Projects Wild 577" Blown Injected AWB Tempest Funny Car build...for the street!

Steve...wow, Super Ambitious project for sure. I'm the guy putting together a 370 from a little 57 Pontiac 347 [.125" overbore] and was wondering what you're using for oil pumps for these early Poncho engines..I've been told the newer and [easy to find ] new Melling pumps won't clear the early crankshaft and the early pontiac pumps have been out of production for many years. And what are you going to do for a starter???? Any words of wisdom?
TIA...

 

Fantastic stuff! How can anyone not be interested in something like this is beyond me. Thanks a lot for posting this!

 

A custom block carved on a manual mill, I guess so! Please take lots of pictures, I'm sure some of the machinist forums I'm a member of would also like to see that.

 

Steve, I'm speechless...I've always taken your advice to heart on anything Pontiac related and heard you mention these engines before in other threads, but seeing the pics of them and their innovative beauty is really something else...I wish I lived locally to you to be involved and help out with machining (and learn a hell of a lot along the way)...best of luck to you in all of your projects, and if your travels ever bring you up into MN I'd be glad to meet up with you and talk all things Pontiac and machining...

 

Very cool.

 

I don't suppose it matters, but any idea projected of how many man hours that will be involved? I can easily see this is defiantly focused on quality and not on production numbers.
One day, these things will be more rare than the Mickey heads on them.
I've seen machinist-modelers make small motors that run, but this is really unreal

 

I ran Pontiacs back in the late 70s when the rare 4 bolt blocks and SD rods were the cool stuff and bought a lot of parts from Nunzi in NY. I was amazed at this thread! Thank you for posting all this, look forward to more.

 

Great job this is going to be one wild ride.

 

I have yet to build a Pontiac enfine older than a '59. the '59s use the same pumps as the newer ones do. I do have several '55-'58 engines and projects but, not starting on them yet.

As for oil pump, I would try a later pump to see where it does not fit. Cannot imagine it being too hard to do to make it work. Please let me ( us ) know what you find out.

On the starter- For the AA/Fueler it uses a 36 volt blower mounter starter
For the Tempest, I will be building a block mounted or bellhousing mounted starter depending on which engine is used. There will be some fab work needed on the 577" to use the block mounted starter.

 

Yes, a lot of work and will not be as pretty as unsing a cnc deal. Still, things were made before cncs existed. cncs are great to quantity stuff and they make a prettier finished product.
I have no cnc capability at this time. things may change. Have also looked into having someone carve them out for me on a cnc too but, they want aboutn $6,000 for each. At that price, want to try to do it myself.

Have 2 mills, 1 standard size. the other I bought specifically for this job, has a 10" riser and 750 pound table capacity. also have enough L-R travel to make an entire pass across that my standard mill does not. I am not a machinist, am a hobbiest. Still think I can do it.- 1 step at a time for sure.

 

Geez, what can I say? I am flattered by your nice words. I am just a hot rodder who really like the Pontiac engine. Nothing more. I put my pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us. I do love to travel and have been to 47 states, inv yours. Most of my travels have been with Pontiac power too. They are just great engines.
If you get out to Az, look me up of course.

Thank you again to everyone for all the encouragement and kind words. I do not get many words of enthusiasm or encouragement on the Pontiac boards. This place is real hot rodding.

 

no idea but, it has consumed a large part of my life and continues to do so, second only to the Lord.

I am away for a few days to get in some snowboarding in Az high county at my new place. Will get some more build pics of the Tempest posted in a day or 2.
All this discussion is neat but, we have even begun to discuss my blown, injected '62 M/T Pontiac HEMI engine in my Hondo flatbottom or the AA/FD. Some of it overlaps though.

 

Can´t understand that at all. they must be a strange bunch.

Great thread.

 

Sad GM dropped the Pontiac name too. Thinking about it now Applekrate, I'll take this as a sign.
I'm Tom S. from Tn. (raise my name up if you get a chance, will you, and if you don't mind, I'll send you a PM at this site. I've taken away a lot of your time on this forum)

 

Sweet, I LIKE IT!

 

The next pics coming will be more of the body being converted to an AWB funny car. As stated, I am trying to do this like it would have been done in 1965. No powder coating, no real pretty craftsmanship, just a couple of guys with ideas cutting, fitting and welding it together. Much of the work on all the car in the last few years has also been done on dirt. I do not even have a concrete slab so it is real down to earth.
No slab because I am in the process of moving and will build on the new prop a nice sized shop for my toys. Just explaining this in case when you see pics of working on the dirt, you wonder why? I have to assemble my engines the same way too for now. It's not so bad just, lesser conditions than most are used to. the mills are inside a simple metal shed with a dirt floor too.

After the main body, we'll cover-
* all the work to modifiy the fenders
* narrowing the rear end ourselves
* frame work front and back
more

Hosting-
14th annual Pontiac Heaven Phoenix March 30-1 www.pontiacheaven.org

 

Steve, breaking bread sounds great! I will get ahold of you when I know when i will be getting in.

matt

 

Amazing car. Now give it to me!

 

Here is more of how we did the wheel houses on the Tempest.






Hosting- 14th annual Pontiac Heaven March 30-1 Phoenix www.pontiacheaven.org

 

awesome built, really neat stuff. I love altered wheelbase cars

 

Here are some mock ups of the 577 being fitted into the chassis. These are test fits, etc.



The block and deck plates shown are the actual 577" parts. You may note the differences in the earlier posted set of plates. These are more finished.



You can see the gun drilled cooling holes that run the length of the plates under the exhaust side. They are tapped and have allen plugs in there for now. Note also the larger counter bores where the head studs would be. They are bolted down there with 1/2" thread allens. You can also see the drilled and tapped thread holes on the valley and exhaust side that will mount the external bracing.
The clultch can is a Lakewood SFI 6.3 spec for a Lenco.

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Where in the world did you find a piece like that 3 disc clutch can to go on this monster ? That had to be a hard to get part from Lakewood even back in the day.

 

I bought the SFI 6.3 clutch can shown new from Lakewood. Have 2 others for my AA/Fueler as well that are SFI 6.2 ( no starter pocket) as well. They are available new.

 

I'm so used to hand me down swap meet parts, I forget about new parts!
Tom S.

 

Here is another pic of the nock up short and bell going into the chassis. You can clearly see the counterbored holes where the stock head bolts go. The deck is 2" thick, the counterbores are 1 1/2" deep leaving 1/2" of material for the allen head bolts to secure to the block deck. There is about an inch of depth left above the allen bolts. One of the next things to do on this engine project is to mount it in my larger mill flat to the deck. Then will be tapping these counterbores,. I had special thread inserts made that will screw in these threaded holes. The ID of these thread inserts is 9 1/6" which will be the size of the head studs.
Once this job is done ( not sure when I will get to it ), then the block can be squared decked. Once I know that, I can order my pistons. I have the rest of the lower end parts- Crower billet crank and rods, oil pump, etc. After that it will be balanced. I can imagine the balance job with be quite extensive! then, it goes together!



This is the right quarter with some mudd now on it. This side ended up needing more filler than the other side due to the gas welding. Its just a race car anyway, not going to be a mint flawless show car.



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What a great build you got going. It seems to me that block
would have to be sleeved, so that there is no part line between block
and plate. Is that correct ?
and X2 on the dedicated car sites that don't get our kind of builds.
I think most of them like them left stock. I get some interest in mine
on the other sites but more so here.
I was even asked to bring to the Melt Down Drags even if its not running.

again awesome-- build keep at it...

 

Yes,

The sleeves for the 577" were custom ordered to my specs and are the full length from the bottom of the cyl to the deck. There is no parting line where the cyls are.
Am looking for pics I took back then to share. I remember taking pics with the custom sleeves next to a stock replacement sleeve.

Today, I dropped off a pair of front disc rotors to a shop. Going to have them drilled for a 4 1/2" bolt circle. Have a nice set of narrow, vintage slot mags in that pattern and it is cheaper to have the rotors redrilled than to locate another set of wheels.
Also picked up my custom magneto base I had modified. this special unit will give me more room with the 14-71.

Then, checked with another shop that is working on my spool and carrier housing. There are custom billet caps and they need to be machined to fit the carrier.

Another thing, checked on my custom magneto being built, should be done in a week or 2.

In the meantime, found another Pontiac Vertex mag and bought it.

Lots to do on this special build.

Will be posting more pics too.

 

any more progress?

 

vary cool will be watching good luck

 

Awesome build.