1948 Pontiac Streamliner 8

[cevensky]

Hopefully things start looking up and I can have some fun driving instead of taking apart and putting back together!

[cevensky]

More engine compartment progress. I’m grappling with whether or not to buy a new engine/dash wiring harness now before my engine is ready since I don’t know how long it will take, but if I do that I definitely won’t have the money for the engine parts... but it sure would be easier to install now... I suppose engine first, there’s plenty of room to work in that spacious compartment and I’ll most likely be searching drawers for spare change to pay for parts and the machine shop anyway!

 

Edited July 30, 2019 by cevensky (see edit history)

[Bloo]

That wiring does look a mess from that distance, but if you think its gonna stall the project, don't do it now.

[cevensky]

It isn’t just the distance! The next move is to cut all of that out so I can clean and paint that part of the firewall, I’m pretty adept at wiring at this point and I have enough wire/terminals laying around to make what I need for ignition. 

Since school restarted, buying a steak instead of a chicken burrito is enough to stall the project 😂

[47Monarch]

I had a two door six cylinder version same car loved it and still do I guess

[cevensky]

Well I hope the “royal treatment” it’s getting in the hands of professionals won’t be more than a few thousand. But it will be worth it, I’m sure, to have a car I won’t be afraid to really drive around. 

Tomorrow I’ll get the transmission back and clean it up (with a stuck engine, you can’t get all the bolts off the torque converter to remove the trans, so they had to). I’ll post pictures, I’m changing the engine paint color too to a darker hunter green that apparently is the correct color... but nobody’s really sure..

[Bloo]

Don't just cut it all off of if you really aren't gonna replace the wiring harness. The less splices the better if you actually expect tha car to work. Bundle it up and mask it and get it out of your way.

 

Go around it to make it start for now if that is what you want to do. Insulate and repair as necessary later on. it probably isn't as bad as it looks.

 

The block looks nice all cleaned up!

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[cevensky]

Most of the wiring has already been spliced poorly, wrapped in duct tape (fire hazard), and.... I already cut it out this morning. For now I’ll be wrapping all the ends in electrical tape and I’ll make a little harness for the essentials so it will start without a hotwire.

After the engine and its parts are paid for, then brake cylinders, then a dash/engine harness. 

Edited August 3, 2019 by cevensky (see edit history)

[cevensky]

In making decisions before I get the engine back, a big one is paint. You’ve already seen the color I painted the head and manifolds and the other engine. 

Thats duplicolor engine enamel (which I’m a proponent of) Detroit diesel green. 

Then I did research and people claim the correct 1940-1957 color is a darker blue green and it was that was for 17 years... well, nobody can substantiate that claim and after I ordered that color from Bill Hirsch, I went with my gut and will stick with Detroit diesel. My reason is that on my ‘48 and my free straight 8, I found a color nearly identical under the repaint. On inspecting my Hydramatic, I found a big slop of that paint, which I believe is original, on the torque converter. Here’s my photo evidence. I didn’t want a “best guess” that was unsubstantiated: to the naked eye, the duplicolor is identical to what was originally on both of these. 

 

[Bloo]

I can't even guess. This sort of info seems to be thin on the ground for Pontiac. There is a chart that gets posted a lot and I am pretty sure it is wrong, at least for my year (1936).

 

The color in your pictures looks like mid 1960s Chrysler B-Block turquoise to me. I am not suggesting you use that, as Chrysler turquoise I have seen lately looks all wrong to me (too blue). The green mark on the hydramatic looks like some sort of an assembly mark, and probably doesn't mean much about engine color by itself, but yeah, the other pictures look to be about the same color.

 

Pontiac apparently had a lot of greens over the years. Good luck whatever you decide. I also like DupliColor engine paint.

 

 

 

[cevensky]

I went ahead and have decided on Bill Hirsch’s engine color. But no word from the machine shop yet other than it’s a good block.

I’m going to work more on the lucite wings.  Remove and sand them with acetone added in the mix? Just a light sand with acetone improved things. Also some masking tape and red and black paint has things looking sharp on the chrome (And a little more engine bay clean up)

Edited September 17, 2019 by cevensky (see edit history)

[r1lark]

Engine bay looks very tidy!  Hope you get word on the engine soon.

[cevensky]

I stopped into the shop to talk about my engine. The parts kit is $1400ish which is good and turns out labor isn’t going to even be half of what I was expecting. He knows I’m a student and is working with me massively on that, but he said they’ll do the rest of the work in winter when his guys aren’t as busy. I can’t complain. 

Meanwhile, I tried out my new engine enamel and painted the transmission.

 

[Kib]

Is this the original color on the trans ?

[cevensky]

Kib, according to Bill Hirsch (who I assume has researched it), yes. 

In addition, I found paint very close to this color while cleaning the trans for paint. I’m unsure if the side cover and oil pan were black, but I liked the look and wanted to be sparing with the expensive enamel. 

A few things like the oil pan plug will be painted red too, for visibility and aesthetics.

Edited September 22, 2019 by cevensky (see edit history)

[Summershandy]

On 9/14/2019 at 8:30 PM, cevensky said:

I went ahead and have decided on Bill Hirsch’s engine color

 

I went with Bill's engine color too. You won't be disappointed. I brushed it on and it flowed awesome. 2 years and still looks good. Mine was originally that light blue. Didn't like it. The dark green had to grow on me but I love the black/green contrast now. Good job on your retore!

[John S.]

cevensky, very nice work on the Pontiac.

[Kib]

Mine today, engine green but transmission black

[cevensky]

Kib, nice work. I wish I could take it all apart and clean the frame and whatnot, but I don’t want to take forever. Where’d you source that exhaust from? 
Let me know if you need any engine parts. I have manifolds, carb, distributor, etc. all in pretty good shape. 

[Kib]

Hi, just what I am feeling now, take forewer

I got also a lot of engine parts struggeling to find new metal parts for the floor brackets, guess they have to be made.

The exhaust I bougth form a guy restoring a 47 model, not sure wher he got it but I could see, there are some stamps on the pipes.

The chassi look like this and it the same one as yours.

[jeff53]

Can you tell me what the number are on top of your engine? I see some with numbers and some without and mine are different. I'm not a mechanic and I have typed in everything possible. Also do you have a good photo of your heater? All books say it should be under the seat? and nowhere can I find one that looks exactly like mine.... but I've been told I should keep it because it is original... My heater is located under the glovebox and about a cubic foot ( little less)

[Kib]

Hi, here are too pictures from mine, one og the motor and under the drivers seat.

The heater I got in another garage, but will find a photo of it for you. I think the engine numbers are the same.

[jeff53]

These are great photos, however the top only shows what I think is the "intake" for the air to the heater. and the bottom shows the same plate( access plate, maybe). Have you ever seen a  heater like mine? Is it an aftermarket or maybe for a different make?

[Bloo]

 

That heater says "Allstate DeLuxe" on it, making it a Sears heater, and not original, although the original owner could have had it put in. I would just leave it there and use it. If it is a points restoration you might have to get rid of it.

 

[cevensky]

Jeff: the best picture I have of my head number is in this thread. Page 1 I think. Your heater is obviously aftermarket, I still have an original, still functional as far as I can tell

my engine will be back before the new year (I hope). I’ve got everything I need to fire it up. Y’all pray over my hydramatic working with nothing more than some new paint on it. I’ve bought cloth covered wire to make a little bit of harness to get me going, along with all new break cylinders and flex hoses.

I’ll update on the next development, should be fun. 

[Kib]

Hi,

 

Here are some photoes of my heater core ,still not restored

[jeff53]

Thanks a ton, Now I know what I'm looking for or at. Strange how none not even the  "48 Fisher body or Motors manula say much about this. Now onto looking for the correct lit. 

    Since my car is a "deluxe"- shouldn't it have come with a heater? "BLOO" says my heater is from Sears and may have been installed later.

[Bloo]

I dont know about 1948 specifically but in 1936 heaters were optional. My car doesn't have one. Admittedly it's not a deluxe, but deluxe wouldn't have got you a heater in 1936 as standard equipment. It would have got you independent front suspension and some brown dash knobs.

 

On some makes and models heaters were optional into the late 60s and maybe longer.

 

Non-factory heaters in old cars are pretty common. Allstate was a Sears trademark in those days for their automotive stuff (tires, batteries, accessories). You could date the heater if you could find some old Sears catalogs. Unfortunately I don't think the catalogs are online anymore, other than Christmas "Wish Books" that probably don't include auto parts. Maybe a Library?

 

It boils down to what you are going to do with the car. If it is going to be a showcar, you have to get rid of it. They would have punched holes in the firewall to mount it, and to get the hoses through. You would have to patch that. My cars are all drivers, and if it were mine I would keep it if it can be made to work. It is a nice looking piece. It sure looks in-period to me. The guy who bought that car new might very well have driven it across the street to Sears and bought a heater for less money than the dealer wanted.

 

Edited December 23, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Bloo]

One question.. If the stock heater is under the seat in 1948, how did they handle defrost?

[cevensky]

Bloo, as far as I can tell in mine, the blower is under the driver’s fender and there’s a control box under the radio. There’s vents that are controlled there that divert the warmed air into the vents on the windshield. I think what opens under the seat is the cabin heater. Anyway, this is not a thread about heaters. What I have is stock, follow along in the future to see what I have after my engine is installed and I’m on the road! 

[jeff53]

2 questions- When you get around to the heater- can you post or send me photos. and Do you how to breakdown/cypher the number on top of the engine. Mine are 572121  (0)maybe  with a GM2.

   the no. I think is "0" is bigger than the one that looks like a screw. It could be a 9.

 

[cevensky]

Today I went to pay for and pick up my engine. Ouch. But it’s done and paid for. I’ve been painting bolt-ons and getting everything ready to put this thing in. Today I worked more on getting the master cylinder out, I’ll finish that tomorrow. The engine is now painted and everything is masked off waiting to receive plugs, manifolds, carb, etc. The engine shop lost one of my flywheel bolts so they have one hostage while they make one. Tomorrow after I get that, the engine and trans go together and in (after a fluid fill up). 

[r1lark]

I hope that engine runs as good as it looks!! Congratulations for this big milestone.

[PONTIAC1953]

On 12/22/2019 at 1:16 PM, jeff53 said:

Thanks a ton, Now I know what I'm looking for or at. Strange how none not even the  "48 Fisher body or Motors manula say much about this. Now onto looking for the correct lit. 

    Since my car is a "deluxe"- shouldn't it have come with a heater? "BLOO" says my heater is from Sears and may have been installed later.

standard or deluxe model has to do with outside and inside trim and upholstery choices, the under seat heater was never standard no extra cost equipment until the 1957 Pontiac Bonneville convertibles were built. Harrison made heater was original accessory, the allstate heater is a aftermarket part, like was mention through sears automotive center or through catalog sales. 

[PONTIAC1953]

3 hours ago, cevensky said:

Today I went to pay for and pick up my engine. Ouch. But it’s done and paid for. I’ve been painting bolt-ons and getting everything ready to put this thing in. Today I worked more on getting the master cylinder out, I’ll finish that tomorrow. The engine is now painted and everything is masked off waiting to receive plugs, manifolds, carb, etc. The engine shop lost one of my flywheel bolts so they have one hostage while they make one. Tomorrow after I get that, the engine and trans go together and in (after a fluid fill up). 

excellent engine paint job, correct color too, note - the valve covers get the same paint.

[cevensky]

Thanks! Weather was good enough to spray after unloading it. Covers were painted with the VHT aluminum finish I’ve used on a few pieces because I couldn’t find my hirsch paint. For now I’ll keep them like that because I like the look but it’s an easy change in the future. I’m saving that expensive paint on some pieces and going with gloss black. Like I said, I like a certain look. I welcome and appreciate the input on correctness though, obviously I’m going for correct. About to buy some original beauty rings off a hot rodder. 

Edited January 14, 2020 by cevensky (see edit history)

[jeff53]

Is that a new hood latch plate? Where did you buy it ( if it's new). Or is it off of a another GM.

     Engine looks great

[cevensky]

Thanks for noticing, Jeff. It’s actually the original one, I just wore wheeled it and used the aforementioned flameproof VHT aluminum finish- the flameproof paints impress me and that color is really nice.

I got held up today but got a couple bolts holding the trans and engine together along with 7/30 torus to flywheel screws. Weather is crummy. May finish pre-install tasks tomorrow, may not. 

[cevensky]

The weather has been miserable. My concrete floor is slick with water and a small bit of oil from my ‘42 Ford. I can’t lay on it and the constant drizzle of rain is gross. These would be the days I don’t have piles of school work...

but, I’ve got 27/30 torus to flywheel bolts in (some are shorter than others, hopefully the longer ones are correct, I don’t know where else 20 of these bolts would’ve come from. Shorties will get changed) and I bought new plugs today, worked on new cloth covered wiring inside. Here’s what it looks like right now, thankfully that paint got on there fast. Still have bits of flash rust with the 90%+ humidity. 

[GARY F]

Looks great