Distraction from the Skylark

[Guest 54fins]

After doing Buicks, a Pontiac is a cakewalk. I came across a 55 star chief convertible that was frame off restored, just paint and assemble at a price I couldn't pass up. Imagine, just google tri-5 parts and you can get anything you need. Now I don't want to do a Pontiac post on a Buick forum but it did bring up a few interesting points.

 

First, Buicks are difficult. there isn't much in aftermarket parts. unless you have a rust free body, you will need a donor car. And the Dynaflow torque tube can be very problematic. The Pontiac was a snap, It had a rebuilt motor but needed a tranny. A 200R4 was a superb choice, that will be my choice on future Buick projects. Given the open driveshaft, it was almost plug and play with a simple adaptor.

 

The next interesting item is comparing the Pontiac and other 50's GM cars to the Buicks. The Buick has a lot more slant on the windshield and is a lot sportier (granted, we are comparing a 54 to a 55) You can see how the Chevy/Pontiac cars were a bit more practical in the design. The surprise was the star chief is a foot longer than the Skylark. Very similar, yet very different. Virtually nothing crosses over from a tri-5 to a Buick of this era. Pontiac and Chevy are the same platform but every division has unique drive trains.

 

As for better, that's subjective. I personally like the Buick styling but a tri-5 is a far simpler project than a Buick. Easy to see why there are rows of tri5's but Buicks are not an easy car unless you are quite dedicated. The dynaflow has some drawbacks, but the Pontiac automatic tranny was just plain bizarre in that era. Next on the docket, a 56 century convertible.