I have a chance to get a 57 Pontiac and have a few questions. I was picking up a trailer load of 3 wheelers and saw it sitting by a barn in the weeds. The guy said his grandfather drove it to that spot and pulled the rear end out to use in something else. I only got a quick look at it since it was getting dark and it was in some thick weeds. It's a 2 door hardtop and still has the V8 in it. He said he would take $200.00 for it. I am going to go back and get a better look at it. It's probably been sitting on the ground in the back for 30 or 40 years so I don't know how the frame or body will be. So my questions are what other rear ends can I put in it and do you think the frame will be rusted bad from sitting on the ground?
Man if you dont want it ? I would give $200 in a heartbeat It should have a 347 engine lots of body parts will fit tri five chevys. a rear out of a71 or 72 5 lug chev or GMC truck might fit. As for the frame rust the only way to tell is to get it up off the ground and have a look.If you decide not to buy it PM me I will pay you a finder fee. OldWolf
I am going to buy it. Even if it's just for the engine and parts. depending on how it looks when we get it pulled out in the open I might keep it and get it back on the road.
Where in the world do you think you can find a reasonably priced 57 pontiac rear end in good condition? The reason i suggested a truck rear is they are plentiful and have the same bolt pattern as the pontiac. OldWolf
I used a '77 TA rear, posi, strong and bolts in with the addition of two fabricated plates for your U-bolts and shocks. I did find later that you can purchase the plates with a bolt welded on for your lower shock mount from Chassis Engineering? or someone like that.
Where ? Hmmm Lets see ....... This is a site full of Hot Rodders & you ask WHERE can i find a rear end I have recently got 4 of these rears, 1 '57 Olds ..... FREE 1 '59 Pontiac .... $50.00 1 '57 Pontiac .... Traded F~1 pedals for it 1 '59 Olds .... $50.00 Also got a a 31 spline Posi unit for them for $300.00 But then i guess there are different levels of a True Car guy
yeah, can't argue...I am at that true car guy level that drag races his cars always which calls for a strong rear end for a '55 Pontiac. Wanting to keep it Pontiac because I had one to cut up simply helped with my decision to not go look for one. Upon reflection because I am really really super rich and rolling in so much cash I wish there had been some kind of '55 Pontiac gasser/altered/dragster or something anything that I could have taken the rear out of and no matter the cost spent more money to have made strong enough to handle lots of abuse. Maybe next time.
UMMMMM, WHAT ? Man, If yer THAT RICH.... Why go with a junk T/A rear end ? I think this guy needs to take his meds this morning
For what it's worth, if you just want to get rolling and have fun, there are a LOT of rearends that should bolt right in - the 57 Pontiac rearend is a tough unit and back in the day a lot of guys would put them into 55-57 Chevy race cars because they were stronger than the Chevy rear, and a bolt-in. The only tough part might be finding a rearend that bolts up that has a 5x5" bolt circle other than a 49-57 Pontiac or Olds unit. (The 49-56 Pontiac/Olds rear is not as strong a piece, but would be fine for a cruiser and plentiful as far as finding one). 59-60 Pontiac rears probably will not fit without narrowing, I know for a fact the axles are longer because when you adapt the later limited slip unit to the '57 housing you need the later axles with the correct spline count, and that means narrowing stockers or getting them custom made. You also would need to add perches, but that's not that big of a deal. As for finding them cheap, I have one in a car I paid $100 for, I could have had three more a couple years ago $100 each, and I can buy at least one more car now for around $500 that has one in it still. If I can find a 4dr in the same yard he'd probably hit me for less for it.
Don't know how it is where you live but around here there are no other 57 Pontiac cars to get one out of. None of the junk yards have anything older than the late 80's and most have late 90's and up. If I find one in another state shipping would probably cost more than I paid for the entire car that's why I asked what else would fit.
nope, no meds, I am one happy SOB and did not feel as if I was being "harped" on. Merely responding as to my where I stand in the hierarchy of true car guydom. I will use what is near and available and will work within reason. Possibly this guy is of the same opinion. The question was, "So my questions are what other rear ends can I put in it and do you think the frame will be rusted bad from sitting on the ground?" I offered how I did it, as to the rust I cannot answer and I don't think anyone can. Another possibility by posting the question is that he may be offered a rear end by someone that has bunch of them laying around.
Jeez, find anything that will give you about the same treadwidth as the front (might I suggest getting someone with a factory service manual to help you out with specs), weld on a couple of spring perches, adapt a driveline onto it, plumb the brakes, and forget it. If you need to just get it out of there asap or lose it (been there done that), anything jury rigged to float the rear of the car onto a trailer will work, even casters on a wooden box under the frame. Once you get home and take the pressure off, the right parts will show up eventually if you really look around, they always do. It ain't rocket science.
Not without a lot of modification, given the front clip is longer and the whole grille shape is different. The hinges may even be different.
Thats about the same crap here in Califony... Most all wreckers have late model shit & all the Old cars go to Memory Lane, Where they try & screw you for about 4 times its worth Maybe just drag it out with a junk rear & while yer fixing all the things wrong with it you can hunt down the Elusive Pontiac rear. Or go with a later one & narrow it. They have 31 spline axles anyways I am a true believer of the Use what ya got theory, However... I also believe tha What Ya Got isnt always the best Part for the job. So maybe somtimes a guy needs to get off his Ass, Turn off the H.A.M.B. & get out there and beat the bushes for the RIGHT parts for his build. I personally wouldnt put anything other than an Olds/Pontiac rear in the '57.. Even if i had to narrow up a wide one. Only other Rear i would consider is a Ford 9" that has the same 5on5 Bolt pattern. I just dont understand why people cobble up shit for the sake of " ITS WHAT I HAVE " Car has 5" pattern on the front... Put 5" pattern on the rear... Or spend some of yer Beer money & have the other end drilled to match the rear. All im saying is i hear alot of guys say they did this & they did that... But not to many of them go the extra mile.
Actually the 58-60 is close about 2 " wider I believe. 61-64 about 4" wider. 57-59 29 spline. 60=64 31 spline. Axle gears do not interchange between 29 and 31 spline rears. 31 spline gears are smaller in diameter where they seat in the carrier and the 29's will not go in a 31 spline carrier. Post an add in the wanted section.
From what i have gathered, What you say is true EXCEPT.. I believe they went to 31 spline in '59. The rear i just put in my '54 Ford Gasser style is the 2" wider version & is 31 spline & date coded 1959. Also the real wide ones strted in 1960 Pontiac.. 1sT year of Pontiac's "WIDE TRACK" I also have a '60 Olds rear that is the same width as my '59 Pontiac. The '57 body has plenty of room in the fenders for the extra 1" on each side so it would widen the search for the big Olds/Pontiac rear end
BUY IT!!! Pontiacs RULE! The Pontiacs were more of a luxury car than the plebian Chevrolets. But be aware that the Ponchos often shared a minimum of stuff with the Chevys (doors, roofs, etc.) They always had seperate Eng centers in Detroit & the differences carried into the 60's. I learned the hard way when I got my 55 Safari, that the Pontiac Engrs never shared shit with the Chevy guys. The frt A-arms are different, frames were unique (Poncho had a longer wheelbase), different fasteners, & the list went on & on... But the coolest thing about that 57 is that VERY few guys will ever show up driving a car like yours! Larry
Well im back to argue a little more. you can use the wheels fron five hole chev and GMC pickups made from 1971 to1983 on those old pontiacs. They are 12 bolt rear ends and they are plentiful in my area. We probably have a dozen on the place at this time.We only have one olds rear and it is under a complete car so it is not for sale. Since the chinese have started buying scrap most of the old heavy cars in my area have been crushed. Heck since the price is up to $9.00 per hundred makes me tempted to crush about a 100 or so. OldWolf
>>"Also the real wide ones strted in 1960 Pontiac.. 1sT year of Pontiac's "WIDE TRACK""<< Pontiac's first year for Wide Track was model year '59, not '60. The print ads document this completely. AMA specs for '59 also confirm the 64" rear track. Wondering here how Pontiac could've had a 64" rear track from '59-64 ('58 rear track is 59.4"), but the rears were different widths: >>"Actually the 58-60 is close about 2 " wider I believe. 61-64 about 4" wider."<< ...was Pontiac messing around with different rim backspacing, or were all '59-64 rears the same width? It can only be one of the 2...
I do stand corrected.. '59 WAS the first year WIDE TRACK Who really knows what they were doing, I have 4 rears here and 3 different lengths & only 1 is 29 spline. Glad you Googled all that for us
Then it's a 57,make a deal with the guy already via PM's and help 'im out then let us know how it worked out.
I didnt say mine was FOR SALE ... Just staten some facts to help & My opinion as to what rear end I would put in it & for the cars sake so it dont get bastardised with some Late model shit. Besides, Hes in Mississippi... LOOOOONG Way to ship.
PM Chandler here on the HAMB. He has a 57 2 dr HT that is about to hit the road. He's learned of a few things not to do on these cars! I have to say that the master cylinder setup in these things has got to be the weirdest arrangement I've ever seen.
Things I've learned in the past year working on my 57 Pontiac: 1. As stated, must of the parts are not Chevy (except most glass and door items), but they are not impossible to find- There is a good network through the POCI (Poncho Club) and here on the HAMB. Its ALL out there... 2. In 57 Pontiac was still using archaic kingpins, even when Chevy had gone to ball joints 2 years earlier! Weird! 3. The master cylinder (as earlier posted) is in THE crappiest location possible, with the fill hole directly below the steering column tube-- Makes no sense. Mine now is dual circuit w/ remote fill. 4. 57 is the first year of 14" wheels on a Pontiac- If you don't care about keeping it 100% original, get a set of 5 on 5 15"s off another GM. Benefit? you have way more custom hubcap choices, and your front brakes will have more air flowing around them, reducing brake fade, which was an issue that year. Gives you more room if you go to front discs too. Good luck and welcome to the club! jay
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