[BR57]

Not really sure if this fits here because I put a Canadian Pontiac engine in my '73 LeMans. Outside Canada this engine is known as a Chevrolet Big Block 454.

One of the most potent engines ever offered in a Canadian Pontiac was the 1970 Pontiac Astro Jet LS5 454 rated at 390 HP and 500 lb ft by GM Canada. I decided my Canadian built LeMans needed this big block so I went out and got one and swapped out the original 350 small block in favour of the 454 BIG BLOCK. This has transformed the LeMans from wussie want-a-be to a TORQUE MONSTER. It is virtually impossible to launch the car without igniting the rear tires and triple digit speeds are attainable before exiting the highway on ramps. GM Canada made the decison over 60 years ago to use Chevrolet engines in it`s Pontiacs and Chevrolets, this is normal and accepted for us above the 49th. Because my car was designed with a Chevrolet engine this swap was basically an 11 bolt deal and same engine mounts are used, I could even use the radiator and heater hoses, electrical harness was plug and play, battery location was correct etc etc....GM Canada OEM air cleaner decal and grille callout finish it off nicely. Canadian Pontiac Rat Power is good.

[bryansMtngto]

nothing wrong with swapping engines. But as you stated and we know the 454 is a Chevy motor. and over the years GM has done alot of cross brand engines. I just wouldnt refer to it as a Pontiac Engine. It is what it is a chevy 454.

[BR57]

Here is another one. I wasn't the one who started calling it Pontiac 454, GM Canada did actually. It is what it is, A Pontiac 454 north of the 49th.

[BR57]

Here are a few more engines found in Canadian Pontiacs, A Pontiac 348 tri-power, a Pontiac Astro-Jet 396 and a Pontiac Astro-Jet 427.

[kate`s67gto]

Just because some guy on the assembly line puts a decal on a breather saying Pontiac 454 does not make it a Pontiac motor. It is still A Chevrolet engine and chassis components.

[BR57]

McKinnon Industries in St. Catharines Ontario , not Chevrolet, manufactured the small block V8 and 6 cylinder engines used in Canadian produced cars. Big block engines and L48 small block engines were imported from the Tonawanda New York Chevrolet engine plant. Pontiac engines were not used at all in Canadian produced cars until they first appeared in the 1970 Tempest line which replaced the previous A body offering known as the Beaumont. Beginning in 1971 Pontiac engines were dispersed among most Canadian cars but the T37 line reverted to a mix of Chevrolet and Pontiac engines. If you purchased a Canadian Pontiac with a 400 it might be either a small block or Pontiac engine depending on model. After WWII and exclusively from 1955 to 1970 GM Canada used Chevrolet power in it's Pontiacs and for a short time 1970 to 76 Pontiac engines could be used as dictated by options and equipment ordered. The 1955 to 1970 period had specific marketing and distinctive names for these engines as used in Pontiac. Power Chief, Strato Flash, Astro Flash, Strato Streak, Super Flame, Jet Flame, Astro Jet are some of the branding used. The Pontiac Motor Division did not exist in Canada, rather GM Canada was the division that manufactured and sold the cars, Even though Canada is significantly larger in land mass it has 1/10 the population of the USA and therefore 1/10 the market. These decisions were made from a purely economic and financial viability point of view along with per capita income being significantly lower in Canada meant that importing Pontiac cars and engines was too expensive to justify the price differential between a Pontiac and Chevrolet for the Canadian market. For many years in the 1960's Pontiac as equipped with the Chevrolet power train was the number one selling car in Canada.

[andrewb70]

Looks like they built them right up north....<runs away> :-)

Andrew

[BR57]

Everyone knows that Pontiac's Trans Am couldn't race in the Trans Am series because the engine size was limited to 5.0 litres, roughly 305 CID. This is why both Ford and Chevy came out with 302 V8's to allow the Z/28 and Boss 302 to race in Trans Am.

Canadian Teams didn't have this problem because 302 Z/28 powered Firebirds were campaigned by Godsall Racing and Gagnon Springs Racing, Jerry Titus and Craig Fischer driving. These cars were tolerated by Pontiac brass, namely DeLorean, because it gave Pontiac a presence in the race series they named a car after until they got a workable 303 V8 into production.

This didn't sit too well with Camaro teams though and official Chevrolet directives were issued to not supply the Canadian Firebirds with the dual cross ram intake system. Godsall got around this by buying a Penske Camaro and rebodying it. That car did well and even finiihed first at Daytona.

Conroy Pontiac Buick in British Columbia was the Canadian equivilent to Royal Pontiac in Michigan and Conroy regularily put hi po engines in Pontiacs and Beaumonts that never came with them from Oshawa. Conroy sold 8 302 Z28 powered Firebirds to the public.

While this may seem like a good yarn to many, I have confirmed this with the GM Canada Archivist and keeper of the build sheets. Photos of the Trans Am racers are also included.

[Chief Wanabee]

If you're ever near Canadian car guys and they start yammering about whether it's a "blue block" 350 or 400, now you know why... :^)

[BR57]

That is a great point Chief. In fact parts listings at Canadian auto parts suppliers often list two 350 and 400 engines for the same car and the counter person will always ask, "Is that a Blue block or Orange block ? " GM Canada Factory Service manuals also refer to engine colour and use the notation "Domestic" when referring to engines in Pontiacs. It is something we grew up with and it is very normal for us Canucks.

[BR57]

Here is another pretty cool 454 Pontiac. This is a loaded Safari. I know the owner and it is in Saskatchewan, it's a driver.

[BR57]

This 1966 2dr post Pontiac 427 Big Block 4 speed Strato Chief in a legend in Canada....

First photo is in 1967 drag racing the others are current.

[BR57]

To illustrate the the 400 engine scenario, this is a 1970 2+2, the 2+2 was offered until 1970 in Canada. This one has the LF6 400 small block with 400 THM transmission.

[BR57]

When a Pontiac 409 car surfaces you have to go see it, it's an unwritten law of the North. It was -19 in early January 2010 the day I unearthed this 1964 Pontiac Parisienne Custom Sport 409, one of less than 30 made according to GM Canada.

[BR57]

I think the coolest big block car I ever tracked down was this 1965 Parisienne with the Holy Grail of Canadian Pontiac power plants the Dual Quad 409 rated at 425 HP backed by a 4 speed. It was very neat to see this car since my Dad had a '65 Pontiac Laurentian in the identical colour.

[davsgto]

You got a lot of GREAT Pontiac history. Us lower 48'ers might be stubborn about our Pontiac engines but you cleared up some things and I learned a lot. I really like the "Orange or Blue engine" thats cool. And the 409 in the snow looks like a great save. Hopefully the cold helped preserve most of it. Down here remember, old chevy's don't dye they just RUST awayyyyyyy. Keep posting the info it is great history that needs to be shown before it is forgotten.

Thanks

[BR57]

Thank you so much for your kind comments Dave. You know I have owned 12 Pontiacs in my life and only two had Pontiac engines, a Firebird and a Grand Prix because these models were not built in Canada at that time. I am surely a Pontiac person through and through as well. I like to think of this orange and blue engine thing in the same way I think about our two great countries...we're sort of the same but a little different but still the best of friends.

From 1955 until 1962 the base power plant in a Canadian Pontiac was the 261 in line 6. Of course we know that 6 cylinders were not offered in US Pontiacs so this is a very big difference. The 261 was used primarily in GMC & Chevy Trucks and school buses, however GM Canada product designers wanted the Pontiac to have a little extra over the Chevrolet. The 261 was basically a lower compression larger bore Chevy 235 and a Corvette high lift camshaft and larger carburetor was added to make the 261 a unique Pontiac engine. It was rated at 155 HP so almost identical to the original small block 265 which was optional in 1955. The big six had plenty of torque and it was said to out perform the original 265 V8 in a similarly equipped car. All 261's were painted green and in fact all 265 and 283 small blocks were also green in 55,56 and most of 57.

Here is a 1961 Parisienne convertible with the legendary 261.

[BR57]

Importing Pontiacs into Canada was costly for most Canadians. Cars were subjected to large tariffs and exchange rate differences. If you really wanted a US model there were dealers who would get you the car of your dreams but predominantly US models like Bonneville and GTO were not sold through the regular dealer channels until 1969/70. A small number were sold in Canada and always drew a crowd.

The Pontiac A body offering was known as the Beaumont, it's logo was a combination of the Pontiac arrowhead crowned with Maple Leafs. This car was a thinly disguised Chevelle, with a LeMans/GTO interior and grille and taillight treatments that reflected Pontiac styling themes. These cars were very popular and even today their survival rate is very high as they were and continue to be a source of pride for Canadian enthusiasts. The Beaumont SD396 was sold instead of the GTO. Here is a 1968 example.

[yumpy]

There was a plain jane Beaumont at the Norwich N.Y. car show a few years back.there were more than 500 cars in attendance and that Beaumont had a crowd around it all day. I'd love to have any one of the cars posted to take to my local cruise night.Especially the green monster in pick #3. That would get everyone talking.Thanks for all the info and picks.

steve

[BR57]

yumpy, you must have some prior knowledge calling the Green 454 Laurentian by its common known name, The Green Monster.

Here is a fairly Plain Jane 1967 Beaumont that was in the USA until very recently, just brought back into Ontario this month actually.