Manual steering Pitman for 65 GP

[Fitzy]

Fitzy here again. The latest drama is my insistence on fitting a manual steering box to my GP. 

Why? I like the purity of manual steering and I like an engine bay full of just engine. So, I have ordered a rebuilt manual box from Ames (I believe Saginaw 525 was the almost universal fitment amongst B body cars) but do you reckon I can find a Pitman arm to suit? Ames suggested that the GM part # is 5679781 but it leads nowhere.

Does anyone have a lead, or any info, or even an old manual box laying around that they'd like to sell, complete with the arm, of course? Believe me, any leads will be appreciated. I must have sent a dozen enquiries to Franks, PontiacParts in CA, and a joint called Pontiac Paradise amongst others.

[Frosty]

Fitzy - give these places are try:

You might check for manual gear boxes in the all GM sister B-bodies cars from Chevy, Olds, Buick, and Cadillac of the day. - they probably interchange. I will also try to check for new / reproduction suppliers too.

 

Desert Valley Auto Parts in Arizona

https://www.dvap.com/

CTC Auto Ranch - Denton Texas

http://www.ctcautoranch.com/

All American Classics - Vancouver Washington

https://www.allamericanclassics.com/

Hidden Valley Auto Parts - Maricopa Az

https://hiddenvalleyautoparts.com/

Turner's Auto Wrecking - Fresno CA

https://www.turnersautowrecking.com/

L&L Classic Auto - Wendal ID

https://www.llclassicauto.com/

Sundell Auto Specialties - Shelby NC

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by Frosty

[Fitzy]

Thanks Frosty. I have sent another dozen emails and am now simply waiting. I found a secondhand box & arm on eBay which I'm hoping will work. I'm starting to realise that the 65 GP seems to be one of the harder cars to find parts for, even thru Ames. I realise manual steering was almost always overlooked in favour of power steering but assumed the US would be awash in parts cars. I keep forgetting that 55 years is a long time to be sitting around a wrecker's yard and most classics are now too valuable to part out.

Anyway, here's hoping the eBay fella gets back to me.

[Frosty]

Fitzy I stumbled across this website this afternoon. No experience with them but they claim to have have OEM manual gear boxes with both flat spot and splined input shafts.

 

https://www.buyautoparts.com/buynow/1965/Pontiac/Grand_Prix/Manual_Steering_Gear_Box/82-70032_R

https://www.buyautoparts.com/buynow/1965/Pontiac/Grand_Prix/Manual_Steering_Gear_Box/82-70031_NQ

 

[Fitzy]

Thanks again Frosty. I have seen this site already. Ames has the same box at the same price with same core deposit. What I don't understand is the bit about full or half splined shaft. Ames offers the one box only with full splines. Do you know whether Pontiacs were fitted with both? I'm also doing more pitman arm research, and am totally confused as to the difference between manual & p/s. Is it just the length, or is there a different fitting? If the length is different, there are idler arm concerns. Fun times ahead. Who could have imagined GM made so many different pitman arms!!!