Customs 57 pontiac chieftain build

On this thread I will take you through the build of my 1957 Pontiac Chieftain (American not canadian). At the time of purchase it was a barn found complete car, supposedly one owner, last registered in 1973. Every inch of the car is being rebuilt from top to bottom and as with many projects, the build has changed significantly as the project has progressed.

One of the main changes: converting it from a 4 door sedan to a custom 2 door hard top.

Hope you enjoy, and I look forward to your feedback. Don't beat me up too bad.

 

The car being trailer home.

 

After a cutting the fuel line and rerouting it into a paint can full of gas, swapping in new plugs and fresh battery I was able to drive it around the parking lot and into the shop with out killing anyone.

 

What a beauty! What a great adventure you get to take on.

 

With a headliner in that good of shape after 40 years, the roof has to be good right??? Wrong.

 

nice ride! i have always loved Pontiacs [55-62] i always thought the 57 pont was the better looking of the 57 GM cars.is it running the 347?

 

347 double barrel w hydro trans. It is mostly likely going to get swapped out though. Probably to a 389 tri power if I can find one.

 

Thats a BIG project, I've been there!!! Looks like you have a solid start. My roof was so nasty we swapped it with one that wasn't so bad. Check my profile photos and my build thread for lots of pictures, etc.. PM me if you have any questions, I'll be watching your progress.

 

Got it all torn down, engine out, frame off... let the fun begin.

 

Off to my buddy Carbuilders for some minor floor repair.

 

Enter parts car number one: 1983 Jaguar XJ-6.

 

Picked up a complete jag for $650, removed the parts I need and send the body off to the s**** yard and recovery of $425. Both the front and rear suspension come out pretty easily as complete units.

 

Got the body back from the blaster and was treated to a roof full of pinholes. Since a decent roof is hard to find in this part of the country, and 2 doors are so much fun, Carbuilder and I decided to do a complete roof swap and build change. A little research, photoshopping, measuring, and junk yard hunting and we decided to go with a roof off of a dodge, and say good by to 2 of the 4 doors

 

would that make it a dodgiac?or dontiac? or a pondge?can't wait see how this plays out.

 

Right now we refer to it as The Podge.

 

Man! I think you just pissed everyone off on the jaguar forums! Lol just jokin! She's comin along nice!!!

 

This is going to be good, can't wait to see your transformation with the dodge roof. How are you planning to do the 2 door conversion, what doors are you going to use?

 

It would piss them off even more if they knew what nice shape the car was in overall before I cut it up. I actually drove it around for a few weeks while I was making room in the shop. Too small and not enough power for my likes, but one hell of a smooth ride.

 

I am going to use hardtop doors since they are a little longer than the sedan doors. Stay tuned for more pics soon.

 

This is going to be a cool build! Cant wait to see the top swap come along


-LUKEY-

 

That's a tall orderfor sure, but you just might pull it off! Will be watching this. Good luck!

 

I can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

Enter parts car number 3. A hell of a find by Carbuilder. Also a 57 american pontiac. An abandoned project car that was originally a 2 door hardtop gone homemade convertable. Botched job on a gran prix front clip, so the frame is shot. The door skins are also shot, but the shells are decent, quarter panels are good, fenders descent, and although the hood and trunk lid need a little love, I'm sure that someone out there will need them more than I do when I am done, so I should be able to recoup the 500 bucks the car cost. And guaranteed it will save a ton of time with converting the quarter panels over to accomodate 2 less doors.

 

Couldn't help but do a little test fitting....

 

Nice progress!! Seeing up on that stand reminds me of mine being up on one!



If thats a Starchief decklid off your parts car, its kind of a hard to find piece. They are a few inches longer than all the other Pontiac and Chevy models.

Looks good so far! Excited to see how the new roof looks on it.

 

Good to see all these 57 Pontiacs getting worked on!

 

I agree. Thanks for posting Professor, although it's tough to keep up at this pace! I've had my 57 for a couple of months and am still only tinkering around the edges.

 

Haircut time! We also set the new roof on top just for kicks. More pics soon.

 

Don't let this thread fool you, I have actually been working on it for some time, I just didn't start the thread until I had enough work done to warrant a conversation.

 

This is more or less where the new roof will sit. What do you guys think?