Zack, thank you for the great review. I'm George, the original owner. I sign it over to my son Tom as a wedding gift. I got emotional watching the video, brought back lots of memories, taking long trips with the family. I'm very happy the car is still in the family. He loves the car and taking care of it just like I did for 40 years. Hopefully, my grandchild will get to drive the car one day.
I've always seen Pontiac as sort of a more Canada-centric brand. Canada had a bunch of weird and exclusive Pontiac rebadges of other cars pretty much up until they were cancelled, like the Firefly (Geo Metro), the Sunrunner (Geo Tracker), and the Tempest (Chevy Corsica). Also, I think it's fantastic that the current owner of this Parisienne has an obvious attachment to it and is keeping it alive. All the cars my Dad and I saw the world in when I was growing up have long since gone to other owners.
I used to have a 1988 Caprice Classic that was a former Sheriffs Dept. Detective transport. It was solid Bronze with 2 chrome spotlights, CB Whip Antennas and that sweet 350. This particular one was stripped of all emissions, (PD's get to do that I guess) with dual exhaust. The inside was ALL vinyl , no carpets. I loved that damned car. My wife and I split up and I ended up losing her...the car. That was in 1998 and I still miss beast of a vehicle!
The proper name of the car is Pari zee n. Also, most Parisiennes were built in the GM Oshawa plant, in Oshawa, Ontario, they were never brought to Canada from the US as you suggested, also, prior to this model, in the US, the Canadian built car, was sold as Pontiac Catalina. For years Canada had the Laurentian, the base model, and Parisienne, the higher model. Also, these weren’t the top luxury cars sold in Canada, there were plenty of Cadillacs, Lincolns, Imperials, Oldsmobiles and Buicks sold in Canada. Also, about the 2 keys, GM cars had one for doors and trunk, and another for the ignition, Chryslers of that era, had one key for doors and ignition and another for the trunk. The other difference between GM and Chrysler was that with GM, the teeth of the key went downwards in the door, ignition etc, whereas with Chrysler, it went upwards. Overall, the video was great, I drove this same model several times, my buddy’s dad had one, there were plenty of these sold in Canada, but I think the Oldsmobile Delta 88, the Oldsmobile trim of this car, sold better than the Parisienne in Canada. Overall, these were cool cars and I kinda miss these types of cars, that’s back when there was still a distinct difference between North American cars and imports
A friend I know who is a General Motors mechanic owns a 1982 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham 4-door sedan. His car was from Marvin Starr Pontiac, located in Toronto. It came from an elderly owner who was in a nursing home and was not able to drive anymore. He likes the car and is built with pride in Oshawa by proud Europeans.
@@frankdenardo8684 No kidding. Marvin Starr, my dad knew him, he bought a few cars from him, he passed away just over a year and a half ago, one week shy of his 91st birthday. Marvin Starr Pontiac Buick, located on Eglinton Avenue East in Scarborough was the anchor of Eglinton East community. It was in business for nearly 50 years before GM pulled the plug about 14 years ago. Marvin himself retired and the dealership was demolished some time after. It’s great to hear things like this, it’s a small world.
Cool to see one of these preserved and loved for so many years. My dad had an '87 Caprice so this is a familiar childhood memory. I loved playing with the never-used ashtrays. The metal seat belt buckles burned my skin in the Florida heat. The steering wheel came off in my dad's hand when the car was 3 years old. He immediately traded it in for a Nissan Maxima and never bought another American car. 😂
I have one from 1984. My dad bought it from his uncle who brought it to Puerto Rico when he relocated from Florida back to the island along with another car he got at his time in Florida. It only had 5000 miles at the time. My dad gave it to my Mom, I remember the car arriving at our house curb in the afternoon of the 31st. of December 1986. Being a 6 yr old at the time, when I heard we were getting a Pontiac, I imagined it was a black Trans-Am, like KITT. Well, it was a Parisienne Brougham in dark brown inside and outside. I loved the car, eventually my Mom got a new car and the car passed to my Dad. Then in college she was passed to me and I promised myself I would keep her forever. She's due fot some body work, already upgraded the 305 emgine to a mild 350 keeping the 700r4 transmission. No headers, OEM exhaust manifolds, AC and a Sony head unit with a 12 CD changer in the trunk. I love driving her. I feel 8 again everytime.
I never owned one, but I worked on thousands of its Chevy cousin, the Caprice Classic. I became a mechanic for a large municipal fleet services department in 1977, the year this body style first came out. Shortly after that, we received a large shipment of base model Caprice Classics. I worked on them and drove them until production ended in 1990. They were wonderful cars, especially the carbureted versions. Nothing ever went wrong with them. All you had to do was keep them serviced and they ran forever. We could sure use a car like this today. BY the way, some of the best cars ever made were made during the so called "malaise era" I think we are currently living in the real "malaise era" where cars aren't even cars anymore, just crappy transportation appliances.
Canada is not Siberia! We always had access to luxury American cars, my father had a 76 fleetwood Talisman if that is not luxury enough you tell me..... 😉
These are my favourite cars, my first was a 1980 Chevrolet Impala with a 267 V8, second was a 1984 Caprice Classic with a 305, both with 3 speed automatic transmissions. The original engines certainly were not going to win any races, but were glassy smooth when accelerating. Super comfortable ride and seats! Watching this Parisienne drive by reminds me of the good times I had driving those cars!
Yes that’s a very Capricious car with Impalary taillights. My mother drove a 1981 Caprice station wagon with the small 267 V8. 30 years ago I was driving a 1978 Bonneville with the unique Pontiac dashboard, other styling cues and a Pantiac 301 V8.
It's a Chevy Caprice on the outside, with Delta 88 Royale Brougham seats, Pontiac Bonneville door panels, and a Caprice dashboard. The next year, Pontiac brought back the actual Bonneville body.
I miss the velour interiors; my '89 Mercury Grand Marquis had velour and I loved it. I'm so over with hard, sport, side-gripping bolstered seats in modern cars. This car looks like a rebadged Caprice or a combo Caprice-Cadillac on the outside.
I used to have a 1981 Pontiac Parisienne, bought it cheep because it was smashed in the back. Fixed it & had it for about a year before my brother smashed it beyond repair by putting it in a ditch.
It kinda is for the most part. Same frame, similar drive trains just slightly different trims and interiors. These old Pontiacs were more commonly found in the northern part of the country because they were meant and built for the Canadian market. I grew up in Watertown NY. Only 30 miles from the st Lawrence river. Growing up, my family got one of these in the late 80's. It was a dark blue 86 model.
When I was growing up, one of my friend's moms had the station wagon version of the Parisienne. We would sit all the way in the back (3rd row) with no seatbelts on, and we would poke holes in the speakers with our fingers (not sure why). His mom was a heavy smoker and would hotbox us with Marlboro reds while she drove. It was a good time.
What a great review. Well done! I was in my late teens at the time this car was released and and Pontiac had put the Bonneville on their midsize platform,, thinking that full size sales were going to dry up. Then gas prices collapsed and they found themselves losing out on sales to other makes. Voila Parisienne. You really capture the essence of this car and what it was intended for. Thank you!
Thank you for the review Zack. It is appreciated. I did want to say several things in addition to what you stated. Parisienne was the Canadian Bonneville. The styling was the same for years/decades, but used Chevrolet chassis underneath. When they dropped the US 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville in the United States, they started production of this car in Canada for 1982 for the Canadian market. We got it starting 1983 as you said. The 1977-1981 Pontiac Bonneville and Parisienne were the same car inside and out in two different countries. When they switched the Bonneville to the G Body for 1982, that same car was called Grand LeMans in Canada. The 1982-1984 Parisienne was basically Chevrolet Caprice with Impala taillamps. The seats in the 1983-1984 Brougham trim level are from the Oldsmobile Eighty Eight Royale Brougham. They are same seats Oldsmobile used. When they facelift the Parisienne in 1985-1986, that car got the 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville sheet metal/ styling back. That is why that one has the skirted rear wheels and different taillamps and styling. The 1985-1986 also got the 1980-1981 Bonneville interior back also with the exception of the instrumentation panel and grille. Everything else was 1980-1981 Bonneville again. The grille was the Pontiac version of the Chevrolet Caprice grille. The interesting part.. The 2000-2005 Pontiac Bonneville got the Oldsmobile Aurora seats when the Oldsmobile brand was discontinued in the early 2000's. What GM did here they did afterwards too. They sold the Chevrolet Corsica in Canada as the Pontiac Tempest in the late 1980's early 1990's. They changed the taillamps, the grille, and a few other things. Good review and thank you.
The whole history of Pontiacs in Canada is a long interesting story. Canadian Pontiacs (certain models anyway) were Pontiac bodies on Chevy chassis and Chevy engines. The "wide track" Pontiacs of the 60's were sold in Canada, but on a "narrow" Chevy frame. You can see it due to the wheels being set farther inside the body. A lot of this was all due to trade rules at the time. Yes, this Parisienne was just a Caprice. I'm not positive, but I think they were assembled in Canada. I think that was why this car came to fruition.... GM made a marketing blunder by killing the fullsize Bonneville, dealers screamed, and the already-on-sale in Canada Parisienne was a quick fix. The 305 Chevy V-8 was ok and got you where you needed to go, but the Oldsmobile (5.0 also, but 307) was smoother and put in Olds (98, Delta 88) and Buicks (LeSabre, Electra). Adam at the channel Rare Classic Cars and Automotive History is a collector and auto industry exec and features family cars and everyday cars such as this, that you don't see much of now, but were mainstream cars of their day. He has a '59 Parisenne, and tells a detailed backstory of Pontiac cars in Canada.
@@aca2983 You are indeed correct. Thank you for adding to what I stated. I subscribe to Adam's channel Rare Classic Cars too. They were assembled in Canada. I do not know when if and if they switched to the GM plant here in Texas. They used to build cars there before switching over to suv's after 1996. This car started because like you said GM was reorganizing its brands in the early 80's and Chevrolet and Pontiac were a part of Chevrolet Pontiac Canada( CPC) and the other brands were a part of BOC( Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac). CPC was to handle small and midsized cars and BOC was to handle large and luxury cars. Pontiac was to be a small car /sporty brand. This is why they were getting rid of their large cars. As we both know it was a HUGE mistake. They did scramble as you said to find a large Pontiac. Getting the "Capricesienne" was the quickest solution to but a large car back in the Pontiac line. Another reason why this all happened was became Pontiac was in trouble in the early 80's. What happened to Oldsmobile in the 2000's almost happen to Pontiac in the early 80's. GM then focused each brand( tried to) to be specific to the market. That is why Pontiac became like it did in the 80's with the aggressive styling body cladding etc. As you know none of that worked out that way. The things you stated about the trade rules is also accurate as well. I saw Adam's 1959 Parisienne too. I liked it when they reconstituted the 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville parts for Parisienne. I had also heard they got most of the tooling back to do this. They did not get the front end styling back. it almost happened. There is nothing like a 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham ( excluding the 1985-1986 Parisienne Brougham). Yes, the Parisienne used 307 and 305 V8's. I was shocked to learn this many years ago because the brochure only shows the Chevrolet 305 V8. In 1987 Bonneville and Parisienne became one car again. It was Bonneville for all markets. Thank you for sharing. Here is a 1985-1986 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham from You Tube with all the 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville parts: ruclips.net/video/rxFDEZ2AJMI/видео.html
I spent many youthful years riding in the back of an ‘84 Caprice. They were a good car, never got stuck in the snow unless it high centered. My brother currently drives an ‘87 Caprice, nearly identical to our original. A neighbor 5 miles away had an Oldsmobile Variant very similar to this. Just tanks of an automobile.
The boyfriend of the mom of one of my middle-school girlfriends had one of these. I think it was black with a burgundy interior. I just remember sitting in the backseat... and thinking how smooth, quiet, and insulated the ride was. And the engine seemed so liquid smooth, distant, silent, and vibrationless... and rich with low-rpm thrust. I totally remember being distinctly "taken" and impressed by the smoothness and majesticness of the ride.
Great video of a great car! I agree with you on the seating. I loved the GM seats of the time. It was like sitting on grandma's couch. No better automotive seating. I had an Olds Cutlass Supreme of the same year. Not the fastest car out there, but so comfortable to drive. I do miss it.
Man, these cars were the trucks of today. Big, bloated, and capable of towing a pretty hefty amount. The older ones are even more capable. A couple years later, trucks took over in the hauling department
Having grown up in 70s and early 80s cars I can tell you why cup holders weren't a big deal. At least in our family you didn't drive and eat, you drove to go eat. You didn't have car seats in the back with kids eating chicken nuggets and juice boxes. (We didn't even have car seats we just piled in the back of the station wagon with no seats at all) Your parents either drove you home to eat dinner there or if you were really lucky you went to a restaurant but you went inside to eat. On the rare occasion you went through a drive through you were waiting until you got home before you were allowed to touch any of it.
I've owned a 1977 Chevy Impala, a 1988 Chevy Caprice Classic Brougham, an Oldsmobile Delta 88, and a 1984 Buick Electra. I've never owned the Pontiac or the Cadillac version of the B-Body platform. But I would love to have one
Purchased a new 4 Door 1984 Olds Delta 88 Royal Brougham Luxury Sedan (Delta 88 with Olds 98 trim) with just about every conceivable option (307 V8, overdrive R-200 transmission, p/w, p/seats (fully recline), p/dl, cruise, tilt/telescopic wheel, am/fm cassette (Electronic tuning) with power antenna, gauge package, climate control, 3.23 posi rear, heavy duty alternator and battery and cooling system, full size spare, etc. Unfortunately the windshield was cracked in transit and replaced by the dealer - windshield missed the ‘stops’ dropped down and wound up leaking. Factory power steering pump was bad and the factory did not install posi fluid in the rear and the ‘clunked’ even after replacing fluid and adding conditioner. I enjoyed the car for over 30 years, and about 160K miles. I looked at a Parisienne when I purchased the Olds but thought that the 307 Olds was a little better than the de-fanged 305 Chevy and after having a ‘66 Olds Starfire, figured I could always install a 425/455 with aluminum heads intake and whatever else I could to help with weight distribution. However, I did have a ‘66 Lemans with a 398 - 3-2 bbl engine so that could have been an option had I purchased the Pontiac! I know the ride you are talking about!!! Keep the past alive!!!
Since I was born in 1986 when these sorts of cars were already on their way out, and growing up I was a kid into exotic cars and sports car only, I always looked down on these types of cars and saw them as either for old grandmas or ghetto drug thugs and pimps... but now that I watched your review, I now have a much deeper appreciation for these cars and see their appeal and unique strengths. And I no longer feel the same way about them. Thanks for educating me with this video and my mind is open and less ignorant toward 1980s full size Amerikan luxury cars.
Sweet! I have a 1983 Buick Electra Park Avenue. Pretty much the same car but with a slightly longer wheelbase and prettier in my opinion. Not a hint of the Caprice anywhere. I grew up in one and wanted to own it again. And it's totally worth it. It's a great daily apart from the oldsmobile 307 engine. Wish it had a 350 instead.
@@bwofficial1776 I agree, they'll never bring it back though, just like domestic sedans in general, I think were just too far away from the original idea of what a car should be, cars used to be affordable, look at them now.
Part of the reason the car community loves and respects John Kraman with Mecum so much is certainly his huge knowledge of cars and automotive history. But it’s not just that. John couples all of that with a genuine curiosity of the car world and especially his positivity about every single car he sees. No matter the car, John has something nice to say about it and he’s fun to listen to and watch on tv because of it. These reviews remind me of that infectious enthusiasm and they are always a good watch. Thanks for your good work and for always providing a nice way to spend a few minutes on RUclips. Well done.
The 1983 and 1984 Parisiennes got the "flat back" with the Caprice / Impala taillights. For 1985 and 1986 (final year), they went back to the "Bonneville" lights, with a bit more of a sloped looked that made the Parisienne look less like a Caprice / Impala. I have a 1986 Parisienne Brougham which was my late mothers. The car has been in storage for more than ten years, but it is very good condition, since it has never been in the rain. Burgundy paint, burgundy padded vinyl roof and burgundy pillow seats, dashboard and carpet, very much like the ones seen in this video. Also a Chev 305 4bbl, with 700R4 overdrive automatic. Axle is 3.08 so acceleration is a bit better than the standard 2.56 highway gear. I noticed a few minor differences between the 1983 interior and 1986... the 1986 has hinged metal 'casket handle' door pulls, instead of straps, the rear seat has a fold-down armrest from the seat back, wiper control moved to the signal light stick, fuel economy gauge was replaced with a voltmeter and the analog clock is gone because the digital tuning cassette radio (with amber LED display) now showed the time. On the exterior, the 1986 added rear wheel skirts, wire wheel covers, a "coach light" on the C pillar, and of course the original "Bonneville" style taillights. The head on view is essentially identical... they didn't change the grille, bumper, headlights, hood emblem in three years. It was obvious carry-over was the name of the game with the model line coming to an end. Also, around 1988 I installed the _almost identical_ laced steering wheel wrap for my mom, which is still on it.
I bought a 1984 Parisienne station wagon used for 1,700.00, it was one of the best cars I ever owned, like this one it had the 305 Chevy engine, I loved that car and drove it all over. One night I was coming from my friends house in northern New Jersey on 287, it was pitch black with only my headlights when all of a sudden there was an animal lying in the road I can only assume it was a deer, I could not avoid it, when I hit it the whole left side of the car lifted up and I was driving on the right front and rear wheels I was certain I was going to flip over then all of s sudden the car landed on all four wheels again, I got off at the next exit to calm down there was a gas station but it wasn't open it was around 3am, I regained my composure and drive home going slowly thank God there was no traffic, when I got home I parked on the side of my house got the garden hose and started taking down the underside of the car, there was so much blood it ran down the gutter and the smell was nauseating, I got s flashlight and looked, there were pieces of flesh hanging all over the place, I went to bed lucky to be alive. The next day I could see the extent of the damage, the end of the chrome bumper was a little bent, that was it and it knocked the alignment out, that car saved my life, I didn't own a power washer then so I went to the local self serve car wash and continued to wash the underneath, there was even more blood, I sold the car and bought a 1994 caprice wagon, that was another incredible car, I'm sorry now that I got rid of both of them.
I had a 1984 Parisienne Brougham in two tone blue. It had the Buick 231 V6 with a three speed automatic transmission. I remember those seats, they were very comfortable. I only had the speedometer and gas gauge in the four pod dash. The rest were filled with warning lights. Acceleration was slow, but it would hold 55-60 mph all day, except for any steep hills. I was a great car, and I miss it.
That car spawned my occasionally used line, "Are people from Paris "Parisiennes" or "Parasites"? It was a nice-looking car, and one of the last of the traditional looking cars out there.
The initial Parisuenne was nothing more than a Caprice on the outside, with the a slightly less luxurious variant of the old Bonneville Brougham interior (but the Chevy dash). Later they gave it a tail that more closely mimicked the former Bonneville style and even gave you back the coachlights on the roof, the wide chrome rockers, etc., at which point it began to look like a Bonneville again. The original downsized Bonneville was more differentiated from the Caprice - for example you could get the 403 or the 301 - neither originally available in the Caprice. The 83 original effort didn't really fool anyone. look at sales. Plugged a gap though. These box top B bodies were probably one of the best, long lived designs out of Detroit, though the Crown Vic might have it beat.
@@charlesc5983to me, the 1983 looked newer than the 1985 models. As I watched this video I was thinking this looked newer than an 83 because in my mind, the 85 looked more like a 79-81 design.
My first car was a 1983 parisienne brougham, was there when my dad bought it for 1000 dollars 💵 in 1996, drove it in high school, traded it in for the cash for clunkers program. Miss it big time 💔
In 1983 with the high (at the time) fuel prices and slumping sales a lot of car companies had planned to do away with full size vehicles, Ford had planned the same thing redoing the Fairmont, and calling it an LTD. So Pontiac redesigned the LeMans, and called it a Bonneville. However as fuel prices went down, and sales of big cars started to rise, they needed a full sized Pontiac again, thus the Parisienne was born. The way I see it, it was just GM's way to avoid admitting to failure, as not that many people wanted the G body based Bonneville. They did the same thing a few years later with Cadillac, when no one wanted the downsized FWD DeVille. They brought the old RWD car back and called it a Cadillac "Brougham".
@jimdayton8837 Cadillac never dropped the Fleetwood Brougham. It just dropped the Fleetwood name from the model and just called it a Brougham for several years. Actually the FWD Deville sold quite well. It really did.
@@aaronwilliams6989 It's a bit confusing actually. For a while they sold the Fleetwood Brougham (RWD) alongside the Fleetwood (FWD) around 1987-ish the Fleetwood became FWD only, and the RWD one just became a Brougham.
I believe this interior color was very popular in the 1980s. I can't remember if it was the Pontiac Parisienne or the Chevrolet Caprice Classic but this car was extremely popular in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, and a bit in Bahrain. Many of my parents friends old one of these cars along with many of people I went to school with. This was truly a wonderful car and I hope it lasts
I have a somehat similar car, a 1984 Buick LeSabre Limited coupe with 67,543 miles. The title was lost by the transporter somewhere in Texas. It has been stored at my home since 2017. I finally got a replacement title from Iowa ( this was a "barn car" that had been stored for sixteen years). It has the Oldsmobile 307 V8, just like my 1985 Toronado.
I love classic car seats from the early 90s and below. no complaints from my back, I am more than happy to sit in traffic and let the cushy fabric or leather take away my daily stress. ☺
Greetings from Canada 🇨🇦 ! This car originated in Canada officially my parents owned these back in the 70s and 80s . GREAT TIMES in my Parents Pontiac Parisienne. 😊
I’m from Toronto. My father had a green Parisienne back in the early’90’s. I think the Pontiac was either an ‘84 or ‘85. But he didn’t have it for long. There was always something wrong with it. It was constantly stalling and breaking down, but then again that sadly applied for EVERY GM vehicle that ANYONE in my family has ever owned! I know there’s all those GM fans out there but the ones we’ve had in my family have been an absolute nightmare right from the word GO!
I know an aid who works at my high school (I just graduated from there) who drove one of these. It was super clapped out and i’ve seen him working on it in the parking lot a couple times and broken down. I think it’s really cool that he still has one, but it’s just in really rough shape unfortunately.
Nice job. Interesting to get the opinion of these types of cars from young folks like you. My older son' is about your age, and he too loves these cars. However, he's not a fan of how they ride and handle. Keep up the good work!
My life has improved since I subscribed to your channel Zack, At the end of every day I have that spark of hope and pure happiness knowing that you'll post a new review, Really appreciated this daily content almost all the other YT channels post their videos once a week or even more so looking at you makes me present a huge respect and appreciation, So thank you my buddy thank you so much 🫡🫡❤.
My brother had an 86 Parisienne, he would even power slide that big cruiser in winter, really a great car. Comfortable, capable and just great for eating kilometers. Those seats.... This example is utterly awesome. Great vid.
My grandparents ended up with a silver Parisienne much like this. All these years later, it only recently dawned on me to ask how they ended up with the Pontiac instead of something like a Caprice. However, they ended up with one that had the different stylized taillights that were unique to the Pontiac (will now furiously Google or Bing a picture)
Uncommon car. I still see Chevy Caprices and Oldsmobile 88s occasionally but I don't think I've ever seen the Pontiac flavor of the B-body. Those seats look tremendously comfortable. This car is in very good shape and looks like it could go on a road trip easily. Before pickup trucks became family vehicles, these big body-on-frame boats were well suited for towing trailers. I wish putting the gas filler behind the license plate would come back. I've never seen a Holdster before. It's a more interesting design than the bus-style fold down cupholders but it looks a lot flimsier.
My mother had one of these (‘86) and it was a piece.of.trash. It had a 4.3 V6 and three speed transmission that shifted like it had a shift kit and the TV adjustment would not stop it. Alignment from the factory ate through two sets of front tires before the dealer got it fixed (less than 2k miles), it had a cracked distributor cap, paint began to peel at 10K miles…car literally went to the dealership more than 20 times in the first year and a half of ownership. Mom bought a 1990 Bonneville to replace it, and that was the best car she ever owned. Guess we got a lemon.
My mom's friend had a 1985 around 2005 or so. It was a good car the only problem it had is reverse went out but everything else was fine with it until her roommate was driving it one day and hit another vehicle and she just never got ti fixed.
Believe it or not, but, there are three of these at Desert Valley Auto Parts in Casa Grande, Arizona. I was there a few months ago searching for some parts for my 80 Caprice Landau Coupe, and was not only surprised to see three Parisienne sedans, but all three actually are in nice shape and all three are white over charcoal gray.
That car is in great shape. Headliner not sagging perfect. I had a 79 Caprice with vinyl seats. Was so jealous of Caprices with cloth interior and those later years gauges like in this car. That car lasted me 150,000 miles all through college and bringing me down south with a uhaul lol. Good times.
Looks like WB but actually WB was different platform base off the Kingswood, But this car was exported to Australia in knock down kit which was assembled in Holden plant. Interesting V8 for Australia not sure if was Holden 308 or 327 Chev or 305 or 350?
The “Malaise Era” was over before 1983. Malaise was pretty much the Carter Administration, which ended in ‘81. If you mean that this is how they were still BUILDING cars by ‘83, then fine. A lot of restrictions from the real Malaise Era are actually still with us today.
The malaise era lasted as long as carmakers continued making carbureted engines with low HP per cubic inch. Some non-malaise cars started appearing around 1984, but many of the old-style pieces of junk continued production into the late ‘80s.
@@kc9scott You could put it that way. My ‘88 Cadillac Brougham had a carbureted 307, which was an option even in 1990. A meager 140 HP. I lived in a hilly area and it huffed and puffed.
The "Malaise Era" as it applies to cars usually extends up till about 90. Malaise car groups usually encompass that because it was still largely a time when cars were underpowered, bad reliability, and certain aesthetics. By at least the start of the 90s you had better developed tech (fuel injection, electronics, OBD) and better safety, and more cars aspired to "sporty and taut" than floaty boat.
These also came with an Oldsmobile 307 CID V-8 in 1985 for 109.00 more. These also were offered with 5 engine choices base engine Buick 231 CID V-6 standard (1983-1987) 242 CID 4.3L V-6 (1985-1987) 305 CID V-8(1983-1985) 307 Oldsmobile V-8 (1983-1987) and the dreaded 350 CID 5.7 DX Diesel (1983-1985)which lost 2000 in value right away.
Zack, thank you for the great review. I'm George, the original owner. I sign it over to my son Tom as a wedding gift. I got emotional watching the video, brought back lots of memories, taking long trips with the family. I'm very happy the car is still in the family. He loves the car and taking care of it just like I did for 40 years. Hopefully, my grandchild will get to drive the car one day.
Nice story,
But the company no longer provides original spare parts
I have a Caprice 80s
Yes I suppose it would be hard to find parts for those cars now.
You are great father George
Wow, what a shitty gift!
Very cool
An ‘83 Pontiac Parisienne, I love this channel. I felt like at was 10 years old again with just one look at the thumbnail.
I've always seen Pontiac as sort of a more Canada-centric brand. Canada had a bunch of weird and exclusive Pontiac rebadges of other cars pretty much up until they were cancelled, like the Firefly (Geo Metro), the Sunrunner (Geo Tracker), and the Tempest (Chevy Corsica).
Also, I think it's fantastic that the current owner of this Parisienne has an obvious attachment to it and is keeping it alive. All the cars my Dad and I saw the world in when I was growing up have long since gone to other owners.
I used to have a 1988 Caprice Classic that was a former Sheriffs Dept. Detective transport. It was solid Bronze with 2 chrome spotlights, CB Whip Antennas and that sweet 350. This particular one was stripped of all emissions, (PD's get to do that I guess) with dual exhaust. The inside was ALL vinyl , no carpets. I loved that damned car. My wife and I split up and I ended up losing her...the car. That was in 1998 and I still miss beast of a vehicle!
Damn shame!!
But do you miss the car! 🤣
@@bobjohnson205 Oh! I see what you did there! I have a deep, physical attraction and longing for that...car...
The proper name of the car is Pari zee n. Also, most Parisiennes were built in the GM Oshawa plant, in Oshawa, Ontario, they were never brought to Canada from the US as you suggested, also, prior to this model, in the US, the Canadian built car, was sold as Pontiac Catalina. For years Canada had the Laurentian, the base model, and Parisienne, the higher model. Also, these weren’t the top luxury cars sold in Canada, there were plenty of Cadillacs, Lincolns, Imperials, Oldsmobiles and Buicks sold in Canada. Also, about the 2 keys, GM cars had one for doors and trunk, and another for the ignition, Chryslers of that era, had one key for doors and ignition and another for the trunk. The other difference between GM and Chrysler was that with GM, the teeth of the key went downwards in the door, ignition etc, whereas with Chrysler, it went upwards. Overall, the video was great, I drove this same model several times, my buddy’s dad had one, there were plenty of these sold in Canada, but I think the Oldsmobile Delta 88, the Oldsmobile trim of this car, sold better than the Parisienne in Canada. Overall, these were cool cars and I kinda miss these types of cars, that’s back when there was still a distinct difference between North American cars and imports
A friend I know who is a General Motors mechanic owns a 1982 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham 4-door sedan. His car was from Marvin Starr Pontiac, located in Toronto. It came from an elderly owner who was in a nursing home and was not able to drive anymore. He likes the car and is built with pride in Oshawa by proud Europeans.
His pronunciation Parisienne is grating on me a bit..
@@frankdenardo8684 No kidding. Marvin Starr, my dad knew him, he bought a few cars from him, he passed away just over a year and a half ago, one week shy of his 91st birthday. Marvin Starr Pontiac Buick, located on Eglinton Avenue East in Scarborough was the anchor of Eglinton East community. It was in business for nearly 50 years before GM pulled the plug about 14 years ago. Marvin himself retired and the dealership was demolished some time after. It’s great to hear things like this, it’s a small world.
Pontiac Parisienne we’re actually sold here in the States… at least in California.
Cool to see one of these preserved and loved for so many years. My dad had an '87 Caprice so this is a familiar childhood memory. I loved playing with the never-used ashtrays. The metal seat belt buckles burned my skin in the Florida heat. The steering wheel came off in my dad's hand when the car was 3 years old.
He immediately traded it in for a Nissan Maxima and never bought another American car. 😂
Happy to see the headliner in great shape
A 4 door 82-84 Parisienne is a car i've always wanted, ironically I've never seen one for sale ever.
I have one from 1984. My dad bought it from his uncle who brought it to Puerto Rico when he relocated from Florida back to the island along with another car he got at his time in Florida. It only had 5000 miles at the time. My dad gave it to my Mom, I remember the car arriving at our house curb in the afternoon of the 31st. of December 1986. Being a 6 yr old at the time, when I heard we were getting a Pontiac, I imagined it was a black Trans-Am, like KITT. Well, it was a Parisienne Brougham in dark brown inside and outside. I loved the car, eventually my Mom got a new car and the car passed to my Dad. Then in college she was passed to me and I promised myself I would keep her forever. She's due fot some body work, already upgraded the 305 emgine to a mild 350 keeping the 700r4 transmission. No headers, OEM exhaust manifolds, AC and a Sony head unit with a 12 CD changer in the trunk. I love driving her. I feel 8 again everytime.
This Parisienne is a beautiful car. I remember these very well and wish cars like this were still for sale.
This perissanne is still mint since 1983 and it has the rusty Jones decal on the rear door window amazing
"Hello, Rusty Jones!!! GOODBYE RUSTY CARS!!!!!😆😎
I never owned one, but I worked on thousands of its Chevy cousin, the Caprice Classic. I became a mechanic for a large municipal fleet services department in 1977, the year this body style first came out. Shortly after that, we received a large shipment of base model Caprice Classics. I worked on them and drove them until production ended in 1990. They were wonderful cars, especially the carbureted versions. Nothing ever went wrong with them. All you had to do was keep them serviced and they ran forever. We could sure use a car like this today. BY the way, some of the best cars ever made were made during the so called "malaise era" I think we are currently living in the real "malaise era" where cars aren't even cars anymore, just crappy transportation appliances.
Canada is not Siberia! We always had access to luxury American cars, my father had a 76 fleetwood Talisman if that is not luxury enough you tell me..... 😉
"Pa-Ree-Zee-N"
That's how I've always pronounced it
I always heard "Pa-Ree-Zee-Ann"
I just looked up commercial to confirm. My friend's mother had one.
These are my favourite cars, my first was a 1980 Chevrolet Impala with a 267 V8, second was a 1984 Caprice Classic with a 305, both with 3 speed automatic transmissions. The original engines certainly were not going to win any races, but were glassy smooth when accelerating. Super comfortable ride and seats!
Watching this Parisienne drive by reminds me of the good times I had driving those cars!
Yes that’s a very Capricious car with Impalary taillights. My mother drove a 1981 Caprice station wagon with the small 267 V8. 30 years ago I was driving a 1978 Bonneville with the unique Pontiac dashboard, other styling cues and a Pantiac 301 V8.
Badge Engineering 101!! I LOVE IT!!!!!😍😆🤣GOD I Miss the 80's!!!!!
It's a Chevy Caprice on the outside, with Delta 88 Royale Brougham seats, Pontiac Bonneville door panels, and a Caprice dashboard. The next year, Pontiac brought back the actual Bonneville body.
I miss the velour interiors; my '89 Mercury Grand Marquis had velour and I loved it. I'm so over with hard, sport, side-gripping bolstered seats in modern cars. This car looks like a rebadged Caprice or a combo Caprice-Cadillac on the outside.
I used to have a 1981 Pontiac Parisienne, bought it cheep because it was smashed in the back. Fixed it & had it for about a year before my brother smashed it beyond repair by putting it in a ditch.
Fascinating!
looks like the Pontiac version of the Chey Caprice. I never knew their was a Pontiac version. GM rebadged many Chevy, Olds, Buicks & Pontiacs
It kinda is for the most part. Same frame, similar drive trains just slightly different trims and interiors. These old Pontiacs were more commonly found in the northern part of the country because they were meant and built for the Canadian market. I grew up in Watertown NY. Only 30 miles from the st Lawrence river. Growing up, my family got one of these in the late 80's. It was a dark blue 86 model.
When I was growing up, one of my friend's moms had the station wagon version of the Parisienne. We would sit all the way in the back (3rd row) with no seatbelts on, and we would poke holes in the speakers with our fingers (not sure why). His mom was a heavy smoker and would hotbox us with Marlboro reds while she drove. It was a good time.
...Before we all knew what second-hand smoke was. The Good Old Days!!!😆
My neighbours had one of these when I was a kid. I had no idea how far back this model went, until I looked them up today.
Gotta make a second comment... Thank you for taking me back down memory lane. Your videos are deeeeeeeeeep....
This is the ideal vehicle to get into after a hard, physical, and stressful day at work.
13:00 Props to George for getting a sedan for his family and not a wagon...
@@callmevegas2000 Wagons are what every family man got back then. It was decidedly less common to get a sedan instead.
What a great review. Well done! I was in my late teens at the time this car was released and and Pontiac had put the Bonneville on their midsize platform,, thinking that full size sales were going to dry up. Then gas prices collapsed and they found themselves losing out on sales to other makes. Voila Parisienne. You really capture the essence of this car and what it was intended for. Thank you!
Thank you for the review Zack. It is appreciated. I did want to say several things in addition to what you stated. Parisienne was the Canadian Bonneville. The styling was the same for years/decades, but used Chevrolet chassis underneath. When they dropped the US 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville in the United States, they started production of this car in Canada for 1982 for the Canadian market. We got it starting 1983 as you said. The 1977-1981 Pontiac Bonneville and Parisienne were the same car inside and out in two different countries. When they switched the Bonneville to the G Body for 1982, that same car was called Grand LeMans in Canada. The 1982-1984 Parisienne was basically Chevrolet Caprice with Impala taillamps. The seats in the 1983-1984 Brougham trim level are from the Oldsmobile Eighty Eight Royale Brougham. They are same seats Oldsmobile used. When they facelift the Parisienne in 1985-1986, that car got the 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville sheet metal/ styling back. That is why that one has the skirted rear wheels and different taillamps and styling. The 1985-1986 also got the 1980-1981 Bonneville interior back also with the exception of the instrumentation panel and grille. Everything else was 1980-1981 Bonneville again. The grille was the Pontiac version of the Chevrolet Caprice grille. The interesting part.. The 2000-2005 Pontiac Bonneville got the Oldsmobile Aurora seats when the Oldsmobile brand was discontinued in the early 2000's. What GM did here they did afterwards too. They sold the Chevrolet Corsica in Canada as the Pontiac Tempest in the late 1980's early 1990's. They changed the taillamps, the grille, and a few other things. Good review and thank you.
The whole history of Pontiacs in Canada is a long interesting story. Canadian Pontiacs (certain models anyway) were Pontiac bodies on Chevy chassis and Chevy engines. The "wide track" Pontiacs of the 60's were sold in Canada, but on a "narrow" Chevy frame. You can see it due to the wheels being set farther inside the body. A lot of this was all due to trade rules at the time. Yes, this Parisienne was just a Caprice. I'm not positive, but I think they were assembled in Canada. I think that was why this car came to fruition.... GM made a marketing blunder by killing the fullsize Bonneville, dealers screamed, and the already-on-sale in Canada Parisienne was a quick fix. The 305 Chevy V-8 was ok and got you where you needed to go, but the Oldsmobile (5.0 also, but 307) was smoother and put in Olds (98, Delta 88) and Buicks (LeSabre, Electra). Adam at the channel Rare Classic Cars and Automotive History is a collector and auto industry exec and features family cars and everyday cars such as this, that you don't see much of now, but were mainstream cars of their day. He has a '59 Parisenne, and tells a detailed backstory of Pontiac cars in Canada.
@@aca2983 You are indeed correct. Thank you for adding to what I stated. I subscribe to Adam's channel Rare Classic Cars too. They were assembled in Canada. I do not know when if and if they switched to the GM plant here in Texas. They used to build cars there before switching over to suv's after 1996. This car started because like you said GM was reorganizing its brands in the early 80's and Chevrolet and Pontiac were a part of Chevrolet Pontiac Canada( CPC) and the other brands were a part of BOC( Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac). CPC was to handle small and midsized cars and BOC was to handle large and luxury cars. Pontiac was to be a small car /sporty brand. This is why they were getting rid of their large cars. As we both know it was a HUGE mistake. They did scramble as you said to find a large Pontiac. Getting the "Capricesienne" was the quickest solution to but a large car back in the Pontiac line. Another reason why this all happened was became Pontiac was in trouble in the early 80's. What happened to Oldsmobile in the 2000's almost happen to Pontiac in the early 80's. GM then focused each brand( tried to) to be specific to the market. That is why Pontiac became like it did in the 80's with the aggressive styling body cladding etc. As you know none of that worked out that way. The things you stated about the trade rules is also accurate as well. I saw Adam's 1959 Parisienne too. I liked it when they reconstituted the 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville parts for Parisienne. I had also heard they got most of the tooling back to do this. They did not get the front end styling back. it almost happened. There is nothing like a 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham ( excluding the 1985-1986 Parisienne Brougham). Yes, the Parisienne used 307 and 305 V8's. I was shocked to learn this many years ago because the brochure only shows the Chevrolet 305 V8. In 1987 Bonneville and Parisienne became one car again. It was Bonneville for all markets. Thank you for sharing. Here is a 1985-1986 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham from You Tube with all the 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville parts: ruclips.net/video/rxFDEZ2AJMI/видео.html
Par-ee-zee-enn, not "Parisian".
It's a Parisienne, not a Pareezhun! It's very obvious by your "review" that you were born way after this beautiful car was built!
The trip meter being orange is really goofy! And damnit, I want an orange trip meter now.....
I spent many youthful years riding in the back of an ‘84 Caprice. They were a good car, never got stuck in the snow unless it high centered. My brother currently drives an ‘87 Caprice, nearly identical to our original. A neighbor 5 miles away had an Oldsmobile Variant very similar to this. Just tanks of an automobile.
GM B-bodies were good cars.
The boyfriend of the mom of one of my middle-school girlfriends had one of these. I think it was black with a burgundy interior. I just remember sitting in the backseat... and thinking how smooth, quiet, and insulated the ride was. And the engine seemed so liquid smooth, distant, silent, and vibrationless... and rich with low-rpm thrust. I totally remember being distinctly "taken" and impressed by the smoothness and majesticness of the ride.
Great video of a great car! I agree with you on the seating. I loved the GM seats of the time. It was like sitting on grandma's couch. No better automotive seating. I had an Olds Cutlass Supreme of the same year. Not the fastest car out there, but so comfortable to drive. I do miss it.
I love it. I wish we had smooth cars like this today.
Pontiac Parisienne. When you wanna feel like you're "piloting a smoking lounge."
the pontiac parisienne was the same as a caprice to them, pontiac was canadas chevy
Man, these cars were the trucks of today. Big, bloated, and capable of towing a pretty hefty amount. The older ones are even more capable. A couple years later, trucks took over in the hauling department
Having grown up in 70s and early 80s cars I can tell you why cup holders weren't a big deal. At least in our family you didn't drive and eat, you drove to go eat. You didn't have car seats in the back with kids eating chicken nuggets and juice boxes. (We didn't even have car seats we just piled in the back of the station wagon with no seats at all) Your parents either drove you home to eat dinner there or if you were really lucky you went to a restaurant but you went inside to eat. On the rare occasion you went through a drive through you were waiting until you got home before you were allowed to touch any of it.
Pronounced Pa-REE-see-ENN.
i use to think these were ugly and little, but compared to todays little plastic toys, they are beautiful
The fuel efficiency gauge sounds awesome. Among the unique features.
And totally pointless😂
I've owned a 1977 Chevy Impala, a 1988 Chevy Caprice Classic Brougham, an Oldsmobile Delta 88, and a 1984 Buick Electra. I've never owned the Pontiac or the Cadillac version of the B-Body platform. But I would love to have one
It is pronounced Par-easy-anne, not Pa-ri-shun as you are saying.
Well he's not calling it late for supper now is he
Nice one @mattbartolovich
@@partsman4444 thought I'd say that to be funny
@@mattbartolovich8228 you succeeded 🤣
@partsman4444 my parents had a similar model
Purchased a new 4 Door 1984 Olds Delta 88 Royal Brougham Luxury Sedan (Delta 88 with Olds 98 trim) with just about every conceivable option (307 V8, overdrive R-200 transmission, p/w, p/seats (fully recline), p/dl, cruise, tilt/telescopic wheel, am/fm cassette (Electronic tuning) with power antenna, gauge package, climate control, 3.23 posi rear, heavy duty alternator and battery and cooling system, full size spare, etc. Unfortunately the windshield was cracked in transit and replaced by the dealer - windshield missed the ‘stops’ dropped down and wound up leaking. Factory power steering pump was bad and the factory did not install posi fluid in the rear and the ‘clunked’ even after replacing fluid and adding conditioner.
I enjoyed the car for over 30 years, and about 160K miles.
I looked at a Parisienne when I purchased the Olds but thought that the 307 Olds was a little better than the de-fanged 305 Chevy and after having a ‘66 Olds Starfire, figured I could always install a 425/455 with aluminum heads intake and whatever else I could to help with weight distribution.
However, I did have a ‘66 Lemans with a 398 - 3-2 bbl engine so that could have been an option had I purchased the Pontiac!
I know the ride you are talking about!!!
Keep the past alive!!!
Surprisingly good headliner
Since I was born in 1986 when these sorts of cars were already on their way out, and growing up I was a kid into exotic cars and sports car only, I always looked down on these types of cars and saw them as either for old grandmas or ghetto drug thugs and pimps... but now that I watched your review, I now have a much deeper appreciation for these cars and see their appeal and unique strengths. And I no longer feel the same way about them. Thanks for educating me with this video and my mind is open and less ignorant toward 1980s full size Amerikan luxury cars.
I had completely forgotten about this car. Remember seeing them, but not a lot of them. Although easily mistaken for a Caprice.
Sweet! I have a 1983 Buick Electra Park Avenue. Pretty much the same car but with a slightly longer wheelbase and prettier in my opinion. Not a hint of the Caprice anywhere. I grew up in one and wanted to own it again. And it's totally worth it. It's a great daily apart from the oldsmobile 307 engine. Wish it had a 350 instead.
A senior at my high school had one of these when I was a freshman. It's the only one I've ever seen.
Ugh, I need a b-body in my life. I have such a weakness for red on red cars.
I want a 77-79 or 80-85 B body so badly myself, they just seemingly don't exist for some reason, at least not in my part of the country.
Me too!
We need color-matched interiors to come back.
@@bwofficial1776 I agree, they'll never bring it back though, just like domestic sedans in general, I think were just too far away from the original idea of what a car should be, cars used to be affordable, look at them now.
Red, maroon, and/or burgundy interiors were RIDICULOUSLY popular in the 80's.
I saw a holster before back in the 80s. I was born in 1977 ... It's a holder that carries firearm and other easy accessories that carry extra things.
Beautiful car. Don't see many in the states.
I took my drivers test in a 1986. The tail lights were different and it had a vinyl roof
Part of the reason the car community loves and respects John Kraman with Mecum so much is certainly his huge knowledge of cars and automotive history.
But it’s not just that. John couples all of that with a genuine curiosity of the car world and especially his positivity about every single car he sees. No matter the car, John has something nice to say about it and he’s fun to listen to and watch on tv because of it.
These reviews remind me of that infectious enthusiasm and they are always a good watch.
Thanks for your good work and for always providing a nice way to spend a few minutes on RUclips. Well done.
The 1983 and 1984 Parisiennes got the "flat back" with the Caprice / Impala taillights. For 1985 and 1986 (final year), they went back to the "Bonneville" lights, with a bit more of a sloped looked that made the Parisienne look less like a Caprice / Impala.
I have a 1986 Parisienne Brougham which was my late mothers. The car has been in storage for more than ten years, but it is very good condition, since it has never been in the rain. Burgundy paint, burgundy padded vinyl roof and burgundy pillow seats, dashboard and carpet, very much like the ones seen in this video. Also a Chev 305 4bbl, with 700R4 overdrive automatic. Axle is 3.08 so acceleration is a bit better than the standard 2.56 highway gear. I noticed a few minor differences between the 1983 interior and 1986... the 1986 has hinged metal 'casket handle' door pulls, instead of straps, the rear seat has a fold-down armrest from the seat back, wiper control moved to the signal light stick, fuel economy gauge was replaced with a voltmeter and the analog clock is gone because the digital tuning cassette radio (with amber LED display) now showed the time. On the exterior, the 1986 added rear wheel skirts, wire wheel covers, a "coach light" on the C pillar, and of course the original "Bonneville" style taillights. The head on view is essentially identical... they didn't change the grille, bumper, headlights, hood emblem in three years. It was obvious carry-over was the name of the game with the model line coming to an end.
Also, around 1988 I installed the _almost identical_ laced steering wheel wrap for my mom, which is still on it.
I bought a 1984 Parisienne station wagon used for 1,700.00, it was one of the best cars I ever owned, like this one it had the 305 Chevy engine, I loved that car and drove it all over. One night I was coming from my friends house in northern New Jersey on 287, it was pitch black with only my headlights when all of a sudden there was an animal lying in the road I can only assume it was a deer, I could not avoid it, when I hit it the whole left side of the car lifted up and I was driving on the right front and rear wheels I was certain I was going to flip over then all of s sudden the car landed on all four wheels again, I got off at the next exit to calm down there was a gas station but it wasn't open it was around 3am, I regained my composure and drive home going slowly thank God there was no traffic, when I got home I parked on the side of my house got the garden hose and started taking down the underside of the car, there was so much blood it ran down the gutter and the smell was nauseating, I got s flashlight and looked, there were pieces of flesh hanging all over the place, I went to bed lucky to be alive. The next day I could see the extent of the damage, the end of the chrome bumper was a little bent, that was it and it knocked the alignment out, that car saved my life, I didn't own a power washer then so I went to the local self serve car wash and continued to wash the underneath, there was even more blood, I sold the car and bought a 1994 caprice wagon, that was another incredible car, I'm sorry now that I got rid of both of them.
I had a 1984 Parisienne Brougham in two tone blue. It had the Buick 231 V6 with a three speed automatic transmission. I remember those seats, they were very comfortable. I only had the speedometer and gas gauge in the four pod dash. The rest were filled with warning lights. Acceleration was slow, but it would hold 55-60 mph all day, except for any steep hills. I was a great car, and I miss it.
Those seats look exactly like the ones in early 80s Oldsmobile delta 88s I owned. Gosh I miss the comfort (& reliability) of the old days.
That car spawned my occasionally used line, "Are people from Paris "Parisiennes" or "Parasites"? It was a nice-looking car, and one of the last of the traditional looking cars out there.
Nice! Really loved these mid late 70s and 80s boxy B body Parisienne/ Caprices awesome and spacious cars especially the wagons.
The initial Parisuenne was nothing more than a Caprice on the outside, with the a slightly less luxurious variant of the old Bonneville Brougham interior (but the Chevy dash). Later they gave it a tail that more closely mimicked the former Bonneville style and even gave you back the coachlights on the roof, the wide chrome rockers, etc., at which point it began to look like a Bonneville again. The original downsized Bonneville was more differentiated from the Caprice - for example you could get the 403 or the 301 - neither originally available in the Caprice. The 83 original effort didn't really fool anyone. look at sales. Plugged a gap though. These box top B bodies were probably one of the best, long lived designs out of Detroit, though the Crown Vic might have it beat.
You're right. It was just a sportier Chevrolet Caprice. I wouldn't mind having one myself.
We had a 1985 . It was just thrown together with caprice delta 88 and rear from the old bonneville
@@charlesc5983to me, the 1983 looked newer than the 1985 models. As I watched this video I was thinking this looked newer than an 83 because in my mind, the 85 looked more like a 79-81 design.
My first car was a 1983 parisienne brougham, was there when my dad bought it for 1000 dollars 💵 in 1996, drove it in high school, traded it in for the cash for clunkers program. Miss it big time 💔
Never understood why Pontiac started calling the LeMans midsize body the Bonneville, and went on to keep the full size body but call it a Parisienne.
In 1983 with the high (at the time) fuel prices and slumping sales a lot of car companies had planned to do away with full size vehicles, Ford had planned the same thing redoing the Fairmont, and calling it an LTD. So Pontiac redesigned the LeMans, and called it a Bonneville. However as fuel prices went down, and sales of big cars started to rise, they needed a full sized Pontiac again, thus the Parisienne was born. The way I see it, it was just GM's way to avoid admitting to failure, as not that many people wanted the G body based Bonneville. They did the same thing a few years later with Cadillac, when no one wanted the downsized FWD DeVille. They brought the old RWD car back and called it a Cadillac "Brougham".
@jimdayton8837 Cadillac never dropped the Fleetwood Brougham. It just dropped the Fleetwood name from the model and just called it a Brougham for several years. Actually the FWD Deville sold quite well. It really did.
@@jimdayton8837Actually, things were improving by 1983. But 1980-81 was pretty tough.
@@aaronwilliams6989 It's a bit confusing actually. For a while they sold the Fleetwood Brougham (RWD) alongside the Fleetwood (FWD) around 1987-ish the Fleetwood became FWD only, and the RWD one just became a Brougham.
@@jimdayton8837 I see.
I believe this interior color was very popular in the 1980s. I can't remember if it was the Pontiac Parisienne or the Chevrolet Caprice Classic but this car was extremely popular in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, and a bit in Bahrain. Many of my parents friends old one of these cars along with many of people I went to school with. This was truly a wonderful car and I hope it lasts
This first Parisienne was literally a rebadged Caprice. The later one in 1995 ( maybe last year 96) not sure was more distinguished
I had 2 or 3 caprices of that era.....best cars ive ever owned
I have a somehat similar car, a 1984 Buick LeSabre Limited coupe with 67,543 miles. The title was lost by the transporter somewhere in Texas. It has been stored at my home since 2017. I finally got a replacement title from Iowa ( this was a "barn car" that had been stored for sixteen years). It has the Oldsmobile 307 V8, just like my 1985 Toronado.
Awesome! I grew up with these late 70’s and 80’s formal roofed GM’s. I think it’s is actually pronounced Par-E-Z-Ann
I've actually seen a Pontiac Parisienne Wagon before, sadly it was so beat up and rusty that it looked like it had been stolen out of a junkyard
The 2.41 and 2.29 gearing makes these especially long legged.
These old downsized land yachts took forever to get up to speed but returned surprisingly decent gas mileage once you got up to cruising speed.
I love classic car seats from the early 90s and below. no complaints from my back, I am more than happy to sit in traffic and let the cushy fabric or leather take away my daily stress. ☺
Greetings from Canada 🇨🇦 ! This car originated in Canada officially my parents owned these back in the 70s and 80s . GREAT TIMES in my Parents Pontiac Parisienne. 😊
I’m from Toronto. My father had a green Parisienne back in the early’90’s. I think the Pontiac was either an ‘84 or ‘85. But he didn’t have it for long. There was always something wrong with it. It was constantly stalling and breaking down, but then again that sadly applied for EVERY GM vehicle that ANYONE in my family has ever owned! I know there’s all those GM fans out there but the ones we’ve had in my family have been an absolute nightmare right from the word GO!
Beautiful. ❤
I know an aid who works at my high school (I just graduated from there) who drove one of these. It was super clapped out and i’ve seen him working on it in the parking lot a couple times and broken down. I think it’s really cool that he still has one, but it’s just in really rough shape unfortunately.
My grandparents had an Olds Delta 88 that was very similar. It was also a Brougham.
Nice job. Interesting to get the opinion of these types of cars from young folks like you. My older son' is about your age, and he too loves these cars. However, he's not a fan of how they ride and handle. Keep up the good work!
They may not handle good but they're nice smooth ride over the bumps better than any new car
Several of these were around my town.. living in Florida these were the perfect donk car.
Zack: that was a truly nostalgic and review of a beautiful car from a beautiful era! Thank you so much for that!
My life has improved since I subscribed to your channel Zack, At the end of every day I have that spark of hope and pure happiness knowing that you'll post a new review, Really appreciated this daily content almost all the other YT channels post their videos once a week or even more so looking at you makes me present a huge respect and appreciation, So thank you my buddy thank you so much 🫡🫡❤.
Loving all the new content Zack !
My brother had an 86 Parisienne, he would even power slide that big cruiser in winter, really a great car. Comfortable, capable and just great for eating kilometers. Those seats....
This example is utterly awesome. Great vid.
My grandparents ended up with a silver Parisienne much like this. All these years later, it only recently dawned on me to ask how they ended up with the Pontiac instead of something like a Caprice. However, they ended up with one that had the different stylized taillights that were unique to the Pontiac (will now furiously Google or Bing a picture)
Uncommon car. I still see Chevy Caprices and Oldsmobile 88s occasionally but I don't think I've ever seen the Pontiac flavor of the B-body. Those seats look tremendously comfortable. This car is in very good shape and looks like it could go on a road trip easily. Before pickup trucks became family vehicles, these big body-on-frame boats were well suited for towing trailers. I wish putting the gas filler behind the license plate would come back.
I've never seen a Holdster before. It's a more interesting design than the bus-style fold down cupholders but it looks a lot flimsier.
"I think I'm piloting a smoking lounge" 🤣👍
It was basically a Caprice, a good car.
Nice car. Inside simular to a SDV I had. We used to refer to trunk space as "body count"
My mother had one of these (‘86) and it was a piece.of.trash. It had a 4.3 V6 and three speed transmission that shifted like it had a shift kit and the TV adjustment would not stop it. Alignment from the factory ate through two sets of front tires before the dealer got it fixed (less than 2k miles), it had a cracked distributor cap, paint began to peel at 10K miles…car literally went to the dealership more than 20 times in the first year and a half of ownership. Mom bought a 1990 Bonneville to replace it, and that was the best car she ever owned. Guess we got a lemon.
My mom's friend had a 1985 around 2005 or so. It was a good car the only problem it had is reverse went out but everything else was fine with it until her roommate was driving it one day and hit another vehicle and she just never got ti fixed.
I loved these cars. Big and comfortable
Believe it or not, but, there are three of these at Desert Valley Auto Parts in Casa Grande, Arizona. I was there a few months ago searching for some parts for my 80 Caprice Landau Coupe, and was not only surprised to see three Parisienne sedans, but all three actually are in nice shape and all three are white over charcoal gray.
Everything was great in this video except the Le Car somehow showing up during the grand finale.🤔
Omg that's awesome!!! I own an 83 parsienne! And honestly it's a very peppy, comfy car and the best thing is that I got it for $400!
That car is in great shape. Headliner not sagging perfect. I had a 79 Caprice with vinyl seats. Was so jealous of Caprices with cloth interior and those later years gauges like in this car. That car lasted me 150,000 miles all through college and bringing me down south with a uhaul lol. Good times.
Great video. A car with a fantastic back story ❤
Looks like WB but actually WB was different platform base off the Kingswood, But this car was exported to Australia in knock down kit which was assembled in Holden plant. Interesting V8 for Australia not sure if was Holden 308 or 327 Chev or 305 or 350?
This is exactly what I want to do with my 03 accord it’s still bone stock and has over 200k miles I hope to grow old with it
The problem with these cars is the identity. The grill and taillights bolted on and the trim was was glued on Chevrolet built the car.
The “Malaise Era” was over before 1983. Malaise was pretty much the Carter Administration, which ended in ‘81.
If you mean that this is how they were still BUILDING cars by ‘83, then fine. A lot of restrictions from the real Malaise Era are actually still with us today.
The malaise era lasted as long as carmakers continued making carbureted engines with low HP per cubic inch. Some non-malaise cars started appearing around 1984, but many of the old-style pieces of junk continued production into the late ‘80s.
@@kc9scott You could put it that way. My ‘88 Cadillac Brougham had a carbureted 307, which was an option even in 1990. A meager 140 HP. I lived in a hilly area and it huffed and puffed.
The "Malaise Era" as it applies to cars usually extends up till about 90. Malaise car groups usually encompass that because it was still largely a time when cars were underpowered, bad reliability, and certain aesthetics. By at least the start of the 90s you had better developed tech (fuel injection, electronics, OBD) and better safety, and more cars aspired to "sporty and taut" than floaty boat.
Would you say 1973 is part of the malaise era? When did it start?
@@aca2983Fule injection became common in new cars during the 1980s. Almost all cars had it before 1990.
These also came with an Oldsmobile 307 CID V-8 in 1985 for 109.00 more. These also were offered with 5 engine choices base engine Buick 231 CID V-6 standard (1983-1987) 242 CID 4.3L V-6 (1985-1987) 305 CID V-8(1983-1985) 307 Oldsmobile V-8 (1983-1987) and the dreaded 350 CID 5.7 DX Diesel (1983-1985)which lost 2000 in value right away.