Canadian versions - good or bad?

I like the Canadian '54 Dodge, basically the same thing as the US version, but I like the grille better.

 

Bad: Fords retained the "crash box" non-synchro three speed transmissions two years longer in Canada (i.e. until 1964). I think Valiants also used crash boxes for a year or two longer here in Canada.

Road draft tubes (aka "stink tubes") were retained for several years longer in Canada.

There were numerous smaller mechanical differences, sometimes just different suppliers of die castings, and sometimes different designs. For instance the early Ford small blocks had a plainer air cleaner (resembling a 60s GM unit) than the US units. However they both used the same filter element.

 

Reading this thread brought back a memory. My dad bought new Pontiacs in '59, '62 and '66. All were 4 door hardtop Parisiennes. I think it was the '62 that came into the dealership with "Parisienne" on one front fender and "Laurentian" on the other. I don't remember it being a big deal to repair so I'm guessing that both names were attached with the same locating holes. It made for a good laugh at the time.
That was the first car I ever drove in my life. Dad had already showed me how to operate the controls and back it up and down the driveway. I was 10 and early one Sunday morning I was going with Dad to help at my uncles gas station in the next town, 15 miles away. When we got a ways out of our town Dad says "do you want to drive"? I thought is he kidding? No, he wasn't kidding. I got behind the wheel and drove that '62 all the way to the edge of the next town. I still smile thinking about it and the '62 has always been one of my favorite Pontiac's.

 

...i'm not sayin that they are good, but i really dig the subtle differences!

 

I had a 1957 Pontiac Sedan delivery, one of 682 made in Canada using basically a 57 Chev body, chassis and suspension with a Pontiac front clip and rear fenders, taillights & bumpers..........bought it here in Oz unrestored around 1996, sold it still unrestored in around 2005.....sorry no pics but both US and Canadian Poncho lovers couldn't believe one ended up downunder and no one here when I bought it knew what it was.....lol...........good thing about it was that I was able to get all the suspension parts, body rubbers, bushes and window seals easily as they were all chev......the Pontiac parts were an issue tho.......unfortunately I have no pics of it and I've been told that the guy that I sold it to ended up making a 57 Chev Sedan delivery out of it...........bugger!......the POCI club knew of 3 or 4 when I contacted them but, a couple that had been restored but they ain't common............andyd

 

That is ultra-cool!!

 

Pontiac sedan deliveries were rare but they did exist. A local appliance store had half a dozen 1952s. They were seldom ordered as they cost a few bucks more than a Chev.

I suppose some business wanted them enough to order them and wait a few months for delivery. Unless they were ordered by the Australian Pontiac importer as an advertising novelty and service vehicle.

 

Rusty, the 57 Poncho Delivery I had was a genuine Canadian built version, it was imported into Oz in the mid 1990's as a basket case with a pile of other US Fords, I was told it came from Montana, but that's only what the Guys I bought it from said........for Pontiac here in Oz we only got 4 dr Sedans from 1955 to 1957, all were V8s with 3 speed manuals, NO options like Air,steer, power windows , just V8 and 3 on the tree, all were proper Poncho suspension too, ie, kingpin frontend as Pontiac's 1st ball joint was 1958 from what I understand.......all Oz 55-57 Pontiacs used a RHD 1955 Chev dash also, no proper RHD 55-57 Poncho dash exists as far as I am aware......the 1955-57 Oz Chevs also used the same RHD 1955 dash as these were the easiest to convert.

 

andydodge, this is very interesting info. My '57 Canadian Poncho, which is mechanically a Chevy, has a lot more in common with a '56 Chevy than a '57. So they were already stickin' it to us Canucks in '57, selling us a '56 Chevy at '57 Pontiac prices. Some things never change.

 

When I started my working life in Detroit in the late 60's we had a lot of Canadians working at the dealership. One had a 56 Meteor Crown Vic. I bugged him for months to sell me that car. Finally he bought another car and sold me the CV. With all the muscle cars sold back then I was a bit "out of step" driving it but I didn't care. I loved that car. Usual story, I had to sell it when I got drafted.

 

Does the Canadian version of an "Ahooga" horn go "Ehhhhh"?

 

I do not believe you asked that LMFAO

 

Anything else?

 

I have a 51 Meteor grille, took me years to find with a lot of help from some Canadian rodders. Plan was to install it on my 51 Ford, never did probably won't. Should probably sell it. Am convinced that its style caused a lot of guys to mount 54 Pontiac grilles in shoeboxes.

 

Dang

 

Here is a better photo of that 2-door hardtop '54 Dodge Mayfair:
...i have never seen another one of these before...not even a photo of one!

 

Hahaha, that's some good humour there! I like that!

 

How about a 1950 Canadian Pontiac . Chevy body, torque tube , 239 flat 6 ,Pontiac dash and grill . Model Fleetleader

 

What a Cad, what an ultra maroon

 

Am I the first one in 3 years to get this joke? "Hello, I need to order some parts for my Model A, eh."

 

how come Canadian Pontiacs always had Chevrolet motors in them?... or did a few sneak by when I wasn't looking.

 

Mercury trucks were produced from 46 - 68. The 46-47 trucks are my favorite. I have a 1/2 ton and a very rare 47 mercury panel. 1 of 56 Mercury panel's

 

I missed it, for sure. Funny!

 

The Canadian market was different from the US market. Car makers built the cars in Canada to avoid paying import duties. But, the Canadian market was only 1/10 the size of the US market. So they could not afford to spend a lot of money on things like foundries to build many different engines.

One of GM's gimmicks was to make a Pontiac using mostly Chev parts with Pontiac trim and Pontiac flathead sixes, from the 30s to 1954. During this period no Pontiac eights were made in Canada, a few were imported but not many.

In 55 Pontiac went to an all V8 program which left GM Canada in a hole. They did not have a foundry to make the Pontiac V8 in Canada, were not interested in spending the money to build one, and did not want to pay a tax on importing engines.

So they went on building Chevs in disguise and calling them Pontiacs. Using Chev V8s and sixes. There was still a demand in Canada for six cylinder cars so they borrowed the Chev truck 261 and put it in the Pontiac. This gave them a little more power and helped justify the higher price.

That was basically the deal as long as they made rear wheel drive Pontiacs.

There were a few exceptions in the sixties. Specialty cars that were not made in Canada like the GTO and certain Firebirds. A few were brought in by GM and sold by Pontiac dealers but very few. I believe only after the Auto Pact took effect in 1966 which allowed them to bring them in without paying a tax.

 

Some interesting info! Thanks alot Rusty O'Toole!

 

I don't think you are really familiar with the Canadian usage of "eh". It works something like this.
Canadian: "So then we went down to Hooters, eh?" So there was this one waitress, man you shoulda seen the t*ts on er' eh?"
Same conversation in the States? "So then we went down to Hooters, AHOOOOGA!" So there was this one waitress, man you shoulda seen the t*ts on er' AHOOOOGA!".
ok, yea, on second thought, I can see how that could work...

 

Here is a better photo of that 2-door hardtop '60 Pontiac Laurentian:

 

Something different that You won't spot too often, is a Canadian built 2-door hardtop '56 Dodge Mayfair:

 

Has anyone ever seen another, or anything similar?

 

Boy, that Mayfair is a sweetheart