Awesome impressive work, as usual.

I can change spark plugs but that's pushing my limits.

A bit cold there? I think we have been through the most brutal part of 'winter,' and the days are now glorious and it's warming up.

Looking forward to beating back the heat with plenty of icy cold beer - the best part of summer. I mean life - the best part of life.

Edited August 31, 2025Aug 31 by Fitzy

29 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

Awesome impressive work, as usual.

I can change spark plugs but that's pushing my limits.

A bit cold there? I think we have been through the most brutal part of 'winter,' and the days are now glorious and it's warming up.

Looking forward to beating back the heat with plenty of icy cold beer - the best part of summer. I mean life - the best part of life.

I am hanging out to get over and seeing mate !

And …..

We need to talk about doing a Woodward trip next year !!!

The boss and I are keen !

Sure thing, Moneybags.

One minute the 'cost of living' is biting you, the next you're planning an overseas trip!

We'll have to see about that one, especially now that Hooters has gone tits up (you see what I did there?) Hopefully we can still get a heart attack with a side of fries at Tony's before it disappears into the deep dark six.

Oh - and we'll have to hire a car. The boys seem to suffer the most horrendous mechanical woes every time an event rolls around. I don't want to spend my time pushing a car around whilst JustA or Frosty are losing their shit because some vital component chose that particular time to go to lunch.

Edited August 31, 2025Aug 31 by Fitzy

7 hours ago, Fitzy said:

One minute the 'cost of living' is biting you, the next you're planning an overseas trip!

you see that the boss has her own thinking! no money for my addiction ! but shes happy to start saving for the next adventure !!!

Tiny bit of progress on the 63 !

I picked up the rebuilt drag link and the rebuilt steering box sporting new 12.7:1 ratio and a higher pressure valve to give the steering more road feel !

They even installed a new rag joint !

Big thank you to pg hydraulics in Auckland 🙏🙏

You will love the road feel with that 12.7 ratio and the heftier force of that internal torsion bar. I have that on my El Camino and Catalina and would never go back to a stock, original steering gear box. This upgrade has the lowest price and best "Smiles Per Mile" quotient of anything we can do to these cars.

Rick

I agree, one of the 1st things I do to my old cars is install a quicker ratio steering box, and adjust the front end caster to be as positive as possible. It is usually less than +1.0 degree, but the difference with the cars tracking straight compared to -2 degree or more is remarkable. Then I add a large of a front sway bar as economically feasible. But anything bigger than 1" will work great. Add a set of good radial tires, and I am usually happy with the results.

7 hours ago, B52bombardier1 said:

You will love the road feel with that 12.7 ratio and the heftier force of that internal torsion bar. I have that on my El Camino and Catalina and would never go back to a stock, original steering gear box. This upgrade has the lowest price and best "Smiles Per Mile" quotient of anything we can do to these cars.

Rick

i did the upgrade to my 72 camaro years ago rick, and what a differance ! it was a totally different car after that !

2 hours ago, cammerjeff said:

I agree, one of the 1st things I do to my old cars is install a quicker ratio steering box, and adjust the front end caster to be as positive as possible. It is usually less than +1.0 degree, but the difference with the cars tracking straight compared to -2 degree or more is remarkable. Then I add a large of a front sway bar as economically feasible. But anything bigger than 1" will work great. Add a set of good radial tires, and I am usually happy with the results.

I will note that set up of the caster when it gets an alignment Jeff

i have the stock 3/4 inch sway bar sitting waiting for the next trip over to Rotorua to the spring shop, i am getting them to make me a 1 inch one, thats as big as i can go with where the sway bar is mounted inside the "c" channel that goes arcoss the front

I dropped my springs off at the spring shop today and the guy noted that my rear springs were different sizes !

As in the gauge of the steel

I am wtf !

But then I thought about it … on the wagon the fuel tank is tucked up inside the drivers side rear quarter … is it possible that the factory did this to allow for the extra weight on the drivers side ????

Does anyone know if this is correct ?

Weight distribution and torque play into the suspension. Recall that Hemi and 440 Mopar B and E bodies got one more leaf spring on the driver side vs the passenger side because of the torque of the engine. Similarly different spring material/spring rates for cars that were or were not air conditioned impacted the front suspension because of the combine weight (or lack there of) of the heater core, condenser, dryer, compressor, etc.. SO I think it is very reasonable to assume that if a gas tank favors one side vs another, then the suspension would be beefed up to accommodate it.

7 hours ago, Frosty said:

Weight distribution and torque play into the suspension. Recall that Hemi and 440 Mopar B and E bodies got one more leaf spring on the driver side vs the passenger side because of the torque of the engine. Similarly different spring material/spring rates for cars that were or were not air conditioned impacted the front suspension because of the combine weight (or lack there of) of the heater core, condenser, dryer, compressor, etc.. SO I think it is very reasonable to assume that if a gas tank favors one side vs another, then the suspension would be beefed up to accommodate it.

makes sense aye

What a great project. This is a car that was simply a utilitarian vehicle in its past life but once you breathe life into her again, it becomes an instant classic. Keep us updated on the progress. A lot of us would love to see pics along the way and of course, the finished product. Thanks for restoring a bit of Pontiac history

1 hour ago, mtrunz said:

What a great project. This is a car that was simply a utilitarian vehicle in its past life but once you breathe life into her again, it becomes an instant classic. Keep us updated on the progress. A lot of us would love to see pics along the way and of course, the finished product. Thanks for restoring a bit of Pontiac history

Thank you Mick, pop in any time and you will see my updates ! everything is very slow at the moment as my finance minister aka the boss has knee capped my spending ! .....

but i have justa sent my springs to be reset 30mm lower, and they are making me a inch sway bar by coping the factory 3/4 inch one.... justa dont tell the boss !!!

as soon as they are back i will post the installation on the nice fresh chassis ! including the rebuilt steering box and drag link... then all i am waiting for is my disc kit from autocity classics.... thats $1200usd or $2500nzd i havent had the big tick from the boss yet !!!!

Edited October 17, 2025Oct 17 by 64 kiwi boni

We all have to answer to someone lol. I was very fortunate in that sense but it's only because she felt sorry for me . My GTO spent nearly 40 years in different stages of restoration while the family came first. Before I knew it I was 60 and had never driven the car so I pretty much had a blank check because I worked my ass off all those years so I could pay for it. I went full restomod and it was costly but hey, who needs to retire ?

Frosty, apparently.

5 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Frosty, apparently.

....And your point is?

11 hours ago, mtrunz said:

We all have to answer to someone lol. I was very fortunate in that sense but it's only because she felt sorry for me . My GTO spent nearly 40 years in different stages of restoration while the family came first. Before I knew it I was 60 and had never driven the car so I pretty much had a blank check because I worked my ass off all those years so I could pay for it. I went full restomod and it was costly but hey, who needs to retire ?

Mick , start your self a thread and show us some more pictures of your 66 build ! I am very interested in how your ls engine and the 6l80e trans fitted

As you can see the 63 will be a restomod to a certain extent too ! And we all love pictures around here

Oh and copy n paste the bio you did over onto your thread too ! It was a great read

8 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Mick , start your self a thread and show us some more pictures of your 66 build ! I am very interested in how your ls engine and the 6l80e trans fitted

As you can see the 63 will be a restomod to a certain extent too ! And we all love pictures around here

Oh and copy n paste the bio you did over onto your thread too ! It was a great read

I can do that.

Springs and sway bar are here today !

The new inch bar will certainly make the wagon behave wayy better on the road …i have had my spring shop copy the factory 3/4 inch one

The factory springs have been reset 32mm lower

I am still concerned about the different rear springs! They are different diameters and the bigger spring is the same thickness and diameter as my 64 springs … it’s like the other one is wrongway !

Where can I find specs for factory springs for a 63 bonni wagon ???????

Edited October 23, 2025Oct 23 by 64 kiwi boni

i cant wait to get a weekend to get all this into the frame !!! but it wont be this weekend ! its a long weekend and we are off to the beach to catch a fish or three, then next weekend we have a rod run weekend away ... pictures to come.

Real spring weather here down under ! warmer! yes wetter ! yes ! but pfft its spring !

Kiwi- I would probably reach out to Eaton Detroit Spring or MOOG.

20 hours ago, Frosty said:

Kiwi- I would probably reach out to Eaton Detroit Spring or MOOG.

Ah good idea ! Thank you mate

Another little birdy tells me my new screen for the 63 is here !!! i ordered that in june !!!

got hood in wellington, screen in new plymouth ..... my by gees !!!!

it must be christmas time !!!

Little progress up date …

Was my birthday today , so I made a point of doing something for myself !!! Work on the 63 !!!!

I have all these parts sitting waiting to go in , so I made a start ,,, reset springs , 25mm sway bar , rebuilt steering box with is 12.1 ratio

It took the best part of the day JustA to get these parts back in !