My 1950 Pontiac Silver Streak sedan project car

Finally got around to loading some photos on photobucket, so here is my new project that will hopefully get a HZ one tonner chassis, v8 and auto and some kustom treatment. I'm pretty sure I'll be doing it rat style first to start with, make sure all the bugs get ironed out of it first, then maybe give the car a little rebirth with some cool paint and tuck n roll interior. So, here goes...















The body is now seperated from the chassis, so the hunt is on for a running HZ one tonner with v8 and auto in decent nick for a donor, hopefully in Brisbane or not too far away, for a good price ;-)
Now to just find some more time, so we can start piecing it back together!
Cheers
Brenton

Looks like you have a bit of work ahead of you. The clock and dash are absolutly beautiful, it's little details like that why I love oldschoolers.

Thanks mate. That clock is one of the reasons I really liked the Pontiac... It's come up beautifully too, as has most of the chrome and stainless bits so far! Just need more time at home and in the shed!

What caps ya got for it?
What about a Bonnet Orniment?
Cheers The Zed............

reckon you're gonna need a lot more time at home in the shed

Love seeing these ols school cars get resurected from the earth. Looking forward to you keeping us posted along the way

Hey Zed, havent seen you on here for ages! I havent got the bonnet ornament mate, I'd love to find one but they're damned expensive! May go with something non stock but I'll definitely have the bonnet and bootlid centre chrome pieces on it. Not sure on caps just yet, I've got a set of '50 and '51 centre caps for her, but unsure if I'll go sans caps and just chrome nuts/ spider cap. I'll only need em for the front, I dont plan on seeing the rear wheels under the fender skirts I plan on making for it, and hopefully bagged rear end too...
Not sure on HZ chassis now either, I keep getting conflicting info/ stories from different people. May still go with the original chassis and just try and fit a HZ disc brake front end, v8 and auto...
The hoist is fitted in the shed now (but the hydraulic pump is stuffed from me leaving the motor post sitting horizontal for two years while I mucked around with other crap - should be replaced within a couple of weeks) so hopefully I'll be back onto working on the Poncho real soon!!
Thanks too VF, I'll try and keep you guys posted along the way with photos etc! I may end up needing the encouragement!!
Cheers
Brenton

A standard 50's pontiac frontend rebuild kit (bushes , tyerods etc) from Kanter auto supply in the U.S is around $340, Fatman drop stubs to suit are $395 and even Hoppers Stoppers sell disc bake upgrades for 54's from $1200 but cheap disc upgrades (fatman) are available at more reasonable pricing in the U.S.
Thought i'd give you an alternative to hacking ya stock frame, personally i'd go Jag frontend if you wanna cut into it.

Thanks Harry! Think I might look into the jag front end as well.... good idea!
Cheers,
Brenton

what conflicting stories about the chassis hae you been getting?

Cheers

Mick

Hey Mick!
Some supposed 'people in the know' reckon I will have a harder time getting the Poncho on a HZ chassis regoed than I would with just a front end, diff, v8 and auto conversion.... I've found a wrecked WB tonner literally down the road from me with a 308, auto etc but I'm not sure what he'd want for it, he has a AP1 Chrysler Royal with flat 6, pushbutton auto in need of a full resto and wont take under 2500 for it (he must think it's a bloody Ferrari or something...) so I'm a bit hesitant about asking what he wants for this tonner...
Supposedly GM's used the same stub axles from something like 48 through to 1986 or something?? so apparently it might not be too hard to do a disc brake f/e upgrade, or I might go the Jag f/e yet... I dunno!
The hoist should be finished this week (fingers crossed) and I've gotta service the XM before Greazefest so HOPEFULLY we should be able to start some serious work on the Poncho soon mate!

Speak to your engineer about chassis swap's cuz he'll verify the facts from fiction.
Just remember ya stock chassis has all the correct body mounts taken car of on the floorpan and the chassis, chassis swaps fuck up all of that as nothing aligns and new mounts need to be made. Another problem is a sedan chassis kicks up under or behind the back seat so expect to do some major trimming there. The ute chassis will kick up before that plus it level's off straight back from the diff centre so that will interfere with ya sedans bootfloor which you'll need to hack out and reposition higher. A lot of people go into a conversion like this with blinkers on thinking its a cinch like a pickup cab swap but its a lot more involved that. But if ya floorpans a rusted mess then go for it and use the donar utes floorpan and firewall to simplify the swap.

I'll have to get onto a decent engineer that isn't keen on taking it off the road for good, like some engineers I've heard of!
Thanks for the tips Harry, if the front end conversion is easier for rego etc I may opt for that, the front two body mounts had been removed from the chassis before I got it, but I still have them. The floorpan and boot floor are pretty damn good rust wise, only a few patches in the boot (the spare wheel well is almost mint, no rust and not even a ding in it!) and a couple of 50c piece sized ones in the floorpan near the rear seat, otherwise it's sweet.
I wasn't too keen on smoothing the chassis down to bare steel, I'm trying to save some dosh instead of sandblasting it, it only has light surface rust on it, so hopefully we can wizz it down fairly quickly.
Looks like I'll be fairly busy up till Greazefest, so fingers crossed I can start at it after then...
Cheers
Brenton