My wife's new project, '57 Poncho more-door

This is the car some you heard about in my post-mortem resto thread. my father-in-law was restoring the car, but unfortunately passed away before completion. We spent our vacation getting the body on the frame, hauling it home 800 miles, then going back for the parts. Plans include the stock two-tone blue, a slight lowering, pinner whites on chromies, and (don't send out the pitchfork wielding mob, Canadian Pontiacs were Chevy powered from the factory) a 383 backed by a 700R4. Then driving the wheels off it, much of it with a trailer in tow, kids, dogs and everything else.

 

Sorry to hear about your father in law. Cool project, though...don't see many 50s Ponchos.

 

Two door sedan doors are available brand new now. Just sayin'.

Otherwise looks like a nice solid car. I always wondered, could you get the Belair style side window surround trim on a Pontiac? It should be a bolt on. I always thought that gave the sedans a nice hardtop look.

 

That sounds like a nice way to finish your father in laws project . Two-tones always look great and mordors are a huge plus when hauling the family around . The 383 w/700R4 trans should move that heavy car around just fine too !
Keep us all informed and with many pictures of the build !

Retro Jim

 

Hmmm, nope better not on the door-reduction, this thing was an unplanned project anyway. Good thinkin' on the Belair window trim though, I betcha you're right.

'Nother pic;

 

Looks like he got a good solid start on it. Does it have the full length side trim, as in front fender to rear 1/4? Looks like the holes are there... I know some Canadian cars had reduced amounts of trim. I'm doing a 57 Pontiac as well, click the link below VVVVV. Let me know if you have any questions or are looking for any parts, will try my best to help!

 

Yup, full length side trim. I've learned that the base model (Pathfinder) only had a short section at the rear. I'm looking for a pair of rear bumper pods.

 

So what was your model called? 57s are incredible to look at, so fancy. 383 is way better than a 350 any day, especially in a cool Canuck.

 

cant go wrong with a poncho... even a candian one

 

My first car was a 56 Poncho, moredoor..........drove it all thru high school so I have a soft spot for these. Paid $10 for it from a guy who was on his way back from picking up his run away wife and kids - he sold it to me as he didn't think it would make it back to OKC. I think he was right - no brakes, no mufflers, trans was slipping and the "tars" were bald!

Good luck on the resto, can't wait to see the progress pics.....

 

I just picked up another 57' Poncho for myself. Its a rusty Pathfinder Deluxe - 2 dr hardtop. I think I have seen your car mentioned on the canadianponcho board. If you need 4 dr trim, I think I still have a bunch of it.

The belair trim will fit, and the entire running gear is 57' chevy. Might as well do the typical upgrades!

 

It's a Pathfinder Deluxe, one under the top dog Laurentian. The 383 is particularly better for us in that I've got a shortblock lying around that the machining is all done.

 

Good Luck. When I had mine a few years ago, they did not re-pop them. Not sure about now.

 

Good luck with those bumper pieces. There seem to be no good used ones and NOS ones always go for big money on fleaBay. Heard someone just started reproducing them???? Anybody else hear of this?? I need a set too!

 

So, after languishing in body-shop purgatory for a year and a half, it's home! Slight change on the planned color, and another re-learn on why I prefer to do most things myself, but with another project splattered all over the garage, we didn't have the space. Now to get it running, do the interior, brakes and reassembly.

 

Lookin' good! Can't wait to see it all back together.

 

Good lookin' moredoor. Bet it will be really nice with them chromies on it. Still planning on a slight drop?

 

I'll bet your father-in-law would be happy to see this progress!

Remember the good memories of him while making good memories of your own in that Freedom Machine.

May you drive it a million miles before you part ways.

 

It looks good in the blue. I've been sitting on a '57 Cheiftain 4dr for about 10 years now, a solid car that someone parted to restore a hot-rodded 2dr hardtop back to original. It's in the pipe I think when the Fleetline is close to done.

 

I like the blue

 

Looks great!!

 

x2

 

Still kinda waffling there. It's close, and has no interior in it yet, so it'll come down some yet. It has 2" drop springs now, it may yet get 1" blocks in the rear and 2" drop spindles. we'll see how the stance is when I get the 15's on it.

 

Nice Poncho !!
And keep it MoDoor out of respect for your Father in Law!
I like it.
Cheers............

 

good luck 1957 is the year pontiac got hot cars

 

Very nice.

 

Wow!!!Good job!!! That´s a beautiful car! I like Your choice of color. Just like the other guy suggested, I´d also see about finding a set of those ´55-6-7 Chevy Bel Air upper door window frame overlays. Best I know they´re the same on all three years of those cars and made of stainless steel so they shouldn´t be that hard to find.
383+700R4 sounds good, as do Your plans!

 

It's almost a shame to scrub the blue off of those tires. Good color and wheel choice.

 

Awesome project and a nice way to keep the memory of your father inlaw going for the wife, great color choice!!!

 

It's finally in the garage, gettin' closer to being a runner. And, I bolted the chromies on it just to see how close we are on the stance. It kinda reminds my of the 'Graffiti '58 Impala stance wise, and I think it's pretty cool, but I'm maybe thinking 2" down front and back, not sure yet.