After over 13 years of owning this car and picking at it yearly to keep it road worthy, I am finally going to start painting the car and rebuilding the engine. This last weekend I completely removed all trim, the bumpers, and the grille. Going to repaint it the original sunset glow, restore the interior, rebuild the steering up front, clean up the frame while the engine is out and rebuild the engine. Nothing too radical because this car will be a daily cruiser for the summers. After putting up with me this long, she deserves it. LOL!
You don't see too many of those anymore nice looking ride. I love the lines on them. What do you plan on doing to it?
Mostly stock. Already put in a 3.42 limited slip from a '63 2+2, a 200-4R from an 80s Monte Carlo and added a rear sway bar for changes. I've rebuilt the floors and trunk and everything is undercoated from the firewall back. Suspension is completely rebuilt. Put a new wiring harness in last year and restored the dash. I've also put in some auxilary gauges hung under the dash. As for new, I'll be putting in 4 wheel disc brakes and switching to some billet rims. Probably just 15s, nothing crazy. Engine will be a mild build and maintain the tri power (not original but is the correct tri power for the car). Also getting rid of the gl***packs I put on in high school. I don't like being that loud anymore. lol As for paint, the base will remain the original sunset glow but I'm thinking about scallops or flames. Nothing crazy, just something to be not SO much pink.
I've built a few '59 and '60 389 motors through the years. They're great engines and my machinist does a great job with my machining needs..hope you already know they're more expensive to build than 350 chevies but you get what you pay for.
I'm Pontiac to the core and this isn't my first rodeo. I'm definitely more than willing to do what it takes to keep the Pontiac power plant in my pontiac. I've just had this one so long because it's my 1st car.
LOL...I got quoted $2400 to rebuild the 389" engine in our '60 Catalina wagon...and $900 to do a 350" Chevy... "More expensive"...that's like saying Obama just raised the national debt by 1.25 trillion... R-
Nice project...My folks had a '59 and I learned to drive in it - and my dad's Chevy truck. The Pontiac was white with a light blue interior. Wish I still had it....
I just picked up a 59 this past weekend. Clean up is underway and I'm doing brakes today. The stock 389 has the small two barrel so I'm hoping to find some equipment to help it drink more gas! I really like the lines of these Starchiefs! Good luck with your build!! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.251463948220698.66454.220350484665378
'59 is my favorite car... I drove a '60 4dr for a daily with that 2bbl on it and it had no problem getting up and going at all. But if you do change it out, the 4bbl manifold is 59-60 only.
Raised in a Pontiac household. My Dad had 2 '59 Catalinas,4dr sedan and 2dr hardtop. Didn't really like them as much as the "60 Bonneville conv. my uncle bought new. But , in 1977 I came across a '59 Bonneville too good to p*** up and have had it since then. Good to see more interest in these on here! Best of luck on your project!
Older Ponchos sure look good and make great rides, they are just hard to find and even harder to find some of their wore out parts. It can be done, just can't be in a hurry------------great cars guys!!!!!!!!!!
Wide TracK! The 1959 Pontiac was the first "wide track" Pontiac. It was the Motor Trend "Car of the Year". Dad started buying Pontiac's in 1948 and he bought a new '59 Star Cheif to go to West Point for my brother's graduation. He and Uncle Joe were in the front, nice and cool with the A/C. Mother and her two sisters were in the back seat burning up. Finally Dad figured out that the heater and the A/C were on seperate controls. The heater was under the front seat and the A/C fan was blowing the heat back on the girls. It was a great car and pretty darn fast for a "land Yacht" with a two barrel carb.
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