Projects 39 Pontiac Coupe (series 25 small body) build

Give Joe at DiOrio's Old GM Parts here in Portland, Or. a call, and ask him if he knows how the Pontiac 1/4 windows are held in. If he doesn't know, then Joe Sr. surely will. Both know these old 30's and 40's GM cars better than anyone I know of.
(503) 771-9416

 

Mine is set in rubber don’t know about the earlier models remember mine is a 41

 

But do you know how the rubber attaches to the body? Mine doesn’t have a flange, so it must be a type of U channel that fits around the glass and simply sits in the channel.

 

Yep I believe that is how mine went in been 15 years or more since I put new rubber in.

 

I think your on the right track on your quarter windows. A bit off topic but my 55 sedan has fixed quarter windows. Basically a u-shaped rubber with a small lip to seal on outer body. Rubber is pushed against inter body held in with six small L shaped brackets and inside garnish trim. Got the correct rubber from Steel rubber.

 

Woot, woot. Finally found a reference for my quarter window rubber. It is indeed a u channel. I figured so, just needed a confirmation.

 

Good deal guy Steele rubber had them for my car hopefully the will have the poncho. If you need the seals for the vent window better start saving now.

 

Yeah…the bad news is I have ZERO rubber with this project.

 

One of the gear heads that hang out at the shop said rubber the right way might have your stuff he said they had good prices.

 

Well, when it comes time to purchase glass and rubber, I foresee a “close my eyes and hand them my wallet” moment.

 

Check out auto city classics on the glass had mine for about 175 bucks plus shipping. All side glass no windshield or back glass mine was in great shape

 

So.. I'm heading to the salvage yard Friday to score a transmission for the Poncho. (I'm currently using a borrowed TH350 from the next door neighbor for mock up). So this brings up the next challenge.
If I should decide to maintain the original 4.11 rearend, how do I adapt the pinion flange? It has the old flat flange and I assume I'll need to update to a modern u joint? Anyone been through this?

 

Finally back on track…a little bit anyway.
I’ve been slugging through issues with the front suspension, but now have everything disassembled, reworked, painted, and ready for reassembly.
Without the engine in the car, I need weight on the frame to be able to jack the coil springs into place. (The engine is currently in pieces). So..I put a spicket into a 55 gallon drum and set it across the frame. At 8.3 lbs per gallon, then 55 gallons of water will give me 456 lbs. Should be plenty. After the springs are set, I’ll simply attach a garden hose and drain off the water. What could possibly go wrong?

 

Not sure if you solved your old rear yoke issue from Oct, but Pontiac used that differential until 56. In 56 they switched to the more modern U-joint and that's the yoke you need. Good luck

 

You need this conversion joint. I have this on my 1940 Olds and it works well.

 

Excellent! Thanks!

 

Finally back on the Poncho. Life just keeps getting in the way...
I managed to score a complete grill set and all four bumper brackets! Test fitting the new toys today.
Now time to climb back inside and resume floor repairs.. Did I mention I love welding inside a car, inside a steel building, in Florida in July?

 

That's gotta be a very tough grille to find for sure! But it sure looks cool!

 

Ok boys and girls...it's time for thoughts and prayers.
The entire rear section of the floor is roached. At first glance it looks pretty good. Its mostly there, but deeply pitty and pinholed. Impossible to weld to cuz it just blows through. So...
Im going to make me a floor panel. I am by no means a master fabricator nor welder, but no time like the present to practice. It will after all be hidden under the carpet . The existing floor is aolid enough to give me an idea on what I need to do. I'm currently fabbing two 8x20 pieces that go along the side walls. Once those are in, I'll have some meat to hang the floor on to.

 

Reality check #1- No way Im capable of fabbing a one piece floor with all these angles, bends, beads, humps, contours, joggles and scary shapes. So.. few smaller pieces with fewer details.
So 1st; Each rear corner has these lifted areas, apparently for the rear seat. (Check out the attached pic where I outlined the shape for clarity). I'll simply eliminate them altogether. Heck, this car never had a rear seat when built ( so says my homework) as a Quality 6, 5 passenger Sport coupe. Front bench and two jump seats in the rear. Either way, it won't have a rear seat.
Now as for the driveshaft hump. I'll eliminate it also. If I find I need the clearance later, I'll cut a slot and fab a hump later down the line. Now I should be able to make a relatively flat floor with a front and rear angle bent into it, add the basic bead rolls, and figure out the rear corners later.
What could possibly go wrong?

 

I bought rear floor panels that were supposedly for '37-'39 Chev coupes, but as soon as I tried them I realized they weren't even close for a '39 Chev coupe. The fronts were close, but needed metal added to get from the panels to the rockers. The rears weren't even a little close, and by the time I cut them up to use them I'd have been way better off just using flat 20 ga. and making my own.
Like your rear floor mine didn't have all the odd shapes, and I didn't have the tools to make them. So I cut strips the width I needed and overlaid them on the floor to check fitment. Then welded the pieces together to get the various shapes, and cut out the old floors to weld them in. I bent my tunnel over a couple 2x4's and then used my hammer and anvil to get the final shape. Since my '39 is a gasser it didn't even need the tunnel, but didn't know that when I was doing the floors, so it got put in.

 

Looks good! That floor actually looks eerily similar to mine. I have a sheet of 18 gauge I bought a while back anticipating the worse.. and I own a Harbor Freight bead roller. As long as It comes out solid and keeps the weather out and the music in, I’ll be content.
BTW..what did you use to replace the under floor hat channels ?

 

My under floor braces were a surprise as they were barely pitted. Strange considering my floors were so gone the seller laid plywood inside to keep parts from falling through the big holes!
Not surprised my floors look similar since my '39 Chev is an Opera Coupe that once had the fold up rear jump seats also. I wish I could have found the seats, but since my car is finished now I stopped trying to find them.
I have a HF brake for bending metal, but it's a small 36" and worked for some of my floor, but not large enough to bend inner and outer rockers. I took my metal to a local HVAC shop and he bent rockers to my drawings with my metal for $10.

 

I scavenged a set of jump seats from an old Ford work truck in the local salvage yard. I think with a little modification, I can get them to work and look semi original.
Also..did you use dynomat sound deadening on your floors? I've had great results using pretty much the same stuff, but bought at Home Depot in the roofing area. Comes in rolls pretty cheap and looks exactly like dynomat.

 

Today's progress. Getting real...

 

That's the same sound deadener I'm using on mine, except I found it cheaper online. It's got the dense gray foam back, and I've done numerous cars with it over the years. Works great!

 

With the whole piece out you should be able to make up pieces to overlay on this pattern, and make it all an inch of two larger outside diameter and then cut to fit the final size.

 

Started fabbing floor pieces today. Made a construction paper template to make a plywood form to hammer shape my two rear corners. I used some old 18 gauge industrial shelving I had laying around. I'm pretty pleased with the results so far. Now if only I can get this jigsaw puzzle back together.

 

Good start! It might take some time, but once it starts to come together it will be great! I spent 6 months replacing rotted metal on mine at the beginning.

 

piece it to together , dont weld the perimeter and you can possibly remove it from the car and weld it on a work station.....