project 1951 Pontiac Chieftain

[PhilA]

[Guest Hooli]

Why does your pickup have a motel sign on the roof?

[PhilA]

Aerodynamic aid.

 

 

Edit: Apparently the film "Parker", with Jason Statham was filmed on location there.

[hairnet]

Why does your pickup have a motel sign on the roof?

Could easily live in it

 

Bigger than my hotel room

[PhilA]

Car is sitting on the driveway. No pictures because it was lashing it down with rain. I pulled the Renault up alongside and put the jump leads on. Would it start? Would it buggery. Click crrnnnnn. Turn over half-assed.

 

Eventually got it running, cleared the road, backed it up down off the trailer and into the driveway.

 

Just drove to town and dropped the trailer off at U-Haul.

 

330 miles round trip, 15.1mpg (18.1UK).

 

Worn out. Need to fuel up the truck. Feels like a sports car to drive now. Running smoother too, guess it needed a good long run.

 

View in my mirror all the way home, a stern looking chief.

 

Dropped off the trailer in town.

 

Long trip and it's still not over...

 

Update later when it's light.

 

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Oh, and a tidbit to chew over while I sleep.

 

Leaning under to unhook the chains tonight I noticed that 1) it's on lowering blocks 2) the front springs are either cut or heated to be lower and 3) it has air shocks but I'm not sure if only at the back.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

 

All tucked in for the night.

 

Full photo and video review in the morning (weather pending).

 

 

Phil

[Rocket88]

If my Rocket 88 was anything to go by, it was probably originally on lever arms..........and may still be at the front........judging from the pics, it's sits well as it is.

[Junkman]

'51 should be proudly teleshockers. I could see from 4,700 miles away that it's slamt. Air shocks are only available for the rear.

 

Entirely btw, mine was beige with a grey roof. Originally from Illinois it was rotten as a pear, but my Indian lit up!

Thanks God no MoT was required on cars like this in Belgium 25 years ago, otherwise no hoonage would ever have ensued.

[PhilA]

It was difficult to judge, sat where it was. Looks like a 2" set of blocks at the rear and the front lower arms are horizontal so about the same at the front. Service manual doesn't give "height from the ground" as a measurement.

 

I'll have to drive it for a while to reserve judgement. It may end up raised up, it may not.

 

Initial views underneath show a moderate proportion of the body has been coated with the vehicle's built in corrosion protection.

 

I need to get it up on the ramps at work and start having a poke.

 

Indeed it's telescopic dampers all round.

 

On the outside it smells like my old man's Sprite (old oil, old grease, other engineering smells). This is a good thing. Also, someone has cared for it at some point in the past. The kingpin grease points at least are caked with glop and dirt.

 

Back to bed (it's 3am).

 

 

Phil

[PhilA]

First things first. Stand in the porch and look at the car from a distance.

 

 

If I can find my umbrella I'll take some more, but this rain is due all week.

 

 

Phil

[Guest Hooli]

Big car looks smoll behind smoll car.

[PhilA]

It stopped raining long enough to do a video.

 

It's no Dollywobbler production, be warned!

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Does it have good working Wipers Phil? Epic Car loving the transmission selctor

Yes, it has wipers.

 

They don't work

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Oh, and importantly, since the video:

 

We have illuminated chief. Needed a bulb.

 

 

Phil

[PhilA]

The good:

 

The bad:

 

The ugly:

 

 

It's chucking it down with rain again, too.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Oh, the big canister- looks like it's a vacuum tank for the wipers.

 

Phil

[hairnet]

mississipppppppi plate ftmfw

 

what part of looeesee aaaaannaaaaa is that west countree accent from

 

can i ask a stoopid q - the steering column - whats the small tube parallel to it

[PhilA]

mississipppppppi plate ftmfw

 

what part of looeesee aaaaannaaaaa is that west countree accent from

 

can i ask a stoopid q - the steering column - whats the small tube parallel to it

Ha, still got the accent after eleven years here. The second small tube has the gear shift mechanism inside it.

 

Phil

[vulgalour]

Those wires are doing me a scare.

[vulgalour]

Oh, and big mystery yellow* canister is probably your washer fluid reservoir which normally has a vacuum system stuck on top for the wipers, at least if the videos corvetteben on Youtube has done on his 58 Cadillac are anything to go by.  The line running to the fuel pump could well supposed to run to the carburettor instead and is just routed to the wrong place.  For fuel filter, look under the car for a metal one strapped to the chassis somewhere, that seems to be the norm, as does not having one at all anywhere.

[Sudsprint]

Brilliant car. Love it.

[Mally]

Vacuum wipers!

Memories of a Ford Prefect I'd rather not remember.

Best of luck with those.

[DeeJay]

Not a very long "Ugly" list.

It'll probably be easier to get parts for this than the ungratefull Renault.

[somewhatfoolish]

Vacuum wipers!

Memories of a Ford Prefect I'd rather not remember.

Best of luck with those.

A 4.4l straight 8 has a better chance of being on a trailing throttle than a 1.2 4 pot.

 

 

Those wires are doing me a scare.

They're giving me teh fearz as well. Fire extinguisher and a BFO battery switch required until that lot's chopped out.

[tooSavvy]

Just watched Utoob 'classic truck rescue'... Where they score the red wrecker.

 

This (you) I thought of....

 

What a beautiful old boat - the glowing chief wins it all!!

[PhilA]

I haven't found evidence of screen wash yet.

 

Put it into the garage to dry off.

 

 

 

More tomorrow. (Day off).

 

 

Phil

[bigstraight6]

Love the walk-round Phil, I can’t believe how humid it looks there! The car is great, I’m extremely envious...

[PhilA]

It's been on and off but it's hot today, 100% humidity.

 

I took it for a quick spin down the street. Feels like the gearbox to the accelerator linkage is not adjusted correctly because it was revving way up high before changing gear.

 

It also sounds like I have a crazed castanets player under the hood. Valve lash is on the books but it looks like access is crappy because that's under the manifolds.

 

Another thing on the list. I need to buy some grease and a new oil can. This has plenty of grease points, with a 2000 mile regime of adjustment and lubrication to "retain the inbuilt value".

 

Phil

[Mally]

I have worked on a Pontiac.

Think it was this one.

http://f1stockcars.com/around-the-pits/flashback-friday-2012-brisca-f1-stockcars-through-the-ages-part-3/

 

Hmmm, not as easy as I thought, page down to racing no 41 and that's it.

Edit, think it even says Pontiac on the roof.