My new friend Poncho... (LOTS OF QUESTIONS!)

It's a sickness I tell you!! The same guy I bought my Model A from informed me that he had a 1954 Pontiac Chieftain Coupe for sale. So like the weak willed individual I am... I had to go look at it. It was all over from there... I didn't have a place in my garage so brotha' man Tredboy offered me a free space and a hand getting 'er together... more than I could ever ask for!! Thanks brotha'!!

I have a ton of questions about this car. I know nothing about Pontiacs, so I could really use the help of fellow Poncho owners to get this thing up and going. I would appreciate any info on parts resources for panels, straight-8 parts, etc. I didn't see much on the interenet.

Here she is...











I still need to go pick up the door, deck lid, bumpers, grille hood and all the trim pieces for it, but everything is pretty much all there. It was originally owned by a body shop that went out of business, so there was some decent body work done to it. Still more to be done, including front floor pan and one spot in the trunk towards the very back, but nothing that I couldn't live with for awhile while I get the mechanical stuff worked out.

What it REALLY needs...
- BRAKES!!!!! BAD!!!
- Engine needs to be fired up and I have an ugly carb situation going on with a Rochester 2bbl.
- Some electrical
- needs a gas tank, bumper brackets
- front seat frame is broken, but can be fixed, will need springs
- the rear needs lowering blocks, and the front suspension may need some attention

Anyway, if any of you can offer any ***istance as far as knowledge and parts resources, it would be GREATLY appreciated. The biggest thing I have questions about is engine and brake stuff.

Thanks ahead of time guys!! I'm super excited about this thing! It's a long term project, but I'm hoping to have it at least running pretty soon...

 

If I recall correctly the original carb on that was a Carter 2 bbl. I had a 53 with the straight eight and that was what mine came with from the factory. If you have a double action fuel pump on it, your wipers vac. hook to one side of it and it makes those wipers work like electric with no slowdown under load.

 

Food for thought....

 

Thumper is correct....that's the WRONG carb..
You can try Kanter for parts... www.kanter.com I think.
Might also try logging on the Pontiac site www.performanceyears.com Check in to the tech forms. There is a lot of people into these Older Pontiacs as well as parts for sale..
Hope this helps
Troy

 

Yeah, it's DEFINTELY NOT the right carb... that Rochester was completely mickey moused on there! The linkage was made from a COAT HANGER!!!! They adapted it with some crazy, welded up piece of **** also!!!


Was the Carter 4-bolt mounting the same as the 4-bolt bases for the Holley 94's? I have a couple and was thinking about maybe running one... or maybe even TWO... Just thoughts though. Not sure if that would over-carb that 268 or not.

I would love to hear more about that straight-8 and what can be done, if anything.

Thanks for the links 60man!

How's the transmission in this thing? Hydromatic, right?

To get the rear down, I was thinking of 4" blocks. Will I need angle shims for the pinion angle if I do that? It's at stock height now and it needs to be lowered for sure!

Yeah, that Star Chief Catalina is rad! I like that!! Post more pics!! I would love to see some potential! I posted a thread the other day when I was thinking of getting it, but now I'm REALLY interested in the possibilities!

 

Oh yeah.... the car was shot at...




See the slug sitting there! I would LOVE to hear that story! Just glad it didn't damage the rear gl***!!! It just missed it!!!

 

Here's more pictures...

The trunk rot. It's only in the trunk surface. It didn't go all the way through to the lower panels. Strange! That's the only rot I can see in the rear though. Just at the very back of the top inner trunk panel along the edge where the mounting bolts are.




Shouldn't be too bad of a repair. Could be worse...

 

Is this a stock starter? Didn't look original to me.

 

Something else I wanted to ask... I'm thinking about the future possibility of bagging this thing and right now I don't have a fuel tank for this. When I get a tank for this, should I consider relocating this in the trunk with a fuel cell of some kind or just put a stock type tank back in. Since I don't have the stock tank, I wasn't sure how low it hangs down. If I dump the rear with a stock tank, am I going to drag tank??

 

dude, you would **** your pants if i told you that i just now fired her up, huh?




how come that front end looks like it sits up so high in the pictures?
were they taken before or after you jumped on the floors?

 

Yes huh. I've got 4 inch blocks in the rear of mine and she drags her *** so bad. Currently got a mustang tank in the trunk, going to replace with a proper fuel cell...not MY idea on the Mustang tank.

That engine is REALLY limited on speed parts. I wanted to do a straight 8 in my Poncho roadster, but decided against it after doing some serious math on the parts readily available for it. Kinda like, gee it'll only take me 24.6 years and half a million dollars to make her zoom. So I'm going with another 60 389. That straight 8 will run for ever tho, I'd free it up and run it if possible. The trans will be a slant pan hydromatic. Shifts hard and weighs a metric ton, but what I prefer to run.

The starter looks pretty stock to me. Considering they didn't change over voltage until I believe 63, it should be alright to use. Maybe tear it down and clean it up, change the brushes. I did mine and it works great, all for a mere $16.

My driveshaft tunnel has also been cut and moved to compensate for the driveshaft rubbing on it when the cars moving. Also had the pinion done and the shaft reweighted so that it wouldn't tear anything up. If you're going that far tho and since you'll be under the car doing blocks, I suggest you change out your u-joints as well. Any local CarQuest will have them in stock.

For personal shopping sprees, I like California Pontiac Restoration. They sell pretty much everything you'll need for that car, including engine mount, both trans mounts and various other hard to find bits. For the majority of it tho, you can hit up a CarQuest and come out like a shiny penny with parts in hand and money in your pocket.

Brandy

CPR
1-877-504-8124

 

The expensive version of the straight 8 poncho.

 

54

 

54

 

check out those transparent blue wires!!

 

California Pontiac Restoration is a good parts source though I find some of their pricing a bit high.

You've got the wrong carb on it, it had a Carter originally. They are often on ebay for reasonable prices. I've got an extra and in the process of rebuilding, but it's way down my priority list right now.

I've got other parts locations but the addresses are on my work computer. If I get on later today, I'll add them here.

 

Yes, that's the stock starter.

Straight 8 from my 53 is getting rebuilt right now... +/- $2500. I could have done it myself, but the parts were gonna run me about $1500 plus machine shop time so I bit the bullet. As Brandy said, they won't ever be zoomers, but they will run a good long time. I kept mine because I'm keeping the 53 original.

Performance years website forums have some folk who can help with answers. They won't have parts though. Kanter has some parts. For original parts info, try AACA forums.

 

Thanks everyone! Great info!

Brandy, what are you going to run for a fuel cell to replace that 'Stang tank? Will you put it in the stock location or in the trunk? Also, when you say "drag bad" what are you dragging... bumper, frame, something else? GREAT tip on the tunnel and everything else! Really appreciated!

Oh yeah... that dual carb set up for that motor is the cats ***!! Very cool! Just wonder if it's overkill for a stock motor. I've got a single Holley 94 with a four bolt base sitting right here in front of me. Maybe I should just bolt that up and be done with it...

Great info here!

 

nice ride scooter. looks like it'll be a fun one. but im sure i can free up some time on the weekends to help out. just let me know

 

Pffft that dual carb is high tech hotroddin **** for that straight 8......it's just real expensive and real rare stuff for the SLIGHT increase in ponies. They're certainly not hotrod material like Ford's versions.

I will use my old tank as a skid plate, mainly because she's started to drag thru the old tank. The rear bumper only s****es on high driveways. The frame. The car had 6 inch blocks when I got it, so it drug thru it's frame pretty bad.....but you shouldn't have the problem with 4inch. The fuel cell will be strapped down to the trunk floor, which is also the top of the old fuel tank. It's worthless now anywho, so might as well get SOME use out of it. I've got a proper fuel cell from Jegs that I'll use. No shoddy orphan gas tank for this girl..........I'm high cl*** the whole way.

 

Thanks Brandy! I was thinking that fuel cell might be the way to go too. That's a good tip about the tank dragging. That would **** to dump fuel going down the street.

Will I need to adjust the pinion angle with 4" blocks?

Yeah, the dual carb thing is probably just going to complicate an engine that is pretty simple instead of bringing any real performance upgrades. I think I'll either try and find the stock Carter or get this Rochester adapted correctly.

Thanks for the help Brandy! If you bring your Poncho up for Viva this year, I definitely want to check it out!

 

Thanks man!!! That would be good!!! Thanks again for the ride in the shoebox the other night too... I still think this whole thing is partially your fault!

 

Baby, you can check out whatever I bring to Vegas. Including the 6 foot tall Aussie boy with a hoop earring and knobby knees.

I'd still take care of my pinion even with 4 inch blocks. With mine, the car still bottoms out with too much weight in the rear AND you have to think gosh going over bumps, hills, driveways and anyother NONflat surface will make that shaft twist and buck. So yah I'd do the pinion.

Fuel cells are safer AND as an added bonus, you won't have to mess with that ****ty I promise you it's rusted beyond repair fuel sending unit that's left decaying at the bottom of your old tank.

See this is me being lazy.

 

YEAAAH!!! Whatever you bring to Ve... Wait... I mean... whuu?? Knobby knees??

Yeah, I'll make the modificatin for the floor too so the drive shaft isn't knocking anything under the floor...

Keep me posted on the fuel cell!

 

Will do.

Hey I can't help it he's gangly...........I'll have to up his intake of fatty beers.

 

ill accept full responsability for it. thats the kinda guy iam !

 

I am going to put a fuel tank in the boot (trunk) of mine. The stock tank bottoms out on mine now and again.

 

Anyone thought about raising their trunk floor a couple inches so you still have the vapor barrier of the floor? Was thinking it might be nice to retain the stock filler location without offsetting a fuel cell to the left side. That's a huge void under the floor that would be great... well... for a fuel tank. Is that an insane idea?? I've got to do some work in my trunk anyway, so maybe I should do that so a stock (or similar) tank won't drag, yet would still be outside the trunk.

Oh yeah... found this picture of the stock 268...