Ok, so I am new to this site but I am a member of the 47-present Chevy truck forum. I recently bought a 55 pontiac star chief. We are in the process of fixing her up a bit and I am in need of some ideas and maybe even sources for parts. I recently started looking online for stuff and found out the hard way, that there are little or no places for parts, especially for the 4 door that I have. Any help. pics and ideas would be greatly appreciated. Oh btw, I am Irish and have only been here a few years to forgive my ignorance with respect to some of the older GM models etc.
love the mid 50's pontiacs as do alot of others here do a search youll find alot BUT before you do that do an introduction per the rules
It's a labor of love when you are dealing with a cousin of a Chevrolet! I know quite a bit about this other tri-five series. P.M. me if you have questions or are looking for some odd part, I have a few connections after 27 years! Good Luck and don't get discouraged!
Ames Performance has reproduction parts. Kanter has mechanical parts. California Pontiac is another one, I've never used... Some body, trim and weather strip parts interchange with Chevrolet, and Danchuk is a good source for all that. Parts are out there you just have to look a little harder. Good luck, Bryan
I can vouch for California Pontiac Restoration (pontiacparts.net) Mods if this is against the rules please delete: Also try pontiacsafari.com they have an online master parts catalog, lots of tech stuff, and an online shop manual. Finally, join the pontiac1950s group at Yahoo groups. Very helpful bunch of guys there! Johnny
Welcome to the HAMB! The best advice I can offer as to ideas for that '55 is to get a couple of good images of the car and go to the Photoshop thread, http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=300531&highlight=photoshop and request a change that interests you. I can't guarantee that someone will give of their time and skill, but that thread is pure magic, and just looking at similar cars that have been transformed (in 2D, at any rate) may get you started. Best of luck!
Having owned 11, 55-57 Pontiacs I can say they're a fun car to own IMHO. I always had 2 door cars except for a 55, 4 door wagon I got in Grants Pass a few years ago. I always kept Pontiac drive trains in mine but usually upgraded to 59 or '60 Pontiac 389 engines for the added power. If you just want a cruiser an original 55 engine is fine but keep a spare rocker arm or 3 in your glove box. They're prone to breaking for some reason. The HAMB classifieds is a good place to find parts as is the Year-One pontiac site. They have an early Pontiac big-car forum just for us guys. Lots of 55 owners there with parts for sale. I've always wanted to try an early [68-72] rear-steer nova subframe under a 55 using the later mid 70s camaro/trans am varaiable-ratio power steering box and 1.25" stabilizer bar. Used one under an old 50s ford pickup and it drive great..that would get rid of the old king-pin suspension and get the front down with full suspension travel and the early nova should be narrow enough to fit under the fenders ok. A 57 Pontiac rear axle is a direct bolt-in and is about 30% stronger..also gives you more choices for axle ratios. The tallest gears you can run in the 56 and earlier axle housings is 3.23s....some guys have said 3.08s were available but I've never seen them.. As a long time HAMBer, a fellow Pontiac fanatic and born and bred Oregonian [now displaced in the midwest] , Welcome to the HAMB.
Cheers Rocky!! I am a Poncho virgin and I already love this car. I've spent a lot of time since I got it, sitting in the thing day-dreaming about cruising it. I haven't got a lot of dollars to throw into her but I am definitely going to get her up and running soon. I have a small block 400 and th400 setup to go into her and the rear has been lowered with 3" blocks for now. I almost have everything to bag the front end and I am going to start to clean up all of the wiring in the engine bay this weekend after she is in paint. We don't like our cars/trucks to be perfect, but clean, low and everything needs to work as it's supposed to.
Go for it The Chevy engine will be a lot cheaper and should drop in after making up motor side-mounts and a tranny crossmember [55 Pontiacs didn't have one] although I'd HAVE to have Pontiac power in mine.
Don't let anyone bitch about it being a 4 door. It's STILL a mid Fifties Pontiac.....I have a young family so it's still as valid and handy as it was then!
Nice find, I love the 57 GM offerings, especially those other than the chevy. I was hoping to find a wagon like the one rocky posted, but I was in a trading only situation, so i ended up with my next choice, a 49 fleetline.............. Rocky, is that your old wagon in the pic? James
The car actually came with a tranny cross-member and the th400 looks to be rebuilt. The torque converter looked brand new and there was no tranny fluid in the pan. I'm hoping the motor is good too. We marvel mystery oiled the cylinders and let it sit and got it to turn over. I have the gasket kit on order for it and I am looking for a performer manifold for it at the moment. I have a couple of rebuilt carbs for it, and a brand new dizzy, so we will find out pretty soon. Any recommendations on the mounts?
Amen to that one. I have little shop monkeys that just don't fit in the trucks too easy and this one is a lot safer in my opinion.
Yup...that's the one I got in Grants Pass, Oregon..traded my 50 chevy delivery for it and sold it at BTT50s in St Paul, Minnesota. Irish, If you can find old Rodder's Digest magazines there's an article on making side mounts to put a later 421 Pontiac engine in Burger's 55 Pontiac. Chevys use a similar setup and it's pretty basic fabrication stuff.
Rocky, what engine would a 65 starchief have in it?, thought you might now since your knowledgeable on poncho's
Very nice Pontiac! I love the 4 doors I have a 56 Chevy 4 door that's like your car's cousin haha I know that the Chevy's and Pontiac's shared SOME parts so that may help you out. I can't wait to see what you do with it!
I ran the numbers on this motor. It says its a Chevy 400 SBC. Are there any ways of knowing if its poncho or chevy by just looking at it? Pics attached...
Chevy engine... Also I've seen chevies mounted in them with a Hurst mount. Than run 2 passenger side manifolds so you have the front exit like the Pontiac 287 if you don't have room for a rear exit manifold on the driver side.
I am doing a 400/400 in my pontiac, much easier that adapting a newer trans to the pre 63-64 style bell housing. Keep it PONTIAC.
How did you know what colour combo I was goin with??? In my case it will be satin but the exact same colours. Awesome pics. thank you!!!
A fellow PDX'r. I hope to have her on the road soon too. Bodywork, motor and air bags are all in process.
Irish1955..did ya score the lighted hood ornament?those things are freaken wicked,i used to leave the ornament on late at night & just stare it,
as far as I can tell that's a SBC, Pontiac have different shaped heads with a number like 4x/6x/ 17 or something usually on middle exh port
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