1957 Chieftain restomod Build

[KiwiStarChief]

Chris, I had to go out and take a look at my dash to see what the wheel is for, but it is not on mine, and has a blanking plate instead.

It intrigued me so much that I had to track down what it is, and found this in the owners manual.

Learn something new every day.

[64 kiwi boni]

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

That controls the hamster in the wheel. In the absence of electronics and turbos, Pontiac fitted an auxiliary 'Power Hamster' next to the engine to provide an additional burst of acceleration when required. The hamster's output was governed by that wheel. Your hamster is long gone, but Ames sells new larger ones that are full of hormones. Ol' Chieffy is gonna fly.

What do you mean I've had too much coffee???

Haha love it fitzy !!! Hamster aye !!! 
 

Thanks to Russel we have the answer as to what it is !!!

very cool option for 1957 ! 

[Wrongway]

Super cool option Kiwi!

[64 kiwi boni]

3 hours ago, Wrongway said:

Super cool option Kiwi!

It would be if the speakers in the back where still there! ... but for 1957 bet mr Chevrolet did not have that option!

 Russel must have hunted for hours to find that information!!! that is soo cool  to Russel 

[64 kiwi boni]

Russel, can you show me a better picture of your radio ?

i see your car has the chrome glove box/ ash tray area too ! i have seen some that are justA painted ! not sure why ...option wise yours should be top shelf ? mine not so ?

[Fitzy]

That's interesting. My Grand Prix came with a speaker switch (Verbra Phonic I think) and it changes sound characteristics of the single rear seat speaker. I pulled that switch out when I removed the dash and marvelled at the ancient electronics that made it work: turns of copper wire, magnets and all manner of doodads. Needless to say, it was rooted along with everything else inside the car.

For our American viewers, 'rooted' means f@#&ed.

[KiwiStarChief]

Chris, the radio is a Wonderbar, which was the top option in radios for both Pontiac and Chevy. It has a flip down front where you can preset the station, so when you push one of the five buttons it goes straight to that station rather than turning the knob. In saying that, mine was toast when I got it, so I stripped the back off it just to keep the cool looking façade, and have a stereo in the glovebox.

Another thing that intrigued me when looking at your photos, is that the Chieftain dash was painted and didn't have the stainless steel trim on the dashboard when it came out of  the factory, as per the brochure below. I think a previous owner maybe had access to a wrecked Star Chief at some stage, as I notice that there is also a Star Chief badge on the left fender, and this should read Chieftain.

Here is the link to the 157 Pontiac sales brochure in case you are interested.

http://www.pontiacsafari.com/L1EarlyV8Pontiacs/57SalesBrochure/index.htm

I love looking through all this history, as the 1950's was a prosperous and wonderful time in the US

 

[Last Indian]

On 7/26/2022 at 6:54 PM, KiwiStarChief said:

Chris, I had to go out and take a look at my dash to see what the wheel is for, but it is not on mine, and has a blanking plate instead.

It intrigued me so much that I had to track down what it is, and found this in the owners manual.

Learn something new every day.

This is kind of the predecessor to what became reverb in the mid “60s”

[KiwiStarChief]

Hi Chris, I found this '57 Chieftain for sale on ebay, and note that it also has the stainless trim on the dash, same as yours. The brochure in my post above shows it without, so perhaps it was an option when the model was built. Who knows 65 years later?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/403798764187?hash=item5e04482a9b:g:OMEAAOSwTYBi4DXL

[64 kiwi boni]

1 hour ago, KiwiStarChief said:

Hi Chris, I found this '57 Chieftain for sale on ebay, and note that it also has the stainless trim on the dash, same as yours. The brochure in my post above shows it without, so perhaps it was an option when the model was built. Who knows 65 years later?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/403798764187?hash=item5e04482a9b:g:OMEAAOSwTYBi4DXL

oh good spotting Russel!! i thought it must have been a option along with that speaker dial.... but what about the rear fender trim!!!

my chieftain has chrome bullets behind the 3 stars ????? justA like your star chef ??

Edited August 7, 2022 by 64 kiwi boni

[64 kiwi boni]

1 hour ago, KiwiStarChief said:

Hi Chris, I found this '57 Chieftain for sale on ebay, and note that it also has the stainless trim on the dash, same as yours. The brochure in my post above shows it without, so perhaps it was an option when the model was built. Who knows 65 years later?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/403798764187?hash=item5e04482a9b:g:OMEAAOSwTYBi4DXL

oh and Russel, thats pretty good money for a car running a stock motor, trans and suspension !even though he has bagged it and up graded the brakes !

66 k when there is a guy on tm, wanting nearly 90k for a 2 door post ! nz dollars that is !

 i know which one i would have !!! 

[KiwiStarChief]

I have seen that 2 door post on TM Chris, and thought he was a bit ambitious.

[KiwiStarChief]

Even this Super Chief which is the model between your Chieftain and my Star Chief doesn't have the rear stainless rockets, so yours must have been well optioned.

[64 kiwi boni]

Guys check out this glass window washer bottle I found in the 57 

does anyone know if it is a Pontiac item ? 
 

Why I ask is I am missing the bottle in my 59 caddy 

and it looked so similar to the lid that I have in the caddy … it justA had a plastic fizz bottle under it

so I Tried the caddy lid on the glass bottle and it fits !! 
so guess where it lives now !!!  
 

i am getting the 59 ready for a warrent of fittness as we have snow run this friday ! and i did need the washers to work to comply!

Edited September 5, 2022 by 64 kiwi boni

[JUSTA6]

NIce... bonus points from the NEW car.  

[64 kiwi boni]

JustA received a email !!!

The  next part of the jigsaw puzzle has just landed in nz from usa  !! 

Now i have to wait for nz customs to check, clean clear it !!! same dramma as last time !

[JUSTA6]

2 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

JustA received a email !!!

The  next part of the jigsaw puzzle has just landed in nz from usa  !! 

Now i have to wait for nz customs to check, clean clear it !!! same dramma as last time !

[64 kiwi boni]

Check it out guys!! this is the next part of my jigsaw puzzle, and it was kindly supplied by Oldguy 44 !!!!

Thank you so very much Dwight!!!

So long story short Dwight had pulled this motor from his 63 convertable and i asked if i could have it for the 57 project!! 

Now the plan.... its the base for my stroker motor, it will be fuel injected and i am really keen to add blower. so all new internals and i need to do my research on where i will get my stroker kit, roller cam, roller rockers, blower and efi from... i do have some ideas but i would really appeicate any of you out there that have built a engine like this, too give me your thoughts.

Edited September 27, 2022 by 64 kiwi boni

[64 kiwi boni]

here is my engine number, does some one have the decoding for it ?

Edited September 27, 2022 by 64 kiwi boni

[JUSTA6]

So funny to think it traveled all that way tied to a pallet.  Very cool.   Then again, your starting car season and we are into fall.

[Frosty]

9 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

here is my engine number, does some one have the decoding for it ?

509395 should be the casting code but I can't validate it in the list of valid Pontiac blocks. It may also be the last digits of the VIN for the car it was installed in.

15H indicates that this is a 1963 389 267 HP engine installed a full size Pontiac with an automatic transmission and 2-barrel carb.

Edited September 27, 2022 by Frosty

[JUSTA6]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

509395 should be the casting code but I can't validate it in the list of valid Pontiac blocks. It may also be the last digits of the VIN for the car it was installed in.

15H indicates that this is a 1963 389 267 HP engine installed a full size Pontiac with an automatic transmission and 2-barrel carb.

There are numbers also by the distributor hold down bolt on the intake.  Forget what they are for.  May not be correct as the intake could have been replaced at some point.

[Frosty]

Butler Performance is were I'd start first for the stroker kit. Hard to beat their experice. Call them and see what they recommend, especially if you are going blown. They do that too.

https://butlerperformance.com/i-31643671-butler-pontiac-389-rebuild-kit-cast-pistons.html

 

[JUSTA6]

Agreed Butler for your internals.  What kind of blower?   Underhood pro charger?  Supercharger?  Or loud N proud N throught the hood?  How do you plan to use it?  Racing?  Street?  Cruiser?  So many things to take into consideration,  1)  My blower is illegal to drive on the streets.  It IS a huge problem to see around the blower on slight right hand curves in the road.  For you would be left curves, seeing anything pulling out or even the road divider lines, to stay in your lane.  It is a ticket anytime, period.  Obstruction of view.  From what you've said your PO PO are much stricter than here.  What are your laws?  Everytime I've been pulled over (too many to count) I've been on my way to or from a show. Or the Dream Cruise where pretty much anything goes.  All have said that I wasn't acting stupid or they would write me up.   The other form of driveability is engine performance.  I built the V6 to beat the Grand National.  Set on OH SHIT it's a blast but thats for a dragstrip.  Very hard on parts, heat is a huge issue.  Idling in traffic will cost you big time.  Think it through, it's always what YOU want to do/achieve.  

[64 kiwi boni]

41 minutes ago, JUSTA6 said:

Agreed Butler for your internals.  What kind of blower?   Underhood pro charger?  Supercharger?  Or loud N proud N throught the hood?  How do you plan to use it?  Racing?  Street?  Cruiser?  So many things to take into consideration,  1)  My blower is illegal to drive on the streets.  It IS a huge problem to see around the blower on slight right hand curves in the road.  For you would be left curves, seeing anything pulling out or even the road divider lines, to stay in your lane.  It is a ticket anytime, period.  Obstruction of view.  From what you've said your PO PO are much stricter than here.  What are your laws?  Everytime I've been pulled over (too many to count) I've been on my way to or from a show. Or the Dream Cruise where pretty much anything goes.  All have said that I wasn't acting stupid or they would write me up.   The other form of driveability is engine performance.  I built the V6 to beat the Grand National.  Set on OH SHIT it's a blast but thats for a dragstrip.  Very hard on parts, heat is a huge issue.  Idling in traffic will cost you big time.  Think it through, it's always what YOU want to do/achieve.  

my plan is strickly for street, and no holes in the hood and not one of those bolt on look chargers ! i am thinking more like a 

whipple. https://whipplesuperchargers.com/

tucked down low in the valley