Bernard Nicholls & Tony Greville's big Pontiac V8 coupe still delivers the thrills
Bernard (at left, below) has had this car for 33 years: I first saw one on the road, and then bought Unique Cars magazine until I found one. I didn’t know what it was until I tracked it down in the magazine.
“This car was in Kings Cross and was fully original. The owner had all the info – where it was made, when it came off the assembly line. A complete maniac!
“So what I did, I just made the car the way I wanted it. Four-speed automatic (a TH700 out of a Commodore), new heads, sent to America for them, cam, disc brakes (HQ units went straight on). The four-speed gearbox was absolutely unbelievable. It just sits on 2000 at 110km/h.
“It’s a bit of a handful to drive – the steering box needs adjustment. For what it is, it’s been 1000 per cent better than we expected. It’s a 415hp package at the wheels, so it’s not slow. It doesn’t weigh as much as you might think – about 1450kg, according to the paperwork.
“It oversteers, and sometimes you’re busy, but once you get it flowing it’s good. The bloke in the Ferrari got a bit of a surprise…”
(The lads were with us on this year’s Targa Tas Classic Rallye.)
Valuation: Owners are asking $50-90k depending on model and condition.
Photography: Guy Allen