[cballweg]

Thanks for the reply.

[Engine-Ear]

great thread - thanks for sharing the knowledge, folks!

[bonnevillejoe*]

The 59 Bonneville wagon you are referring to was restored by Bernie Fritshaw of Canada and is now owned by Bob Knutson of Washington state. The buckets were added. Pontiac did not offer a power drivers bucket seat for the hard back buckets (58 - 61)

[cballweg]

Thanks for the info

[dfw7849]

I have a 59 Bonneville coupe that I installed correct bucket seats in. However, they were only available from the factory on Bonneville convertible. Still I have to believe it would have been possible to get the local Pontiac dealer to install factory bucket seats in any 59 Pontiac if you insisted on it when you ordered the car and were willing to pay extra of course. The 59 Bonneville wagon with bucket seats mentioned in this topic was owned by a gentleman who stored it in Phoenix and it was sold at the Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson auction about 7-8 years ago. I have pictures of my 59 Bonneville coupe and this Bonneville wagon parked together. Both have identical bucket seat interiors in Sunset Glow. Also both had white exteriors with Sunset Glow roofs.

[bonnevillejoe*]

Hi,
You are correct that the Bonneville wagon in that article is owned by a man who has a place in Scottsdale. His name is Bob Knutsen. His home is in Idaho and he has a portato farm. Those bucket seats came out in 1958 Bonneville convertibles but also became a mid year option in 58 Bonneville hardtops. I've had 2 of the coupes with bucket seats. Although I've never seen a 59 Bonneville hardtop with them, I feel certain that they were available. I've seen them in 60 & 61 Bonneville hardtops so I can't imagine that they would have discontinued them for 1 year. They were also available on 60 & 61 ventura hardtops. They wre options on 59, 60 & 61 Eldorado convertibles and Sevilles. They were options on 59, 60 & 61 Buick Electra 225 convertibles and standard on all 59, 60 and 61 Buick Invicta Customs. They wre also standard on all 61 Oldsmobile Starfires. Hope this helps.

[dfw7849]

I was not aware that bucket seats could be factory ordered on 58 Bonneville coupes. Strange that Pontiac would not promote it as an option on Bonneville coupes in any of their literature in 59. By the way I had the pleasure of driving your friends former 59 red Bonneville convertible (with bucket seats) in last years Berkley CruiseFest Parade and Woodward Cruise in Michigan. The current owner loaded it to me for the event.

[cballweg]

Thanks for the info.If you can,could you post photos of your coupe and the interior?

[cballweg]

dfw7849.You can post photos on here by clicking on post reply and then go down to additional options and click on manage attachments and you can download photos from you files on your computor so you dont need to go to another page .Hope this helps.Thanks

[dfw7849]

These are the buckets I installed in my 59 Bonneville several years ago. They are out of a 61 Olds Starfire. The hardback seats are the same on all 58-61 GM full size cars. However, the tracks are different. I used the tracks from a 59 Pontiac bench seat which required some cutting of the sheet metal on the underside of the bucket seat but it is in an area not normally visible. The car was two tone white with a Sunset Glow top when I installed the bucket seats in 2007but has since been repainted with the colors reversed. Also a correct a 59 Tri-power and Sunset Glow floor mats have been added. I have an extensive collection of 59 Pontiac memorabilia and am always looking for more.

[dfw7849]

These are pictures of my coupe and the wagon discussed in an earlier thread. Both cars were in a BOP show at the Scottsdale Pavilions in Arizona. Note that the station wagon has add-on AC, power windows and Autronic Eye. The last picture of the wagon interior was taken at the Barrett-Jackson Auction.

[cballweg]

Very nice car you have.I wish my 59 had the bucket seats.I installed about all the options on my 4-door hardtop but not the bucket seats since they are so expensive and hard to find.Photos of my car are on another thread on here along with a copper 59 starchief.I installed a power antenna,rear seat speaker,power bench seat,tri-power,fenderskirts,windshield washer,trunk light,underhood light,tissue dispensor and litter basket,power steering,power brakes and was ordred with spinner hubcaps.Mine still needs restored and was my 1st car that my father ordered new.Thanks for the great photos.

[dfw7849]

The bucket seats cost me 4.5k$ for my Bonneville. That includes the seat cores, paint, and upholstery. I installed them myself. Please tell me where to look for the pictures of you car. Since your dad purchased the car new perhaps you still have the window sticker? If so, please scan it and post it. 1959 was the first year they were required by the government.
I also have put many factory options on my 59 coupe, all are factory correct. This is my sixth 59 Pontiac. I have the correct front radiator screen. factory AC shroud, six blade AC fan, tri-power (with correct under fender vacuum reservoir), red under-dash emergency brake flasher. glove box light, rear seat speaker with correct fader control switch (they are different on 2 door and 4 door cars), NOS hood emblem, power antenna on rear fender, fender skirts, and spinner wheel covers. Waiting to be put on is a Speed Guard speedometer buzzer, Magic Cruise, and the ultra, ultra-rare remote control mirror (NOS in the box). The original spare is still in the trunk of this car.

[Engine-Ear]

Originally Posted by dfw7849

The original spare is still in the trunk of this car.

DFW, would you please post pics of this tire, or at the very least, share the tire brand and model (if it has one) and the size cast into it?

[dfw7849]

I believe this tire to be the original spare on my 59 Pontiac but naturally I can't prove it since I or someone in my family is not the original owner. However, when I purchased the car I was told that the tire was original by the seller and he in turn said the person he purchased the car from was the original owner. This is no proof of course but the tire does look very similar to the pictures I have seen from 1959. Also the rim absoluely looks brand new which would help support at least the possibility of it being the original spare. Until definitively shown otherwise I believe this to be an original 59 Pontiac spare tire. It is an 800x14 Firestone Deluxe Champion. Perhaps someone who knows more about this subject can comment.

[Engine-Ear]

Those pics are great.

Presently I am researching the OEM tires as supplied on the 1962 B-body Pontiacs (Cat, Bonne, etc.). US Royal seems to be the supplier for the '62s. There is no reason to believe that the '59s used Firestone tires.

Is your car a factory A/C car?

What letter is the VIN on your '59?

Thanks again.

[cballweg]

I just updated it so its on the top of this webpage and should be one under this thread and titled photos of my 59 sunset glow unrestored Bonneville.I also installed a NOS emegency brake flasher and have the correct nos rear speaker for a 4-door car and a rebuilt wonderbar seek scan radio.The only thing I dont understand about your car is the black rims but should be white since you had a white car.The rims were always painted the same color as the car and mine are sunset glow.I too have an original worn spare white side wall tire in my trunk but cant remember what brand it was.I also have a part of the Pontiac add on under dash AC in one photo but need more parts for it.I almost bought an NOS remote mirror on e-bay for $250 I believe but it didnt match the passenger side mirror my father ordered on the car which matches the drivers mirror.All my add ons were mostly NOS also with exceptions of power steering,brakes,tri-power.Installed a 59 olds power antenna since i couldent find the pontiac one but do have the correct dash switch.Windshield washer is the correct nos one also and not the electric add on one.

[cballweg]

DFW also check out at the top of this page My new starchief vista which is a tread on a 59 starchief with some nice photos of a starchief and a bonneville.Sorry my father didnt keep the window sticker

[cballweg]

DFW I also just posted at the top of this page a thread titled my new padded dash which shows the interior of my car.

[dfw7849]

Wow, lots of questions which is great! First the rims on a white car are black NOT white as it came from the factory. My car's paint code is "CC" which is Cameo Ivory body and top. Plant code is "C" for Southgate CA. The picture I posted showing the new Sunset Glow paint job was taken shortly after it was done in 2008. Since then I have changed to Sunset Glow colored rims and installed the correct rear view mirrors. My car does not have factory AC but one of my previous 59 Pontiacs did (a StarChief 4Dr sedan). It was my daily driver back in the mid 1980s in Phoenix, AZ. Also I believe it is entirely possible that 59 Pontiacs came from the factory with Firestone Tires.