Hot Rods Lets see some Pontiac Motors in your Hot Rod

I think my two favorite early dragster chasis were made by "Chasis Research" & "Drag Master"

 

FYI:
In case you don't know, you can't run less than 98 ocane 100% of the time with this combination. You'll burn it up otherwise.

Bruce

 

" Here's the 389 in my 55. 670 heads, 70 cast iron intake, one of the best for the street and I have a 800 cfm q-jet. comp cams 280-480 lift, 230 @ .500". 2800 stall and 3:90 rear. Should make for a nice hotrod. Also differant valve covers down the road, either finned cal customs or if I can fine some nice 55-56 strato streak covers."

"FYI:In case you don't know, you can't run less than 98 ocane 100% of the time with this combination. You'll burn it up otherwise"

That last comment may or may not be true. You do not know the details of his build up nor do I. There are too many variables. That combo can work fine dependig on how it is set up- compression, timing, jetting, etc.

On using the early valve covers on later heads.... I am doing that now on my '66 GTO. It is a pimered driver, not a show stopper and has a puke junkyard '70 350 in it. I wanted the look of an earlier motor so I used chromed '66 valve covers with 2 gaskets on each one. It added enough space to clear the stock valve train.

Steve Barcak
www.pontiacheaven.org

 

Like Steve said, it can be done. I'm running 670s on my '71 455. We worked them some to get me to 9.6:1. 79cc if I remember right. It's been awhile. PO didn't know Pontiac motors & it did have some broken rings in it when I opened it up since the ratio was so high.

I was also doing the double gasket route until I found some vintage Cal Custom heavy finned valve covers for it. Just seal the 2 gaskets together pretty well & it should be leak free.
J

 

I've had this engine running for 15 years with no detonation , it's bored .055 over to 4.120 and standard bore 400 trw forged pistons. I run 93 octane. I would have burned it up by now if that was the case.

 

Good for you buddy, don't listen to a word he says. Trust me !


Read this when you get a chance !



http://home.earthlink.net/~rvandegrift/fulper.htm

 

I posted a few links also myself on another thread, i've heard and read all I need to know about this guy.

 

I did not mean to bash anyone or start a controversy....my post did not have any hidden meaning. I just said it depends on many variables, that's all.
Not promoting, or defending anyone here. I am sure the post was meant in a positive way. We all have something to contribute here and we all want things as accurate as is possible. If someone sees a potential problem with a combination, there is nothing wrong with bringing it up.

I too, modified some 670s to about 80 ccs about 25 years back and ran them bolted to a 455 +.060". It was my primary transportation. I used regular driving to work and put in higher octane stuff for the weekends.

I use the stock valve covers because I personally perfer facotry valve covers, both early and late styles are pleasing to the eye for me. I even use stock, painted 389 valve covers on my AA/Fueler.

Steve
www.pontiacheaven.org

 

ah, pontiac guys, is there anyone here that might be able to fill me in on this setup I got?
Supposedly it was a kit you could buy to convert a stock 2 bbl intake into the monstosity you see here
I was even told that they look to be actual tripower secondary carbs on all 4 corners.
The story was, that it was in a 68 firebird w/ a built 400. The guy started doing a burn out in front of his house then mashed the throttle to the floor. See that starter looking button on the center carb? That activated solenoids that would open the 4 EXTRA carbs! As you can imagine, the engine fell flat on its face, the hot sticky tires grabbed, the engine caught up to itself , and the car cleared the ditch and came to a stop in the woods.
Whether thats all true or not, I can sure picture a bunch of guys w/ mullets standing around watching this unfold,LOL




Jeff

 

Judging by the water crossover bolt pattern, it would have been an earlier intake, not one that would fit 65 and later heads. 55-60 or 61-64. Looks like just a plain 2bbl intake with welded bosses for the other carbs.

 

That is a '57 or a '58 Pontiac intake. It has the 2 bolts hole castings in the RF corner for a generator mount. Pontiac did not use that in '59 and later.
As stated before me, it will not fit later heads. If you took off the carbs and showed better pics of the bare manifold, I may be abel to tell you more.

Steve Barcak
www.pontiacheaven.org

 

Steve, wasn't insinuating anything. Some (well a lot) of people out there are simply just sick and damn tired of the "You can't do this and you can't do that" syndrome.

My car club the Shifters were told that we couldn't run Pontiac,Olds,Caddy,and flatty engines in Hot Rods back in the late 80's/early 90's . When i asked why,the response was usually because "it just won't work" or "Its out dated" . I am one of the theory that if something worked at one day and time then it ought to work now.

If we listened to everyone we'd still be in the garage with our thumbs up our butts trying to figure out what to do. And if we listened to everyone it'd still be a Small Block Chevy
world !

I find this high octane low octane crap to be nonsense. Like you or someone else said, things depend on Timing,Compression ration,carb jetting,and much more.

All the best to you all.

 

I don't see this be efficient but what a great conversation piece !

 

55 Chieftan,
Dad had a red 55 also but not sure which it was. His was red with a 287 4 barrel. He has a shot of it in his book that was mentioned previously.

He also has his wagon which has a ~ 471 cu. in. iron headed Pontiac that has ~ 10:1 and it is happy with 92 octane pump gas and has been for years and years. In fact, he was just at the strip the other day while it clicked off more 11.50s with mufflers (quiet ones) running the same Amoco/BP Ultimate fuel he has used since he put the car together.

Part of the controversy is that some people in other areas are not as lucky as we are in the Midwest and so it's hard for them to relate to how good this fuel really is.

Clearly, it is done all the time and a combination of things enable it to be carried out just as was mentioned previously. Heck, my 69 340 has ~ 10.9:1 and it works very well on 92 octane. Same engine that has been in it since 1985.

Tom Hand

 

Hi Tom, yep I have a copy of your dads book. Excellant source of info there. That and Pete McCarthys book are both real good. His is listed as an 870 in the book which is a Catalina Coupe, still under the Chieftain 25 series.

 

55, Last I heard Dad's old car is still in SE, Kansas with my uncle who bought it in 1960 I think it was. Dad figures it may not have as much metal to it as it did when it was built. I have a shot somewhere of my sister and I standing next to it in 1958, I'll have to see if I can find it.

 

Voetom

Care to share the title of the book mentioned?

s.

 

SWDobbs, here you go.
Also 55, found them, next post

 

Here are better shots. I am sporting the stylin' saddle oxfords at the age of 3. Check out the cool tailpipe tips.

 

Nice Pics Tom. I think it really backs up your dads knowledge when he started right from the start with the 287. The b&w pics look similar to the pic posted in his book. Bill

 

Just a baby.....Stock 1966 389ci 335HP

 

You from Maine?
Pontiac Slim

 

Part time........

 

............I think i have a B&M adapter that mates a Hydro to a PONTIAC,if anybody interested

 

this '55 wagon is getting a tri-power.

side note. Pontiac's are soooo easy to work on!!!

 

Here's a good looking Pontiac engine in a dragster next to an equally sweet Pontiac wagon! THis shot came from the GM Photo Store web site. Curious if any one here knows the dragster or the driver? www.gmphotostore.com

 

It's Mickey Thompson.

 

Where did you find those valve covers ? They are pretty rare.

 

The valve covers come from that auction site…a friend working third shift saw them come up with an outrageous “buy it now” and called me at 2 am. He has always wanted them but had just dropped a lot of $’s on all new front end parts for his ’64 GTO. Not wanting to be killed he figured I should get them. I need to get about reworking some of dickster’s oil breather tubes for them as they get that oil shadow around the breather holes. Hate that...

 

hey steve, since you have an odd number of hemi heads, you oughta throw one on a 4 cylinder...