Projects 1960 Pontiac Catalina Stick Car!

Very cool Congrats!!

 

engine number 37M.....'62 & 63, 389, 2 bbl, 283 hp, automatic.

 

Took the rear seat out of the 63 star chief and surprisingly it fits okay.... at least we’ll enough until a stock one falls from the sky along with a front seat!


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Had had high hopes to pull the engines out of the two cars but the rain slowed us down. However; the 63 engine is actually Pontiac blue underneath the dust and grime.


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Correction, sorry not Pontiac blue. Lol


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Well, if a man is wearing a dress, then it becomes a man's dress.

 

Just FYI, That right side fender mirror is pretty hard to find in decent shape. As a pair they could help fund your project.

 

Thank you for the tip. I’ll be nice to it when it comes off. We’ve been pretty gentle taking stuff apart even with the stuff that was crunched.


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I got my adapter from Butler yesterday so hopefully now I can mock up the 63 engine with the later bellhousing.


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Great tip on that CLR thing, could have used that on a couple of cars that came my way

 

Engines disconnected. Ready to be pulled. Hope I never forget pictures like these.


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This was the stamping on front passenger side of engine block on my car, and the VIN.

 

I didn’t realize they stamped the vin into the engine! Cool


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Just saw this post, I have a lot of 60 Pontiac Catalina parts if interested. I probably have enough trim to do a complete car plus other parts.

 

Thank you! I’ll touch base soon!


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Boys did good pulling the engine out of the 63. Not one broken part. I was impressed!
Obviously dad helped they did the dirty work.


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Bye bye automatic!


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The 63 block bellhousing bolts are 7/16 and the scatter shield looks like 3/8’s. Pontiac used different bolts on the later engines??????


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My 57 engine uses 7/16ths bolts.

 

I’m thinking I’m going to drill them out.


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Not a whole lot of progress this past week as I am having to rebuild my kitchen due to water damage. But I did get the 59 engine and trans unbolted. Hopefully I’ll get it pulled this weekend.
The kids and I have been polishing the original paint for fun. It amazes me what can been done to original paint. Can’t do that with clear coat!


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Nice

 

Got my original 1960 Pontiac chassis book in the mail!


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We were able to get the 59 engine out of the Catalina before it started raining. One of boys made the comment “this is exciting dad, we’ve never taken the engine out of a car with the front fenders on.” Lol I’ve had them take plenty of cars apart. I guess it was good practice for doing it to a “nicer” car.


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So the little 3 spd is only 16 inches long from the front of the case to the end of the tail housing which is about 5 inches shorter than a regular T10. I believe 60 was the first year for the 4 spd? Or did they have a different cross member/trans mount with an obviously shorter drive shaft for the T10?????? Does anybody know????


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1960 was the first year a four speed was offered in Pontiacs. I believe it was a mid-year, special order thing; it wasn't a regular production option until 1961.

I don't know about 1960, but in 1961 they came with long or short tail shafts, depending on whether they were installed in a Catalina/Ventura or a longer wheelbase Star Chief/Bonneville.

 

That's a Muncie 318 trans. Identical to the 318 used in Chevrolets. They started using the short tailhousing and rear mount in 1958. I notice your scattershield is drilled for both GM and Ford Transmissions. A full syncro ford three speed from behind a FE would be plenty strong for your car. Some GM actually came frome the factory with a ford Warner three speed trans.