Northern gold

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/11/2015 (3850 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the Canadian market, General Motors of Canada introduced a new car in 1962. The Pontiac Acadian was based on the new compact Chevy II platform and, other than the Canadian-inspired name and some unique badging, it was a carbon copy of the Chevy II. This gave Canadian Pontiac dealers a low-price compact model to compete with the Ford Falcon. One of the few options on the Acadian was the Beaumont trim package. Additional chrome and a nicer interior was the basis of the option, but as the years progressed, the Beaumont name would actually take over as the car moved to the mid-size Chevelle platform in 1965. Available in sedan, hardtop, convertible and wagon, the Beaumont covered every model of intermediate sales and was just what Pontiac needed to battle the sales competition.

Utilizing the body, frame and powertrain of the Chevrolet Chevelle, GM added the Lemans/GTO instrument panel along with upgraded interior appointments to set the cars apart. Further differences were readily noticeable with a unique grill, taillight panel and identifying trim. With list prices only slightly higher than the Chevelle, Canadian Pontiac dealers had a viable model to offer their customers. With the signing of the Canada/U.S. Autopact agreement in late 1968, the GTO and other U.S. models were allowed to enter the Canadian market without additional duties and 1969 would be the final year for the Beaumont.

Brian Klassen of Morris knows Beaumonts all too well. Having purchased 35 Beaumonts and Chevelles over the past 30-plus years, he’s amassed quite the collection of parts and vehicles. Many are very low production vehicles and, being uniquely Canadian, attract much attention at car shows. Of course, that’s not saying everything he owns has the DNA matched to the build sheet — and his 1968 Beaumont SD 396 station wagon is glowing proof.

Built locally by John Nelson, the Beaumont Custom four-door wagon enjoys some of the most desirable options to ever be put on a vehicle. Nelson spent many years and travelled thousands of kilometres to swap meets, scouring parts and purchasing rare optional equipment for Chevelles and Beaumonts. What he ended up building was a one-off. Now for the purists out there, this Beaumont wagon never was an available model, but one look at it says it could have and should have been a factory offering.

What started as a rare four-door Beaumont Custom station wagon was morphed into a muscle wagon. The SD 396 option for 1968 came with the 396 cubic inch big-block Chevrolet V-8, domed performance hood, bucket seats and console with floor shift. What better than to marry the wagon up to that level of performance and street presence?

In this case the wagon didn’t see a big-block, but Nelson crammed it full with a potent small-block V-8. What started out as a 350 cubic-inch V-8, after an overbore and stroke increase with the aid of a 400 V-8 crankshaft, the small-block displaced 383 cubic inches. Also sporting an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold and four-barrel carburetor, along with an array of chrome-plated accessories underhood, the Beaumont was every bit a performer. Backing the potent V-8 was a 700R4 overdrive automatic transmission, leading to a 12-bolt Positraction rear axle.

To carry the build, the car received the proper bucket seats, console, floor shift, power steering, power front disc brakes, deluxe gauge package, AM/FM radio, rear speakers, power door locks, air conditioning, tilt wood grain steering wheel, map light, cruise control, power windows, bumperettes, power mirrors, headrests, chrome roof rack, rear air deflector, power rear window, rear defroster, tinted glass throughout. He even went as far as to find and install the ultra-rare fibre optic system found on very few 1968-69 models. This system included a chrome bezel, which was attached to the top of each front fender. These bezels housed a fibre optic cable with a lens that indicated whether or not your headlamps or turn signals were lit and operating properly. In all, 42 factory options were added to the car.

Finished in a brilliant metallic gold with matching interior and rolling on chrome Crager SS wheels, shod with blackwall radial tires, it has a definite performance car charisma.

When Klassen saw the Beaumont wagon for sale in August 2014 at the Car Craft Nationals in Minneapolis, he knew he had to have it. “Nelson knew that if he sold the car to me, I would drive it and since purchasing it, I have,” says Klassen. Along with a trip to Vancouver, B.C., and wintering in Phoenix, Ariz., last winter, the wagon has seen several thousand kilometres.

Changes in the future for the wagon? Klassen says, “It’s going to get an upgrade under the hood, to a real 396 cubic-inch V-8.” A unique low-production vehicle in a distinctive market, the Beaumont wagon production in 1968 was about 340 units powered by both six-cylinder and V-8 engines.

As for real SD 396 numbers, there were 608 two-door hardtops and 66 convertibles that saw that option. Today, it appears we can add one very special station wagon to that total.

57ford@mymts.net