[jabgolfcars]

My 69 t/a is one of the 20 built at Van Nuys, & it's the only 3spd manual built there. I have little paperwork on it, & am looking for as much info on it as I can, I have PHS papers & the repro window sticker, 2 previous owners registrations, & that,s about it. I've been in touch with the last owner, who's provided me with a lot of great tidbits, and its history when he owned it. No sign of the build sheet, or any of the original docs, so I'm on a mission to find out anything.
It was sold new at John Hine Pontiac in San Diego. If they were still in operation, I was hoping to get into their archives. Apparently they went to Mitsubishi after Pontiac's demise, and are now closed altogether. Thats where the trail goes dead.

I was hoping for a shot in the dark if they were still in business. Is anyone in the San Diego area familiar with this dealership, or any former employees? I know I'm reaching, but you Pontiac folks are some of the most knowledgeable individuals in the hobby, and couldn't be more helpful. Hope you can give me some leads.

Happy holidays to all, and best wishes in the new year!
JAB

[Steve C.]

As of JULY 23, 2021 the John Hine dealership in Temecula that sells Subarus and Mazdas will remain open. Contact John Hine Jr.

Article and picture of the John Hine Pontiac dealership when it opened in Mission Valley in 1965:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...oses-its-doors

.

[sdbob]

Nothing to really help you. However I was looking for info on 62 white top Tempest that was a MT converted SD car. The book I was looking in,Petersen Pub on Pontiacs 1963 has a
black and white pic of a 63 Catalina running at Riverside driven by Roger Penske big letters on the side 'John Hine Pontiac, San Diego'

[Steve C.]

There was also a HINE PONTIAC in Dallas, TX that sponsored the "Bad Little Indian" a '59 Catalina drag car.


.

[OG68]

The Hine dealership in Texas was in operation before the San Diego one.

The dealership in San Diego sold Mazda's along side Pontiacs. Then became just a Mazda dealership after 2009. My daughter bought her Mazda a few weeks before they closed down the San Diego operation. The original showroom and shop buildings were demolished earlier this year.
As mentioned above, John Hine Jr has moved the Mazda brand to his dealership in Temecula, CA.

[Andre]

My 66 Lemans was sold at the San Diego site, and i had the (rare to me for california cars) dealer emblem.

[65madgoat]

The son of John Hine is still around and has a super nice 1968 GTO convertible. I run John Hine Pontiac frames on my car and had a Lemans that was sold new at John Hine. Probably the best 1960s Pontiac in San Diego and was still most popular dealer until Pontiac ended.

[SRR]

My 65 Catalina was from John Hine.

[jabgolfcars]

Thanks for all replies. Great history on this dealership.
Looks like John Hine Mazda is now Hello Mazda. I'm gonna take a shot in the dark & see if I can get in touch with John Jr. Don't know until you try, right?

[70gteeo]

That would be great if you can find any additional information. My 70 GTO convertible came from John Hine Pontiac. I have the dealer name that mounts on the deck lid and also the metal dealer license plate frame.
The 70 Pontiacs had that new smog system on them that came from the CA cars. The carbs were set-up with 68 jets that just reduced the hp.

[R 70 Judge]

I talked to John Hine Jr. about Pontiacs a couple of times in the early 90's. He really liked the 69-72 TA's. It has been many years, but I vaguely remember him offering to trade someone a brand-new TA off the showroom floor (1994'ish) for their 71 TA Lucy Blue after seeing it at a show. They declined.

I'll keep an eye out for old license plate frames and literature that may compliment your TA.

Out of curiosity, when you talked to the previous owner, did he own the car while in San Diego? Was he in the Navy? I've been told there were a pair of 69 TA's that frequented the Navy base and exchange back in the 70's - 80's.

[jabgolfcars]

Great info R70! A license plate frame would be a cool compliment to the cali plate that came with the car (ORIG TA).
I bought the car from the 3rd owner. The story I got about the 2 previous owners is hearsay; I don't know what's fact or fiction, but here goes:
1st owner was a woman who chose the 3spd because the insurance was cheaper. She lived in San Diego. Don't know how long she owned it, but at some time sold it to a neighbor who had it until the late 80s. Don't know if he was military or not.
The 3rd owner (who I've been in touch with) lived in Scottsdale AZ at the time. He found the car in a car shopper want ad (!). drove it from San Diego to Scottsdale. He was a collector & a fan of GTO's & TA's, and realized the value of it back then. He stored it at his house, covered, dry, & protected. He moved to Texas in 2000 where it was stored similarly. From there, he moved to FLA, where the car experienced humidity for the first time. He did have it in one of those inflatable bubbles, though.
The car is unbelievably preserved, but needs a lot of love mechanically. It was only started a couple of times over the course of 30 plus years in storage, so I'm dealing with fuel/coolant/oil leakage issues, among other things, but it ran & drove when I bought it.
My plan was to keep it as original as I can with a sympathetic restoration, but it's turning out be a little more than that, as I want the engine compartment to look as good as the body. Yes, I'm getting carried away, but the car's worth preserving (and driving!).

[getmygoat]

They were in mission valley until they closed - probably 2009-ish. Went there a few times to check out the TAs back in the late 90's.

[65madgoat]

License plate frame in really nice shape ending today on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115678774814

[WQ59B]

There was yet another Hine Pontiac in Alton IL. It was the same owner as the Dallas dealer, who moved his franchise to TX.

[jabgolfcars]

Sold. $230some dollars. Who knew? Guess I'm out of the loop on vintage license plate frame values.

[65madgoat]

Frames can hit over $350 each for other cool and/or rare dealerships in SoCal.....

[OG68]

Another item we would toss in the trash as soon as the new car got home.

[jabgolfcars]

Thanks for lookin out madgoat, and for putting me in the loop on the cost of those frames. I'll be keeping my eyes open now, but I think I'll be buying a wiring harness first, before a license plate frame.

[R 70 Judge]

Originally Posted by jabgolfcars

Great info R70! A license plate frame would be a cool compliment to the cali plate that came with the car (ORIG TA).
I bought the car from the 3rd owner. The story I got about the 2 previous owners is hearsay; I don't know what's fact or fiction, but here goes:
1st owner was a woman who chose the 3spd because the insurance was cheaper. She lived in San Diego. Don't know how long she owned it, but at some time sold it to a neighbor who had it until the late 80s. Don't know if he was military or not.
The 3rd owner (who I've been in touch with) lived in Scottsdale AZ at the time. He found the car in a car shopper want ad (!). drove it from San Diego to Scottsdale. He was a collector & a fan of GTO's & TA's, and realized the value of it back then. He stored it at his house, covered, dry, & protected. He moved to Texas in 2000 where it was stored similarly. From there, he moved to FLA, where the car experienced humidity for the first time. He did have it in one of those inflatable bubbles, though.
The car is unbelievably preserved, but needs a lot of love mechanically. It was only started a couple of times over the course of 30 plus years in storage, so I'm dealing with fuel/coolant/oil leakage issues, among other things, but it ran & drove when I bought it.
My plan was to keep it as original as I can with a sympathetic restoration, but it's turning out be a little more than that, as I want the engine compartment to look as good as the body. Yes, I'm getting carried away, but the car's worth preserving (and driving!).

License plate frame on Craigslist San Diego

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/...644888562.html