Projects 51 Poncho found in barn

"Flaws"= "Character which you can't buy"

 

Getting closer...... I finished up the brakes today, rebuilt all wheel cylinders, master cylinder, replaced all hoses and cut and flared all new lines. Stops great! Just waiting on my new sending unit and POR 15 gas tank kit. Should be road worthy soon.

 

Pull the seats out, much easier to clean thoroughly.
Saddle soap suggestion is a good one.

Also consider Murphys wood oil soap, it will add some conditioning oils to the material, without the harsh chemicals of armor all etc. Ive been using it on my real leather couches for years.

Either one, get a small stiff bristle brush for the edging seams, and soft brush for rest, a shoe new polish brush would work pretty well.

 

They're still out there!

 

Thanks for the tips indyjps... I plan to start on the interior as soon as I get the fuel tank done. Evidently the interior in this car is quite rare to see in a Pontiac sedan like this. The interior trim code used on this car isn't even listed in any of the original master parts catalogs. I'd like to do whatever it takes to preserve the interior, and make it last. It's in really good shape for the age.

This car has been a lot of fun to work on and get back in road worthy condition.

Here's a short drive down the road video I took yesterday.

 

It's a great looking car, the paint and chrome are cleaning up well. Please keep the original paint for a while, it will draw a lot more attention the way it is, the story being a police car cancelled order is cool. Keep the updates coming.

 

Not really an update, but found this to be cool and interesting... Just behind the engine and below the horns written in chalk is POLICE, not that I doubted the story I got with the car, but this pretty much confirms it was ordered as a police car. I never noticed the markings before.

It was also written beside the heater box, but in an attempt to clean some of the dirt off it started wiping off with it so I quit cleaning on it.

 

How cool is that.

Preserve, enjoy.

Like they say, they're only original once.

 

That's the plan... preserve and enjoy. It's a fun car to work on.

Seeing that helped explain the odd ball things with this car, and things that aren't listed in any of the Pontiac literature as having been available for this car. There can't be many like this left out there, most Police cars are typically put through the mill haha.

 

Got the 51 registered, and put about 20 miles on it just driving around my neighborhood. Seems to run great.

 

Wow, that paint and chrome shines like new.

Sure stayed nice in that barn all those years.

Amazing what a little detailing and TLC can do.

 

What a great find! You have done a good job cleaning it up and making road worthy. I really want a 51.

 

Great story and a beautiful car. I wonder if you might find a build sheet under one of the seats.

 

Great car, your doing a real nice job of bringing it back.

 

You can just imagine that last photo with a cherry on top and a shield painted on he doors. It oozes police. Very cool find!

 

Thanks.... it still needs a lot of cleaning, but overall it's turning out very nice for a 64 year old car.

I had thought about that, I took the bottom of the back seat out and didn't find anything. I haven't pulled the upper half yet though. I think my 1952 Pontiac, I found somewhat of a build sheet behind the front seat cover. I did find a receipt from 1975 in the crack of the front seat for the purchase of a new belt, plugs, and some other misc items which were still in the boxes in the trunk.

Would be cool for sure... I did find someone who had this red Guide S-18 spotlight though. I should have it within a couple of weeks.





And here's another picture of the car.

 

Awesome old untouched Pontiac -- PLEASE don't paint it.

 

i am absolutely sure, that it wasn't only you who found the car BUT the car also found you! it was sitting and waiting for the best hands to be rescued by, and that, sir, were you. well done, fantastic car and good care taken. i think that overall leatherette interior was ordered especially for police uses... your engine really sounds smooth and strong, i love my straight 8, reliable, good sound and a sight to see.

congrats to that, Dave!

Cheers, Carsten

 

Been driving this old Poncho as much as possible.. I've put about 1000 miles on it so far with no major issues. Not bad for a car that's been hibernating for over 35 years and has sit a lot since the mid 1950's. I've tried finding a build sheet on it tucked away somewhere, no luck, but I did manage to find stock factory parts tags for the rear seat. I think the bottom was dated April 51 AM, and the top half May 51 PM.

 

Love it sure looks better than in that BARN Thanks for sharing this great find