Projects 1956 Pontiac Gasser 389 swap (Finally Running)

I haven't got alot done over the holidays but these showed up on porch. Hopefully get them mounted tomorrow.

 

Sitting on jack stands........I think if I wanted to I can leave the wheel wells if I simply roll the lip. Too cold even with the heat on to mess with it for now.

 

All kinds of room on the inside. I think I'll change the offset on the wheels and leave the rest.

 

It was probably said earlier in the thread but, what are all the specs on rear end width, wheel sizing, and offset and tire sizes? I want to stuff as much tire as I can with out cutting the wheel wells. I don't mind modifying stuff on the inside. Looks like you have a pretty wide tire setup.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I'm going to check offset next week. I'll update. It's a 1969 GTO axle. Best I can find, flange to flange is appx 61 inches. The wheels are 15X8. I think the guy I got them from said they were standard Corvette something or another. LOL Tires are 15X9 28.5 tall.

To leave the quarters without doing anything I would without question have to roll the lips but I have a lot of room on the inside. With a 1/2 inch different offset everything will fit easily.

 

I'd have to check my rear end width but are wanting at least a 15x8 with a sizeable tire. My quarters have already been "pulled" or flared persay when it was raced in the 60s I'm ok with rolling the lips more if needed. What offset wheels are you going with now?

Thanks for the info!


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

I can get these done locally. I'm just going to have them moved in 1/2 inch or so. If the lip was rolled and the quarters pulled I probably could get 10 inch tire under there. Another thing noted earlier. I'm not getting slicks under there without disconnecting the rear shackles and springs. Maybe with standard lugs but probably not.

A pain maybe if this was going to be anything more than a hobby car.

 

My wheels are a pain now to get in and out. I know the slicks will be worse especially with longer lugs. I don't plan of the tires being off very often. I do have to think about the right slick for drag week though. Still needs to be street legal but won't be fun in the rain if that happens.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Hey Rocky. Still got??? Tks RonQUOTE="Rocky, post: 10679101, member: 51"]No adapter I know of but a factory bellhousing for a 58-60 [stick] will bolt up to your modern trans and your original 56 motor mounts...however there are 2 bellhousing bolts that won't line up to the 61 and newer engine. I believe the '61 starter will work with a 58-60 bellhousing.[but it has to be a starter for a stick tranny...shorter than the automatic starter]
If you're going to use that 61 engine/bell housing, you're gonna need to fab up side-mount bracketry.[/QUOTE]
Hey

 

I've been busy on other things but the rims are 15X8 with a 4 inch offset. Still deciding if I want to change the offset on these or just find a couple 15X8 with a 5 inch offset. Everything would then clear easily.

 

I know it's not full race but........15X8 with 5 inch backspace. I now have all kinds of clearance all around.

 

Wvenfield, I haven't checked in on your thread in a while, your Pontiac's coming along nicely! Very cool that you got those tires under there without a bunch of cutting. What tires are they and where did you get them, they look perfect for one of my projects.
Did you get the header problem worked out? I was going to mention, Mark Yac said that the 1 5/8" primaries are kinda small for most Pontiacs, I agree. You could get some 1 3/4" U or J bends and use about 10" of the 1 5/8" tube at the ports and slip the 1 3/4" over it and continue to the collector giving you a "step" header. You could even add 1 7/8" for the last bend or two into the collectors. The step headers I did for some of my customers ran very well and the fact that the tubes slip over each other even makes the creation of each tube easier. Just be sure that the ports in the header are as big as, or slightly bigger than the ports in the head.
Keep up the good work, can't wait to see the start up video!

 

The tires are Towel City. 15X9. I think they are like 29 inch tall. I have a set of Ford Headers that are close. I bought a cheap plasma cutter and we are going to cut out some flanges. Yes, that is probably a little overkill but I just wanted to do it. I have other pieces we have to make also plus we will have it around for other things. I will get some elbows and make the Ford headers fit.

It's been slow but my buddy that owns the garage just bought a 56 Chevy 4 door and will soon be itching to 2 door it so we have to get moving on the Pontiac.

 

Thanks for the tire info.
Looks like a nice '56. Tell him to post a thread on the conversion, I'm sure there will be lots of interest.
I just looked and I have a set of Pontiac flanges that I'll never use. They are NOS Hedman that I've had squirreled away for years. They are 1/4" thick with 1 3/4" ports. PM me with your address and you can have them if you want them.

 

I finally got the cow catchers in the front trimmed.

 

Mostly just posting for a record of the progress in case I ever do get done........but I also wonder about something. My rear springs had one leaf that was cracked and the other side had been buggered up (for some reason I never bothered to actually count the leaves). Took them to a spring shop (the only one anywhere near close to me).

We re-arched the fronts ourselves (pics are earlier in post) and took a couple days. I got lucky I think. One side had an extra leaf for some reason and it happened to be the one that was cracked on the other side. This shop has a really good reputation and highly recommended so..........He looked at my springs and said they were otherwise in excellent shape. That they no longer make the steel for a beveled leaf spring and he would re-arch them and put the extra one in place of the cracked one and I would be as well off as him making a new set. It's wonderful to have the right equipment as he had it done in little time. Sound right?

The lower bracket pinched with the later axle and perch. We decided rather than drill new holes to just make a new bracket (again, a multi day job for us hackers) LOL. On the factory mount the shocks mount below the spring. We did it so it would mount above it and I should be able to change tires without removing the shock. (Sound and look right)?

 

I never thought about changing the shock mounting location like that. Going with a longer shock and moving the lowest point higher up, should equate to letting the axle drop farther down. I'll have to do something to make changing tires easier on dragweek. And I'm not cutting the quarters.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

They aren't perfectly square but I wonder if you could flip them from one side to the other? Stick the mounting bolts up as opposed to down? Like I said, mine pinched so I had to do something else also.

 

I'll look into that


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

It shocks now. QUESTION: I've seen this answered but I'm working nights (and obviously not getting enough sleep so I don't feel like searching). I need to taper the steering arm to put the tie rod end through the top as opposed to the bottom. This is off an early 50's Chevy truck. What is the taper? What bit do I need and shouldn't I do something else as the bottom is still going to be tapered? (Sorry, never done this before).

 

7 degrees and you can buy a reamer from speedway I believe


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thank you! It works OK with the bottom still being tapered? (I'm assuming so but I'm still going to ask)

 

Yes but be careful and don't ream it too deep you don't want the tapered part of tie rod end below the bottom of the steering arm because if you bottom the nut out it won't be tight lol


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

dang, $90 at Speedway for a reamer. I think I'll run it over to the local machine shop and see what they can do.

 

Two Ten Hard Top belt line! If it was a Chevy. But enough of that. Nice build

 

A lot of Pontiacs got butchered to fix a Chevy.

 

If the hole is way larger than the small end of your taper at the bottom a new larger taper would be the best fix.

 

Got started on the headers. Other two are made up, hopefully together tomorrow though this is the easy side. Original plan wasn't a good one. Anyone need small Ford Fenderwell headers (can be seen on floor). Will sell cheap.

Thanks to BCHCTYBOB for the flanges.

 

What'd you start with for the headers? Just buy some tubes? That's what I ended up having to do with mine.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Yep. As noted, BCHCTYBOB sent me a set of flanges we started with.