Sorry for the lack of updates – I’ve been working pretty much 6 days a week and logging just about 50 hours each week so I haven’t been on much.

I ended up traded my 1964 Pontiac Catalina that was my daily driver for this 1950 Pontiac Chieftain, the first week of March ‘10. If you have already browsed through the visitors Pontiac’s page, you probably saw it posted there as this car belonged to George whom I got it from out of New Jersey.

The car is pretty much original and has a Straight Eight engine and the Hydramatic transmission. It appears it has been restored at some point, but sat a lot. The engine in it knocks due to a spun bearing. I changed the oil and it quieted the knock down and it picked up some oil pressure and I did manage to drive it to the post office and back.

As far as plans for the car go, I have bought a 1961 Pontiac 389 engine with a 4 speed hydramatic for $250 that will replace the pounding flathead and wake this old Chief up.  The engine is stuck right now, but I got the heads and intake off it and it’s soaking in mystery oil. Hopefully once I get it free’d up, I’ll finish the tear down and get it hot tanked and start the rebuild. I hope to have it ready to drop in by fall or sooner.

And now for some pictures…

Heres a shot of it I took at a gas station on the way home.

Tail-gating…

Here it is sitting in my back yard before I put it under the car port. I robbed the tires and wheels and stuck those on my 52 for now until I got some new whites for it. I also stuck an old visor on it, not sure if I’m going paint it up and leave it on or not. Also stuck some old caps on it that I had laying around.

Interior is in decent shape.

Back shot

I’ll post more updates as I work on the car. Right now my main focus is to get the 389 built and ready for the swap.

Here are the pictures of the 1949-1952 Pontiac’s as seen in the Pontiac Shop Manual.

THE 1949 PONTIAC 4 DOOR DELUXE CHIEFTAIN SERIES 27

THE 1950 PONTIAC 4 DOOR DELUXE CHIEFTAIN SERIES 27

THE 1951 PONTIAC 4 DOOR DELUXE CHIEFTAIN SERIES 27

THE 1952 PONTIAC 4 DOOR DELUXE CHIEFTAIN SERIES 25 OR 27

Hi Dave,

Great website. It’s a blast to see all of these vintage Pontiacs. I’ve had mine in one form or another for about 21 years from age 15. My Dad started a resto on it in 1979 and then moved on to other projects. It started as a ragged out ‘51 Chieftain 4 door sedan Deluxe. In college, we decided to build and drop in a cammed-up Pontiac 455 with Ram Air III heads and TH400. I know, horrible for the street with this combo because of the high compression, but what a blast it was for 10 years. Then in 2001 I bought a complete but horribly rusted ‘50 2 door Streamliner and my Dad and I decide to do a body swap, and fully bag the stock ‘51 frame with an Air Ride technologies 4 link and Air Pod, do custom 3″ exhaust, and wiring from Painless. It still looks like hell inside and out, but it’s back to all-steel with ongoing improvements every week.

I am still in search of a few body trim pieces especially the outboard grille moulding for a ‘51 or ‘52 if anyone has suggestions. I am also looking for a reputable interior shop to do a great job on an original-looking interior restoration in 2009.

I am 36 now and I have loved these cars since a teenager for obvious reasons. I grew up in Western New York and ended up in Detroit about 12 years ago and now live about 5 miles from where the old Pontiac, MI plant once stood. There’s alot of history here and it is very cool to be in Detroit with a car as great as this era of Pontiacs, no matter what you see on TV about the auto industry. I hope to enter the 2009 Autorama in the old skool rust bucket class, so look for us. Thanks again for a great online resource. Merry Christmas!

- Steve