Projects '52 Catalina Super DeLuxe Custom Build

New 3" diameter driveshaft being made by Universal Driveline Inc out of White Bear Lake, MN. ~$350 he'll use my 28 spline slip yoke and has 3010 end yoke in stock. Will get it by next week. Super happy because with that new driveshaft and the Monroe Air Max shocks, there's a good chance I won't need to buy new stiffer leafs with less than the 4" static drop I have. Also, this guy said you can go 60" length with 3" diameter the fact that I had a 52" long 4" diameter he was laughing. Way over built but it wasn't my call when I had it made by another shop, I had no clue. I have hope again, and if I'm lucky better sleep.

 

I talked to my buddy who helped, he reminded me the U bolts did not fit over the axle tube into the correct holes but they did fit that way so we went with it??? Ha, I may have just ordered the same wrong sized ones. I need to track down the right fitment.

 

Monroe Air Max Shocks installed. Was pretty easy actually. Empty of air the car skirts were sitting at 10.75" and at 60 PSI it raised 1.25" to 12". I'm not sure where I'm going to end up but minimum air required in shock is 20 PSI. I hope the ride is nice. I get my driveshaft back later this week.

 

Could someone tell me if this is normal for wheel skirts? I feel like I have never seen the handle/bar before on other cars. Pontiac thing maybe?

 

What model shocks did you end up using?
I might want to do similar on a 57 car, not sure if they are the same or not.

 

I found this giant PDF of Monroe's shock specs after I bought model MA812 .
compressed: 12.75"
Extended: 20.75"
Travel: 8"
I had no idea they had so many options, I was just going off what O'reilly seemed to have on their website. My eyelet mount to eyelet mount sits at 16" under normal sitting stance so I just split the difference. I don't even know if that is the right way to do it but I'm going with it.

Shocks with Part# MA are Max Air Shocks.

 

Installed the new 3" driveshaft Sunday morning and took it out for a drive to my friends. His 4 year old son loved the car. I had one axle rap that made me soo disappointed but I went home, took the Max Air shocks up from 40PSI to 70PSI which was a .75" body lift. The next day I drove with my wife almost 45 miles with NO ISSUE! So happy. I am still going to do a couple preventative things like probably stiffer leafs, I'm going to call St Louis Spring Co and see if I can do add a leaf like they do for trucks. Possibly hammer up that floor spot or cut it out. Undecided. I'm just happy to have it on the road and driving. It was my first time driving in the dark and I could see the lit up chief head, it was a really proud moment.




Caught the firework mid explosion. You can see it on the trunk lid. Thought it looked pretty sweet.

 

That's gotta feel great to get it on the road! I'm jealous
You've cleared the big hurdle for now. It'll be satisfying to work out the bugs and keep making it better.

 

Took the car work yesterday and today. Feels good to have it on the road.



I changed my open crankcase breather that was getting oily vapor all over my engine to the Edelbrock push in breather with PCV built in and routed it to my carb intake.



I added Siless Black 80 mil sound deadening mat to my doors. WOW. I cannot believe how quiet the door closure is but was also surprised at my ride quality too. I had just gotten used to things rattling around and sounding like a tin can on the highway but this took that down to a minimal level. I should have done this long ago. I did my trunk floor and wheel wells as well as both doors with 36sqft for $65. I would recommend this to anyone with bare metal. I took the time to lubricate all the door and window mechanisms, that was a huge improvement too.


I was happy to see my vacuum canister working. I added this out of caution my Howard Cam was too large to make vacuum. It's tucked away and looks good so I'm happy I added it regardless if I need it or not. It's doing its job. This was when I pulled in the garage, turned the car off and popped the hood.



Now the latest concern. My coolant is looking rusty. I was quite low in the overflow can two days ago, I disconnected and dumped the sediment powder that was at the bottom. I thought (hoped) my overflow hose was too long and was picking up dust off the road so I shortened it a few inches but it dawned on me the iron block is just getting in my coolant. I guess I could dump it, and garden hose the radiator while the engine idles until flushed. Or just not worry about it? There doesn't appear to be any more sediment. The coolant was Peak so it's like a Mtn Dew color when new.

 

I recently used some Thermocure from Evaporust on a car that sat for ten years with tap water in the block. Needless to say, it was NASTY to start. We flushed it of course, but radiator, hoses, water p***ages in the block, you name it--they were all coated with gunk. We filled it up with Thermocure and water and ran it through several cycles up to full temp, driving around a bit each time, over a period of several weeks. Black nasty stuff came out, and we removed the t-stat to flush it very thoroughly. Peeking inside everything afterwards, we couldn't believe what we saw. It really, really cleaned things up! I wish we would have taken before and after pictures.

Some guys like to use a *****hose stocking as a filter after loosening things up too. They stretch it over the radiator hose ******, stuff a loose end down in for some carrying capacity, then install the hose over it. I haven't tried that yet, and couldn't convince my buddy that it was necessary on his car.

 

You have a very cool unique car. Why then make just the same as all the regular generic modified cars and go just a cheap sbc and 3 speed auto. Pontiac make great engines. You could continue with the unique theme of your car buy using an early Pontiac ohv v8. Alternatively hunt out some early speed equipment for the six. Any engine can be be dependable and drivable it bult and maintained properly. There is no advantage in following the crowd in fitting a sbc and auto. Except if your on a very tight financial budget.

 

It looks like you are using the wrong length U-bolts on the rear end, they should go around the axle tube, not around the square bracket that is welded to the axle tube. By the way, great looking car, hope you enjoy the ride.

 

Totally the wrong size, I wasn't thinking right when I slapped those in, embarr***ing. I hope to remove my 4" drop springs and install the new 2" drop leaf springs and U-bolts this week.

 

Yeah, it was supposed to be a budget build and I got a free 350/th350 setup from my friend who had it laying around his garage. If I were to do it over again I would change a lot of things. New front clip, Poncho motor and air ride being the biggest. I knew I was gonna upset some purists when I made the swap but mainly I was learning the process from a Chevy guy. So I followed his lead.

 

You can't beat free. I'm not really a purist. But the sbc is used in in anything and everything because it's so cheap. But often another choice would make the car way more cool without sacrificing dependability. Maybe you upgrade later. Still a nice car though.

 

Local car detailer cleaned, polished, ceramic and top coated the Pontiac for $800. Apparently ceramic coating lasts like 2+ years, prevents sun fade, makes sap and bugs easier to remove as well as gives the paint a deeper color and wet look. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I just wanted to see what my sh*t paint job could look like at it's best potential once.



I installed a 10" Rockford Fosgate powered amp subwoofer in the trunk to complete my audio system. I got it on Crutchfield.com as a scratch and dent item for $282 shipped. Plenty of b*** and really ties in the coaxial speakers. I haven't tuned it yet because I'm waiting on the rear seat (supposed to be this Tuesday) because it will change the whole sound when that blocks off the trunk space.



I love a good sound system and have been installing them in every car since I was 16 years old.

 

I found a stainless man! Gerald Wodtke out in Buffalo, MN. 16 pieces of stainless trim = $180 repaired and polished. So these were all the pieces that were missing from my car and in my pile I got with the purchase. Well I went home and took off everything I could to bring to him when I pickup the first set. Gravel guards, visor trim, door flippers. glovebox emblem, interior sun visor pieces, extra hood waterfall and others.

Stainless I brought to Gerald:

This waterfall was extra with my car. It is in better shape than what's on the car. So I stripped it and am having it polished so I can run a pure stainless waterfall, I need to take the rear one off too and strip it. I like the Silverstreak look.

 

Looking good, I like the look of the paintless stainless waterfall.

 

Hmmm, if I'm a Ford guy, why do I LIKE Pontiacs so much....? Becuse of you & Pontiac Phil, no doubt.

 

After 600 miles on the new motor, I did an oil change. I wish I would have done it earlier. So that was my drain plug and I only dumped 2 quarts out! Dude I bought the motor from said he had break in oil in it and I could do an oil change in a 500 miles if I wanted. Hoping it's just machine shavings from boring the heads. It is a hydraulic cam so less damaging than if it was a solid lifter. I've never pulled a plug in my life with any shavings. For those of you wondering, I had to install the aftermarket oil dipstick after I bought the motor and everyone said the level was not correct on the stick so just wait until you do a complete oil change with filter and add your 5 quarts to file a line on your dipstick. I should have done the oil change immediately once I got the car but hindsight ya know. The motor just sounds better now too. Like less hollow and way less noisy. I'll change the oil in another 500 and see what's up.

 

What a great "different" ride..... I don't have time this morning to go all through the thread, but did notice that you found a nice set of '28-'32 Ford taillights. Keep up the good work, and again, great ride !!!

 

I got more stainless back from Gerald. He repaired my door flippers and refelted them too. I've been looking for NOS or better condition flippers for 2 years with no luck. I can't believe I could just have them repaired. I'm so excited out those, now, not to crush them in my door ever again haha. Gravel guards look good. And the stainless waterfall trim...well...next post.

 

I bought the car with an extra waterfall. I had no idea the chief head hood ornaments were different sizes and fits. So, like a dummy, I paid to polish the extra one without taking off my amber '52 chief ornament and make sure it fit the holes right. Ugh... So, I'm like ohhh that's where the extra red acrylic chief came from. I remove my third brake like ornament and try it on the waterfall. It fits through the stainless but not the hood! The angle is wrong. So neither work! I think the worst part is it took me like over an hour holding the hood with my shoulder to install the waterfall alone since one spring on the hood is broken and doesn't stay up. I usually use a wood stick but I prop it where the waterfall mounts. I was mentally beat so I called it for the night. Headed back into the garage this afternoon to paint strip my original waterfall and reinstall it. I'll get it repaired and polished another day.




My half*** tape job for spraying the mounting brackets that were quite rusty.

Love the silverstreak waterfall!


I looked at drilling holes but the amber head will leave a giant hole on either end if installed. The red head only mounts flush on either end with the other side up in the air. Plus I really like the red chief as the third brake light and the correct years ornament up front.

My pregnant wife helping out. Baby boy due in November. Gotta get this car tidied up!

 

congratulations on the pregnancy. Love your car.

 

Re the handles, yes. You only really see them if you go looking for them.

 

have you thought of cutting the oil filter apart to determine if it is full of filings. Might be good to look in there.

 

Yeah, I should have probably done that. Was trashed and gone now. Planning on doing it with the next one.

 

Stripped my original front and rear waterfalls and reinstalled them this morning. Love the non painted look. So shiny! Got my door flippers installed. Super stoked those are dealt with. The p***enger side springs are still kinda weak but it swings open enough and shuts enough to be functional. My current trim on the doors is pictured. Takes me a long time per piece to install. Feels like almost an hour a strip but most of it is just prepping the clips. They aren't OEM, they are makeshift. I spent hours pouring over Ebay and 3 other restoration clip sites but everything is ambiguous and not like, "here's your '52s bottom door trim retainer clips". So I took to making what I had work. The tape really helps keep them in place until you spin on the nut from the interior. They are on tight though! Can't wait to get the cars trim back on. Never seen it all on, I got the car with 90% of it off.

 

Such a cood looking car !!! Keep on keep'n on ....... Hope the engine is O K

 

I went to National Chevy ***ociation just down the road from me to check in on rocker moldings and although they've been back ordered for months they did have the clipset for $54. So instead of replacing my originals with nice shiny new ones, I just installed them to be done with it. Very easy kit to do. I think they were both on in 15 mins. I also purchased their largest trim fasteners to try out and I couldn't have been luckier. They were the perfect fit for the stainless. No more taping and cutting random fasteners. The rear quarter panel trim went on so fast and easy. Now I just need to find these special push in clips for this little piece behind the doors and the body trim is complete.