Jump to content

1951 Pontiac Chieftain


Recommended Posts

Posted

Hallmark day today.

20190718_180733.thumb.jpg.77ee8fab0d2dfa0e6960101e2cb8e8c0.jpg

 

Started putting things back ON the car. I now have a brake pedal again (and it even works).

 

Phil

Posted

Awesome work over these past few weeks :) 

happy to hear you survived the storm!

 

Posted

Like for everything but extra like for the horn brackets and screw polishing, never thought of that method.

  • Like 2
Posted
On 7/2/2019 at 2:43 AM, PhilA said:

20190701_200729.thumb.jpg.4e9a5df32d7713e49b54941dfc6ea244.jpg

Cream paint on a piece of wire.

20190701_200739.thumb.jpg.db72880993ccd773f9a11050dbfbfe1c.jpg

Words done.

20190701_201607.thumb.jpg.e028764607debb8351a7b53f5e223c75.jpg

With some pillarbox red.

20190701_203141.thumb.jpg.b271cc8de51e8a5953fc950c4cc19673.jpg

Cleaned up and assembled into the frame.

20190701_203325.thumb.jpg.ebdb1f39a6409ff6ea0ba2b6d2634708.jpg

And on the car. That makes me happier. It's not perfect but it's a lot better.

 

Phil

Were these ever illuminated like Wolseley grille badges, or  was it just exuberant Virgil Exner 1950s 'Wooo! Plastic's neat! Plastic's the future' kind of thing?

Posted

Very much "look what we can do with poly methyl methacrylate!", a really nice way of getting the dash with 3D lettering that's a lot more accurate than glass and cheaper than etching.

The whole car uses acrylic wherever possible- dash, the chief up front, tail lights. Only places not where I would expect it are the front turn signal lenses.

 

Phil

  • Like 1
Posted

20190720_093429.thumb.jpg.59f6bdf0515af689fbe313fe7a73faa0.jpg

Cleaned my grease gun out and filled it up with new grease. Started greasing the points that I've cleaned up. Refitted the spring to the brake pedal, greased and oiled as applicable.

20190720_101659.thumb.jpg.473ba3eaad8175f2df9ace498e480674.jpg

Cleaned all the old crap out of the steering box. It's worn to hell but it'll have to do for now.

20190720_104702.thumb.jpg.7017578c8b8a2751028d31f218239caa.jpg

Refilled with new grease. Looks like green ketchup.

20190720_110144.thumb.jpg.bdb65372e96f3b7234098156a7ae84b0.jpg

And presto. In two days I have brakes and steering!

Phil

Posted

20190720_160032.thumb.jpg.ef01d1c65c29367e1703d8f0ebebca1f.jpg

Cleaned up the headlight hi/lo switch, focusing mainly on the connectors. That can go back on, then the carpet can go back down. Then the fuse box can go in.

 

Then rewiring may commence!

 

Phil

  • Like 2
Posted

20190720_190017.thumb.jpg.b0643cd4abf8f5556e52c7b05599496b.jpg

Put the hi/lo switch back and set all the carpet back down.

20190720_190808.thumb.jpg.6c34fd1bf04443993d8ffe52417aad28.jpg

Driver's side air vent. A bit rusty and funky.

20190720_193653.thumb.jpg.5e6e9b4b258ccde7b7a2befc715d9735.jpg

Less so now.

 

Phil

Posted

20190721_161354.thumb.jpg.c665f04cfef03fef4f33ae7893e44ea0.jpg

Today, I drained the gearbox of fluid.

20190721_161402.thumb.jpg.0d79aa6cf3bdbd9317bd3020871ec799.jpg

I then undid the (37) bolts that hold it all together. I attached it to the crane (lifting point in the top of the case very handy) and pulled it up out of the way.

20190721_171351.thumb.jpg.bdcca12f0ce90bc4cca0c8127aa7b4db.jpg

Hot damn is it ever heavy. Probably 300-350 lbs. I can't lift it!  On the floor it stays, unfortunately.

Phil

  • Like 2
Posted
On 7/20/2019 at 9:24 AM, hairnet said:

Oh dear hehe

IMG_20190720_102030.jpg

I posted this in the wrong thread but hey odd shite that USA doesn't get :D

Posted

Sadly no. The "Hydramatic" name persisted all the way through to the early seventies, whereby it was replaced with just model numbers.

The one in mine is essentially the mk1.5 - ran from about '49 thru '55, with design revisions along the way. They have mine, which is selectable to gear ranges 1-2 or 1-2-3-4 and R. No kick-down, only a drop by oil pressure reduction to 3rd range below 65MPH with heavy throttle.

 They then changed the guts a little and made it the "dual-range", so ranges 1, 2-3-4 or 1-2-3-4 and R. It also included a "real" kick-down function.

Then the "turbo hydramatic", which introduced a torque converter and better control hydraulics. 

Then the name went onto the Jetaway which was the precursor to the modern TH-350, all very very different in design.

 

--Phil

  • Like 1
Posted

I've been looking forward to this (transmission) instalment........

Posted
3 minutes ago, PhilA said:

With a certain degree of masochism?

.... Well, might hope it doesn't turn out "totally neutral"...

lol

Posted

Gearbox on workbench.

 

20190722_220009.thumb.jpg.b88054e8e5eb48f80b627fc441e4101c.jpg

Decided the bench was a bit over engineered. It didn't even flinch upon receipt of the weight.

Phil

Posted

Found a decently-priced 1951 Pontiac Hydra-Matic Shop Manual for the gearbox on eBay and snaffled it up.

That should be in early next week, according to the shipping calculator. I think I'm going to pop the side pan off and eyeball inside. I really wish my waste-of-space ex brother in law hadn't ruined my air compressor.

Posted

Bench engineering philosophy....

'finite element analysis' *

1: make stoutish box/bench stand

2: load gearbox

3: stand well back.... Look & Listen

4: relax ;)

 

Top Chippying m8

Posted
On 7/22/2019 at 12:13 PM, Frogchod said:

Ahem... 

see also further up the queue 

also what we were sat in

:P

Posted

Cracking quality bench that.  

Looking forward to the gearbox fettling. Autoboxes are made from voodoo as far as I’m concerned. #LearningOpportunity.

3 hours ago, hairnet said:

see also further up the queue 

also what we were sat in

:P

Huh?  This is pretty cryptic even for hairnet.

  • Like 2

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...