This will be my first attempt at an old car build and I welcome any and all ideas and suggestions.This is a low budget build and I will do what I can when I can. I have a pretty solid car to start with but it will need front floor pans and a trunk pan. I have a good trunk pan in a parts car but the front floor pans in it and another parts car are all shot. Is there a source for this sheet metal? I have some thoughts bouncing around in my head about stuff to do. Here are a couple. The car is a manual tranny 3 on the column. I have a rebuilt Saginaw four speed that I would like to use if it is possible. I also have three straight 8 motors one of which I started today so I would like to keep it as well. Since I have three motors I also have three 1-bbl carbs. Has anyone ever seen, made or used a tri-power intake that would work with these carbs? How hard would it be to make a split exhaust manifold? Is one available in the aftermarket? What do Y'all think about using the front and rear seats from a late model GTO. I can get my hands on a set pretty cheap. I thought about recovering them in a diamond pleat. That's about it for now but I will have a lot of questions in the future if you are willing to put up with me.
My best suggestion is to clean it up, get it running and on the road first. No doubt brakes, steering, tires, etc will need attention. Motor will need a tuneup. Change all fluids and lubricants. Try it out for a while and see how you like it. Then plan what improvements need to be made. Multiple carbs will do nothing on a stock engine. Maybe later if you rebuild and hop up the engine it might help but that is for later. Don't overmatch yourself. Have some fun first.
Great cars. I wish you luck with your build. I had a 49 SilverStreak 4dr that I drove for several years. I had bought the car for $175. The old straight 8 hadn't run in years. When I first fired it off it clattered something fierce and ran pretty ragged. I let it idle and as it warmed up it kept getting quieter and smoother. I changed the oil in the engine, topped up the fluid in the Hydramatic and drove the tar out of the thing. I don't know about the manual 3sp but that old straight 8 had plenty of power hooked to that 4spd Hydramatic. I eventually traded the car for my 49 Ford truck Good luck with your build
I've lusted for a 50 2 door fastback for years. Congrats! I had a 48 torpedo and a 41 coupe...the 48 had a straight 8 and I drove it like it was a daily driver. The switch to a 4 speed trans is something I haven't seen done yet but it would make a killer swap. I'd prefer to use a 3.50 1st gear saginaw 4 speed and pop the 3.90 gears out of your car and replace 'em with some 3.23s or 3.08s from a newer Pontiac up to 1956....I did that with both my 48 and my 41. Made great freeway-flyers.. I'm told floor pans for chevys of the same years [up to '54] are close enough to work with a little massaging. I assume the floors around your under-seat-heater are still alright. The pan in front of the heater are pretty similar to chevs I'm told. I don't know of any 3-carb manifolds for the straight 8 but you can use a 2 barrel manifold/carb from a 53-54 Pontiac for more performance. I doubt the 268 will need any more than that. Regarding the dual exhaust........the only ones I've seen were reworked original manifolds with the original outlet plugged and new outlets installed in the top of the manifold, curving down. A guy drove his black 41 coupe [just like my old one] to Americruise in Madison Wisc. one year and he'd installed dual exhaust and his own home made high rise with a single 4 barrel Holley carb. This guy also had a muncie 4 speed behind the straight 8 but it's been so long I can't remember how he did all this... Those seats...................NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm familiar with those seats [I know somebody using them in a 50 ford coupe] and they're just not right for that car...keep in mind this is a traditional hotrod/custom board and we'd rather be whipped with live snakes than be seen in a hotrod or custom with high back bucket seats, no matter how cool they are. A nice pair of 60s Pontiac buckets would be ok but search around [you didnt' include your location] your area for an original Pontiac bench seat...they're still out there. Keep the valves adjusted and keep the RPMs down and you'll be golden. Still jealous. Rocky PS......car has Georgia plates. Is that where you are?
HAMB'er Greg in Jax posted this one. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1951-pontiac-straight-8-split-exhaust-manifold.605805/ Check your engine #'s. '52-'54 Hydramatic cars came with a 7.7:1 hi-compression head (considerably more than your 6.5:1). Head milling is another option. I believe that the '54 also had a larger intake and carburetor.
I have a 54 Pontiac It didn't need floors but checking around with other Pontiac people I have been told Chevy is a major source of replacement metal. I am planing to check on EMS to see what they make for patches ETC. My straight 8 was stuck and I got tired of trying to get it unstuck. The engine and tranny are with someone that wanted it for spare parts. Putting a Cad engine in as a replacement.
Your 1950 eight cylinder should have a two-barrel, as opposed to some of the earlier Pontiac eights that did use single barrel carbs. I have never seen a three carb intake for a Pontiac straight eight. The pictured two carb intake by Edmunds does exist, but you have a better chance of winning an argument with the IRS than finding one for sale! Pontiac did rate the 1954 straight eight with 5 more HP than the 1953 engine. As far as I am aware, the only difference is the 720s Carter used from 1949 through 1953 was replaced by Carter 2122s which will bolt on to the 1949-1953 intake. Best vendor for Pontiac parts in this era (stock parts, not mods) would be Kurt Kelsey, in Iowa Falls, Iowa. If you really cannot live without a multiple carb setup, do it the traditional way; fabricate the manifold. It isn't difficult for an inline engine (hint: alumium tubing with preformed bends are also known as electrical conduit). But use TWO carbs, not three. A pair of 720s (stock carbs for 1949~1953 Pontiac eight) spaced and running solid linkage would improve the cylinder fill density average; thus SLIGHTLY increasing both performance and economy on an otherwise stock engine, plus looking good. The key word in the preceding sentence is slightly. Jon.
Thanks for all the replies. I will take them all into consideration. As far as bench seats I have three of them to choose from. I was just thinking buckets and a floor shifter, maybe a console. The multiple carb set-up was just an idea that I thought would be cool to look at along with a dual exhaust. I guess I could split the exhaust under the car and run two pipes out the back.
This is one of the two parts cars that came with the fastback. I don't plan on cutting anything off of it but I do plan on getting the grille, bumpers, visor and just about everything out of the dash. I hooked a battery up and the motor turned over. I did this in short bursts for a couple minutes before switching the ignition on. Then, with a shot of starting fluid the motor cranked up and ran for a second or two. Then, I hooked a rubber line to the fuel pump and ran it to a gas can but, the pump must be bad because it wouldn't pump the gas up to the carb. I know there was gas to the inlet side of the pump. Are these pumps re-buildable or are they available anywhere?
Yes, fuel pumps are rebuild able. Check the internet for kits. The front end on the 50 four door looks really good. Keep in mind the glass for a fast back is different than all other body styles...every window is different.
As Rocky stated, your fuel pump is rebuildable. Try "Then & Now" in the Boston area for kits, or possibly even a new pump. Jon.
High school friend inherited his parents fast back Pontiac, 49/50? Stuck an Olds in it, lowered, trunk lid de-chromed. Playin' games one night, cops stopped us. Asked "who owns the fast back Chevy?" We answered truthfully....we don't know any body with a fast back Chevy.
When I acquired my 49 it was missing the fuel pump. Back then I found a price for a new pump for about $100 and they wanted $80 for a core. Since I didn't have an old pump and I only gave $175 for the car, $18o was way too much. I took some measurements and headed to the parts store. I ended up narrowing my search to 2 options; one was a John Deere tractor and the other was a 6cyl Ford. I think I opted for the Ford pump. All I had to do was drill the mounting holes out a little bit. Bobby
Kanter likes their pumps. I know I have two and possibly three or four pumps that came with the cars. I'll look for a rebuild kit. https://www.kanter.com/productdetai...&CategoryID=42&ProductCode=184&Router=Catalog
Not much help on the visor except to say it's gotta be some kinda aftermarket part. The skirts look like factory 49-52 Pontiacs with some hokey ass aluminum or stainless strip screwed on the bottoms and 55 Pontiac star chief chrome stars bolted on them.
I haven't done anything else to the cars due to the holidays and work. I was looking at the one parts car I noticed the remains of an old decal in the rear window. I wonder when it was put there?
Gotta love the fastbacks. I need to get to work on my '52 Fleetline again one of these days. But mine needs a lot more than yours does to be roadworthy.
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