Camero frame in a pontiac question

I am looking at getting a 55 Pontiac star chief. Its a project, mostly in pieces but all there. The car is on a Camero frame and rear end. My question is will any Pontiac engines bolt to that or am I destined to get a chevy engine, be it small or big block.

Thanks for any input.

 

Yes you can put a Pontiac in it. Side note it's CamAro. Just a useless pet peeve of mine.


Cool looking car btw, should make a nice project

 

Thanks for the info and spelling lesson Now to figure out what Pontiac engine to put in there.

 

Can't be a Camaro frame. They're unibody meaning it has subframes bolted to the body.

Meaning it's a Camaro subframe welded to the front of the stock Pontiac frame.

 

Ahh ok I ***umed it was a whole different frame as the car sits lower in the front and back than the stock version. Ill have to take another look.

 

to be honest I hated to do it, not big on spelling cops but that one just really bugs me for some reason. Put any one in there you like. There are multiple holes in the crossmember to bolt whatever mounts you'd like and if needed you could drill what you need.

 

Camaro and Firebird subframes are the same, you just need the proper engine mounts for a Pontiac engine. It does need to be spliced into the original frame; I don't know if there are any threads here specifically about how to do it with a '55 Pontiac but there are a number of them showing how it's done on other cars - if you use the search function you should be able to find some good information.

 

I installed an Olds 455 on one of those subframes in an OT car, straight bolt in using factory mounts, they will take anything

 

I give up. What does your avatar mean and what in the hell is a rocket applicance??????????????

 

I've used a bunch of Camaro subframes in various 50's cars back in the 90's, this Pontiac would work out fine. FWIW forget factory mounts, fab up new ones. Factory mounts in a 50's car almost always put the motor too far foward and too low to look right. I even saw one where the builder went thru hell with fan to radiator clearance ( custom built support to move rad foward) yet his engine was 8" ahead of the firewall. Simple though, factory mounts!

 

With a welder and torch anything will fit. The question is - do you have the skills and tools to do it correctly? Or have friends that do?

Now, if the answer to either or both of those questions is no, you may want to consider how much it will cost to have someone to get the drivetrain installed correctly. Otherwise, go get some steel and get fitting.

 

Ha Ha Ha, Canadian humour my friend. Thats Ricky from Trailer Park Boys, a tv show your kids would NOT be allowed to watch. Check out the uncensored version if you want to die laughing!!

 

Yeah, gotta love them CamEros.

 

Thanks for all the info so far. With a resource like you guys around it certainly would make putting it back together alot easier.

As to Oltruckag reply, unfortunately I do not weld, was hoping for some kind of engine drive train combo that would bolt in easy, haha ya i am naive i guess. Here are a few more pics of the frame, perhaps it might give you any more of an idea what would work . Any more info on drive train, ******, engine combos that would work easier much appreciated.

If it is going to require some fabricating to get in there, there is a shop around here i can trust.

 

Looks like it was put together well. I wouldn't be afraid of that.

 

Well, don't let my comment stop you - I couldn't weld when I got my first frame up project. If you've got the space to work on it and the desire to learn, it definitely looks like a good base to start with... Just don't get a cheap welder - you'll hate using it.

Tyson

 

Contact Lono here on the Hamb he is out of Vernon and could probably help. Did you get the front end of old frame to mount bumper?

 

A Camaro/Firebird rear end bolts right into a 49-57 Pontiac, as far as that goes; I'd love to see more pictures of where the stub's welded in as I have one I was thinking of doing that with.

Your car is an American Pontiac, for what it's worth, the big X crossmember gives it away. Canadian Pontiacs had the same frame as a Chevy, and some body parts won't swap between the two because of the difference in wheelbase.

 

Another option is simply upgrading what you already have - rebuild the front suspension and add disk brakes, there are several options for doing that and no welding is required. However, if you want to go with a newer (1960s or 1970s) Pontiac engine there will be some fabrication for engine mounts to the 1955 frame since it used different style mounts.

 

Yes, plus Canadian Pontiac's had Chevy power plant's as well. As mentioned in this forum http://www.pontiacsonline.com/SAFARI.htm .
Quoted from it is this.............. "Canadian Pontiacs in this era were based on Chevrolet platforms and used Chevrolet engines, but had Pontiac styling cues and often had model names unique to the Canadian market."

 

I had a 54 Canadian 4 door pontiac before. I sold it but always liked 50s pontiacs, guess thats why i am back.
The guy selling it is offering a strong running 327 for 500 bucks and a R3 transmission as well i believe.
I do want something beefier but maybe i should throw that in there till i get the cash to get something bigger and badder.

 

It's on Netflix, and can also be watched free on the net, funny doesn't even begin to describe it, but be warned, it's addicting, and you'll feel dirty when it's over!LOL!
Oh, and "rocket appliances" is a Rickyism, check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfq3c4Cf1Fs

 

I see. I suppose I wouldn't want my younger grandkids to watch it.
BTW, I think the word you're looking for is "appliance", not "applicance"

 

He is looking at buying a car that already has the subframe attached. Doesn't anyone actually read the threads anymore or just post based on the ***le?

 

Just forget everything oltruckag said.
You can simply bolt in just about any Pontiac engine you want.
Since your subframe is a Camaro, the exact same as Pontiac firebird, just collect the parts and mounts used for firebirds. They bolt right in.
Firebird vs bonneville will have different bits and brackets but the engines will be the same.

 

Exactly. Chev, Pontiac or Oldsmobile (77-79 T/A's had Olds 403's as an option) bolts right in

 

Look at the first post pic. Somebody did a bang-up job stubbing the old frame horns and crossmember on the Camaro clip.

Bumper brackets should bolt right on.

 

I'd never buy a subframed car that does not have the front sheetmetal on it. at the very least find out the original wheelbase and see if it is right... be sure to check both sides. one side could easly be ahead of the other.

I'd also be wondering what part of the original car goes where the steering box is now located.

 

49 ratfink just said what I was thinking as I read the rest of the thread. I hate to be negative, but I find that damn near every time I deal with a subframed car without the sheet metal attached, it's going to get ugly...

 

My question is will any Pontiac engines bolt to that or am I destined to get a chevy engine, be it small or big block.


Now personally I prefer a relationship with a brunette, they just seem to be a bit more stable. Blondes really are a lot of fun but you need to talk them thru almost everything.
Redheads are great for a short time, once you get tired of sleeping with one eye open it gets old.