Projects 1956 Pontiac Gasser 389 swap (Finally Running)

I just noticed it's been three years since I started this. I didn't really get to work on it last year though.

Yes he ran a 4 speed and truthfully I will have to update later as I don't even remember what all was done. I saw where C&D ran 13.2 on a stock 69 GTO 4 speed on crappy tires.

Will it run in the 12's first time down the track? No clue. That's part of the fun is it not? If it breaks, it breaks.

 

This is my friends garage. He likes when I take pics of the cars that pass through it. LOL (It is a very, very nice Corvette). 350hp 327 4 speed.

 

Probably was a factory ringer.
Crappy street tires are probably what saved it.
Whether it breaks or not , largely depends on what tires and clutch you use, and whether or not you drive it aggressively.
Probably be hard to run in the 12's , without driving it that way.

 

Very well could have been.

It will be what it is and you go from there. Remember, this is all Pontiac, it holds up better than that cheap Chevy stuff.

 

Going back under the car. (I really just wanted to see if I could figure out how to do this on my phone)

 

Looks great!! I guess ya figured it out.

Ryan.

 

There is a lot I haven't figured out yet. LOL

 

So the frame is gonna be gold? I originally thought it was a primer - I like it! And that light blue on the motor looks great, just like an old Pontiac oughta look, what did you spray it with?
Nice job, the car's awesome.

 

The engine? I used Plastikote Pontiac Blue engine enamel. I read all sorts of opinions on what paint came the closest to the factory 1964 color.

My buddy went on and on about wanting to paint the frame gold. Gold it was.

 

What was stored on the roof to leave that nice clean spot?

 

Go back a page. The hood. Now that I can get it outside again, I'll have to get the inch of dust off it.

 

Mostly just storing pictures for the future if I ever get this done and talking to myself to see if it worked out later how I'm running it through my head.



I know it's not real "race" but I really hate to cut these quarters. The car really is super solid with very, very little rust so I hate to cut the quarters. I think I will be able to fit a 15 x 9 inch slick with a 4.5 or 5 backspace steel wheel.



I probably will have to drop the rear spring to get them on though.

 

Damn, that's close....

 

I may roll the lip a bit if need be.

 

I'm going through this now, trying to figure out how big of a tire I can fit with out cutting the wheel wells.




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You do some nice work. The quality is in the details and you have an eye for detail. Props for building a pontiac and putting a pontiac in it. Cool car that stingray is bitchin too.

 

Cut the fenderwells out. Save them and if you don't like it weld them back in. What's the big deal ?
Have fixed many 55 Chevys that had the wheel wells cut out and the new owner wanted it back to original.

 

Fair point but I'm slow enough without adding even more work. Lol. We thought about simply raising them. Cut a section out. Still.....more work.

It's not quite as important as other things that need done. Can always be done later.

 

I modified a pair of shocks that worked great, they extended a few inches further than stock ones to allow the rear to hang down lower. Also had an explorer 8.8 which is an inch narrower. 15x 7 cragars with 4" bs and 235 70 15 tires. Are you thinking of real slicks or some pie crusts from towel city?

 

I just came across this thread. Definitely going to follow this one. It's nice to see another Pontiac being redone.

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I don't know. LOL I haven't decided yet.

 

Good point. The whole idea behind cutting out the wheelwells back in the day was easy access when needing to remove/change tires. If you were at the drag strip and had a flat or needed to remove the rear wheel for some reason, dropping an axle to remove a wheel between rounds doesn't make sense. Quite frankly its about function, not style.

 

Thank you for pointing that out. My daily driver is a 57 Chevy and if you ever have to change a tire with a wider than stock rim with stock quarter panels you will understand one of the reasons that many were cut in the old days. Not a lot of clearance up in there with a 15X7 5 Spoke.

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P.s. With that being said if it is a Gasser then it pretty much needs the wheel wells cut or it will always look like you had commitment issues IMO.

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Still following along...I love the photo shopped photo of the cut wheel wells. It'd take me about 3 seconds to cut them. Love that look.

 

Moose had done another photoshop.

 

From the pictures you posted, I'd say you could do the tri 5 Chevy trick. Relocate the leaf springs to under the frame. Cut and move the inner wheel tub inboard toward the frame. Fill the gap with a strip of sheet steel. A narrower rear or offset wheels will give you room for rubber.
Here's a kit Danchuk sells.

 

The Chevy spring kit will not work. The frame is differant , the Pontiac spring is on the outside at front than frame kicks out and spring lines up with frame at the back. Think the Chevy frame is straight all the way back.