEY HAD A GREAT GRILL AND THAT BODY STYLE .. THE 1978 THE INTERIOR WAS LIKE HAVING A COUCH IN YOUR CAR PUFFED UP AND THE STRIPS ON THE SEAT AND THE DOOR PANELS (SUNSET INTERIOR ) WOW THAT WOULD MAKE ME CRASH,,.. TO MUCH STRIPS GOING ON ,, LIKE A BAD CAR TRIP...WE LIKE THE FOUR DOORS ON MOST CARS AND THE CARS CROME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DOORS AND FENDERS GREAT TOUCH,,, MOST OF ALL THE SKIRTS IN THE BACK WHEEL AREA GREAT!!!! .. WE ENJOYED THE OLD CAR COMMERCIALS MAX WASN'T BORN BUT I LOVES THEM,, I DO REMEMBER THEM.. WE DID SEE THE MERCURY COUGAR COMMERCIAL WITH THE COUGAR ON TOP OF THE SIGN GROWLING MAX THOUGHT THAT WAS SO COOOL. HA!!! TAKE CARE THANKS AGAIN .. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY...
I always loved that Velencia interior! I'll bet it would be hard to find one now. Another rare GM interior that I would love to see you do a video on is the one year only 1977 Cadillac interior called "Aberdeen Cloth". It was a colorful plaid-ish interior that was available in 4 colors. They are extremely rare now, and most people don't even know it existed.
Yep, an old HS bud's mom had a '75 Fleetwood with the ultimate pimpmobile interior...I forgot the official name of the pattern but it was a crimson/gold velour in what looked like Paisley. 😂
Just look at the clothes we wore in those days! Talk about over the top!
I knew someone with a 1977 yellow DeVille with the plaid interior. I didn’t care for it in the least.
@@CH67guy1 I'm rather fond of it. Claret and Saffron looked especially nice.
@@jimdayton8837 The one I saw was yellow and green plaid? It’s not that I hated it, it’s just that I’m used to always seeing leather in a Cadillac.
I like the instrumemts a lot. Pretty dash. The Olds 403 V8 was a dog but was needed for cars that were going to tow. The 350 performed as well for most drivers. Good video.
Those cars were sharp. Great styling. I didn't know they sold so well. Great video.
Those were heady days in design and fashion. I recall expensive Swedish Teak furniture with very heavy vertical stripes, in browns, oranges and greens. Most things tended towards brown.
There are shades of orange, green and brown that only existed in the '70s found in interiors of both cars and homes. One look and you know!
I Had a 1978 Buick LeSabre 2dr With a Buckskin Tan Velure Interior, and a Yellow/Tanish Paint, 301 Pontiac V-8, Drove Very well Quiet and kinda of a Understated Luxury Feel..A little under powered, but it felt like a Bigger Car..Plush and Comfortable..do miss this one....
I took a tour of the final assembly line in Pontiac, Michigan in 1978 that was building the full size Pontiacs. It was loud, gritty and interesting. The line was moving! I don't see many of those cars anymore. But, they were very popular.
ADAM- IF you really want to see a "CRAZY" interior for a car, check out the 1975 Plymouth Road Runner and it's optional "SUNDANCE INTERIOR"...🤪
The later 77 and 78 buick lasabres were very comfortable !
I remember seeing guys wear pants that looked like those seats!! Might have been earlier in the 70s.
Take a look at the interior of 77 Roadrunners - it’s another “over the top” interior.
When these first came out, some initially thought they might be too small. That soon passed They were once everywhere.
Fun video, the 350 and 400 Pontiac V8’s were available in the full sized cars. It was in 79 that they were discontinued.
These really were comfortable stylish cars. I wish I still had mine
The Valencia interior option was available in the Grand Safari wagon in 1978. There's a video here on CZcams called 'Pontiac Grand Safari Wagon circa 1978'.
I love seeing these commercials from decades ago!! I love this content!! Keep them coming!
My Dad bought a 78 Buick Lesabre Custom 350 Buick 4 barrel new and it was indeed about as roomy as our old 71 Centurion. It had the plane jane velour seats that were very comfortable and durable. Back then, Scotch guard was a big thing to treat the seats with and we did to help prevent stains.
Great video! I'd never seen the Valencia interior--thank you for sharing.
I really enjoy the stuff you put out. It's so different and unique from almost anything else and very well presented. I was either a teenager or young adult when most the cars you showcase were new. Fun remembering, thank you.
And Adam, I have watched loads of your videos and I love your eye for detail. I feel like I know you, your voice is very calming. Thank for you sharing your cars, I wish I had all those babies! Take care man!
-Kevin
Cool video. I should note that the 180 hp Pontiac 400 V8 was also available on the 1977-79 Catalinas and Bonnevilles.
Yeah. He doesn't know as much as he claims to sometimes.
The Valencia interior looks like Home Depot folding beach chairs, until ypu remember this was also the age of 5" wide ties, mwn's platform shoes, elephant cuffed bell bottoms and white vinyl belts. Good taste everywhere you looked!
I remember that "Pontiac, the mark of great cars" jingle/slogan! I think it immediately preceded the "we build excitement" jingle.
My Aunt had a 1977 Bonneville Brougham 4-door sedan with the Pontiac 400-4bbl. The only options it didn't have were digital radio and sunroof. It even had the little trash bin on the passenger kick panel. That car drove amazingly well and had plenty of get-up-and-go! It also returned 21mpg in daily driving. After 8 years the auto temp control, cruise control, auto level system, rear defroster and auto power antenna were all misbehaving, quite badly at times however the cornering lamps and the vacuum gauge were flawless
The Pontiac is the only downsized B-Body that I haven't owned. My first car was a 1977 Impala base model. And I absolutely love your 77 Impala. I've also had a 1988 Caprice Classic Brougham, a 1984 Buick Electra, and a 1980 Olds Delta 88. It's hard to pick a favorite. The Caprice Classic Brougham was great. But there was something about the Buick Electra that was so elegantly understated.
I still miss the '87 Caprice Classic I had for several years. Burgundy velour interior, white outside, 305 4 barrel under the hood😁
Ok that red Valencia interior actually burns the eyes! They say the 1970’s was the decade in which good taste was forgotten. If judged by this Valencia interior - and those ‘loose cushion’ attempts at ‘luxury’, I have to agree.
I had one. I just about drove me bonkers. Was glad to get rid of it
I'd have bought a Bonneville with those Valencia seats.
Thanks Adam. I do remember some wild interiors in 70's cars, but this one escaped me.
My parents bought a 1978 Pontiac Bonneville station wagon to replace the 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate station wagon. The Pontiac had the 301 cu in V8 and as such, was underpowered. I remember the downsized Pontiac Bonneville coming in my father's service station for a fill up at full service and I noticed the cushy interiors. That was a time everyone smoked and nobody wore seat belts.
I think the ‘77 Bonneville is a quite handsome car. As I was working on cars of that era, I can also say these were some of the most trouble free vehicles, that most of the time performed flawlessly, and very well in nearly every category.
👍🏻
I owned a 79 Bonneville 2dr coupe and I love it! Would love to have one now!
I have a 1979 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham and they are wonderful cars. Great video
Great vid, really enjoyed!! 👍👍
Had a 2 door 1978 Bonneville many years ago that was a very, very nice riding car. I loved the ride but even though the standard seats were extremely comfortble in mine they did not recline. The motor was a 301 and while it was ok it sure wasn't quick. I had a couple full sized Pontiacs back then and I really liked them. They were comfortable and very reliable.
I worked at a Pontiac dealership in North Hollywood California in 1978.It was 1 year after I got outta high school.I got 2 drive brand new Firebirds,Trans-Ams and a few Bonnevilles.I remember driving 2 if them with that Valencia interior.1 was a green car,the other was brown with a tan interior.I really liked it.Most of the other guys there did'nt like it.
Never knew about these interiors, wild stuff!
they're the best. too bad they dont put those puffy pillow seats in todays luxury cars instead of the ugly flat seats.
If The two door with red interior at the 8:40 mark had a white exterior, it would be a twin of the car
my family had back in the day; and on which I learned to drive.
Although I remember ours having wire hubcaps.
The interior shots bring back a lot of memories,
This is a throwback to the 1959 Pontiac, it wasnt as popular this time around
I'm hoping Adam showcases the 1979 Buick LeSabre Palm Beach. It is both subtle and outrageous at the same time.
That's a RAD interior...so cool!
Somewhere around 1988 the industry decided that all we deserved was drab grey interiors...and to this very day that's what we get.
As a kid but a car lover .. I thought and talked about cars night and day ..I remembered the big thing about the engines. I loved the 76-77 GM cars. My parents had old cars during this time and I cried and cried to my father to look at new cars every Sunday and buy one .. he finally broke down in June 76, bought a new 76 Buick Regal , 350 V8 coupe with mag wheels/landau top, sporty .. a beautiful sharp looking car.. the kids called Creme Puff. Several years later when I turned 16 .. I got my license with that car. When the 78's intermediates were introduced it was a big thing .. I thought the cars were so modern for the day. GM was at the top .. and its been all downhill after that.
Such a gorgeous interior & Pontiac was one of the best of the big cars!
Canadian here and I owned a 77 Pontiac Parisienne which it was they called the Bonneville up here, I bought it from a friend in the late 90’s and it was in excellent condition it was a baby blue colour with wire wheel caps. I bought it from a coworker and ended up selling it to the parents of another coworker.
77 -81 bonneville coupe was the style leader in design or the 80-83 olds 98 regency coupe the fender skirts take it to the top
Chrysler Corporation also had a fling with resort-themed interiors in the mid1970s, offering the “Boca Raton” interior on some Plymouth and Dodge models. Similar to the Valencia but not quite as loud.
I never saw a Valencia interior in real life.
However, I knew a lady that had a 1977 or 1978 black Bonneville Brougham with a red plush interior. That was one hell of a sharp looking car!
These down-sized models are still bigger than most modern cars.
Hi Adam, saw your chat with Ed on Ed's Auto Reviews so I came to check out your channel - you now have another subscriber 😁
Learn something new every day...I was in my late teens when these cars came out, but had no idea that these Valencia interiors ever existed. Talk about bold - and such a contrast to today's gray interiors! I couldn't help but wonder if the Trans Am steering wheel was an option on the Bonneville (as depicted at 2:39 and 3:20 with a tan/brown/white Valencia interior), or if the owner added it...
Adam, I worked at Robert Ruehman Pontiac, BMW and Alfa, which is 4 blocks N. of Universal Studios for 2 yrs in the late 80's and Adam you know more than all of the sales staff put together. It's now Century West BMW, but if you watch Adam-12, you see the dealership several times and rows of new Pontiacs.
Loved the 77-79 Bonneville's, especially the (non landau roof) 2 doors with two tone paint (like the one shown at 8:23). Still would not mind owning one but would likely go more for a 77 when you could still get the Pontiac 400 motor. I guess being a "Pontiac guy" I thought that the downsized Pontiac's at the time were better looking than the other versions from Chevy, Olds and Buick.
Was Service Manager at a Pontiac dealership in 1978. You still could get the 400 V8 with a Quadrajet 4bl in 1978 and this was the last year for it in full sized Pontiacs. I bought a silver with the red velour interior 1978 Bonneville Brougham coupe in May 1978, great driving car.
I enjoyed this episode. I really miss colorful choices for car interiors and exteriors.
I knew about the Valencia interior and have seen pics of it, but have yet to see one in person.
Overall, tho, I've always been intrigued by this late 1970s time period. For 1977, the GM full sizes were reduced in size, while the mid-size cars remained "large". The mid-size were downsized a year later for 1978. So, for instance, in 1977, the Monte Carlo was still "big", while the Caprice had been downsized. The MC debuted its 3rd (& smaller) generation in 1978.
For 1977, it must have been near 50% of GM USA-spec cars that had 116" wheelbases, between the As, the A-specials and the massively popular B-bodies. I've heard that the B-body frame was just a modified version of the A-body frame, with some weight reductions, but I don't know how close they were to being interchangeable. I did see a post in which a collector described replacing the frame of a '72 Gran Torino coup with one from a 2005 Crown Vic police cruiser. The bumper mounts and some of the holes had to be reworked, but the overall shape was the same.
That Berkshire/Bahia green Bonnie at 1:05 reminds me of my dads 77 Grand Prix with the same two-tone setup, what a stunner!
I think these interiors were great! My grandparents had some good friends who had a two'-tone red/red '78 Bonneville Brougham sedan with this interior and wire wheel covers. What a snazzy machine!
The upholstery aside, the ‘77 Bonneville had one of the best-looking GM full-size dashboard designs.
I had a '78 Pontiac Catalina 4-door with a Pontiac-built 400 cu. in. big block. With the 4-barrel carb, that downsized car would howl. It also handled very well.
I had a 77 bonneville with this in and people loved it but it was clean as the day it left the showroom!!
I’ve got one and love the dash on these especially with the gage package
Nissan continued the row of warning lights on top of the gages well into the 80s. My 86 maxima had lights basically all the way across the top of the dash, very much like these gm designs. All of these interiors look better than what we see in today's cars. Man have we went backwards
Different strokes for different folks !
That Valencia interior was gorgeous. They could have left it off the door panels. More isn’t necessarily better. Sometimes it’s just more! Every now and then you see one of those beauties on the road and they are definite head turners. Even though many of them resembled each other there was something about them. Some undefinable characteristic that stirred you heart and soul! Whatever it is today’s cars simply do not have it!
So, just to be clear, you could get a Bonneville with the Valencia interior and Formula Steering wheel? Why didn't Sheriff Bueford T. Justice not check that option box?
Because Buford drove the smaller A-Body Lemans in the first movie, not a Bonneville.
No, someone added that
I had a pair of slacks like that back in 1977.
I hope you kept them for when they come back in style. LOL
First car was a 80 Bonneville Brougham diesel coupe. The green loose pillow look seats are the most comfortable I've ever owned in a car. Together with radial tuned suspension 🙂
In Canada, I believe the base model was sold as a Bonneville while the more luxurious trim levels were sole as the Pontiac Parisienne. My uncle had one from new and it was either a 1977 or 78. At the time, I remember it being one of the nicest cars I had ever been in and it was definitely more modern than anything I had been in. It was a great family car.
For all you younger folks, a "family car" was something families used to get around with all of their stuff before they invented minivans and SUV's for the task. Lol
Watching this made me think about your 71 grandville, why did you take the videos of it down?
Doubt he will answer why. I've been asking for the past year where all the new videos are being filmed, and why the brick house is no longer around where he did all those porch chat videos.
@@jsciarri Yeah, he doesn't seem to respond to comments ever.
I don't recall ever seeing the Valencia interior in any actual Bonnevilles or in any Pontiac brochures. Perhaps it wasn't available in Canada? The red Valencia interior is my favourite, but the tan is nice too. It's a shame that the steering wheel in the tan interior has deteriorated so much, as the rest of the interior looks great.
Adam, perhaps you could do a video on the special interiors that Chrysler offered in 'Spring Edition' models of some Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler cars.
Not offered in CA
Parisienne took over the bonneville name and bonneville name was used for the smaller pontiac ! vehicle
My dad bought a beautiful 1977 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham in Black with that exact interior first shown at 2:40 in this video! It also had an American Sunroof Tinted glass electric, retracting sunroof. A very handsome car!
'77 is the first year for the short one and '76 is the last year for the big one
Look at the 1959 Star Chief and Bonneville. They had multi color pattern seats and doors, and carried into 1960-1961, maybe later as well
Good Lord, that's the way we looked and sounded in 1977? Watching those commercials makes it look like eons ago. Well, I suppose it is almost 50 years ago, though it doesn't seem like it to this old man.
Thank you Adam. This was nice. I enjoyed the footage, the commercials. I also liked how you explained in detail about the interiors. I remember those. GM did do things right back then. The 1977's were indeed a huge hit. They really made them nice in 1980. I like the 1980-1981 update d Bonneville stylistically. I also liked the 1985-1986 Pontiac Parisienne too. It would have been nice to hear and see you discuss the Canadian Parisienne connection too. It is still a great video. GM used to make a strong effort back then. I am a fan on many generations of the Bonneville.
Here in Canada we had the Pontiac Parisienne and Laurenttion in which my parents owned .
The ‘85 & ‘86 Pontiac Parisienne was nearly indistinguishable from the Chevrolet Caprice, so far had “badge-engineering” infected GM. My mother owned one. It was a very nice vehicle, but as a “car guy” I had grown very disillusioned with the similarities between GM division’s vehicles particularly with the internals.
My Grandfather who worked for Hyatt Roller Bearing a Division of GM, Clark NJ, Brought a Brand New 77 Pontiac Catalina Sedan Cream Gold (Lower Trim Bonneville) in May of 77. It was all the buzz of the plant he worked in according to my Mom - My Grandfather had a massive stroke August of that same year - after his stroke, he was forced to retire after 36 years. The Catalina sat in the driveway untouched. At the time my mother drove a Blue 74 Nova, it wasn't until I was born Feb of 78 that my Grandfather accepted the fact he would never drive again and gave her the keys to the Catalina to bring me home from the Hospital, basically a Brand New car. My parents had decided to name me Douglass, yet after such a gesture my Father said I would be named after my Grandfather.....ISAAC- I carry his name today with Pride. The Spring of 78 My father died of a Heart attack, we had to move to my Grandparents house, Now that my Grandfather could no longer drive, my Grandmother never drove, my father had died, my mother was now the only one in the family who drove. The Catalina was our Families of 7 (3 older siblings) only method of transportation - she would drop us at school then off to work - She worked for Lockheed electronics in Watchung NJ, until retirement. We kept the Catalina until December of 1986, when my mother purchased a 86 Regal Limited, now that my oldest brother was old enough to drive- The Catalina was then passed down to him and subsequently, each of my older siblings until it was retired Summer of 1989 - I was 11 years old 1989, My mother doesn't remember how many miles or what size engine, but she would say, it was such a smooth riding car. She would tell stories of frequent trouble free trips to the South so my Grandparents could visit family. - My older brother tells stories of the backseat of the Catalina, I would never repeat on the Internet. I do remember the day The Catalina was towed away - it wouldn't be for another 6 years I would get my License and now with (4) cars in the Driveway, my moms 86 Regal, My brothers 88 Sunbird, My sisters 88 LeMans SE, and my Oldest Sisters Dodge Colt (Dont Ask) there was simply no room to save the Catalina for me. I was crushed, at 11, I always dreamed of the day I could drive and how the The Catalina would be mine - I will always have a special place for the down sized 77 Pontiacs. My Grandfather passed in 2003, and my mother passed in 2018 - In honor of my mother, I have a Regal Limited in my garage> I'm always on the search for a Clean Catalina to honor my Grandfather.
I had a 78 Catalina with the 301 with 2 barrel carb. Loved that car. It was a ugly brown with a tan interior. And vinyl seats. The front bench was power. And it had a cool fuel economy gauge above the steering column. Miss that car. It drove so nice.
I had a 79 Bonneville 2 door Landau.Of course the fender skirts got stolen as well as the hood ornament.That 301 was slow but adequate and I really liked that car. Would love to have another one.
I just now saw a similarity between Pontiac Bonneville dashes and the 80-87 Ford truck dash.
Most dashes in the late seventies and early eighties were that same bland boring format.
I saw similarities to the 65 Bonneville in the way the entire dash was framed. First thing I noticed and then Adam was saying it looked like a Lincoln dash and I was like " you have a 65 bonne and you're not picking up on that"!
They used this in the Parisienne Safari in Canada too!
I really like that Valencia interior.
Unbelievable how comfortable the seats from the 70s and 80s we’re so freaking posh over the top best interiors ever , what we have now for interior seating is junk !
they should put those 70s puffy pillow seats in todays cadillacs instead of the ugly flat seats they have today. i swear they went backward in seat design.
I had 2 of these in high school. They were beat up by the time I got them, but I robbed parts from one to fix the other. They didn't have the Valencia interior. But, I think the Bonneville instrument panel was the best looking of all the 77 and up "B" bodies.
Perfect for the seventies
JC Whitney would be proud to say they sourced OEM seat covers!
funny, just saw on ThePriceIsRight as part of a prize package was a trip to Vegas to some new hotel that has modern retro styling that harkens back to old LasVegas. The one suite they showed had carpet very similar, but with bolder lines, to the seat fabric in the "Valencia" Bonneville.