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Straightaxle63 · 01-28-2006, 11:41 PM

Hello. I will be on here asking some questions and looking for parts from time to time so I figured I might as well introduce myself.

My name is Tim. I just sold my Model A and picked this up this morning. I'll be be ordering a straight axle kit from Speedway Monday morning. If anyone is interested I will ad progress reports as I make my way through this project.

6567GTO · 01-29-2006, 12:53 AM

Definately interested! Welcome aboard Tim.
I'm going to be building a 65 GTO straight axle car this year myself. (well a 3" drop I beam).

Good luck with your 63!
Phil

Jack Gifford · 01-29-2006, 01:54 AM

We'll certainly enjoy seeing your progress- welcome! Engine plans?

mechanickeith · 01-29-2006, 01:59 AM

Will be way cool Tim!!! Not too many straight axle cars around!!

Hey Jack!! You still up?? When are you going to sell me that head??

Straightaxle63 · 01-29-2006, 09:58 AM

Hey thanks guys. I'm ordering the 4"drop axle myself. I'ts hard to figure without knowing the arch of the springs. I think the straight axle will be too high. The next step down is the 4" drop. If that's too low We'll just build some mounts to raise it back up a little.

The nice thing about these cars is I thnk I can use the stock steering box in the stock location and cross steer it.

As far as engine choice, I may be kicked off the site immediately, most likely sbc. However I don't know much about Pontiac mills, as this is the first Pontiac I have messed with. I'm going to look into them and see what the deal is before I make up my mind.

I'm not oposed to learning a new engine type. We put an Edsel E-475 in my Model A. Thats was a one year motor based on the MEL platform. We had to set the cowl back 6" on the frame rails as to not recess the firewall. It was just a tad bit bigger than the ol' 4 banger.

tom s · 01-29-2006, 11:02 AM

your RIGHT!Shame to mess up a good 63 with a chevy of any kind.JMO,Tom

Straightaxle63 · 01-29-2006, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom s

your RIGHT!Shame to mess up a good 63 with a chevy of any kind.JMO,Tom

I can respect your opinion.

I myself have never got caught up in the idea of using a Ford in a Ford or a Chevy in a Chevy, Pontiac in a Pontiac... All I care about is hp gained per dollar spent. Not always a popular choice, but I can live with that.

However I am also a fan of different cars and different engines. I would like to do a Pontiac just to learn about them. So it might all work out in the end anyway.

We'll see.

Jack Gifford · 01-30-2006, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mechanickeith

Hey Jack!! You still up?? When are you going to sell me that head??

Yeah, I'm a night-person. Aren't you close to Barcak, who owns something like seven hemi heads, for crying out loud! Still don't know about ever selling mine- it's still comforting to have a spare, especially when I eventually run my engine again. Right now, the spare is on loan as a pattern, to a couple of partners who hope to reproduce them.

Jack Gifford · 01-30-2006, 01:44 AM

New guy- Yeah, us PY forum members won't be happy to see a SBC go into your '63- including me. But to be perfectly honest, a common approach to 60's gassers was whatever combo went quickest- which often meant a SBC. But on the other hand, up until about '65, Pontiac engines were undisputedly among the most desirable. When I was building Pontiac-powered cars ('59-64), the question never came up of "why a Pontiac?".
So... have fun, and don't lose any sleep over engine choice.

Killough Racing · 01-30-2006, 12:15 PM

I have a '63 leMans with a straight axle. It runs straighter with the straight axle then the other way. I need to come up with a name for the sides so it would look more like a 60's gasser. I still can't post pictures

Bill

6567GTO · 01-30-2006, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Killough Racing

I have a '63 leMans with a straight axle. It runs straighter with the straight axle then the other way. I need to come up with a name for the sides so it would look more like a 60's gasser. I still can't post pictures

Bill

Man, I have a list of names I've been saving for my gasser but none of them have rang that bell yet with me. If you'd like I can email you the list Killough.
Send me your pics and I'll resize them and post them for you.

PJack - I've been reading that other thread on the M/T Hemi Heads and am psyched about them possibly being reproduced! That will more then likely be the basis for my next generation motor in my 65 gasser. Right now It'll be a 455 with race ported #16's pushing 600 hp. Those hemi heads and a roots would be cool as all hell next round.

spartazoo · 01-30-2006, 02:35 PM

I am building an A/FX replica. I am not really copying any particular car, just making it look period correct. Even to the point of downloading popular 60's font packages so that the lettering is period correct.

Email me the pictures and I will post them for you. I would love to see them.

Brian Baker · 01-29-2006, 11:16 AM

Good Gawd! You really should put a Pontiac mill in that puppy. If you can go through all of the hassle you went through ot install an Edsel engine into a model-A, the Pontiac mill will be a piece of cake.

Are you looking to make a true "nostalgia gasser" out of this? Injected or blown? Projected horsepower?

Two thumbs up for wanting to hang a sprung axle under the front.

Straightaxle63 · 01-29-2006, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Baker

Good Gawd! You really should put a Pontiac mill in that puppy. If you can go through all of the hassle you went through ot install an Edsel engine into a model-A, the Pontiac mill will be a piece of cake.

Are you looking to make a true "nostalgia gasser" out of this? Injected or blown? Projected horsepower?

Two thumbs up for wanting to hang a sprung axle under the front.

I just got it yesterday. An hour after I laid eyes on it for the first time as a matter of fact. So, as you can imagine, I don't have it all worked out yet.

I want to make a throw back to the 60's "gasser style" street cars. The induction most likely won't get much more wild than a tunnel ram. But who knows? We'll have to see what the budjet looks like at that point.

Wheres a good source for Pontiac motors? I have heard speed parts can be hard to come by. As far as projected hp? As much as I can afford when I get to that point.

Right now I'm playing around with the idea of painting it a darkish satin green with the correct class lettering in white. Then I'll put on black steelies wrapped with cheater slicks in the back. I can't decide if I want steelies in the front or Radir tri ribs with a satin center.

6567GTO · 01-29-2006, 02:51 PM

Not hard at all to come by. In fact, there's more and more parts coming out every year. You can find 389's pretty cheap these days. Or you can buy a stroker crank and put it into a 400 block thereby turning it into a 455 which would have gobs of power. Where are you located?

Straightaxle63 · 01-29-2006, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6567GTO

Not hard at all to come by. In fact, there's more and more parts coming out every year. You can find 389's pretty cheap these days. Or you can buy a stroker crank and put it into a 400 block thereby turning it into a 455 which would have gobs of power. Where are you located?

Actually I'm not too far away from you. I'm in Claremont NH. I like the sound of the stroked .400 though. Like I said I have alot of research and planning to do before I make any concrete decisions.

6567GTO · 01-29-2006, 05:26 PM

Cool - a New Englander. We'll have to keep in touch with both our projects. Yours is in much better shape to start with. Mine is a total basket case that's been sitting in the woods for years, covered luckily. Got it cheap. Been trying to do the whole job for under $7k. For now its going to be race only. I might convert it later on to be street leagal. For the front axle I picked up a 54 Chevy pick-up truck I-beam. Drilled the center length at work last week(15 holes). I hope I can make it work. Picked up the whole drive-train too, but need a bunch of odds and ends. I hope you decide to go with a Poncho motor.

Phil

Straightaxle63 · 01-29-2006, 06:27 PM

Mine isn't as nice as it looks in the pictures either. The drivers side fender is pretty smashed along with the light trim. Both rear quarter bottoms are pretty tender, the trunk is rotten as well as the floors. What is solid is pretty straight though. It is a project for sure. But thats what I was looking for.

mechanickeith · 01-29-2006, 09:25 PM

If you want to lighten it up quite a bit, check out all the stuff available from VFN Fiberglass!! www.vfnfiberglass.com May be just what you need.

Straightaxle63 · 01-29-2006, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mechanickeith

If you want to lighten it up quite a bit, check out all the stuff available from VFN Fiberglass!! www.vfnfiberglass.com May be just what you need.

Thanks, but I've been trying and the site is down right now. It says they have exceeded thier bandwith limits. I do have the # and will be calling Monday though.

Are they expensive?

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