I guess I'm overdue for starting this thread...but oh well. Picked this up in October 2015...loved the patina...but beneath all that trim was some pretty bad rust...so the disassembly began. 1 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 10:58 AM IMG_20151002_194053787 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:11 AM IMG_20151015_090336074_HDR by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:16 AM IMG_20151007_130441703 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:11 AM IMG_20151014_094429790 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:16 AM 20160117_102638 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:11 AM I started searching for a donor fender and finally found one in a great yard in southern colorado...but realized that was way beyond my capability. Got some sheet metal and started in on some of the more simple patches and repairs..started stripping paint, prioritizing projects..All of this learning as I go..having never worked on a car before...relying on a lot of help from fellow Pontiac guys on FB. Got a little sidetracked...decided to cut some coils and put some blocks on the back end...a nice 3" drop, I think. 20160123_175131 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:11 AM I was back and forth over 6v vs. 12v, but knew it needed to be rewired...horn/turns didnt work, speedo...and there were drinking straws and garden hose being used as wire conduit from previous hack. So I shopped around and settled on Rebel Wire's 9+3 harness, and a 12v conversion kit from a shop in Ohio. Meanwhile snatching up books and reading everything I can. Thanks to the tax man, I sprung for paint and primer and gear to go with...decided on 1949 Pontiac Sage Green. Nervously jumped in...started removing old wire, replacing solenoid, coil, swapped the old generator for an alternator etc. Stumbled along the way...thanks to some old timers...got her back to where she would start and run again. Moved to the dash, troubleshooting some shorts..eventually got it all wired up and running on 12v. So I buttoned up the interior, put the steering column back together, dash etc. Almost looks like a real car again. More importantly, I can move it... I did some minor welding on spots I thought I could handle...but paid a guy to remove the worst on pass side rear wheel well, and replace w/ the donor piece....once i got the patching done..hit it w/ some rust inhibitor. 2 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 10:58 AM Then my first go w/ an HVLP.... IMG_20161119_192141 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:11 AM 3 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 10:58 AM
Update: been able to cruise here and there.. but dealing with issues of vapor lock and running hot. Never venture too far from home. Got bored with the color, and wanted more practice spraying...so changed it up a bit. 3 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 10:58 AM 4 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 10:58 AM Cant rightly afford the rechrome of the grille...so just took it down to the copper. Had the radiator boiled out. Replaced thermostat, found a shroud, still running hot. Swapped in a six blade fan, still running hot. Finally broke down and took rad out, water pump, flushed the block w/ pressure washer. No fix. New aluminum rad. Still hot.
20160517_160743 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:11 AM 20160517_160729 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:11 AM
Fuel pump failure on the way to cruise night got me a tow back to the house. Bypassed w/ inline electric. Seasons winding down..and I think I found another straight eight I'm gonna swap in this winter. But that didnt stop me from trying one more color scheme. 5 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 10:58 AM 6 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 10:58 AM
Haha. Forgot to mention the brakes going out on me. So we did a brake overhaul, new cylinders and lines and shoes. Thanks to mama for helping bleed em.
Decided she didnt sound cool enough. Really just needed an excuse to be in the garage. 21622294_10211885140621408_1929685295_n by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:49 AM Video-1505511749 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:49 AM
Cant believe its been 2 years. What fun though. Pretty sure we are swapping the 8 or rebuilding her...so why not put her up for the winter? Disassembly, part deux.... IMG_20171011_165858 by Rob Stumpf posted Oct 17, 2017 at 11:16 AM
Nice work ... the overheating is very likely the water distribution tube which runs back from the pump discharge to the rear of the block. Keep the 'Ironing Board Eight", they have a personality all their own. That's a hydro, right ?
Rob.I been going a year now on the 56 Chrysler and its finally going to be on the road again.Heres a before and after picture.Good work on yours.Bruce.
There's no sweeter song than that sung by a 4-speed Hydra-Matic going up through the gears. I'm glad you're keeping it. Have you thought about pulling the eight-in-line this winter, disassembling it, and doing a boil out and minor overhaul, replacing only those parts into the clean block that are out of service tolerance?
Not sure how it'll go honestly. May swap it out right..with a different straight eight...may rebuild.it...may find she only needs what.you suggest...
What a slacker!!! Due to cost...I decided to try to swap out my straight eight rather than rebuild...as I found one from a fellow pontiac guy for a screamin deal. Shipped it from Wisconsin to Colorado via fastenal third party shipping. So I pulled the front clip, and set about removing my overheating 1953 Straight 8.... Paid for a recently rebuilt 1951 Straight 8, and shipped it to CO...and began the process of cleaning up and separating the bellhousing and trans.
You wouldnt believe me if I told you it only cost $300 to ship, and took less than a week...but it did...so i got the 51 uncrated, started piecing together bits I would need from mine, and got some engine enamel to give her a fresh coat of paint. Had to redrill and tap a new port in the head for the water temp guage and replace some bad motor mounts courtesy of CPR, but made good progress. Once the 51 was mostly back together...dropped her in her new home...probably not a one man job...
From there it was just putting it back reverse of taking it apart...made a point to label the shit out of everything..wiring, nuts, bolts, etc. Fuel lines, sensors, exhaust, vacuum lines, trans and throttle linkage. Then rewired it and invited an old timer over to help me test fire..after getting nowhere...we discovered the plug wires were out of order...and the distributor needed to be rotated a bit...then we got a backfire..and then......
So she's running....replaced the hood springs...dont ever let anyone tell you that's not fun.... toss on the front clip, mess around with some shims, install the rad, rewire the headlights.Still need to put the hood back and fill the trans. Come early March, it'll be time to tune up and test drive...but for now I'm sidetracked rebuilding a 1961 Red Dale travel trailer from the frame up...WTF!!!!
Oh, and if it werent for Skankin Rat Fink, Charles Coker, and Tom Holden I'd be f'ed in the drive thru. Those guys are saints
a note about chrome. We have gone to what is called race chrome for our midget racers. Looks good but not the finishing that chrome requires. Might ask about that and test a small piece to see. I know some guys are just using nickel plating as well. Might ask about that. Great project you have. Good to see those old Pontiacs on the road.
Rob, if that's the original 4-speed Hydra-Matic, how come you are parking it in Neutral rather than in Reverse?
never thought about it...mostly bc i have to push her forward and back to access that side of the garage...
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