This is my ‘63 Acadian Beaumont I bought this past spring. If you’re unfamiliar with these Acadian models, you’re not alone. It is a Canadian-built version of the Chevy II. During the early 60’s Canada and the US had some trade issues that limited the availability of US-built models in Canada. The Canadian auto builders were on the short end of the stick and were given the opportunity to produce these models under a different brand. They were only sold at Canadian Pontiac/Buick dealers. You could turn to Google for more detailed and accurate info but that’s the basic understanding I have.

It’s my first Acadian but I’ve wanted one ever since I knew what they were (a long, long time). I got serious about finding one this year and happened to stumble upon this one. I was lucky enough to be the first guy to call as the ad had only been up for 30 minutes. It was the right car for the right price on the right day! One of the big selling features was the fact that all the original trim was present and in decent shape. The trim has become very scarce for these early Acadians.

Along the way, I viewed a lot of different years and models of Acadians. Some were too far gone for my interests and others were too high priced. There are still quite a few Acadians out there considering the low production numbers because they are worth restoring and preserving. 1,644 convertibles were produced in 1963. The Beaumonts were also available with an SD (Sport Deluxe) trim package from 1963 onward which was the Acadian equivalent to the SS models of the early Novas.

I bought it pretty much as is, the car was restored around 2000. The previous owner supplied a file of receipts, records and photos of the car’s history since the restoration. The GM Canada info report I received in the files shows the car was built in Oshawa Ontario on Sept 7, 1962 and delivered to a dealer in Regina Saskatchewan on September 12, 1962.

A fellow enthusiast decoded the VIN and cowl tag for me. I learned that it was originally Palomar Red Metallic with a white rag top, red bench interior and the option codes were Powerglide trans, padded dashboard and bumper reverse lights.

The original 120HP 194ci engine was swapped along the way for a 327 mated to a manual trans. As the story goes, the owner’s wife was upset she couldn’t drive the manual and he replaced it with the current TH400 3-speed trans. My wife won’t drive it either way so I may go back to a 4-speed manual in the future!

I have done some work on the car, putting my focus on the suspension and steering first. The front end received new bushings, ball joints, tie rods, shocks, V8 stock height springs and lower control arm adjuster lock out kit. Also had a new set of multi leaf springs and new shock absorbers put in the rear. I also swapped the deep sump oil pan for a front sump pan to gain ground clearance. Everything is as close to stock as I could make it while improving the drivability of my classic.