66 Pontiac Bonneville

Bill Newcomer
Started earlier this week. Started on cutting the curbside hood open. Parts Pack 421 being installed.

István Szücs
Hmm, interesting project. Will you do something with the chassis?

Jv
Looking very interesting Bill
Will take a front seat

Bill Newcomer
Istvan, No, while the chassis is very basic it is sufficient for what I want to do. I keep overcomplicating my builds as it is.

Bill Newcomer
Jv, wlcome aboard.

Bill Newcomer
Deflashed and scribed the body. Cut out the hood today. So far so good.

Jv
Looks like its ment to have screws holding it together
Up in the hood

Bill Newcomer
Jv. Once upon a time...

Jv
Sure interesting

Kyle DeHart
Nice surgery work so far. Looking forward to seeing this not as a curbside.

Bill Newcomer
Kyle, Thanks, I am not a curbside guy. Especially when I have a whole model box full of spare engines.

Kyle DeHart
Agreed. I've only ever built a couple curbside kits. Odd because I display all my models curbside with the hood closed but I still always enjoy building an engine. I'll Have to try to modify a curbside kit myself sometime.

Bill Newcomer
Kyle, This one started as a promo. (you commented on it back in May)
1974 Hurst/Olds Pace Car | Album by musclecarfan (1:25)

Kyle DeHart
I remember marveling at your decal work there. Really impressive work on that project. A lot to tackle with that build!

Jv
Yep Bill the pace car was an interesting build to follow aswell

Bill Newcomer
Thanks guys, I just need to finish it. It only took 3 months to get the rear wheels glued on. I need to build and stuff a motor in it.

Bob Hall
So what is the end game ? Based on something or purely a work in progress ?

Bill Newcomer
Bob, The 74 Olds is to roughly replicate one I got to street race against (I won BTW). The 66 Bonneville is to replicate a beautiful 66 2+2 that parked next to me at a car show decades ago. I was impressed with its beautiful lines.

Bob Hall
Sweet ! Look forward to seeing them ! 👍

Bill Newcomer
Worked on this one over the weekend. Applied BMF onto the Bonneville scripts to be revealed after paint. Removed the door handles on all four bodies to be replaced by Fireball door handles. Dechromed the bellhousing and scrounged up a 4-speed tranny. I will still need to modify the chassis to provide clearance for the tail shaft.

Bill Newcomer
Worked on the body today. Put Parafilm on lower body cladding to protect the fine detail from paint build up. Shot some Mr Surfacer 1000 primer over it. Sanded and used acetone to re-reveal all the scripts. Sprayed out may metallic reds looking for a Brandywine. Found one pretty close. It may get a drop or two of dark blue to move it towards a wine color.

Christian W
What is your choice - of the four colors on the right 😄?

Bill Newcomer
Of the 6 spoons, I think it going to be #5. Unfortunately, I only have one bottle. I may have to start with #4 then final coat with #5. Unless I can paint the whole body with one bottle. I will be able to determine that if I paint the Grand Prix first.

István Szücs
How will you paint the letters of the Bonnewille in chrome?

Bill Newcomer
Istvan, Apply Bare Metal Foil over the scripts and emblems. Burnish every bump, nook and cranny with pointy cotton swab AND a round toothpick. Trim VERY close to the emblem. Prime over whole body. Delicately sand surface of emblem to reveal foil. Use a pointy cotton swab dipped in acetone to gently and precisely remove remaining primer from just the emblem or raised letters. Paint body color. Remove paint again using the same method. It is definitely a task requiring finesse.

Here is an example on my 70 Grand Prix.

[img1]

István Szücs
Bill, thank you for the answer!

Kyle DeHart
That's pretty incredible Bill!! Looks awesome on that grand Prix.

Jv
Fantastic work love it

Bill Newcomer
Thanks, I hope it works out this time too.

Christian W
Looking forward for the paint job. Good joice and plan 😉
Did I missed that 70s Grand Prix? Here it is 😄 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix (restored glue bomb) | Album by musclecarfan Sweet.

Bill Newcomer
Body in color. Under coats are Testors bottle Red Metal Flake but I ran out.
Top coat is Testors bottle Stop Light Red which seems to be trans parent red with gold flake.
Very pretty in person.

Kyle DeHart
Very pretty in photos too Bill!

Jv
This is my favourite of the two love the color

István Szücs
Great!

Nigel Chapman
Great colour. Will you go for gold wheels?

James C
Totally agree... that's a gorgeous colour red and great looking finish too! 👍

Bill Newcomer
Thanks guys.
Nigel, I was not planning on it but now you have me thinking.

Bill Newcomer
I have been working on all my Pontiacs the week. This one is the odd man out. Earlier I found some seats that were a closer match to the correct upholstery pattern, so I have them prepped. Today I tackled the rear seat. I had this 62 Pontiac rear seat in my parts box which does not have the exact pattern but it is much closer than the kit seat. An hour of hacking and filing has it fitting pretty good. I also finally decided on the interior color(s). White seats and door panels with black carpet, dash and package shelf. Officially known as Parchment and Black.

Bill Newcomer
I have been plugging away at this one. The kit dash is a flat panel with a full width decal to represent it. LAME! I have a 62 Catalina dash in my parts box, while incorrect, at least has some detail to it and is in the correct era. However, it does not have the distinctive, individual, rectangular gauge pods. I decided to whittle down some square evergreen stock to fabricate them. I also learned that the 66 console is the same as the 65's. I plan to refurbish my prototype console to be a close enough replacement for the all-wrong kit piece.

Nigel Chapman
Wow, that's some impressive work your undertaking Bill, that sort of thing would drive me nuts!

Kyle DeHart
Really incredible stuff Bill!

Christian W
I like all the work, you put into these big cars. Thank you for showing us and take us with this journey

Bill Newcomer
Nigel, Thanks. All this detail is slowing my progress but I figure that I might as well try out new things so that add them or not to future builds.
Kyle and Christian, Thanks.

Dominik Weitzer
slow progress as you said, but to make a great model from a lousy kit is it worth.

Bill Newcomer
Started to assemble the engines for the Big Girls. (2) 421 Tri-Power 356HP and (2) 421 Tri-Power 376HP.

Bill Newcomer
Engine assembly begins for all 4 Big Girl engines. All will be 421 Tri-Power(s).

Ben M
Looks great so far

Bill Newcomer
Thank you, Ben. 🙂

Bill Newcomer
I keep typing a comment and it keeps disappearing...

Four 421 Tri-Power engines assembly started. Two will be 356HP versions and two will be 376HP versions based on the amount and type of air cleaners and exhaust manifold I presently have.

Bozzer
If it makes you feel better Bill, I've been having issues too. I think that they're doing some maintenance at SMHQ? Hopefully we'll get some new features again?

Bill Newcomer
I hope it is just temporary

Kyle DeHart
And now they're all there. Very handy work. Lol. I am, however, looking forward to seeing the engines come together on these 4 beauties.

Bill Newcomer
Kyle, Me too. They are the next to last piece of the puzzle(s).

Jv
Its sure been a fantastic build to keep an eye on
Your builds are never simple
I may not comment all the time but I do follow whed great interest

Thanks for all the information and pictures

Nigel Chapman
Ah there's nothing like a baby blue Pontiac 421

Bozzer
I don't know Nigel. Steak and eggs sounds pretty tempting, right now? 🙂

Nigel Chapman
😁😁

Bill Newcomer
The interior is nearly complete. I finished the dashboard this evening. It is a mashup of the lame kit dash which was only a 2 dimensional decal on a flat surface and most of a 62 Catalina as it was all I had in the parts bin. I fabricated the square gauge bezels from evergreen. I did not feel up to doing any wood grain on this one. It is just on the console. I did add the kit's seat belts.

István Szücs
Outstanding interior!

Bill Newcomer
Thank you, Istvan. 🙂 Now I am overcoming the challenges of fitting it in the body.

Bill Newcomer
Interior about to go in and needed to swipe a chunk of chassis to extend the rear of the lame chassis provided.

Bill Newcomer
Another one of the Big Girls is done. This one is Ruby, a 1966 Bonneville with a 256HP 421 Tri-Power and a 4-speed. This one was the hardest, as the kit is a curbside. I had to cut out the hood and add an engine and engine bay to the chassis. The color is Testors Stop Light Red which is a transparent red with gold metal flake in it. It looks stunning in person.

Comments welcome.

Kyle DeHart
Another truly excellent build. And another truly wonderful color. I love it Bill. Well done elevating this curbside

Bill Newcomer
Thank you, Kyle. 🙂

Jv
Yes some very butiful work Bill

István Szücs
All three Ponchos are excellent, thank you for sharing them!

Bill Newcomer
Thank you, Jv. 🙂
Istvan, there are actually 4. But thank you.

István Szücs
Oooops, sorry, all of them!

Dominik Weitzer
holy * - i missed the final? Wow! the rubi is pretty nice. Well done!

Bill Newcomer
Thank you, Dominik. 🙂