1957 Pontiac Chieftain, 1957 Chevy... Same shell?

The reason I'm asking is that I have access to a 57 Chieftain, and it sure looks like the same shell to me as a 55-57 Chevy. 55-57 chevy pieces are easier to get than Chieftain pieces. Different nose and quarters but the main shell...hhhmmmmmm and I can get it for a pretty decent price compared to a 55-57 2-door of the same condition.

Reason I want to know is I'm wanting to make a drag car out of it. Putting 55-57 chevy fibergl*** doors on it. And I already own a 1 piece fibergl*** front for a 55, making the deal sweeter. BUT, I don't own the Chieftain, and don't have steel doors to measure.

Will 57 Chevy doors bolt right on? Anybody with any information on that? Same with the front end.

Look close at the main shell of the car, and compare. Some of the "perspectives" are slightly different from picture to picture.

 

Doors are the same but the floors, firewall, and as you've noticed, quarters are different. Pontiacs have a longer wheelbase, all firewall forward, but if you're building a frame or going straight axle, it won't matter. You should be able to use the Chev. doghouse.

Just me, but seems it'd be way up on the cool factor to get Pontiac front sheet metal and run it as a Pontiac. It's not that hard to come up with a front clip if you look, depending on the budget you could pull molds from it and lay up a hood and fenders. Or, cut up the gl*** front and make it look like a Pontiac. I'm wierd tho...

 

Roof, window trim and gl*** should mostly be the same, that being said alot of weatherstrip/seals are also the same. I believe the Starchief is longer but in the back. Chevy and Pontiac doors will be different in the trim hole and lock cylinder placement, but will physically fit.

 

Is a Canadian car by chance?57 canadian pontiacs shared the frame, floor, cowl, with the american/canadian chevy.
regardless if it is a canadian or american pontiac the rear of the front fenders/hood of a 55 will not fit on a 57 cowl.
the doors,windows, window, regulators, trunk lid(except starchief), and any trim from the beltline up will interchange pontiac to chevy for all 3 years (the 57 windshield and windshield trim is 57 only, it will interchange with pontiac, but not with 55,or56.)

So the doors will fit, if you changed the wheelbase,(pontiacs were longer in front of the cowl than chevy), and did some custom fibergl*** work across the top of the cowl edge of the front clip, you could get the clip to work.

I think what I would do, is run the pontiac fenders and hood, not the bumper or grille, or inner fenderwells.. you might be 50#'s off of the fibergl*** clip, sell the fibergl*** clip,put that money into the motor, and you will go just as fast as if the motor didn't have the extra money in it, and you had the gl*** nose.

 

WOOHOO,

Took me about a year and half, but I finally swung the deal for the 57 Chieftain I've been eyeballing. It's now safe and sound in my driveway.

 

Love the 57 Pontiac, a real sweet body style. My Mom had a tu-door post that I drove on my honeymoon and drag raced it at the Lincoln, Ne. drag strip. Is that any way to spend a honey moon, Yep! Good Luck on your build. ~Sololobo~

 

can you even get fibergl*** doors for a hardtop body style? I have only seen sedan doors (Gl***tek has 'em).

 

Chrissakes, I've seen decent '57 Chevy hardtops suitable for a drag project sell for under $2000, there should be no reason to hack up a nice Pontiac.

But I do need a manual steering setup for one if you do go that route.

 

Good for you !!
Glad you stuck with it and finally got it.
Cool car....

 

Stick with the Chev. I think it would be a lot less work !!! IMHO.
Tom (Tired Old Man)

 

Don't cut up the Pontiac.....way too rare and Chev bodies are everywhere.....

Ray

 

IF these are U.S. made Pontiacs/Chevrolets, then roof, doors, side and back gl***, and in the case of hardtops, the chrome roof bows, are all the same; except for trim holes. BUT, you cannot put a 55 Chevrolet front end, gl*** or steel, on a 57 Pontiac, let alone a 57 Chevrolet; The cowl height is different between the 55 and 56 cars as compared to the 57's. The 55-56 had the air intake in front of the windshield, 57's, it came in from above the headlights to get a lower, sleaker cowl. That also applies to the windshields; they are different for the same reasons. It also would'nt make any difference if they were Canadian made, same thing applies. If it's a Pontiac, keep it ALL Pontiac; same for Chevrolet. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

A guy named Jim Data has a gl*** 57 Poncho he races. Made it himself. It
does hall ***. He's in Cal.

 

Pics?

 

I have a picture of that car around somewhere;didn't realize it was a one-off but knew it was 'gl***.

As said before the wheelbase is different(Chevy is 115" and Pontiac is 122")but the difference is 5" forward and 2" rear.Canadian Pontiac is the same as Chevy and sheet metal is unique and rare as dentures for a chicken.

I ran across the differences between 55-56 and 57 Pontiacs when I got a replacement wiper pivot from a 56 for my 57.The 57 is about 2" longer and not the same shape.

 

PLEASE dont cut up that poncho just to make another chevy PLEASE

 

Keep the Tin Injun!

 

I need left & right 57 Pontiac or Chev 2 dr post doors complete dose any one have any give me a call 425 433 0294

 

The Chevy is a better car, the Pontiac has the X frame and two piece drive shaft... That's what always stopped me from building a 57 Pontiac, other then that, they are nice looking cars..

 

I always thought the X frame started in 1958. I go along with some others, dont destroy that beautiful Pontiac by altering it. JB2wheeler

 

'57 Pontiac does not have an x-frame like the '58-64 Pontiac & Chevy.
It is a perimeter frame with an x-member and one piece drive shaft.
Very strong and heavy frame.

 

Everyone is whining about 'don't chop up that Pontiac'. What Pontiac? Any pics?

 

Thank you!!!

 

^ '61-64 Pontiacs don't have X-frames either.

 

They sure do if they are from Canada

 

^ pffft- those aren't Pontiacs!

 

Canadian Pontiacs are decoys, to make it more difficult for American Pontiacs to get parts from big suppliers

 

Any pics on this yet?

 

Anyone else notice this thread was last active November 2010, and some tard bumped it back up at the end of August this year by posting his want ad that belongs in the cl***ified?

49-57 Pontiacs have a ladder frame with a big X center crossmember in them, perhaps that's what someone else was thinking of previously.

 

Lol.. you should try and get stuff for a Canadian one up here ,they dont seem to exist in the parts books, only the American stuff...its way less h***le to just say its a Chevy !