I may be picking up 2 55 pontiacs... I know some trim is the same or close to say the 55 chevy but what about sheetmetal (inside) frame and suspension? Ive tried to search but im not having much luck. thanks in advance. I do hope I get these, if I do I will be having a bunch of parts for sale cheap, I only want to get one going and the other used for a parts car.
Waaaay back in hi-skrool I had a 55 Poncho with 55 chev front sheet metal on it....it confused a few folks. As mentioned, the frame is different and everything related to a clutch is completely different. .
Canadian 55' Poncho's were basically 55' Chevy's in pontiac trim, so unless you have one of the pathfinders or laurentians, it pretty much shares nothing underneith with other makes.
I have a 55 Pontiac and thought about converting it to a 55 Chevy way to many dfferences.Dash Front sheetmetal,Chassis,Rear quarter sections from the center of the wheelwell back top and bottom,the middle is the same so I left it as a Pontiac.
The glass, doors, interior window trim, seats, headliner bows, and trunk lid are interchangeable. The "Canadian" Pontiacs were on a Chevrolet chassis, had Chevrolet V-8's or Chevrolet 261 sixes, dashes, and the wagons/deliveries had the same shape so 55 Chevrolet lights could be used; the sedans/hardtop/convertables used different Pontiac tail lights. USA Pontiacs were longer, different chassis, and the more typical Pontiac interior. A 55 Chevrolet front end sheet metal would go on a true 55 Canadian Pontiac, but won't fit a USA 55 Pontiac; the mounting/frame is different and there is a difference in the wheel base (longer). Chevrolet was 115 inch WB, Pontiac was 122 or 124 inch WB, depending on the model. Canadian Pontiac was 115 inch WB. I had seen a 55 Canadian Pontiac Sedan Delivery that had a 55 Chevrolet front end installed, along with the 55 Chevrolet taillights so it looked like a 55 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery. It had a 261 six and 3-speed, and the "story" of the car was on a posterboard displayed with the car. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Holy Crap! Makes you wonder what in the world were they thinking? Does anybody else think American car manufacturers over-complicated themselves into oblivion?
I just went out and took a measurement (rough) on my 55 Pontiac and my 55 Chevy, and from the front door edge eyeballing the center of the wheel Pontiac is around 4 inches longer
cool thanx for all the replies! I was mainly curious about the sheetmetal bit, I havnt seen under the car but I thought I saw the frame running like a regular frame instead of an X frame through a common floor hole... could be just a support? Im relieved that the glass and soft trim is interchangeable... makes things possibly easier. Solid cars other than regular floor rot.
How did you deal with the extra 7" of wheel base on the pontiac chassis compared to the chevrolet? The Canadian front fenders are much shorter between the door and wheel to compensate, as well as a shorter hood that fits the shorter fenders.....
I made the mistake of purchasing a '55 Pontiac without doing more research, thinking that it would be an easy project since I'm very familiar with the tri five Chevys. Should have found a Canadian one instead. I hate the frame and suspension, also the front brake drums are a bit difficult to locate.
...hhhmmmm. lets see, 47 years ago and you expect details? Must be the Bumble Bee theorem. All I recall is that they bolted on and I drove the car for quite some time. It was an oem manual trans car. I later sold it and bought a gorgeous 55 with the black over turquois paint. I paid $40 for the 'bruise' (as my friends called it) and drove it for 2 years before moving up to a 64 Dodge Polara. These details I do recall...nuts and bolts not so much. .
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