1966 Pontiac Bonneville on eBay has an unconventional secret under the hood, but it’s divided people

Here’s the story of a remarkable Pontiac car that was discovered to be hiding a secret under the hood.

But first, some admin.

GTOs – Gran Turismo Omologato, Italian for ‘grand-touring car’ – were already popular in 1966, but Pontiac wanted to kick it up a notch.

The Bonneville, refurbished in 1965, would remain largely unchanged for the next year or so.

When the fourth-general model was launched in 1965, it had a horsepower of 333 on a manual transmission, before bumping up to 390 with a more powerful enginge.

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The secret under the Bonneville’s hood

Now, one 1966 Bonneville is going for sale on eBay, and what’s inside its hood is certain to divide opinion.

It no longer has the original engine and instead has a 455ci engine from a 1971 Pontiac GTO.

For way of comparison, the original 1966 had a 389ci, before taking on a 400ci in 1968.

The eBay seller ‘classicpassions’ has claimed the upgrade has transformed the Bonneville into a ‘head-turning presence’.

However, this could prove to be a contentious point for car buyers.

While many will undoubtedly appreciate a GTO with more power, others would rather have a Bonneville with all its original parts.

Either way, the seller has promised that the car starts, drives, and stops correctly and that buyers would only need to commit to minor fixes.

Namely the alignment of the steering system.

The car is going for $13,900, but the seller has enabled the Make Offer button, meaning they’re open to negotiation.

It’s based in Boise, Idaho, in case you want to swing by to check it out.

However, with 16 people already watching it on eBay, you might want to move fast.

Regardless of whether or not it takes your fancy, it’s undoubtedly in better condition than this Bonneville left in a barn for 40 years.

Originally gifted as a wedding present in the 1960’s, it was given a long overdue wash when it was brought out.

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