43 replies to this topic

[Bart]

Hey guys
This is my dads 1963 Pontiac Laurentian, it�s been sitting around since 1983 and couple of days ago I started it, basically need to move it to the new garage.
The story is in late 1982 me (about 7 years old) and the family drove to Gosford, Copacabana beach to be exact, when half way up the exhaust manifold to exhaust pipe gasket blew out and heated the fuel line which caused the fuel to vaporize and stopped the old girl dead in its tracks on the F3. I remember dad rigged up a plastic bottle, bleach bottle I think, filled it with fuel tipped it upside down and hung it off the antenna to feed the carburetor through a hose. It actually got us home and that was basically where it stayed until it ran out of rego in 1983 and where it rests now.
Sat outside in the rain then garaged.
So today I finally drove the old girl for the first time since I was six years old (but that�s another story) into my new garage as the old garage will be knocked over this year. Shame really my dad and I did all sorts of work in the old garage including making bits for my Torana.

So the plan is to restore the old girl, hopefully with some tips from Dirtbag. The left quarter panel is #@$^%& from an accident and a #@$^%& repair job done back in the early 70's when a poor old Valiant hit the Pontiac in the ass/left quarter (Valiant was written off). Looking at the left quarter I think the bastard straightened it out best he could and bogged the shit out of it, normally I wouldn�t care as it can be fixed but since the quarter didn�t sit right it leaked water in the boot and #@$^%& the boot floor with rust. I�m tossing up between a good second hand quarter from the US or attempt to make/shape my own, quarter top section as the lower quarter section can be bought new from the US. Need to import a 1963 Impala boot floor (same boot floor as the Pontiac) and pretty much that�s the two biggest chunks out of the way. Fair bit of surface rust and poo brown paint on the roof, hopefully it hasn�t bitten in too deep and bonnet. Doors are repairable as the corners are typically rusted.
Lower right quarter is rusted and need to be replaced; I found a new replacement lower quarter section so that�s sweet.
Feel free to comment. Dirtbag you know you want it

[GML-31]

nice project

[Collo]

Very nice project. Just me or does it only just fit in the shed?

[Bart]

Very nice project. Just me or does it only just fit in the shed?

Haha, yep just fits.

[Bart]

Reminds me of a Dirtbag special

Will be a nice car when restored, could see myself driving something like that one day - assuming I get to drive again.

Herne

he he
hence the go jacks to make it fit

so herne what's the go?
the shoulder say "no" to all and sundry?

I actually drove it in and stopped about a meter from the back wall as it has no brakes, with a dodgy accelerator pedal I didn�t want to risk busting through into the neighbors fence lol. Go jacks had to be used as I also wanted to push it side ways out of the way to make space. It�s a big ape of a car.
What you reckon on an LS2 motor, do they go any bigger than LS2 in alloy in that model block? Not the Corvette V8 they�re too expensive.

[Bart]

Hey Bart, That looks like a good project, and lets face it when was the last time any of us saw one of those cruising around?

Thats true, the last time i saw one was in Abbotsford Sydney, i actually knew the bloke from school and that was about 15 years ago. I used to cruse past his street to have a look at the Pontiac but havnt seen it since 1996ish.

[Bart]

I got a long way to go for the engine but where would be a good place to buy either new or second hand Chev V8, i dont want an LS1, seen a few issues with them in my wifes previous car and read on other forums etc so im thinking an LS2 or another type of chev, preferably an alloy block, so yeah where would be a good place to buy one, or has anyone here just imported one from the US?
I have seen a few on Ebay but Ebay gives me the creeps with stuff like a whole engine.

Edited by Bart, 03 January 2011 - 11:38 AM.

[Bart]

Just using ebay as an example, check out the LS3

http://cgi.ebay.com....=item255d414161

[Bart]

Wonder if that actually is CAPA or someone pretending to be them haha.

Cheers.

Yep thats ebay
I would never buy that unless i saw the motor with warranty and or running before my eyes

[Bart]

Yep, def.

frOckin good deal though, wonder if someone in the area off the forums would go sus it out?

I know your not wanting it right now but yeah could work later.

frOcking awesome project to btw.

Cheers.

Yeah if anyone in the area can check it out the seller may be a good source to go to in the future for anyone. You have to make sure the price is a good price, he says it normally goes for 10g but there are different versions of the LS3 i think which makes them more expensive or cheaper, i would say the 10g LS3 would be factory worked or something or $6995 may be a genuinley cheap price. Im sure there are some that can confirm or correct me.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Chev-GM-Performance-LS2-6-0L-Generation-IV-Crate-Engine-/170576705027?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27b729f603

This is like $8400, must be something special for a short motor
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/LS3-427ci-V8-Short-Motor-Block-Engine-Gen4-street-race-/260630618517?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3caecba195

[Bart]

Inspiration

[lxsstorana]

That's nice.

[Bart]

Bought good second hand tail lights off a Catalina few years back from ebay. Also bought new old stock lenses which is probably not needed as these tail lights are pretty good as is.



Catalina lower quarter panel from ebay, this seller disappeared I couldnt find him again on ebay may have another look for him.

[Bart]

Want another one ???? Good parts car i suppose

Looks like a bit to do, but itll look gorgeous once it done

good luck with it

Thanks mate, unfortunately the sheet metal is a bit diferent apart from the floor/boot pans and the roof. The boot pan may come in handy but i would rather fork out the extra for a new boot pan.

http://www.impalas.com/body-panels/1963-chevy-impala-trunk-floor-shelf-panel-wheelhouse/1700hd.html

http://www.classicindustries.com/impala/parts/14742.html

http://www.jcwhitney.com/quarter-panel/pontiac-catalina-1963/c1037d1825y1963j1s23.jcwx?_requestid=4452461

Edited by Bart, 04 January 2011 - 08:51 PM.

[dirtbag]

Looks like a fun project. Hope it's not as bad as the 63 Bonneville I showed you pics of.

Keep us posted, or just send it up here for me to play with : )

[Bart]

Looks like a fun project. Hope it's not as bad as the 63 Bonneville I showed you pics of.

Keep us posted, or just send it up here for me to play with : )

I think the left quarter is as bad as the Bonneville but the floor seems solid but the boot pan is #@$^%& which is why i was thinking of buying the boot pan it the previous post, its a 63 Impala which is the same thing really.
Im not sure i i hould buy new wheel tubs with the boot pan as i may fab up some bigger tubs but then the factory wheel tubs are not small, pretty deap really. But thats the least of my worries at the moment, need to sort out the boot and left quarter.
Hey Dirtbag, i want to make the top side section of the quarter (bottom section i can buy) but its largely flat, long with some curve, would i have to use an english wheel to get that curve? Or would a shrinker/stretcher do the job? Or beat out the curve on a beater bag then smooth it of with a slapper? (This would be a cheaper way to go as the beater and slapper are just hand tools not fancy machinery)

Edited by Bart, 04 January 2011 - 11:16 PM.

[dirtbag]

Hi Bart. If you were to make the top section with a 20mm folded lip at the top you could use the shrinker to pull some curve into the panel through the lip. The only problem with that though is it will make the top edge of the quarter curved, and it needs to be straight. If you can get access to an english wheel use a fairly flat bottom roller and put some crown in it, but it wont need a lot. You'll be able to get some shape into the panel when you weld it to the lower half of the panel as the lower half should have the same curve in it. Does that make sense? I don't think I'd use a shot bag and hammer to get the curve in, as it's such a mild curve I think a shot bag will stretch the metal too much by the time it's planished smooth.
It looks like there is only a small curve from top to botom of that top section of the rear guard. I'd probably just bend that by hand over a gas bottle to start. If there isn't much curve front to back, then the english wheel will probably put too much shape in, as it curves the metal both ways. I really do suck at explaining things.
Just give me your LJ and I'll fix the Ponti for you : )

Oh, and regarding wheel tubs, I only had to stretch the bonnevilles tubs 100mm to be able to fit 20x16s, so they're plenty big : )