History Anyone recognize this 60’s, Orange, Channeled ‘34 5 Window from New England?

I'm really liking the new grill and wheels. It will be worth it when you finally get it sorted out.

 

That grill looks BITCHEN!!!!

I never liked the deuce grill on 33-34’s

The car is coming along nicely. Don’t get disappointed, distracted or discouraged over the motor. Just keep moving forward!!!

 

Grill looks right in place!
What year range engine specifically are you looking for? I can check with some local boys that might have a lead.

 

Thanks!

I think I’m pretty limited that is has to be 59 or 60.

Im pretty tempted to just take apart the 60 engine, hone it, and see what happens. There’s some pits but what have I got to lose? The catch is the pistons are 12.5-1 Compression…. And thick head gaskets are almost $500!

 

Can you fly cut the top of the pistons?

 

If it was me I would get a another opinion on saving the motor from an engine builder. I suggest
Daves Auto Machine in Fitchburg Mass 978-343-4440. He is Dave50 on the HAMB but has not posted on here in a long time. Depending on your location in NH you must be within a 2/3 hour drive to his shop. I also would suggest bringing the compression down to at least stock or something more compatibile with 87/89 octane for reliability and driveability. A stock 389 would be a fun street motor with a 4 speed in that coupe. You could post up a wanted add on criagslist and market place for a 59-60 389 motor. Good luck and don't give up.

 

Here are some leads on Pontiac engines. Worth a follow up. You never know who has what hanging around.
Pontiac Motors and Parts - Car Engines & Engine Parts - Glens Falls, New York | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook

59 block:
Pontiac 389 block - Car Engines & Engine Parts - Honeoye Falls, New York | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook

Pontiac 301 - Car Engines & Engine Parts - Duncannon, Pennsylvania | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Pontiac 326 block - Car Engines & Engine Parts - Middle Island, New York | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook
Engines and Transmissions of old and new brands,we have all the needs of your car! - Car Engines & Engine Parts - Everett, Massachusetts | Facebook Marketplace | Facebook

 

Standard bore no cracks $150. Boom! Bunch of hambers in Rochester...

 

Thanks so much digging up some leads! That block in NY is very tempting, but also 6.5 hours away… Maybe I could post a thread looking for Hambers heading East towards NH??

 

Or someone willing to pallet an ship..

 

For the price and availabilty 6.5 hrs away does not seem to bad to me. It is not like you are going to find a 59-60 389 blocks for a dime a dozen in every junk yard.

 

Agreed on two points; get a real machinist to look over your parts, not that toe licker, and the block being a half day's drive away is good fortune.

 

I have a Fastenal here in town. Ship that block to me in Bennington from Rochester and I will meet you in Keene. If you are not familiar with Fastenal I can do all the paperwork for you on line.

 

Thank you very much for the offer! I have a Fastenal 45 minutes away… I’ll talk to the seller and see if they’re willing to work with me. If not making the 13 hour trip may be the safest/easier way




To add to the engine conundrum, the meatball insisted we use the heads off the 60 due to much better compression (according to casting numbers it’s only 3CC difference?), and he also used the Isky roller came out of the 60.
Perhaps I could take the bottom end from the 63 and use in the block from NY. Align bore and use the .030 pistons from the fresh build? Although I’m not sure how much I really trust all of his machine work… He also had to re-use 3 pitted valves

 

As mentioned earlier you might want to speak with Dave. He knows a lot about vintage engines and pays attention to the build as he is a hands on fella. He did my 324 and he is over 2 hrs from me!

 

You should be able to find a 59 or 60 block reasonably easy, you might try the local Pontiac clubs. If it was me I would just go for a completely different short block and then you wouldn't have to worry about the domed pistons. No doubt someone installed those to get the compression up.
From the late 50's through the late 70's Pontiac varied compression ratios with combustion chamber volume, almost all their engines had flat tops with four valve reliefs. All Pontiac cylinder heads from 1959 to 1979 will interchange, most of the late 60's heads (68-70) have 72 cc's and open chambers, and would run on 91 octane, but I would install hardened seats in them. There are a few cylinder heads from the 71-72 era that had 87 cc's but not many, this would definitely lower the compression on a 389 to a tolerable level. Any of the heads from the later 70's will all have larger chambers, some as high as 114 cc's, some of those heads will lower the compression down to the 7.5:1 range on a 389 so be cautious and check your casting numbers. I would find some cylinder heads first (unless you use the ones on the car) and then pick the camshaft to fit the rest of the engine and intended driving purpose. With all the trouble that has been caused with cheaply made flat tappet lifters and changes in the oil chemistry, I would go straight to a new roller cam, or use the roller that was in it, IF you could make it run with lower compression, that existing cam and lower compression might not be the best matchup of components though. Just my two cents.
I think some other posters have a good idea as well in having an experienced machinist check out the original engine, might be worth salvaging but then your back to dealing with domed pistons.
Either way it's a sweet ride and well worth the time your investing, best of luck to you.

 

Might want to keep this thread in your favorites or watch file

Tech: Pontiac Engines | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

Shaun you seen this?
1960 389 Pontiac Engine for Rebuild - auto parts - by owner -... (craigslist.org)

 

Sucks about the engine. I wanted a 389 in my coupe for a long time but I had some of the same issues finding parts to adapt a 4 speed. I found plenty of folks with the parts (and man, was I ready to spend $$$) but not one of them actually wanted to sell when the time came to talk. So, I went to a 327 and a bunch of vintage parts. There's no going back but, man, a worked 389 would've been a nasty set-up.

I hope you stick with running a Poncho. That car deserves a cool mill like that.

 

any updates on the engine?

 

Took the block out of the coupe and took out the pistons and rods. Putting was worse than I thought. Looks like it had Jahns pop up pistons. Anyone happen to have an old catalog on Jahns? Tried taking block to machine shop, but they were leaving early yesterday for Christmas.

I’ve been doing more research, pretty much a 1960 only interchanges with 1960. Earlier 55-59 have same bellhousing but “reverse flow” cooling, which gets into even more confusion and the blocks have different ports as well. And of course 61 and up at different bellhousings.

I’ve been reading that 59 and 60 blocks are quite thick, and I’m hoping the sonic test proves that. I see one guy on the HAMB has a 389 bore .315 over! 577 CU in!

Looks like it was balanced at some point. Crank is marked .010 for both rods and mains. Cam bearings have wear.

Also there’s no clips in the pistons for the wrist pins?? Am I missing something?

 

Also had a friend on FB, Luke Karosi send me a photo of an old channeled coupe…. Unfortunately it look like this one’s chopped, but a neat old pic for inspiration regardless

 

This car rules…

 

I am very supprised, if the car is from the New England area, Nick the Bandit hasn't chimed in. Gene.

 

A Christmas update for you all-

On a whim, I sent some pictures and a message to the guy that I got the coupe from. He wouldn’t really give me any info when I bought it, but figured what the heck?

He told me that Tom Staback from Meriden Connecticut built the car but never drove it much. He said that it sat next to his home for years under a tarp. Did a little Google detective work and looks like he’s right.

Unfortunately Tom passed away shortly after I acquired the coupe. Going to see if I can track down any of his relatives. Fingers crossed.

Looks like Tom owned Tom’s Mobil on Meriden-Waterbury road in Southington and later started Tom’s Auto Service in Southington. He also lived in Southington as well.

Does anyone remember these shops or know someone who might??

 

That's a great help but so little forward movement...search brings up very little...not surprising though...Someone here must know him or someone that does...

https://plantsvillefuneralhome.com/obituaries/thomas-staback

...His Obit...may he rest in peace...

 

@AVater may be able to offer some suggestions as to who in CT might have some knowledge on that car. Certainly someone in that area must recall it.

 

Stogy, can you enlarge the top center car [blue] enough to read the licence plate?

 

Sorry Seb the Image is to Grainy...but here's what I got... '_E 1252' perhaps theres an obscured letter or number before the E and the E1252 is a long shot guess...Thats a really nice Hotrod...I might be the odd duck that would Deuce that nose...

Perhaps a better scan in High Res of the pic in the Album would bear more fruit...Paging @tombstone...we are trying to identify the License Plate # on the Blue 34...can you see if in the picture you have if its readable from your end? I tried scaling it up but its not to clear...

 

These pictures help show some of the different colors on this coupe. Looks like dark blue body, and red frame. Both appear to be metallic. Maybe a lighter blue on the door? Some silver accents on frame as well. Whole frame could have been silver as well.

The engine was Pontiac blue, and before that Gold and Red.