Projects 1955 Pontiac gasser build

hey 55chieftain, if you ever wanted to get rid of a front set of poncho springs real cheap, gimme a holler!

 

this is one awesome poncho

 

No exactly a gasser, But wanted to build it for fun and not be afraid to use it. Got it without a drivetrain, but kept it Olds with a later engine built to perform.

A Trans Am subframe worked great under the car for hard corners. Can't get my fingers between the tires and the fender lips, but still won't touch the sidewalls at near 60 on highway ramps or dirt track corners.

I've had a bunch of Tri-Five Chevy's and don't mean to put them down, but I really enjoy building the B.O.P.s as they stand out in the crowd. Not finished this one as you can see, but paint always seems to come last.............

Had a couple of 57 Poncho 2 door sedans and really enjoyed them too. Best of luck on a really cool project and please keep us posted!

Thanks for sharing...........

 

Very unique build, we don't see enough of these! I'm glad you're running a Poncho mill. subscribed.

 

Nice build!!

 

I like it but I might be a tad bit biased as I have the same thing in my garage....in about the same shape and about as far along as yours too! These are some old pics but I'll still be running Poncho 400 with a Wenzler Tunnel Ram, turbo 400. I kept the old frame rails boxed in the front and took out the crossmember too! Currently the body is off for rockers and floor replacement also! The floor from a '55-7 chevy will fit our cars but the floor braces are entirely different due to the entirely different frame! Bastards!

Looks like we could do a heads up fun race if you ever come to Norwalk or Thompson!

 

KILLER Project and like everyone else I think the Pontiac motor choice makes it even better. I'll be following this one.

 

I ditto the choice of power plant, although I am partial to Chevy's, them Ponchos do make the power! In the 12's is my current goal as well. As far the wife getting tired of the grinder, it's my compressor running that does my ol' lady in.

--Douglas.

 

nice build, good choice going with the pontiac mill!!!

 

UnsettledParadox, all the extra coil springs I had are gone.

I made some more progress on the frame today, I got the bottom of the front frame rails boxed in. I had to cut out the flange around the spring hole than some extra towards the back to help keep the plate as flat as possible. I used some more of the 10 ga sheet I had.

Curly, Norwalk might be an option in a few years. Maybe even next year?







My next area is to fix the rear sections of the x-member, replace the rear frame crossmember with a better one I have, than replace a few of the body mount supports.

 

Awsome build, I'm happy to see another poncho build, 1 question.. are you you using a post 64 block with the BOP pattern??

 

Yes, i'm using a 66 block. But that pattern starts in 61, but the early blocks don't have a block mounted starter till 64. But Butler performance sells a plate to mount a starter to use a newer trans on the 61-63 Pontiac blocks. Some later 63 blocks have the provision for the starter though.

 

Love it , back many years ago in this small town Vermillion, SD there was a blue 55 Pontiac

Loved that car, still remember sitting in the back seat at the A&W when it pulled in and couple gals in mini-skirts ran into use the rest room

 

Just noticed your post. Love the '55-57 Pontiacs. I had a '57 way back when and built a tilt front end on it with intentions of making a '57 gasser. Never got any farther. Sold it to some teenagers across the street. That was 1973ish. Been building Pontiacs (and few other types ) since but just sold a turbocharged '73 TA. So I'm building a '63 Catalina gasser. I'm usung a '60 block to build another turbocharged motor for this '63. I think the '55 is going to be killer. Keeping it all Pontiac is fanatastic but any good motor to get it going and enjoying it is still good. Git'er done and git 'er on the road. What rear end and what trans are you using? MArk L

 

Hi Mark, this is Bill E from PY. Th400 trans , and for the rear end a 8.8 ford 3:73 till I can get axles for my 9".

Stopped my the metal shop today and got some 1/8" plate for the x center section of the frame. They had the width's I needed so that saved quite a bit of work. 2 1/2" for the top and bottom and 4" for the vertical. The 1/8" is much thicker than what was there, almost like a sheetmetal I beam. Probably double the weight of the center section, but will be worth it to make it alot stronger.



Here's the ugly , hopefully should be done by the end of the week.




other side

 

Hey Bill. I was just reading your post on PY and, you know that little 2 watt bulb in my head, well it actually stated to light up when I saw the pics. heh! I started searching for this post and I found your reply. Sorry i did not recognize you. I love the build and am watching with great expectations. I really wanted to build that '57 back then but just starting out a family kind of dictated differently. A year ago there was an old original racecar '55 that was for sale on Racejunk in Texas that I called on but a guy had just promised to buy it and I never heard back. Have fun with that thing. Mark L

 

Not really gasser related, but I got one side done on the frame repair. I have to get this far on the other side than flip the frame over and do some more welding on the bottom flange.

 

I got finished on the frame x. I have to replace the very rear frame crossmember and a few of the body and leafspring mounts. Than i'll start placing the engine and build my mounts.

 

Looking great. Welding is fun. It's cool fabbing up your own stuff. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks Dil, hows the 64 coming along?

 

Working on the drivers side header now. Should have it done this weekend and I'll post pics then.

 

Here's the latest, I got the front mounts built and in for the Hurst mount and 60' cover. Here's the back of the 60' cover with a 66 gasket, I've since filled in the 2 unused holes with freeze plugs. Added: I went back to a 60 gasket to fix the leak around the top freeze plug hole I filled in on the cover. The cover hole was to rough to seal up with a freeze plug.









The cover has also been bored for a newer style seal instead of the spring and cork set up.

Than I started on the rear, i'm using the cushion mounts there as well. The rear engine mounts are from speedway and needed quite a bit of work to work for my trans since they were for a chevy trans pattern. I cut quite a bit off the top and alot of grinding to fit the contour of the trans plus I had to add in another 1/4" with the welder for the bolt pattern at the top bolt. The frame support is just mocked in, I ran out of welding gas and that will have to wait to weld on.

 

Nice, will wait for more.

 

Here's my latest. Frame work is done and primed, front axle is drilled (alot more work than I thought).

 

Looking great!

 

keep it up!

 

The frame is all painted and the front end is reinstalled.

 

ME like!!! Sure a lot of differences between the Canadian Pontiac and American Pontiac frames. I have a 55 Canadian Pontiac businessman's coupe, no chrome, with a Pontiac 462, Wenzler with 2 Holley 660's, 9" but it still has the R&P steering in it and I put the rear springs in a pocket and used a slider instead of a shackle at the rear. All aluminum bushings. Have a 50 GM front axle that may find it's way under it this winter with a 1/2 rack instead of a vega box and I'm going with motor plates rather than the Hurst mount. BTW from what I read isn't the Hurst mount for installing a Pontiac motor in a tri5 Chevy?? Would like to radius the rear wells but haven't decided on final ride height

Pic of my junk

 

The Hurst mount I have is to install a 55-60 engine into about anything with the differant available frame adapters, I think the spacing though is for the early Ford frames. There is a differant style later mount for the newer side mount engines to use the biscuit mounts out front. It just so happens i'm using it to put a Pontiac in a Pontiac because I took the front frame crossmember out....

 

I got some more work done today, I built some extra supports with headers in the garage and pulled the body off the old frame. I have alot of the floors to replace and the trunk to put back together. I did salvage the center section of floor off my parts car and i'm going to install that and build around it. Basically it's the 2 center floor supports and the metal between where the front seat bolts up from inner rocker to inner rocker. The outer rockers are already done.