Customs 1953 poncho custom ideas?

If it were a truck, two tone that blue with the butter creme and rock out! But leave the piping off the seats. Come buy my Poncho and have a Poncho. Ready to rip, roar and tear up the warpath.

I like the side scoop on it being lighter and JJ's blue is really nice!

 

so I have Brandy's approval for a game plan?

 

Ya if I sell mine I'll have to live vicariously through yours.

 

awesome, now tell me how a v8 supposedly drops right in because the frame was made for it?

 

All these photoshop ideas trying to turn it into a Cadillac make me want to puke, here's my take;

First off, electrify doors and trunk after shaving all the trim (silver streak included) except from the greenhouse. Mold the grille opening and roll the pans. Then use blade bumpers from late 50s early 60s GM or Chrysler something or other. Split bumper Stingray stuff with license plate frames frenched into the pans would work terrific. Fill the grille cavity with a simple handmade stainless bar grille. Mount large turn indicators behind the grille so they can be seen but not seen.

Like it or not, the rear fender humps help retain the Pontiac identity. Chrome accented forward facing scoops give the humps purpose and allow a taller light to be frenched into the rear of the fender. Think 59 or 61 Bonneville lights turned vertical, tunneled and frenched. Unable to find any? Lots of late model Caddys with lights that might work out here.

Back up front, headlights tunneled and frenched behind 75-76 Cordoba rings would be the cats meow.

Full radius the wheelwells, front and rear, and give them a subtle flare at the top. Narrow white walls on chrome reversed or Astro type wheels fill the bill here with knock offs or spiders.

A rear facing roof scoop like GM used on the 58 Bonneville and Impala always looks good on these cars but is a lot of work.

Bring the exhaust out under the rear pan in pairs of twin bell tipped scavenger pipes set mid way between the taillights and license plate frame.

Tuck and rolled naugahyde on the stock seat frames and door panels would do the interior up just right.

Worried about squeezing a V8 in there? Try a SOHC Pontiac six (Sprint four barrel model preferred, of course) backed by a T350 or 200R4. Of the stir it yourself persuasion? Saginaw four speed or Chev spec T5 would bolt right up to a stock bellhousing.

Dark solid or metallic paint with a silver streak fogged down the middle Gene Winfield style. NO pin stripping of any kind!

 

well, welcome to the conversation. If you had read the whole conversation instead of putting in your opinion you would have read that I am keeping the rear hump and putting in '56 packard lenses. Also your idea of radiused wheel wells is horrible, along with rolled pans...this is going to be a custom not an 80's street rod

 

You got an engine in there now?

 

I'm thinking from the original ad, there was a 6 in it but not running...he's got a 305 he wants to stick in there.

And Bob, twofosho has some good ideas, you don't HAVE to be a dick about it...I'm thinking Grapevine-esque myself. And if you need a '54 Chevy front bumper for anything, I found one in the weeds behind the shed...

 

Then the frame would have to be modified. A 305 isn't a direct drop and bolt.

 

I don't HAVE to be a dig, but I just wish people would read the entire thread and see where it currently is before adding their opinion. I have a '54 chevy front bumper but it needs work and needs rechromed bad, how is your?

 

modified how? possibly a sub-frame swap, I hope not.

 

That frame should be a center mount frame no? If I remember correctly Scooter's is....which is why the 55-60 Poncho blocks bolt right in. That 305 is dog earred so it requires the addition of side motor mounts.

 

I could use that '54 front bumper if it's a one piece

 

You think I can just weld in some motor mounts for the 305? then I'm worried about how to set it up for an air bag setup

 

I talked with Fatman Fab last week. They are making a front clip type of thing now that welds in place for our cars that will allow the whole MII IFS bag setup.

Been thinking alot about BUZZ BOMB's '53 hardtop and was thinking for the amount of fabrication that has to be done no matter what for a bagged arrangement, you're better off using all the stock suspension and modifying it, I think. It will allow you to keep the stock geometry and wheel placement. Just modify the towers and control arms. You may still have to get Fatman's dropped arms though.

I'm not sure about the I-6 mounting compared to the I-8 motor mounts, but I don't think a 305 will be a direct drop in, as Brandy mentioned. I haven't looked at the I-8 I have in awhile, but I think it was indeed a front mount.

Here's how our front clips look (only yours is probably cleaner). HAHA!

Just for reference sake, for the discussions in this thread. This is an AMERICAN '53, not a Canadian...







With the coils cut like this, this is how it would sit and it's not CORRECT for something you would actually want to drive. It's sitting on the bump stops with no engine in the frame. It will give you a reference point though.

 

Figure out what your front suspension will be, then weld yourself in some 305 motor mounts. Shouldn't be too bad.

 

Ya that car is front and center on it's engine mount which means there are dog ears on the trans. You'll either have to do mock up and add dog ears and a tail mount for your trans OR find a 55-60 poncho to drop in there. Personally, I like the early v8s =o) they aren't too hard to come up on either.

 

Hey! Me too!

 

Ya yours is a prime example of how easy they are to come up on. =o)
Great engines, just ask Scooter. =o)

 

Thanks to my sis', a 389 from a '60 Catalina will be going in...

 

I pm'd buzzbomb and asked him for pics of his setup, but I haven't gotten a response yet. I think I am going to keep the stock front end and modify it as scott said, that way everything is already there and holes are already drilled for mounting the front clip.

 

The guy that actually did the work on BUZZ's front in is a place in the Hawthorne/Lomita, CA area. He's here on the HAMB and on MySpace. Forget his name, but his shop name (and HAMB handle) is "the SHOP". Here's his profile...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/member.php?u=42100

Awesome fabricator! If you get pictures of his work on the front suspension PLEASE post it. I never got a response on it either.

 

yeah scott, I pm'd him as well..and he didn't have any pics of the setup. He did say he used the dropped uprights

 

Hey Fellas, the setup up front is only air bags and Fat Man Fabrication droped uprights. I can ask Christian at the shop if he has any pics of the work, but there was no real voodoo involved. There is plenty of room and everything clears and the frame WILL lay.

Buzz Bomb

 

Ah! Good to know...

BTW... You had mentioned at one point somewhere about brakes, I think. Here's Scarebird's front conversion:

http://www.scarebird.com/index.php?id=1

 

Hey man!

I don't suppose we could get ya' to take off a wheel and take a few pics, could we??

Like the new roof color A LOT, btw...

 

Thanks Bro, I snag my girlfriends camera and snap some pics this weekend for you guys. And christian from The Shop has pics of the motor swap as well.

Buzz Bomb

 

This is getting good!!!! I am super stoked!!!

 

Sweet! Thanks man!

 

I found the kit on ebay and I simply asked if the kit included stuff for both sides or just one side, and the guy was a DICK...so needless to say I will not be buying from him.