Projects 1955 Pontiac gasser build

Thanks Dil. I only have the supply half done for now, I still need to get a bypass regulator and return line. Between the hose (pushloc), fittings and filters it sure adds up fast! I''ll be running 8-AN supply and return along with a Carter 100 gph electric pump. The carb should be good as is, 800 cfm built by Cliff Ruggles. We'll see how it goes in the spring.

As if you didn't already have enough Pontiacs the blue 56 I posted on page 7 is from OK and I believe available.

 

I have a small update for you guys, I ended up selling my old Cragars for a little nicer pair and the fronts are an inch narrower (6"). I need some 735-14 or e/f 78 14 . I'll get them from Coker unless someone out there has a decent set for front runners for sale.

The back I decided to try some American Racers(old McCreary tire) and have heard some decent things about them. The pair was cheaper than 1 drag slick by itself and they will fit in my wheelwells , the size is 235/70/15 but more like a G-60 15. They were shorter than advertised, I was looking for a 28" tall tire, these are 26". These are bias ply.

I still have alot of finish welding to do and the fuel system. Also here's a poster I ordered from the Meltdown Drags I attended.

 

Still working away on this, most of the floor work is done and seats almost done and in. Getting more the body in primer for future paint job. I played around with the front bumper and took the lower section off, and mounted the bumper ends to the fender extensions...





And one outside with my bias plies mounted, I ended up with h78-14 on the front .
here's another pic outside before I got the bumper back on

 

looking good, keep at it. The Melt Down be here before you know it.

 

Looking GREAT!

 

Nice to see an update on this car.

 

Sweet....

 

Hey Bill. Looking great. I also settled on Cragars, 15X6's. But I used 2 inch backspacing to get the tire and wheel farther out and 205/75/15 radials.



The 205/75's are just over 27 tall and with my big sized car they look right. Mark L

 

Badass !!!! Whats the name of it gonna be?

 

Hopefully i'll get to call it "done" someday LOL.

I did pickup a 455 also for a future build , i'm hoping for a good solid 550 HP. I picked up the harnesses for the front seats today too.

 

Here's another Pontiac gasser that will be out in 2012, local guy that will run with us. http://youtu.be/TjfannyNTIA

 

Nice, too bad it's got the wrong engine in it though unless someone found a way to put bbc valve covers on a Pontiac LOL. To each their own.

Here's another 55 Pontiac gasser I found that will look pretty good when it's done.

http://millerschopshop.com/johns55.html

 

My dad is a Pontiac queer and has over 20 pontiacs when I told him about my plans for the 55 he said " Well you better put a real motor in there,sitting in the corner of the garage is a hi po 455 you can have."So he gave me a 455 block that is punched out .060 and all the internals are in boxes.I guess it came out of a 70's firebird drag car.

Everyday since seeing your thread I come back and look and it gives me sooo much inspiration.KEEP IT UP!

 

I picked up a couple seats from Summit Racing for now, my bench was in pretty bad condition and needs redone. I'll be racing this so i'm leaving the safety feature of the highback on, I know some guys saw it off for looks and redo the cover to match but i'm leaving it alone.

Theres probably a 1000 differant ways to do this but here's my take. I wanted adjustable seats and found some OT seats I robbed the seat tracks. Seats are just mocked in for now. I want to finish up the floor first.

 

I finished up the fuel system on the car. Not exactly Hamb friendly, but will work alot better than a stock type system, the tank was pretty rusty and only had a 5/16 outlet. -10 supply, -8 from regulator to carb and -8 return and -6 vent on the cell. The factory fuel gauge is 0-30 ohms and the closest sender was 0-90 , so I added in parallel a 47 ohm resistor to drop it back down to 0-30.

Especially needed when I get my 455 done. I was fuel starved at the track with my 389 so it should help out quite a bit. The throttle response is like night and day to what it was before.

 

HAMB friendly or not, the motor needs to eat. When I put the 429 and 4 speed in my old F100 I had the local radiator shop replace the stock fuel pickup and tank fitting with 1/2" stainless line & fitting. Never had a problem running lean on the top end. Mileage wasn't so great tho.

 

I got the front end finished up and primed for now to match the rest of the car, what do you guys think of the bumper treatment? I made a shield for the top of the radiator also, caught my finger a little one time I tried putting the cap on.



I finally got the brakes straightened out, the old factory proportioning valve for the dodge mc I was using wouldn't let me bleed it properly. I picked the dodge mc because it was similar to the Wilwood but 1/4 the price and all new. I added in residual valves for front and rear and an adjustable proportioning valve.

 

I love it!!!

 

Very Cool Build Man. It's Unique. Love it!

 

Bill things are coming along great. Gunna be an eye catcher. Mark L

 

Thanks for all the nice comments, this is as far as i've ever gotten with this car. I finally got the side trim mounted and most of all the bugs worked out. I still have a little work on the floors, the outside is going to look like this for quite a while. I'm done working on this for now , time to enjoy it. I'm going racing the next few weekends to get a better feel for the car and see how good I can get it down the track.

 

That is one cool looking car!! like it, like it a lot!!!

 

Looks tough!!

 

Starting to really like the tri five Pontiacs in gasser form. I had only thought of using a '57 until now. Now a '55/'56 would be great. Thanks Bill for making the visual a reality. Love it. Have fun. Mark L

 

Hay Bill thats looking real good. When I first saw this car something just
didn't look right as a Gasser.

But now it sure does, I just didn't think that body style would look right,
even though its close to a tri-five Chevys.
You nailed right on. I will be looking for it at Byron.

 

Ha ha, way to go man and truer words have not been spoken. Get out there and have fun,stay safe and give her hell !

 

Looking good, are you going to be at the "HUNNERT HEADS UP"?

 

No on the Heads up, but I still should be at the Meltdown Drags.

I'll be at Havana Il tomarrow for there spring nostalgic race also if my distributor cooperates . It just needs a new module, damn unilite.

 

http://www.danricksphotos.com/Centr...5279_dm4r7L#!i=1858171622&k=jV5kq4q&lb=1&s=XL

http://www.danricksphotos.com/Centr...85279_dm4r7L#!i=1858293383&k=JtCW7S9&lb=1&s=L

Here's a couple links from the track photographer from my race saturday

 

very cool. pontiacs are so badass