This 1968 Pontiac was abandoned in California for years after man’s wife told him to leave it – but now it’s getting a second lease on life
- Jazz musician Ray Pizzi bought his Pontiac in 1968
- He was forced to stop driving the car after an accident
- Now, the car is being given a second chance
Published on Jan 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Editorial Guest
Last updated on Jan 14, 2025 at 6:43 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
In 1968, famous Detroit jazz musician Ray Pizzi ordered a pretty special Pontiac car.
In fact, he ordered a 1969 Pontiac Le Mans, a car that serves as a four-wheeled, powerful, and growling tribute to the 24-hour race of the same name.
Unfortunately, Ray hit the 350 cubic-inch V8-powered behemoth Pontiac while trying to park it at his Detroit home, mostly owing due to his older age.
Ray’s wife told him to hang up the keys and leave the car in the garage, where it went undiscovered ever since – until now, that is.
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The eBay user zagato62, who is selling the Pontiac, was the one to throw off the covers on the origin story of this wonderful car.
He explained that when Ray tried to park his new Pontiac in his garage, he hit the front left fender.
That being said, the Pontiac is still in remarkably good condition.
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What work does the car need?
As always, though, with such a vintage car, there’s work that needs to be done to get this prowling Pontiac back on the road.
For one thing, the car hasn’t had fresh fuel since Richard Nixon was President.
Also, the brakes aren’t exactly…solid, so those will need to be fixed too.
Additionally, if you want to enjoy the drop top, you’ll have to replace the roof, although the original metal mechanism still works.
Aside from some general rusting, there’s little else that needs major work.
Is the Pontiac still for sale?
At the time of writing, the car is still listed for auction on eBay, with three bids on the listing.
At the moment, the price is still $2,550.
The reserve price hasn’t been met, so if you fancy bagging yourself a piece of Detroit automotive heritage, then this could be it.
