It’s got to the stage for me that I will watch any car video from bull even if it’s one I ain’t interested in so I can find out the latest from Bill 😂🤣
We are very glad to hear you came through Hurricane Ian mostly intact and in good health. We used to live in New Orleans and were there for Katrina, so we know just how devastating a major hurricane can be. Storm surge is no joke and it will ruin your day when it has the chance. Fingers crossed that we don't see any more tropical systems come through this year. Stay high and dry with your cars my good sir!
I'm 60 (next month) and a Florida native. The latest Florida was ever struck by a "major" (cat 3 & up) hurricane was October 18th. I just now looked that up, and I've always thought that if we got to mid-October our worries were behind us. What surprised me is that *Ian is the deadliest Florida hurricane since 1935. I attribute that to the inaccurate forecast.* Hurricane Ian was forecast to weaken and make landfall farther North. Instead it strengthened, hooked East and made landfall almost an entire day before it was forecast to. The weather forecasts are usually MUCH, MUCH BETTER! If the forecast had been accurate then about a million people would have hit the road and gotten out of Ian's way
I don't think Bill has the time to read the comments to be honest. I have never seen one reply after watching about 90% of his videos. Have a great day guy's.
Thanks again, Bill. And blessing that your coach isn't damaged. When the wheel cover fell off, I immediately recognized the sound. I thought, good Lord I haven't heard that sound in years and yes, I haven't heard that since the '70s. I sure love Uncle Johnny's cars. I'm a purist and I feel the same as he does. My vintage cars are factory original too.
Pontiacs marketing was unsurpassed during the late 1960s to the early 70s. Its worth it to check out the old ads for the Lemans and the Firebirds of the time
Hi, Bill. I've just recently discovered your channel and have been spending all my free time watching all the reviews you've done. I really enjoy listening to your description of not only the car, but the era from which it was from. This review is special for me because I grew up in Pontiac, MI. My father was a toolmaker at PMD and so we always had a Pontiac or two or three. We even had a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible like the car you are reviewing. Our car was red/black top/black leather with a 421cid w/tri-power, 8 lug wheels. It had power windows, front bucket seats, center console with shift lever, storage box, and vacuum gauge. It had an AM/FM radio with reverb! I will never forget the sound of the two outer carbs opening up when flooring it. Truly a VROOOOOM sound hinting at the power under the hood. Many great memories. Thank you for your auto reviews.
Great video! And you’re right regarding the dashboard crome. I reversed the video to when you were driving under streetlights, and the light flows and twinkles across the dash in a most amazing way! Thanks! 😀
Losing the hubcap at the end was a perfect touch, reminded me of when you'd see someone on the road lose one, it's been a few decades since I've seen that. Glad u made it thru the hurricane, we were wondering about you!
This had all the elements of a perfect Curious Cars review. Big weather update, a gorgeous classic subject, car maker history including the men behind the machine. Stray animals, well timed jokes and nice surprises- even a hub cap flying off! It's so good to have you back!!
Bill, your enthusiasm and energy come through so much when you showcase Pontiac. Please keep the Uncle Johnny cars coming! Anything ‘68 would be great!
That hubcap!!! We love your vlogs. The cars and your commentary....it's refreshingly blunt. The history you know just blows us away. We both look forward to seeing you as often as you can post. Thank you!
The hubcap coming off the car what a hoot! the Bonneville convertible is a spectacular car I enjoy this review bill. you could review a Fiat 500L and make it fun! glad you are alive and well and that your area was not too hard hit.
Glad you’re safe, Bill. In the 1980s, I had the exact duplicate of this Bonneville. White with a two-tone blue interior. California black plate NPL 444
Growing up in Philly, in the 70’s into the 80’s, nothing reminds me more of that era than seeing hubcaps along I-95 with some Pennsylvania ‘Bicentennial’ license plates thrown into the mix… glad yo see you’re ok Bill, and my thoughts and prayers out to everyone effected by the hurricane
Drove a '65 Grand Prix in high school in the late 70's and I remember that dashboard well. Buried the 120 mph speedometer once on highway 280 south of San Francisco with three girls in the car - fairly solid and smooth even at relatively high speeds.
Thanks , Bill. Had a 65 Catalina 2+2 in high school, what a beast that car was! Body looked like this Bonneville, big & harmless, but it had the 421 super duty, and all the equipment that went along with the monster motor. As always said "boy do I wish I had that car back!". Thanks for the memories Bill, glad you weathered the storm ok.....
So glad you're back and safe! This is my dream car to have but one dream that may never come true. I love the Bonnevilles all the way through the 60's and later. Keep up you're great work and your fantastic commentaries!
Hey Bill, I'm so glad to hear from you, I've been worried about you since hurricane Ian. I'm in California & watching the news I saw a lot of coverage from Naples!!! I'm glad that you are okay!!! As for this 65 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, when I was in high school, a friend of mines mother had a red one with white interior. We called it "The Submarine". I love the translucent steering wheel & the reverb radio!!! Thanks so much for sharing this video!!! 🙏
Hey Bill. A few years ago, you probably would never have thought that, when a storm hits Naples, you would have thousands of people worried about you. You're a celebrity for many now, and thank you for letting us know you are okay and putting out this excellent video!
Good to know your OK after storm. I had a Bonneville SSei in the late 90s it was nice it had the 3800 but still felt good to drive and had great seats and even had a HUD. I went to a GMC Sierra C3 in early 2000s basically the first Denali. Have a great day.
My parents bought a 65 Star Chief in 1976 when I was about 4, later after I got my first job I got it back in working order and drove it my senior year of high school and the first year of junior college. It was so long it hung out the back of the boulevard parking spaces so you had to go around it. Engine was a 389 Super Duty, but it always ran so quiet...the Turbo 400 trans made driving it a breeze...I miss it still, white just like this Booneville.
Good evening Bill from Ron in a cool, and wet Manchester. I am so glad you are still alive Bill, sorry about the devonstration with the hurricane. What a fantastic car from Uncle Jonny.
You know Pontiac was doing something special when the northern end of Woodward ave was renamed Wide Track Drive! I grew up driving it. My dad was a staunch Pontiac man, we were pretty poor, never had a new car, but my dad would shop an shop before carefully buying a car as it was a financial hardship. We had a tempest with the GTO drivetrain, catolinas, Bonneville s, an although not a gearhead my dad did all his maintenance an repairs in the driveway to save money as well as making sure it was right. I was probably half grown when he taught me how to use the family timing light. About that time my older sis an I left in dads catolina for the store...after we got out of sight she proceeded to shred about half of my poor dads rear tires off the car...yeah Pontiac sure did put some terrifying performance under the hood of all thier cars back then. GM really should have left Pontiac the hell alone.
Hey Bill! So good to hear from you after Hurricane Ian. My God, what a storm! That footage of the storm surge you showed was terrifying-the raw power of Monther Nature, outside of our control or reason. The people of Florida-and it's leadership-are strong and resilient, though. Wonderful you are safe and sound. Beautiful and luscious Pontiac you have there, man. And that Black Lab and Golden Retriever were so adorable. Keep the doggies coming! They are so happy and in the moment-love it! :) JV Johnny
Great to see you didn’t get washed away Bill, you make the best and most eagerly anticipated videos on here. I have to suggest however that the vicious canine was almost as gorgeous as the Pontiac 😍
So glad you're OK, Bill, after that devastating hurricane. I've been watching your videos since the summer of 2020 and you do wonderful car reviews, injected with humor!! That Pontiac Bonneville is a beauty! Love the wheel skirts.
My dad (1931-2014) had a 1966 Bonny Convertible. I still remember the day he drove it at 115 MPH with the top down straddling the painted lane-divider stripes in the center of the road driving over *the old Bahia Honda Bridge.* The whole car was vibrating in complaint as we 2 boys sat in the back and hung onto the front seat-backs for dear-life (Nobody wore seatbelts then. If you question me then you simply weren't alive at that time!) Some of my best memories involve the times my dad put our lives at risk. I'm so glad I grew up in a time when personal safety was in the hands of each person and not the government or the legal profession.
This is truly a beautiful car. My first car was a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville 4Dr Hardtop. Even though it didn't look nice - needed body work and mechanical work - I loved driving it. Now I have its sister car, a 1965 Cadillac DeVille Conv. You're right in that this is a showy car. Attracts a lot of attention everywhere I go. Love the attention. Who knows what my next car will be.
Glad you and your possessions made it through Ian safely, Bill. This 1965 Bonneville reminds me so much of my first car, a 1965 Chevy impala SS convertible.
Greetings from North Bay, Canada. Great to see you back. Naples / Fort Myers was like ground zero. Good you and your business (cars) survived. Wonder if the dogs were displaced from a flooded area ? Kudos to your governor DeSantis for dealing with this disaster so well. Great car review ! I drive a 1967 Pontiac Parisienne Convertible with the original 283 V8 / Powerglide. Still has the original brake drums (4), shocks, brake lines, gas tank, e-brake cable. The Canadian Parisienne is the Bonneville body on a Chevrolet Impala chassis / drivetrain. So they are not 'wide track'.
Had a 68 Bonneville in my wayward youth, late 70's. Outstanding car. Great hwy ride. Excellent power and pep. Drove it like a sports car 1/3d its size. Man, I still regret letting that ride go.Yep, lost a few hubcaps along the way as well. Best wishes!
Hi Bill, so good to hear that you made it through the storm in good shape. When I was 13 my favorite uncle had this car in the same color combination, he would pick me up on Saturdays to go to flea markets. What a car, I loved riding in it, although it was a two door hardtop. Thanks for another great video.
I left Naples a week ago. My neighbor told me power is back on and slowly getting back to normal in our part of Naples. I was going to stay in Cincinnati through Thanksgiving but I will head back at the end of this month. I miss the sounds of the ocean.
Bill, I am so happy that you survived the hurricane! I was very concerned about you and everyone else that had to endure the wrath of Ian. I absolutely love that 1965 Bonneville. My sincere thanks to you and Uncle Johnny. I hope your motor home survived as well. Take care.
Many of us thought of you first, when we heard of the hurricane. We waited eagerly to see your take on this event. THANKS FOR KEEPING IN TOUCH. WE ALL CARE as .much as is logical.
Amazing car, and review Bill. Glad you're okay. Even though the silver streaks were removed starting in '57, they did make a couple of really beautiful encore appearances in new and different ways. For example on the front fenders of the '63 Bonneville, and by the taillights, rocker panels and steering wheel of this beautiful '65.
A friend of mines father bought a brand new 66' Bonneville 2 door HT when I was in grade school in 66'. I went buy his house after school to look at it. I was truly a bad ass car.
Absolutely, Dan. The Astre was just a Vega with a slightly different grill & taillights. Kind of like the Mercury Bobcat to the Ford Pinto. With Pontiac it was bad enough that the performance was cut down by the government, but equally bad were the body styles. The 'colonnade' body styles were terrible for the LeMans/GTO effectively ending their mid-size lines they were so ugly. Somehow, the Grand Prix made that adjustment beautifully however. The full-size cars (for all of GM) effectively died with the '75 and '76 models. The former ending the convertible, the latter 4-door and 2 door coupes. From then on those were just 2 and 4 door sedans, then 4 door sedans, with only the Firebird models keeping any kind of former flame alive.
@@bobpierce115 Well said. Bear in mind that there were always models that had cousins in other divisions from the big three. The biggest pitfall that ruined people from wanting a GM car, was that they badge engineered the heck out of them in the '90s. They virtually stopped making cars that were specific to Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick, and replaced them with very generic cars. It ended up in the 90s that people who favored a particular division were no longer able to buy a car with any family resemblance to what they had come to know and love, over the years. The cars in each division had lost any traditional identity to themselves for what became a single generic car for each model, other than the brand and model names that were affixed to them.
@@discerningmind Thanks for your reply. I certainly agree with you on the generic pitfalls that took away each division's specific characteristics. Still, I want to mention that the limitation of body styles they could do, the use of plastics was very limiting. Something I NEVER hear anyone else say that I will here is that everything that could have been done, HAD been done in terms of styling by the early '70s, never mind before that. The only cars that had the old classic GM beauty in the past 40-42 years were the '79-'85 Eldorado, Toronado and Riviera, the '82-'92 Camaro/Firebird, and the Corvette. So it's not surprising GM was where it was at in the '90s, 2000's to today at all. If they can just hang in there as a shadow of their former selves, they'll be doing well by today's standards. This applies to the U.S. otherwise. I turned 65 last May, and most of my life everything's been in decline. For people 50 and under, it's been their whole lives.
@@bobpierce115 Thank you for this nice response. We're the same age, so I understand and I'm agreement with you. Except, I sort of get what you're saying about manufacturers having done all they could do, but I may not be understanding that completely. So I'll be clearer on what I meant about cars in the 1990s. That was when I noticed cars started changing into generic models between brands, and particularly with GM. To me GM in the 1990s was different than the look-alike cars they had in the 1980s. And by the 2000s GM cars had become unappealing, like they weren't trying at all. One example was that I'd had a 1998 Cadillac de Ville. And that car was a real a Cadillac. Later, I'd had a 2004 Cadillac de Ville. And that wasn't a Cadillac. The interior didn't look like a Cadillac, it didn't ride like a Cadillac, and it didn't feel or really look like a Cadillac. After months of ownership, it occurred to me that it was something like a big Chevrolet. I came to realize, that de Ville was really just a Cadillac themed big car. Generic. Another glaring example in the 2000s would be Oldsmobile. The 2005 Olds Cutlass wasn't much different than the Malibu. Generic. And about then I had the thought that GM just didn't want to build cars anymore. It was as though GM wanted to be doing something totally different, but they were stuck having to build cars. And on the other end of a spectrum (for lack of a better term) we had the Japanese that seemed like they couldn't do enough to make the best and most appealing cars that they could. South Korea was making strong in roads too. For years I'd blamed the boardroom for ruining GM. Then I decided it was caused by the stockholders, and I've pretty much stuck with that. The pushy-pushy stockholders causing GM to be short sighted. Another player is the union, and perhaps even more so, the EPA and the other climate ambulance chasers. I figured the insurance industry did their damage back in the 1970s and GM survived them. I'd been a loyal GM buyer and had held out for years believing they'd improve their cars, but they didn't. I hated getting service bills for components that GM so obviously had gone cheap on. Then came our brand-new Chevy Cobalt, and to be brief, that was a nightmare ending with my trading it in after six months, for a used Ford, losing a substantial amount of money. A few years later, I made one last try with GM in buying a Malibu. Again, ridiculous breakages and all because GM had gone cheap in various ways. We bought our first Toyota after that. In ten years of ownership, that Toyota has needed one taillight bulb in year seven of our ownership, and the other taillight bulb in year nine. That's it. I'd always heard that Toyota was a good car. But really? Two light bulbs in over nine years of ownership was totally amazing to me. Neither of us had ever thought a car could go ten years (now) without breaking. Today if I were to buy a GM car it would be a Chevrolet Spark. The South Korean's are good manufacturers given the right materials. And the Spark is known around the world. In the USA, it has an excellent reputation according to a friend of mine who is the parts manager at our local Chev dealership. I haven't bought a Spark because we don't need a car, our Toyota continues to be excellent, and last winter we happened upon a good deal and bought a six-year-old Mercedes E class with low mileage--from the Mercedes dealership. This is my fifth Mercedes, so I know what to expect. And at my age, the safety of it appeals to me. It's also nice looking.
@@discerningmind Thanks for this. Once again, strongly agree with you. I have to admit to you I really loved the 1989-'93 Coupe and Sedan de Ville. GM took that puny '85-''88 ugly duckling, and turned it into a swan by lengthening it and giving it a sleek & sexy new look. What's odd is that the (also) re-done Olds and Buicks didn't hit me with the same 'WOW' factor. They were the last really beautiful Cadillacs to me. While I respect the '94-'99 de Ville as the last 'real' Cadillacs, they had a 'big tank' look I didn't care for. It was kind of like why I liked the look of the '57 Cad over the '54-'56 for a kind-of comparable example. I didn't care for the 2000's de Ville's either, for the reasons you mentioned. GM really did want out of the car business and to only sell big trucks. That's what the '91 Gulf War was over---oil. Shortly after that the huge truck and SUV onslaught started and is still with us. The remaining cars were dowdy and generic like the Malibu nad Cutlass. I have to give GM credit for 2 creations in the 2000's; the SSR truck and the Pontiac GTO. My main prob w/both were the outrageous prices. I still liked the looks of the former, though not a truck guy. The GTO wisely went a fresh route not trying to copy old goats. The '09 Camaro was a styling disaster (though selling well) trying to copy but not copy the '69, winding up with a freaky fat weird take on that model. They vastly improved everything with the 2016-'24 models, giving it a 1st generation "flavor" yet with no direct ties other than the long hood, short deck. Agree with all of your reasonings behind their decline and fall. In the end, it can be added to a long list of institutions that had their time and are either gone completely or in some very diminished, unrecognizable form. We're watching agonizing death of the United States unfold in real time on a daily basis. I was born in '57; already too late for a lifetime of the old U.S. My mom in 1928, just barely. My Dad in 1915, yes. I have a '98 RAV-4 that works great with 268k miles. Just want to get from A to B, that's it. I've had a lot of neat GM cars since age 18 in '75: a '65 LeMans coupe, a '64 LeMans conv., a '69 GTO coupe, an '85 Grand Prix, bought new and stolen in 1992. After that, purposefully functional, non-flashy cars unlikely to be stolen. So far so good.
I am so happy to see a video from you... not going to lie I was very nervous.
I appreciate the concern - genuinely. Also happy to get back in the swing.
Amen to that!
I told you all that he was alive and well
@@HipsterDoofus100 you were spreading the rumor that he wasn’t alive lmao name really checks out there bud
It’s got to the stage for me that I will watch any car video from bull even if it’s one I ain’t interested in so I can find out the latest from Bill 😂🤣
We are very glad to hear you came through Hurricane Ian mostly intact and in good health. We used to live in New Orleans and were there for Katrina, so we know just how devastating a major hurricane can be. Storm surge is no joke and it will ruin your day when it has the chance. Fingers crossed that we don't see any more tropical systems come through this year. Stay high and dry with your cars my good sir!
I'm 60 (next month) and a Florida native. The latest Florida was ever struck by a "major" (cat 3 & up) hurricane was October 18th. I just now looked that up, and I've always thought that if we got to mid-October our worries were behind us. What surprised me is that *Ian is the deadliest Florida hurricane since 1935. I attribute that to the inaccurate forecast.* Hurricane Ian was forecast to weaken and make landfall farther North. Instead it strengthened, hooked East and made landfall almost an entire day before it was forecast to. The weather forecasts are usually MUCH, MUCH BETTER! If the forecast had been accurate then about a million people would have hit the road and gotten out of Ian's way
You are the ultimate bad employee.
I love your show.
Please keep them coming.
😊
So freakin happy to see that Bill is ok. Was checking for new CC vids obsessively...almost called Autohaus myself.
I hear ya, this guy's my favorite you tuber.
I don't think Bill has the time to read the comments to be honest. I have never seen one reply after watching about 90% of his videos. Have a great day guy's.
@@tonywestvirginia I’ve seen one or two… but yeah, pretty rare sight
@@tonywestvirginia I think he reads them but doesn't comment back very often. I know of very few that have time for that.
@@richardmorris7063 I heard a rumor he can't read or write just talk
This year and body was my dream car for many years. Yours is beautiful.
Bill, we're all happy you're safe! LONG LIVE CURIOUS CARS.
Thanks again, Bill. And blessing that your coach isn't damaged.
When the wheel cover fell off, I immediately recognized the sound. I thought, good Lord I haven't heard that sound in years and yes, I haven't heard that since the '70s.
I sure love Uncle Johnny's cars. I'm a purist and I feel the same as he does. My vintage cars are factory original too.
Pontiacs marketing was unsurpassed during the late 1960s to the early 70s. Its worth it to check out the old ads for the Lemans and the Firebirds of the time
Hi, Bill. I've just recently discovered your channel and have been spending all my free time watching all the reviews you've done. I really enjoy listening to your description of not only the car, but the era from which it was from. This review is special for me because I grew up in Pontiac, MI. My father was a toolmaker at PMD and so we always had a Pontiac or two or three. We even had a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible like the car you are reviewing. Our car was red/black top/black leather with a 421cid w/tri-power, 8 lug wheels. It had power windows, front bucket seats, center console with shift lever, storage box, and vacuum gauge. It had an AM/FM radio with reverb! I will never forget the sound of the two outer carbs opening up when flooring it. Truly a VROOOOOM sound hinting at the power under the hood. Many great memories. Thank you for your auto reviews.
Great video! And you’re right regarding the dashboard crome. I reversed the video to when you were driving under streetlights, and the light flows and twinkles across the dash in a most amazing way! Thanks! 😀
Glad to hear you weathered the hurricane. I was concerned for you making it through
Losing the hubcap at the end was a perfect touch, reminded me of when you'd see someone on the road lose one, it's been a few decades since I've seen that. Glad u made it thru the hurricane, we were wondering about you!
Hello Bill, I am so happy to hear from you after that awful hurricane.. Greetings from The Netherlands!
This had all the elements of a perfect Curious Cars review. Big weather update, a gorgeous classic subject, car maker history including the men behind the machine. Stray animals, well timed jokes and nice surprises- even a hub cap flying off! It's so good to have you back!!
Bill, your enthusiasm and energy come through so much when you showcase Pontiac. Please keep the Uncle Johnny cars coming! Anything ‘68 would be great!
That hubcap!!! We love your vlogs. The cars and your commentary....it's refreshingly blunt. The history you know just blows us away. We both look forward to seeing you as often as you can post. Thank you!
Hilarious! And the only thing is these days you chase after it because good luck finding a replacing for less than an organ.
@27:45 "Very sensual." Agreed. From the rear 3/4 view, it looks like a super-model in a beautiful, flowing evening gown.
The station wagon will be a treat! The LTD that year was nice
THANK GOD for keeping Bill safe and with us, wishing him continued good health and happiness, a TRUE car guy !
This is the best news I’ve received today, and it’s my birthday. Bill is alive!
The hubcap coming off the car what a hoot! the Bonneville convertible is a spectacular car I enjoy this review bill. you could review a Fiat 500L and make it fun! glad you are alive and well and that your area was not too hard hit.
Glad you’re safe, Bill. In the 1980s, I had the exact duplicate of this Bonneville. White with a two-tone blue interior. California black plate NPL 444
Pontiac did some really nice things with their full-sized cars in the 60s... Good to hear you got through the hurricane!
Growing up in Philly, in the 70’s into the 80’s, nothing reminds me more of that era than seeing hubcaps along I-95 with some Pennsylvania ‘Bicentennial’ license plates thrown into the mix… glad yo see you’re ok Bill, and my thoughts and prayers out to everyone effected by the hurricane
This is the most educational motor channel hands down keep up the good work Bill god bless you……AHMED FROM BAGHDAD IRAQ
Drove a '65 Grand Prix in high school in the late 70's and I remember that dashboard well. Buried the 120 mph speedometer once on highway 280 south of San Francisco with three girls in the car - fairly solid and smooth even at relatively high speeds.
I know what you mean, I had a 1969 GP for my winter car in the eighties. $400 car, rock steady on the highway.
So those girls were rock steady… ?
SUCH a great car, indeed PEAK PONTIAC. Knew the sound at the end right away. You are blessed it rolled away undamaged 😊
Thanks , Bill. Had a 65 Catalina 2+2 in high school, what a beast that car was! Body looked like this Bonneville, big & harmless, but it had the 421 super duty, and all the equipment that went along with the monster motor. As always said "boy do I wish I had that car back!". Thanks for the memories Bill, glad you weathered the storm ok.....
So glad you're back and safe! This is my dream car to have but one dream that may never come true. I love the Bonnevilles all the way through the 60's and later. Keep up you're great work and your fantastic commentaries!
Hey Bill, I'm so glad to hear from you, I've been worried about you since hurricane Ian. I'm in California & watching the news I saw a lot of coverage from Naples!!! I'm glad that you are okay!!!
As for this 65 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, when I was in high school, a friend of mines mother had a red one with white interior. We called it "The Submarine". I love the translucent steering wheel & the reverb radio!!! Thanks so much for sharing this video!!! 🙏
Glad you're still Bill. Mediasteria had the Naples area leveled and washed out to sea.
Beautiful! My aunt had one new in the reverse color combo: turquoise exterior w/ white interior.
Greetings from Kansas. One happy viewer here Bill! Best wishes for Florida, love your work!
🙂
I've owned a 64 and 66 Bonneville. The 66 was the best driving, best running car I've owned. Miss that car.
Glad you’re safe. What a boat, a true classic! HUGE trunk. Keep this videos coming. Always look forward to seeing them !
I drove a 66 Bonneville in high school and college. Gold with white vinyl top.
Cars, property, roads can be replaced. Thank goodness you're okay! 👍👍
Thanks, Darrell.
Hey Bill. A few years ago, you probably would never have thought that, when a storm hits Naples, you would have thousands of people worried about you. You're a celebrity for many now, and thank you for letting us know you are okay and putting out this excellent video!
And the dogs were hilarious!
These Pontiacs are their best efforts....Love the 65 - 66 Grand Prix !!!! Especially with Bucket Seat option !!
That is an amazing car! Thanks for sharing uncle Johnny!
Happy to hear you guys are ok!!
Glad you survived, almost spit my coffee out with the Rosie O, Donnell line. Great car and great review as always.
Good to know your OK after storm. I had a Bonneville SSei in the late 90s it was nice it had the 3800 but still felt good to drive and had great seats and even had a HUD. I went to a GMC Sierra C3 in early 2000s basically the first Denali. Have a great day.
Absolutely making my week you are safe and sound. Need to sell flasks, I need one for Ian Whiskey
My parents bought a 65 Star Chief in 1976 when I was about 4, later after I got my first job I got it back in working order and drove it my senior year of high school and the first year of junior college. It was so long it hung out the back of the boulevard parking spaces so you had to go around it. Engine was a 389 Super Duty, but it always ran so quiet...the Turbo 400 trans made driving it a breeze...I miss it still, white just like this Booneville.
One of your best reviews, and I'm glad you survived the storm. Take care
YOU'RE BEST VIDEO YET !!! LOL !!! I'M HOPPPING UP AND DOWN IN MY CHAIR WITH LAUGHTER !!! LOVE YOU BILL !!!!!!!!
Love how you start with the night drive. Brilliant.
Your fans from all over the world were really worried about you, Bill. Glad to see you back.
Good evening Bill from Ron in a cool, and wet Manchester. I am so glad you are still alive Bill, sorry about the devonstration with the hurricane. What a fantastic car from Uncle Jonny.
Sooo glad to see Bill is back and safe!! We were all nervous for you Bill, really happy you’re ok!!
You know Pontiac was doing something special when the northern end of Woodward ave was renamed Wide Track Drive! I grew up driving it. My dad was a staunch Pontiac man, we were pretty poor, never had a new car, but my dad would shop an shop before carefully buying a car as it was a financial hardship. We had a tempest with the GTO drivetrain, catolinas, Bonneville s, an although not a gearhead my dad did all his maintenance an repairs in the driveway to save money as well as making sure it was right. I was probably half grown when he taught me how to use the family timing light. About that time my older sis an I left in dads catolina for the store...after we got out of sight she proceeded to shred about half of my poor dads rear tires off the car...yeah Pontiac sure did put some terrifying performance under the hood of all thier cars back then. GM really should have left Pontiac the hell alone.
one of your best videos, glad you're still with us, keep up the good work Bill!
Welcome back Bill, glad you're safe. I miss your videos.
Not to many cars can be called sexy, but this one, OMG
Loved your reference to heavy duty hood hinges that could support Rosie O'Donnell, cheers!
Hey Bill! So good to hear from you after Hurricane Ian. My God, what a storm! That footage of the storm surge you showed was terrifying-the raw power of Monther Nature, outside of our control or reason. The people of Florida-and it's leadership-are strong and resilient, though. Wonderful you are safe and sound. Beautiful and luscious Pontiac you have there, man. And that Black Lab and Golden Retriever were so adorable. Keep the doggies coming! They are so happy and in the moment-love it! :) JV Johnny
The hubcap flying off was priceless
Bill, I love your style including your humor. You really know your cars and the history behind them. Keep making these videos.
Great to see you didn’t get washed away Bill, you make the best and most eagerly anticipated videos on here. I have to suggest however that the vicious canine was almost as gorgeous as the Pontiac 😍
Glad you're back and well after Florida's horrible weather.
So glad you're OK, Bill, after that devastating hurricane. I've been watching your videos since the summer of 2020 and you do wonderful car reviews, injected with humor!! That Pontiac Bonneville is a beauty! Love the wheel skirts.
Great to see Bill is back and unharmed!!! Watch out for those birds, though!!
Glad you are ok! Keep filming. You are my favorite show.
That hubcap making a run for it was hysterical 🤣
That color combination is gorgeous on this beautiful Bonneville .
My dad (1931-2014) had a 1966 Bonny Convertible. I still remember the day he drove it at 115 MPH with the top down straddling the painted lane-divider stripes in the center of the road driving over *the old Bahia Honda Bridge.* The whole car was vibrating in complaint as we 2 boys sat in the back and hung onto the front seat-backs for dear-life (Nobody wore seatbelts then. If you question me then you simply weren't alive at that time!) Some of my best memories involve the times my dad put our lives at risk. I'm so glad I grew up in a time when personal safety was in the hands of each person and not the government or the legal profession.
This is truly a beautiful car. My first car was a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville 4Dr Hardtop. Even though it didn't look nice - needed body work and mechanical work - I loved driving it. Now I have its sister car, a 1965 Cadillac DeVille Conv. You're right in that this is a showy car. Attracts a lot of attention everywhere I go. Love the attention. Who knows what my next car will be.
Glad your in your all doing well, considering. Your hubcap loss reminded me of my '77 Ltd which 'loved to lose them'.
Glad to see you’re back. I can’t believe I was just in Naples a couple months ago, and seeing how it is now. So tragic
Glad you and your possessions made it through Ian safely, Bill.
This 1965 Bonneville reminds me so much of my first car, a 1965 Chevy impala SS convertible.
Greetings from North Bay, Canada. Great to see you back. Naples / Fort Myers was like ground zero. Good you and your business (cars) survived. Wonder if the dogs were displaced from a flooded area ?
Kudos to your governor DeSantis for dealing with this disaster so well.
Great car review ! I drive a 1967 Pontiac Parisienne Convertible with the original 283 V8 / Powerglide. Still has the original brake drums (4), shocks, brake lines, gas tank, e-brake cable. The Canadian Parisienne is the Bonneville body on a Chevrolet Impala chassis / drivetrain. So they are not 'wide track'.
You were definitely in my thoughts and prayers! Glad You're cars survived!!
happy to know your alive , heard about the hurricane 🌀 bill the big storm surge first time, I love classic old cars
Had a 68 Bonneville in my wayward youth, late 70's. Outstanding car. Great hwy ride. Excellent power and pep. Drove it like a sports car 1/3d its size. Man, I still regret letting that ride go.Yep, lost a few hubcaps along the way as well. Best wishes!
Bill, your video’s about cars are excellent and your knowledge is perfection. Peter Lindop UK.
Hi Bill, so good to hear that you made it through the storm in good shape. When I was 13 my favorite uncle had this car in the same color combination, he would pick me up on Saturdays to go to flea markets. What a car, I loved riding in it, although it was a two door hardtop. Thanks for another great video.
Great stuff as always bill! The hubcap was the grand finale of another hilarious production....
Glad you're ok through the storm man. Beautiful pontiac
Glad to see your ok bill ,, we were worried about you in NY,,, beautiful car by the way!
Great to know you are fine and safe, Bill!
I left Naples a week ago. My neighbor told me power is back on and slowly getting back to normal in our part of Naples. I was going to stay in Cincinnati through Thanksgiving but I will head back at the end of this month. I miss the sounds of the ocean.
Bill, I am so happy that you survived the hurricane! I was very concerned about you and everyone else that had to endure the wrath of Ian.
I absolutely love that 1965 Bonneville. My sincere thanks to you and Uncle Johnny. I hope your motor home survived as well. Take care.
Such a beautiful car. I took my drivers license test in a ‘65 just like this in 1968!
Glad you’re back Bill.
Many of us thought of you first, when we heard of the hurricane. We waited eagerly to see your take on this event. THANKS FOR KEEPING IN TOUCH. WE ALL CARE as .much as is logical.
Great looking Bonneville!!!
Keep on Streakin...... 👍🙂😊
“Those hood hinges could probably support Rosie O’Donnell” - Bill
I'm glad you're OK, Bill! Great Pontiac, it seemed to drive like a sweetheart. Stay safe!
Good to see that you managed to get through the hurricane.
And this video has everything, thanks for the upload.
Beautiful car, glad to have you back in action after hunkering down through Ian.
Amazing car, and review Bill. Glad you're okay. Even though the silver streaks were removed starting in '57, they did make a couple of really beautiful encore appearances in new and different ways. For example on the front fenders of the '63 Bonneville, and by the taillights, rocker panels and steering wheel of this beautiful '65.
Glad to see you’re alright and what a sweet Pontiac! Who let the dogs out? Lol, they’re lovely to see as well!
A friend of mines father bought a brand new 66' Bonneville 2 door HT when I was in grade school in 66'. I went buy his house after school to look at it. I was truly a bad ass car.
People say Pontiac was killed off in 2010, but it really died long before. My 1976 Pontiac Astre wasn't a Pontiac. I like hearing about your weather.
Absolutely, Dan. The Astre was just a Vega with a slightly different grill & taillights. Kind of like the Mercury Bobcat to the Ford Pinto. With Pontiac it was bad enough that the performance was cut down by the government, but equally bad were the body styles. The 'colonnade' body styles were terrible for the LeMans/GTO effectively ending their mid-size lines they were so ugly. Somehow, the Grand Prix made that adjustment beautifully however. The full-size cars (for all of GM) effectively died with the '75 and '76 models. The former ending the convertible, the latter 4-door and 2 door coupes. From then on those were just 2 and 4 door sedans, then 4 door sedans, with only the Firebird models keeping any kind of former flame alive.
@@bobpierce115 Well said. Bear in mind that there were always models that had cousins in other divisions from the big three.
The biggest pitfall that ruined people from wanting a GM car, was that they badge engineered the heck out of them in the '90s. They virtually stopped making cars that were specific to Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick, and replaced them with very generic cars. It ended up in the 90s that people who favored a particular division were no longer able to buy a car with any family resemblance to what they had come to know and love, over the years. The cars in each division had lost any traditional identity to themselves for what became a single generic car for each model, other than the brand and model names that were affixed to them.
@@discerningmind Thanks for your reply. I certainly agree with you on the generic pitfalls that took away each division's specific characteristics. Still, I want to mention that the limitation of body styles they could do, the use of plastics was very limiting. Something I NEVER hear anyone else say that I will here is that everything that could have been done, HAD been done in terms of styling by the early '70s, never mind before that. The only cars that had the old classic GM beauty in the past 40-42 years were the '79-'85 Eldorado, Toronado and Riviera, the '82-'92 Camaro/Firebird, and the Corvette. So it's not surprising GM was where it was at in the '90s, 2000's to today at all. If they can just hang in there as a shadow of their former selves, they'll be doing well by today's standards. This applies to the U.S. otherwise. I turned 65 last May, and most of my life everything's been in decline. For people 50 and under, it's been their whole lives.
@@bobpierce115 Thank you for this nice response. We're the same age, so I understand and I'm agreement with you.
Except, I sort of get what you're saying about manufacturers having done all they could do, but I may not be understanding that completely. So I'll be clearer on what I meant about cars in the 1990s. That was when I noticed cars started changing into generic models between brands, and particularly with GM. To me GM in the 1990s was different than the look-alike cars they had in the 1980s. And by the 2000s GM cars had become unappealing, like they weren't trying at all.
One example was that I'd had a 1998 Cadillac de Ville. And that car was a real a Cadillac. Later, I'd had a 2004 Cadillac de Ville. And that wasn't a Cadillac. The interior didn't look like a Cadillac, it didn't ride like a Cadillac, and it didn't feel or really look like a Cadillac. After months of ownership, it occurred to me that it was something like a big Chevrolet. I came to realize, that de Ville was really just a Cadillac themed big car. Generic.
Another glaring example in the 2000s would be Oldsmobile. The 2005 Olds Cutlass wasn't much different than the Malibu. Generic.
And about then I had the thought that GM just didn't want to build cars anymore. It was as though GM wanted to be doing something totally different, but they were stuck having to build cars. And on the other end of a spectrum (for lack of a better term) we had the Japanese that seemed like they couldn't do enough to make the best and most appealing cars that they could. South Korea was making strong in roads too.
For years I'd blamed the boardroom for ruining GM. Then I decided it was caused by the stockholders, and I've pretty much stuck with that. The pushy-pushy stockholders causing GM to be short sighted. Another player is the union, and perhaps even more so, the EPA and the other climate ambulance chasers. I figured the insurance industry did their damage back in the 1970s and GM survived them.
I'd been a loyal GM buyer and had held out for years believing they'd improve their cars, but they didn't. I hated getting service bills for components that GM so obviously had gone cheap on. Then came our brand-new Chevy Cobalt, and to be brief, that was a nightmare ending with my trading it in after six months, for a used Ford, losing a substantial amount of money. A few years later, I made one last try with GM in buying a Malibu. Again, ridiculous breakages and all because GM had gone cheap in various ways. We bought our first Toyota after that. In ten years of ownership, that Toyota has needed one taillight bulb in year seven of our ownership, and the other taillight bulb in year nine. That's it. I'd always heard that Toyota was a good car. But really? Two light bulbs in over nine years of ownership was totally amazing to me. Neither of us had ever thought a car could go ten years (now) without breaking.
Today if I were to buy a GM car it would be a Chevrolet Spark. The South Korean's are good manufacturers given the right materials. And the Spark is known around the world. In the USA, it has an excellent reputation according to a friend of mine who is the parts manager at our local Chev dealership.
I haven't bought a Spark because we don't need a car, our Toyota continues to be excellent, and last winter we happened upon a good deal and bought a six-year-old Mercedes E class with low mileage--from the Mercedes dealership. This is my fifth Mercedes, so I know what to expect. And at my age, the safety of it appeals to me. It's also nice looking.
@@discerningmind Thanks for this. Once again, strongly agree with you. I have to admit to you I really loved the 1989-'93 Coupe and Sedan de Ville. GM took that puny '85-''88 ugly duckling, and turned it into a swan by lengthening it and giving it a sleek & sexy new look. What's odd is that the (also) re-done Olds and Buicks didn't hit me with the same 'WOW' factor. They were the last really beautiful Cadillacs to me. While I respect the '94-'99 de Ville as the last 'real' Cadillacs, they had a 'big tank' look I didn't care for. It was kind of like why I liked the look of the '57 Cad over the '54-'56 for a kind-of comparable example.
I didn't care for the 2000's de Ville's either, for the reasons you mentioned. GM really did want out of the car business and to only sell big trucks. That's what the '91 Gulf War was over---oil. Shortly after that the huge truck and SUV onslaught started and is still with us. The remaining cars were dowdy and generic like the Malibu nad Cutlass. I have to give GM credit for 2 creations in the 2000's; the SSR truck and the Pontiac GTO. My main prob w/both were the outrageous prices. I still liked the looks of the former, though not a truck guy. The GTO wisely went a fresh route not trying to copy old goats. The '09 Camaro was a styling disaster (though selling well) trying to copy but not copy the '69, winding up with a freaky fat weird take on that model. They vastly improved everything with the 2016-'24 models, giving it a 1st generation "flavor" yet with no direct ties other than the long hood, short deck.
Agree with all of your reasonings behind their decline and fall. In the end, it can be added to a long list of institutions that had their time and are either gone completely or in some very diminished, unrecognizable form. We're watching agonizing death of the United States unfold in real time on a daily basis. I was born in '57; already too late for a lifetime of the old U.S. My mom in 1928, just barely. My Dad in 1915, yes. I have a '98 RAV-4 that works great with 268k miles. Just want to get from A to B, that's it. I've had a lot of neat GM cars since age 18 in '75: a '65 LeMans coupe, a '64 LeMans conv., a '69 GTO coupe, an '85 Grand Prix, bought new and stolen in 1992. After that, purposefully functional, non-flashy cars unlikely to be stolen. So far so good.
Chipper Canadian here. I’ll take the back seat. Love your videos Bill.
After going through Katrina, we were worried about you. So happy you are fine and hope to get a motorhome update. You own escape vehicle !
I was a bit concerned when I saw that a bit of wind was heading your way! Glad to see you are back and in one piece!
Thanks to Uncle Johnny ,beautiful Bonneville . Love it
I'm glad you made it through the hurricane Bill. The dogs were hilarious. And what a great land yacht. Thank you.