Projects 39 Pontiac Coupe (series 25 small body) build

Great find thanks to Hamb member Wayfreight! I now own a radiator support.

 

Been slowed down lately with a dislocated elbow, been trying to get back at it. Straightening, sandblasting and treating radiator splash guards. Every little bit helps.

 

Today's project. The RR fender well is pretty much missing where the fender bolts up. Cutting away the rot and scabbing in some fresh steel.

 

Time to replace the tail pan. I ordered a 39 Chevy tail pan from EMS and it looks to be a good fit. Wish me luck.

 

So it occurred to me that I need to align the new tailpan with the rear fenders also. So I'll be working it all together.
Both rear fenders need repair. LR is very straight but rotted away in the ass end. RR is a disaster. It wss WAY heavier than its counterpart. It was packed with bondo pushing 1/2" thick in spots.
Why in the world would you pack in that much bondo without even attempting to hammer out the worst of it?
Pressing on...

 

RR - wire wheeled to remove all bondo remnants and hammered out the worst of the dents. Now looks and feels like a moonscape. Gonna try and run it on a phlanishing hammer to smooth it out.
It also has a gnarly patch brazed on which explains some of the bondo...trying to hide it. I'll cut that out and scab in a better repair.

 

Poor ol fender has been abused.

 

First auto application -- in the early fifties, Bill Devin built some small sports/racing cars with Panhard two cylinder boxer engines. Some engines were built adapting Norton-Manx overhead cam heads, on which Devin used toothed belt drives. Devin was too busy racing and making Devin fiberglass bodies to commercialize the idea.

First mass produced application was by Glas (later bought by BMW) in 1962. Fiat's 124 (first twin cam application), Pontiac and Vauxhall (GM British subsidiary) were next into the game, in 1966.

 

Impressive knowledge of automotive history; AND, I figured out what desmodromic means.

 

Between me and Google, we know most everything!

 

Have you found a good hood ornament / hood release? There's one on that auction site, but it isn't cheap. I needed one for my 41 Pontiac Streamliner.....It wasn't cheap either.

 

Negative on the hood ornament. To this point, I have never seen one for sale at any price.

 

In light of your missing hood ornament problem, I suggest doing what custom car guys have always done ; eliminate it altogether. One of the first things done to a car was to nose and deck it - get rid of extra ornamentation. Back then, it made sense because stock versions of our cars were all over the place and it made our cars special. Now it serves another purpose - those hood ornaments have become collectible trophies and are nowhere in sight. Make a custom bullnose ornament. The unwashed masses will never know what is missing.

 

I hear ya....but... I've been doing some metal casting of late. I want to have a functional ornament/release but with a custom ornament portion. I have it all figured out, I just need a dimension or two from a stock 39 ornament and I'll have a true one of a kind.

 

As far as the Pontiac engines being so large, here is a pic of a 389 Pontiac in my '34 Ford. Plenty of room in a '34 Ford, even more in a '39 Poncho.



Now, I promise I will quit picking on your Chevvie engine choice. They are actually a great little engine. (don't tell anybody I said that.) You are doing fine so far, keep it up.

-Abone.

 

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it's listed as a 39 / 40 Pontiac hood ornament / latch.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1939-1940-...005194?hash=item21632fe9ca:g:sRcAAOSwep1dkTMj

This is also listed, but only as for a 40 Pontiac. Looks like the same latch, though.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1940-Ponti...AMLv5PairwiseWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1

 

Yep, I saw that one. It won't fit a 39 Series 25. I actually have that same one on my workbench that I borrowed for a test fit.
Thanks for the heads up..
Ps. A 39 showed up tonight on Ebay for $595... Ouch!

 

Finally located a set of vent window assemblies for the Poncho! After digging around the internet for a year, I figured out that 39 Chevy 4 door sedan vent windows should fit the 39 Poncho. The arrived today and fit like a glove.

 

Just for future reference Chevy car vent windows for 37-39 are all the same size and shape, difference is 39 has the lock pin. They should also fit the small body other GM too but don’t quote me on that

 

Oh sure....NOW you tell me...lol

 

Lol if I had been paying attention I would have said something sooner, I only discovered this within the last week though when I was looking for some myself

 

Trying to make some progress on the Poncho project. Just learning about the miracle of citric acid and am utterly impressed so far. I soaked the radiator support and various items and pulled them out this morning. Amazed at the difference. Inner fenders went into the bath today

 

Remember as a kid, riding along down the newly tarred and graveled roads? That distinctive smell of fresh tar and the sounds of sticky gravel slinging into the wheel wells? Great childhood memories...right up until you spend two hours chipping that stuff out of the Poncho fenders...lol

 

Anyone have any idea what the large hole in the LH fwd inner fender well was for?

 

I once had a 1940 Pontiac and IIRC the long narrow 6 volt battery lived there and was visible behind the LF tire.

 

I just made up a cover panel for my 46 Olds as I moved the battery. 4 x nutserts and a sheet of flat steel, problem solved.

 

So was there some type of tray mounted to the frame extending into the fender well? Seems like a messy setup..

 

The battery tray was entirely inside the engine compartment. One side of the battery was exposed through the cutout. I guess it was a cost savings to not put metal there.

 

Makes sense... I can see where the cutout had some type of rubber seal around the edges which would have been a weather seal.