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1951 Pontiac Build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Poncho51, Aug 18, 2014.

  1. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Here's some pics of my 51 Pontiac.
    Chopped 5 1/2 inches, 56 Packard tail light lenses. Full air ride. 1970 Corvette 350 engine and 2 speed Powerglide trans. ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408340980.682581.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408340997.865381.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341013.198879.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341038.100357.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341065.098819.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341084.615637.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341109.882271.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341154.699182.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341190.482557.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341217.483659.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341232.817083.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341260.332409.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341286.065619.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341300.698971.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341311.651794.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341323.785580.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341344.165595.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341379.415448.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341394.899491.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341409.765615.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341427.615725.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341436.098909.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408341445.899070.jpg


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  2. 51 Super
    Joined: Mar 5, 2014
    Posts: 66

    51 Super
    Member
    from Iowa

    Looks like you've been busy. Looks good!


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  3. Great job on a tough model to customize! Show some more!
     
  4. 50pontiacguy
    Joined: Aug 3, 2014
    Posts: 162

    50pontiacguy
    Member

    Thanks for the post I am doing a 1950 Pontiac right now, airbags, power brakes, steering, sbc swap its good to see someone elses ride in the works!
     

  5. castirondude
    Joined: Jan 26, 2012
    Posts: 496

    castirondude
    Member

    that's a pretty serious build!

    That first pic is that of your actual car? (looks like a vintage photo)
     
  6. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    The first pic is of my car, I bought it back in 1998 and chopped it and drove it unfinished for a few years as a daily driver with nothing more than a plexiglass windshield. Life got in the way and I haven't driven the car since 2002. Things are great now and just started a frame off custom restoration, hoping to have the car done in the next couple years.


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  7. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Some of the other attributes that car will be receiving are:
    1955 Cadillac front bumper
    1955 Pontiac rear bumper
    Cabinet knob grill work
    Early 60's European Mercedes headlights
    1964 T-Bird interior with full length custom made center console
    Full power options
    Vintage Air
    1966 Olds tilt column with a deluxe 1958 Pontiac steering wheel


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  8. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,179

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

  9. layedout49
    Joined: Jan 15, 2008
    Posts: 483

    layedout49
    Member

    What mustang 2 stub is that ?


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  10. inthweedz
    Joined: Mar 29, 2011
    Posts: 580

    inthweedz
    Member

    Not being a smart arse, but a quick question on your rear suspension setup, Looks like it has rubber bushes in the front of the arms and bolted solid at the rear (Correct me if I'm wrong).. This will allow up and down movement, but how about body roll ?? Or is it rubber mounted at the rear as well ??
    Just curious, Cheers..
     
  11. syracusegli
    Joined: Jan 31, 2010
    Posts: 71

    syracusegli
    Member
    from ny

    looks like the rear end isnt finished. how are your shocks mounted? How will those bars/ends hold up as opposed to a heim?
     
  12. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    I used a JW Garage Mustang II kit on the front. As for the questions on the rear, every bolting point on the rear is sleeved and urethane bushed and to limit any body roll or axle shift, I'm building a Watts Link, as a panhard bar will not work with this much suspension travel.


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  13. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Here's a couple more pics of the rear, I still have to install gussets for the shock mounts and the cardboard piece around the diff is a template for the Watts Link I am building. These rear 2 link bars are made from 2x2x1/4 steel, so they should be rock solid and the urethane bushings are easily replaced if needed. The reason I used the 2 link is minimal cutting to the rear floor, it will have to have a driveshaft tunnel which will be concealed by a center console and front of trunk will be stepped up for the pumpkin on the rear end. ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408463454.407919.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408463464.307582.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1408463472.591181.jpg


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  14. Smokin Joe
    Joined: Mar 19, 2002
    Posts: 3,770

    Smokin Joe
    Member

    Nice. BTW I could find a use for your old tail-lights :)
     
  15. notrod13
    Joined: Dec 13, 2005
    Posts: 1,020

    notrod13
    Member
    from long beach

    patty cakes issac, ethan and I will be in ventura at the nationals come find us…. good looking start.
     
  16. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Sorry using the rear tail lights, I have clear lenses for them and I'm Frenching them in the rear as reverse lights.


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  17. Canada Jeff
    Joined: Jan 9, 2003
    Posts: 292

    Canada Jeff
    Member

    I am no engineer.

    There have been a few excellent discussions here in the past on rear trailing arm set ups. Search them out, some very knowledgable people have put up some great engineering info.

    Before you finalize your rear suspension design, I would at least suggest you air up the bags, put 3 or 4 stacked 2x4s under one tire, let the weight of the chassis down on that and see how it moves. I think rock solid, short parallel bars are not your friend in rear articulation. Something might come apart on you after enough stresses.

    I'm sure you've already considered this too, but those short bars are going to change your pinion angle a lot as the suspension cycles up and down, and you have enough slip yolk travel in the drive shaft to handle the front to rear travel in the rear axel too, right?

    Lastly, is that your final position for the shocks? The angle looks pretty steep. And you're planning to beef up the top of the frame above the C notch, right?

    Sorry to sound negative, your building skills are miles ahead of mine, but a few things looked suspicious to me and I would rather ask than see something break on you at the wrong time.

    Nice job on the chop, by the way. The profile looks great.





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  18. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Thanks for your concerns, I don't by any means know everything and critism only makes you a better builder.
    All the mounting points have been beefed up and although short parallel bars do give you a weird arch in the travel, I have cycled everything through many times and not ran into any problems, my arms are around 24" long which is pretty much the standard for a parallel 4 link setup. My 66 Chevy truck has a similar bar setup, the bars are longer but this set up works well. The drive shaft yoke with the suspension dropped all the way still has a little more than 1/2' before bottoming out, and pinion angles are all set at drive height, even if I drive the car slammed down, it wont be a at speed where it will give me a u joint problem. As for the shock angle, it is set at about 45 degree angle at drive height which will work fine. When the car is dropped the shocks aren't going to be doing any work, so angle shouldn't matter much. I tried to optimize everything as best as possible at drive height, any driving while slammed will be done at 10-15 MPH. As for more reinforcement of the C-notch, I need to set the body back down to weld on one more 1/4' plate that will stick up past the top of the chassis.
    Thanks for the compliment on the chop profile, I tried very hard to get the flow just right.
    Who says you cant customize a 4 door and make it look good. Once all the rear door seams are leaded shut you will hardly be able to tell it was a 4 door, besides the front doors being a little shorter.
     
  19. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Yeah, I was going to go to Ventura this year, but I have Dick Dale tickets for that night. Don't want to have to worry about getting down to San Juan Cap. in time.
     
  20. Canada Jeff
    Joined: Jan 9, 2003
    Posts: 292

    Canada Jeff
    Member

    Cool. Sounds like you've thought about all this already, and I'm just talking out my ass!

    Looking forward to seeing this come together.




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  21. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    There are rear suspension set ups that work better, but if you want to lay frame for show, you are going to have to lose a lot of the rear floor so the suspension can travel up. I have two little girls and I want them to grow up with this car, so I don't want to sacrifice the rear seat space as they get bigger. There are more and more builders going with this design on their cars( Extreme Kustoms and Jimenez Bros. both use a similar setup). I don't think there is a perfect setup for a car like this, its a give and take. As long as everything is built as strong as possible and properly reinforced it shouldn't be a problem. Everything I've learned has been by picking others brains, trial and error or hours and hours and hours of research and even making scale models to test theories. You can ask 10 different people the same question on how to do something and come up with 10 different answers, each one will probally have pros and cons to each other.
     
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  22. My dad had a Pontiac like that when I was a kid. His was that factory "copper" color.
    Didn't look near as cool as yours!!!!
     
  23. 50pontiacguy
    Joined: Aug 3, 2014
    Posts: 162

    50pontiacguy
    Member

    Subscribed! Im currently building a 50 pontiac with bags and small block so keep posting pics! Im keeping original a arms with bags but nice to see someone else's ideas!

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  24. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Well it's been awhile since I've posted anything on my build, I got sidetracked on a couple of motorcycle builds. Well I have the chassis almost done, just have the engine mounts and a couple small items like brake hose tab mounts and all the plumbing hard lines and steering support mount. I had to change the rear shock upper mounting and added a gusset to support rear of frame over c notch. The watts link is finished and works great with no shifting from side to side of the rear end. I have 2/3 off the frame in primer, going to paint it later after all the body work is done. Hopefully I can make some more progress in the near future.
     

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  25. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Engine in!! Ready to make mounts
     

    Attached Files:

  26. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

  27. Poncho51
    Joined: Apr 18, 2014
    Posts: 55

    Poncho51
    Member

    Trimmed out the trunk and set the body back on today. Now comes the fun part Body Work!! ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1434752491.789575.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1434752506.289277.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1434752516.123107.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1434752529.739515.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1434752544.891811.jpg ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1434752584.988687.jpg
     
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  28. peeduh
    Joined: Aug 26, 2007
    Posts: 70

    peeduh
    Member
    from atx

    Can't believe I'm just now finding this thread! I have a 4 door I've been working on and to see the work on this it's motivating! Any more progress on this??
     
  29. Joe Poletto
    Joined: Mar 14, 2017
    Posts: 12

    Joe Poletto
    Member
    from Brazil

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