[Rusty]

Hello,

I'm just looking for some opinions on what to do with my car when I restore it. I have a 1952 Chieftain 2dr Deluxe that is currently all original. The Straight 8 that is in it has 57,000 miles and hooks up to the original Hydra-matic tranny.

Originally I was planning to just restore the straight 8 and be done with it. But now I'm considering swapping it out for a 350 or 400 Pontiac motor.

Out of my drivetrain I basically just want reliability at a reasonable price. It's never going to be a "fast" car, but it would be nice to know that I can step on it and actually move the beast. A friend has a 350 motor that he'll give me and I have a set of 6x heads that I can use.

Does anyone have any ideas or advice they'd like to share with me on what drivetrain combo's to go with????

[Charlie Jones]

57,000 isn't a lot of miles for a straight eight. I would do a compression test and if it's good, just do a tune up and drive it. ORIGINAL cars will be worth much more in the long run.

[PITTSBURGH 64]

Those straight eights have a cool sound to them, isn't there some hop up tricks for them.

[Jack Gifford]

The original engine will "actually move" the car and will be reliable. It boils down to what you want. If it were mine, I'd stay with the original engine, but that's just me. Also, that's me at age 67, not like at age 19, when I swapped a Pontiac V8 in place of a '37 Buick straight-8 engine!

[Bill Eveland]

I would stay with the straight 8 myself. Find an aluminum head or find a high compression factory head (stamped on the head -high compression) and a dual carb intake if you want to hop it up some.

[Rusty]

OK....so pretty overwhelmingly a yes to the straight 8. I too would like to keep this, but would like to make sure it's reliable, which sounds do able. I guess I got a little scared reading something about them which said they were prone to breaking the crank and having head problems due to the overall length of the motor.

Now, I would like to add a little bit to it, perhaps the high compression head or a dual carb intake (which I didn't even know they had). If anyone could steer me in the right direction on where to find such parts that would be great. I know to watch Ebay and Craigslist, but does anyone have any parts dealers they work with that might have something of this sort?

Thanks for your input and help. Hopefully the compression test turns out ok.

[Jack Gifford]

Doesn't Clifford still sell a bunch of hop-up stuff for inline engines?

[Pontirag]

yea they do but vertually nothing for the str8. I had an aluminum head and a McCulloch belt driven supercharger set up still in the box but sold it back in '88. never seen or heard of another although i seen two aluminum heads for the six. Not the dodge stuff either.

Factory dual carbs didnt come....from the factory. Easy enough to make if yer good at welding . think about a header too.

First thing I would do is pull the oil pan and clean out the crap and sludge that has settled in the bottom of the pan. period. Take off the lifter covers and do the same, Mine has only 89,000 miles on it but the sludge built up in the bottom of the pan was over 3/4 inch thick hard and grey like clay.

While you got the pan cover off lookee see if the pick up screen(?) is clear. Its an interesting design that looks like a can of some sort. Take it off and soak it and flush out ALL the junk that has built up settled out over the years. Disassemble it and Clean /desolve the build up with carb cleaner and a soft bristle tooth brush. Befor you re install it submerge the entire assembly in oil to you dont have to wait all day for the pump to prime.

When you fill it up with oil take it out and run it a moderate speed for a while and change the oil again. do this a couple of times until the oil starts to stay clean. if not the sludge in the oil lines will eventually clog up the screen and then where are ya at? Do not under any circumstances use any type of engine oil flush as it will indeed clog yer pick up screen. Never ever!!

Some had some steep gearing and some had some high way gears. they switch out as easy as the 9 inch.

If she runs rough check those vacuum wippers. That vacuum motor assembly will deteriorate and the grease gets hard and it will drive ya crazy.

repack them wheel bearings with the best grease you can find... Synthetic mobile one. In fact grease up the whole chassis with that and she will last many many many more miles.

[Rusty]

Pontirag,

Thanks for all the tips. Looks like I will have some more to do when the temp gets reasonable out. I'm without a heated garage, and it's been below zero everyday for a week.

[Jack Gifford]

How about a photo of the car? We all like pictures!
In addition to externally adding intake/exhaust breathing, you could try to find an old-timer to help you "port and relieve" it, along with chamber "filling" for compression ratio. Any guy who built Ford flatheads for circle racing knows what to do.

[Rusty]

Pontiac Jack,

That is something I will have to look into. I recently joined the local chapter of the POCI club, Tomahawk Chapter 13, so maybe I'll be able to find someone there that is familiar with flatheads. All of my other car buddies are into fast V8's, and don't do much of anything with flathead stuff. It will definately be a learning experience for me and them alike. I will try to post a pic, but I think it's in the wrong form and won't take, but I'll try again.

[Tin Injun Tom]

She's a BEAUT Rusty!

Pontirag has a good game plan, but I would substitute one quart of ATF for the motor oil at the first change, and go a little while on that. IMO you will be able to get the engine internals good and clean without multipule changes, if you are on a budget.
I seriously don't believe you will dislodge enough gunk to clog the screen, if you clean out the pan and the tappet covers beforehand.
If the inside of the lines have sludge that bad in them, then the motor is more than likely going to need an overhaul anyway. That is my opinion.

[Pontirag]

With the low miles it has you are probably right. I just play it safe after looking at the cost of bearings and turning down a crank. Its a bit of a feel for it about monitoring oil color. Some of that ols oil used back then, even the best quality was questionable especially when sitting a while.

They dont go fast but they can go pretty far! there are a few books out on modifying the flat head cylinder head and runners to get better breathing One is a bill fisher book on ford flat heads another is written by an engineer named Recardo(?). His book came out in the 20's-30's? and is tough to find but well worth the search.

[Bill Eveland]

That car looks great. It would totally kill it putting a v-8 in it. It's lasted this long with the straight 8, no need to change it and you should be able to get it running good and just enjoy driving it.

Instead of finding a high compression head, you could always mill yours down but will need to do some work to the top of the cylinders to help with the airflow. I would tune it up and get it running good before I made any major changes to the engine, or if any at all.

[Rusty]

Bill,

That's a good point. I'm leaning toward doing just some bolt on items for fun/interest, such as a dual carb intake (possibly) if I can find one and maybe just making a header. I guess I'm not overly worried about the performance aspect of the car, because like I said, I don't think it's ever going to really move out. I'm really just interested in the reliability factor with it. Starting soon, I hope to start digging into the starting issues I was having with it in the fall, and possibly rewiring it to a 12 volt system.

It's a pretty neat car that I think I was pretty lucky to come across for $5200. It has every chrome option that I can find for the car, so I guess I'd really like to just dress up the motor compartment a little bit.

I'm also really interested in trying to adapt power steering onto the straight 8 if anyone has any experience with that, or knows anyone whom might know, let me know. I want my wife to be able to drive this as easily as I can, but with the "strongarm" steering in it now, I don't think she'd feel comfortable driving it.

[gregneun]

keep it original or make sure that you save all of the parts to bring it back to original.

This means, don't cut the inner fender wells for a welded in V-8.

There are not many cars like that left, especially in MN. The Straight 8 is basically a dog, performance wise, but I'd embrace that. The 12 volt conversions sounds ok, and I can't clue you in the PS conversion.

You have an early 50's Pontiac. No one else at the drive-in will have anything similar. You may find some early 50's chevy's, but they are not 2 door Pontiacs.

It would make a good rod, but there are a lot of rods out there.

Just my $0.02,
Greg

[Pontirag]

You'll have to make a dual carb intake. I believe the two barrel jobs that came standard were compound carbs. Port the runners and polish the exuaste runners. three stage nitrous. . Is it a hydro? they can handle just about anything.

V 8 is an easy fix but think long and hard befor you go there. 90 miles an hour in the fast lane at 2200 rpm is absolute heaven out here in AZ. but there is no going back. Only reason I switched mine to a v8 was 'cuase i blew the 6 learning the hard way about the points mentioned above. Either way is ok but its a shame to do it to such a cherry ride. Your call.

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Bill Eveland

... Instead of finding a high compression head, you could always mill yours down...

Unfortunately, that's usually not effective on a flathead, since it negatively affects breathing around the valve heads. Combustion chamber configuration in a flathead is a whole 'nuther subject. But that doesn't mean there's no knowledge out there- you just need to tap into it.

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Pontirag

... three stage nitrous...

!!!! Didn't you hear him say "RELIABILITY"?! (Or did you mean three stages = 10/15/20 HP jetting?)

Rusty- that's one the nicest Pontiacs I've seen from that era. Personally, I wouldn't be in a hurry to switch to 12V. I feel that a lot of people have done so out of ignorance- they didn't realize the greater importance of good wiring and connections (especially grounds) with only 6 volts. I have no complaints about my 6V '55 Plymouth- even the headlights are as good as my 12V vehicles. Some 6V starters turned quite slowly (my Plymouth does), but old flatheads don't need to spin fast to start. And 6V starters will crank for an awfully long time if needed, without overheating. To power FM/Cassette, I put an old 12V battery in the trunk, with a cheap DC-to-DC converter to keep it charged.

[goquick]

I'd have to stay with the straight 8. There things to do to it to make it a reliable powerhouse that will surprise people. I personally would look at a turbo such as was used on the Ford 7.3 diesels or the one off a V-6 buick. You don't want alot, but that 6 lbs of boost would add plenty of power without killing it. If you was to rebuild the engine, with some aftermarket rods, improved oiling, blueprinted oil pump,then you could look at a little more boost. We did a 41 Pontiac years ago with a turbo from a wrecked t-type. That straight 8 made a mountian of torque! Car even looked stock on the outside, but it just needed more body work than funds alllowed, so it was sold. Would love to find it now. (it was dark blue if anyone knows!)