Projects 1955 Pontiac Star Chief: ChiefResurrection

If you need parts pm me as I have one exactly like it (even same color) that is slowly sinking into the ground. All there except for hood which has been gone for at least 10 years so engine is seized I'm sure. Price would be whatever it weighs. Lastly, if this site goes PC this will be my last post.

 

Sounds great coilover =) As i tear into this I am sure I will reach out to you. Ya a lot of places are way to PC, i'd rather just have people agree to be offended sometimes, get over it and move on and not dwell, being PC sucks hehe.

Cheers man thanks!
-bish

 

Well that took forever, the forward two nuts are really hard to get out...but its out. Just in time for rain =(

I did fix the courtesy lights inside and the license plate light, so all outside stuff works. Replaced one fuse and now have a glove-box light. Lighter doesn't work, dash lights are out, radio tune dial is broke and radio doesn't work.

Question: There are two switches under the dash, one under the ignition key hole, the other about a foot to the right. I have NO idea what they do, one is a toggle, the other returns to position once thrown (like a remote starter button might)

 

I have a little pulldown switch under my ignition and it turns on the under dash courtesy lights.

 

AH, I will try that thanks!

 

Update: Removed the speaker and its 20lb build in amp...removed the clock and radio, fixed the courtesy lights, dash lights, glove box light, and horn.

ChiefRessurection_20190517_141417 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:34 AM

ChiefRessurection_20190517_141629 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:34 AM

ChiefRessurection_20190517_141640 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:34 AM

ChiefRessurection_20190518_120214 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:34 AM

ChiefRessurection_20190518_120241 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:34 AM

ChiefRessurection_20190519_171040 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:34 AM

ChiefRessurection_20190519_171543 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:42 AM

ChiefRessurection_20190520_054516 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:42 AM

20190520_054526 by Bishop Schulz posted May 20, 2019 at 8:42 AM

 

Waiting for a couple new sockets and the Indian head will light again on this old warrior! Next up is some engine fun.

 

Tomorrow will be the first oil change in 30 years, new canister filter, 6 quarts of 10/40...going to drop the pan though and see what goodies are in there first.

 

A few lighting updates

Chief_Ressurection_20190523_211939 by Bishop Schulz posted May 23, 2019 at 9:42 PM

Chief_Ressurection_20190523_212050 by Bishop Schulz posted May 23, 2019 at 9:42 PM

Chief_Ressurection_20190523_211952 by Bishop Schulz posted May 23, 2019 at 9:42 PM

And some oil changing!

Chief_Ressurection_20190523_194831 by Bishop Schulz posted May 23, 2019 at 9:42 PM

Chief_Ressurection_20190523_194844 by Bishop Schulz posted May 23, 2019 at 9:42 PM

 

Update: Today im going to take apart the passenger side running light and clean that out, its looking dim compared to the one I cleaned on the drivers side.

I'm guessing i'm doing some of the easier stuff for now, maybe avoiding the 400lb gorilla but meh, I am trying to enjoy this slowly and not make mistakes.

Cheers all for following along!

 

Update June 1st, starting to replace all the rubber hoses. Upper hose, lower hose, and bypass hoses first. Upper is 1.75 inches inside diameter, lower is 2 inches inside diameter, bypasses are four inches long and 1.5 inches inside diameter.

• Upper hose: Gates, part# 20957, cost seven bucks
• Lower Hose: Gates, part# 20420, cost ten bucks
• Bypass Hose: ACDelco (3ft cut to fit), part# 31007, cost eight bucks, NOTE: (Cut two 4 inch lengths, you will need to pull off the head housings unless you like a fight to put a hose on - See FE Water pump nightmares)

Rock Auto has the hoses. Ordered a new thermostat too as well as spark plugs, new wires, new cap, new rotor, new points, new condenser, and new coil. All ordered in OEM style keeping with mute and black colors...want as little disturbance under the bonnet as possible.

After sitting 30 years the anti-freeze appears fresh, no leaks in the system....all the hoses are brittle though and will be replaced before I try an engine start.

Kiddo with new welding gear

ChiefRessurection_20190601_nick_welder by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 1, 2019 at 11:31 AM

Passenger Hose Fun

ChiefRessurection_20190531_passenger_hoses by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 1, 2019 at 11:31 AM

ChiefRessurection_20190531_hoses_firstcrack by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 1, 2019 at 11:31 AM

Drivers Hose Fun

ChiefRessurection_20190531_drivers_hoses by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 1, 2019 at 11:31 AM

 

So first money to be dropped on the car, hoses and ignition bits. Ill post them here for your entertainment and in case you need a part number or just like spread sheets/and me being frugal haha:

20190531.Hoses And Ignition by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 1, 2019 at 11:45 AM

 

Pulled the fuel pump, its an AC 4123 Dual Action. Took a LOT of looking but found a site that has a rebuild kit for about 80 bucks including tax and shipping: http://www.then-now-auto.com/ was who had it for my 55. Part # FPA-222

76.50 and with tax, handling, shipping (isn't that handling?!?) came to 88.75

So now i have a carb and the fuel pump to rebuild! Doable!

ChiefRessurection_20190601_181943 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 1, 2019 at 6:57 PM

ChiefRessurection_20190601_181937 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 1, 2019 at 6:57 PM

 

More monies spent on the car!

Now And Them Fuel Kit by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 1, 2019 at 7:00 PM

 

See you bought a new coil. Carry the old one with you as new ones are NOT like the old ones.

 

I agree drop the oil pan. quite often there is sludge and the oil pump pickup is partially clogged. You can easily convert to a spin on oil filter by using the aluminum adapter from any Pontiac V8. the electronic ignition will also interchange.

 

When you change the ignition parts, remember that Pontiac distributor rotation is COUNTER clockwise, not clockwise like a SBC. firing order is still 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2

 

Sounds like a good idea. The old one is a mess but may work, didnt bother checking (yet).

 

Cool thanks! I'm hoping soon in the next couple weeks to have everything together to crank it for the first time. See what oil pressure builds and check for any giant oil leaks before I crank with the intent to start hehe.

Ill get the vid up for that for sure!

 

Even if your engine is not stuck. Pull the valve cover and check to be certain there aint any stuck valves. pull the plugs and fill the cyls with lubricant. Some folks prefer Marvel Mystery oil. I use acetone and trans fluid on stuck engines and diesel and auto trans fluid on ones that turn. I also mix 1/2 pint of outboard engine oil to a gallon of gas and feed directly into the carb from a small tank suspended above carb height and a rubber hose to the carb inlet on first starts. the outboard oil gives it a top end lube . might not help but certainly don't hurt anything?

 

Update: Dropped pan, clean no sludge to speak of...a whisper. Oil pump looks nice.

Dropped Marvel into the cylinder tops, new plugs, spun it by hand a bit, waiting for new coolant hoses before I give it the official crank over via starter. Want to replace the voltage regulator, in reviewing the old ones construction, I am dubious as to its function after sitting in the elements unused for 30 years.

@old_wolf, I will mix some outboard with gas for some top end lube during the first start for sure, thanks! Agreed, it wont hurt at all.

 

Is the rebuild kit for the fuel pump NOS or new manufacture? If it is a New Old Stock kit, the diaphragm is not alcohol safe and will fail. Also with the fuel pump off check for timing chain slack through the pump hole in the timing cover. Turn the crank counter clockwise so the chain slack is on the pump side and with a finger or a bent stiff wire move the timing chain in and out to see if it is stretched. If bad replace it now before it jumps time.

 

It was neat today to start removing the old rubber hoses, crispy and hard but still sealed...the engine liquids were clear, green, not sludgly. Flushed it out, no sludge or funk!

 

Its brand new with rubbers and seals made for the crappy modern fuel. Ooo thanks for the tip, ill check the timing chain when i get home. Its got 40k miles on it...should be okay but who knows how it was driven before me lol.

And if I do need to replace it, now is a good time....perhaps a slight cam change too...hmm

 

Update:

Rebuilt the fuel pump, good as new and it can now handle the modern gas with no issue.

Cut the gaskets for the ByPass hoses, 1/2 inch by 4 inches. A length that really needs to have the necks unbolted and thus requires these new gaskets.

20190616_gasket_day by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:07 AM

 

Update:

Working on the passenger side bypass hose replacement.

20190616_113820.bypass_pass_side by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:45 PM

Here you can see the bright left over anti-freeze sitting in the water pump neck. The shiney brass head insert and the arm from the generator are waiting for the neck to be brushed clean.

I've chosen not to paint anything during this re-awakening and to just fix and make sound again.

20190616_120450.bypass_pass_side01 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:45 PM

All new looking! Test fitting the 1/5 inch bypass hose, the original was at 4 inches and badly clamped...3.5 inches worked far better.

You can see the yet to be replaced lower radiator hose below and the nice shiny install of the neck and gasket above.

20190616_121559.bypass_pass_side02 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:45 PM

What the original bypass hose looked like on the drivers side. Decades of leaks and left to its own has made this re-awakening a messy job. Lots of rubber gloves!

I wil lneed to tend to those fan belts soon too, I am certain they will shred when given a go at normal engine speed.

20190616_125237.bypass_drivers_side by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:45 PM

The old lower hose was cemented to its fittings so I razor knifed it off. This isnt a stock piece and im guessing they replaced it at some time with a generic fit bendable. Once clamp seized to I had to replace it with a fresh one from China....trying to go all original and only american parts on this....a tough thing to do, so few companies make stuff here any more.

20190616_162434.lower_hose_old by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:45 PM

Inside the hose. A lower hose should have a metal spring-like coil inside to give it extra strength under pressure. Looks like this one rusted completely away or was never installed.

20190616_162446.lower_hose_old01 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:51 PM

Where the new lower hose will go. Not here, but all hose fittings I wire brushed, sanded, steel whooled, and cleaned with solvent. I wanted all the fittings to be sound and free from leaks. The more things I DONT have to chase down awakening the old warrior the better.

20190616_162400.lower_hose by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:45 PM

Old upper hose, not original again but decades old for sure. You can see the thermostat neck, generator, and power steering pump in this shot.

20190616_165142.upper_hose by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:51 PM

Comparing the new and old hoses here, the new one is made in the USA, so is the old one about two hundred years ago lol. Again it looks like whomever changed the hoses last went with generic length bendable hoses....I see a pattern here. Meh, i've replaced them with original bent and we'll see how that works.

20190616_165308.upper_hose01 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:51 PM

New one in place, note the thermostat housing is clean and holds a new thermostat. According to the original manual, the thermostat was 151 degrees F when it would open. Rockauto recommended a 160 or 180 but stated 180 was the manufacturer recommended one...not so. We shall see how it runs with the 160 I bought, 160,180, and 200 were the only ones available from them.

20190616_181151.upper_hose02 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:51 PM

Old original thermostat, looks pretty different than modern ones, something out of an old HGWells movie. Its pretty crusty but stock.

20190616_172401.stat01 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:51 PM

Notice that the top is popped and permanently open....yup its garbage.

20190616_212307 by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 16, 2019 at 9:51 PM

 

Update

Replacing some more heater hoses, darn work and lack of sun stopped me....and two 5/8 hose clamps....I am NOT putting those slotted screw driver ones back on, no way, nope.

20190617_202133_heater_hoses by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 17, 2019 at 8:25 PM

 

Here's a good site, http://www.pontiacsafari.com/MPC/56/index.htm

 

Update

Working on intake manifold heater hose that runs to the main water "manifold" breaking off the water to the defroster and underseat heater.

Its amazing the variety of hoses, hose material, and clamps that have been used to support this old warrior over the years.

20190621_102046.intake_to_heater by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 21, 2019 at 10:45 AM

Looks like the stub of the thermostat or intake manifold water jacket is fine, just needs a clean. Note the new upper hose and cleaned bolts in place. I have re-used all original hardware when possible...even if it was a clamp from the 1970s ive put that back on. Its amazing how fragile worm drive clamps from China are nowadays. Re-using the USA made ones is a great option and they are durable and not so cheaply made.

20190621_102054.intake_exit by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 21, 2019 at 10:45 AM

The chieftain had two heater cores, one pictured here below that was used for defrosting, and a large one under the front seat..as i understand it.

In 1986, the original owner had the large one under the seat replaced after the old one ruptured and filled the footwells with water that sat for a few years and ate the floors away. It also had all new freeze plugs and exhaust gaskets replaced. Mileage at that point was 38k, its at 44k now.

I have not looked at that unit yet, but am hopeful that it is in good shape.

20190621_102107.defroster by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 21, 2019 at 10:45 AM

1. Water manifold, 5/8, that leads to heater core and defroster heater core, this attaches to the intake and carries hot water.

2. From the water manifold, this branch takes water to the heater core for defrosting, its a 5/8 and 90 degree bent...these are easily found on Amazon if searching for a 90 degree heater hose. I picked up an 8" before the bend and 18" after so I can cut it to fit.

3. Power steering low and high pressure hoses, the look okay. We'll see when its running and pumping.

4. Defroster box, inside is the heater core.

5. Feed that leads to the blower that takes air into the cabin and to the windows to defrost.

6. All the linkage works fine to control the defroster and is in pretty good shape. Needs a drop of oil or two.

7. water lead that sends water to the underseat heat core or takes it back, not sure of flow direction right now. Its bent slightly and when i replace that piece of 5/8 i'll fix that right up, factory!

 

Update

Bought a new battery for the old warrior. Could not resist and tried the horns, an initial squalk from one, but then after a couple of tries they sounded loud and strong...they sounded amazing, the old warrior singing!

...and I cranked it over...just over a few times, it spun nicely sounded like it just needed some gas and we'd be off and driving!

20190621_155618_old_gas by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 21, 2019 at 11:33 PM

Drained the gas tank, found about 1 gallon of varnish, dark and amber. Wow it was smelly!

Made a new fuel line to replace the fender to fuel pump one that had deteriorated to nothing.

20190621_174235_new_hose by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 21, 2019 at 11:33 PM

Odd line from the pump to the carb, a strange in-line squarish item...could be a fuel pressure regulator?

20190621_192209_gas_line by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 21, 2019 at 11:33 PM