[mgarblik]

Appreciate the kind words. You have made it clear a 66 2+2 is the car you want, and at 60 years old, the time is right. I owned mine for 19 years and it was a wonderful car. This will make you cringe, I imagine. I bought mine from the vice president of a banking chain here locally. He had a large car collection and he purchased the car from the original local owner. It needed some rust repair and a minor restoration but was 100% original and correct. When he found out it would cost nearly $5000.00 to restore, he sold it to me for $1500.00. He had decided it wasn't worth the effort. It was a 66 421 HO convertible 4-speed with 19 factory options. This was in 1980. My point is, the right car is out there, they made a fair amount of them, although far fewer than 1965. I always preferred the more chrisp lines of the 66 vs the 65, but both models have their unique charms. As a 62 Catalina 4-speed owner now, I will say the 66 2+2 is a far different car to drive than the 62. The handling, cornering, braking, overall dynamic feel is night and day different. My 66 2+2, even though a convertible, would run circles around my 62 on a handling course and is much more stable at high speeds. Just a much more pleasurable car to drive. The 62 feels like a "true antique to drive", kind of delicate with a flimsy frame and tons of body flex on corners, super vague steering and so forth. The 66 2+2 felt like a modern car in every way except the touchy power brakes, which you get used to. When you find the car you are looking for, you won't be sorry. My advice for what it's worth is to pay a little more for a 2+2 with a really great body and paint and interior. Those areas are difficult to replicate because of limited parts and reproductions. The mechanical aspects can be dealt with as needed because parts are still pretty available for the driveline. Good luck with your search. I will say among the 17 Pontiac muscle cars I have owned through my life, 2 really stick out as fantastic models to me. My 66 2+2 , and the 70 1/2 Trans Am. The various GTO's , Catalina's, Bonnevilles, 400 Firebirds, and Grand Prix's were all great cars in many ways, but those 2 were really special. Best of luck with your search and if I can help specifically, PM me. Here are a couple pics of the one I owned.