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-   -   Experimental Pontiac Engine Found in Storage (https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=868189)

misterp266 07-26-2023 04:45 PM

garage art at best ”. hmmmmm . . . .

I’d bet that Jack could make that thing work and set a LSR with it!

But ya, I have a feeling he will have a very hard time getting that much money for it.

b-man 07-26-2023 04:56 PM

Seriously, who’s really gonna run that thing the way is was meant to be run?

No replacement parts available.

Sure anyone with deep enough pockets and a full machine shop at their disposal with an expert running it possibly could, but realistically it’s garage art.

J.C.you 07-26-2023 05:30 PM

Something like that would be worth most in a period correct configuration, cranking and putt, putting around for show

rtp 07-26-2023 05:58 PM

That's got McKeller tracks all over it

Jack Gifford 07-27-2023 12:09 AM

Anybody know what the cam followers look like? Combustion chambers?

Jack Gifford 07-27-2023 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-man (Post 6442577)
... something that’s garage art at best...

The only "garage art" to some of us is something that's broken beyond repair. All else can be put to use.

mgarblik 07-27-2023 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Gifford (Post 6442703)
The only "garage art" to some of us is something that's broken beyond repair. All else can be put to use.

Absolutely agree Jack. I see no reason at all that engine could not be running again. That engine is no more complex, special, or wall art than your lakester engine. I have seen your engine on the dyno, running on a stand, racing down a drag strip on numerous occasions. I would think anyone with the money to buy it could and would want to get it running on a display stand or in some car. Having it in running condition increases it's value exponentially in my eyes. Very cool find.

Tom Vaught 07-27-2023 10:23 AM

I personally would like to know the name of the scumbag who stole the cammer engine out of Mac's 1963 Catalina.
On his retirement GM gave MAC a running car/cammer engine which MAC took to many car shows in the Detroit area.

Tom V.

Keith Seymore 07-27-2023 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught (Post 6442771)
I personally would like to know the name of the scumbag who stole the cammer engine out of Mac's 1963 Catalina.
On his retirement GM gave MAC a running car/cammer engine which MAC took to many car shows in the Detroit area.

Tom V.

I know the name.

K

Baron Von Zeppelin 07-27-2023 11:05 AM

The whole top end and cam drive , all of that needs to be copied and reproduced .

srmmmm 07-27-2023 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore (Post 6442491)
I could see that happening.

I don't recall stumbling across it while I was attending GMI (1979-1984) and wandering the bowels of the various buildings.

K

I was there in 1973-1978 and it wasn't there. We did have a 1971 Firebird Esprit that came with the 350 2 barrel. The "Firebirds" club under the guidance of Professor Jim Lyons installed a small turbocharger on the engine, pulling through a 2 barrel carb from a Chevrolet Vega. The intake manifold consisted of a 3 pound coffee can with 1 inch diameter copper tubing going to each intake port in the heads. We managed to get one of the very first lock-up torque converter turbo 350 transmissions from Hydra-matic for the build and we entered the vehicle in the Clean Air Car Competition. The car managed an amazing 28 mpg on the city cycle and 21 mpg on the highway taking 2nd place in the competition. We got dinged on NOX emissions-no catalytic converters yet. When Hydra-matic asked for their transmission back, we had to inform them the car had gone to the crusher. That didn't go over well.

Other engines in the lab included the Buick 3.8 V-6, both NA and an early turbo version, the developmental "Iron Duke", a Chevy 350 and an Olds 350. Thanks to Professor Lyons relationship with Pontiac (He later went to Pontiac as head of the 301 Turbo team), we managed to have an SD455 on a stand for a while.

Since I co-oped from the Lordstown plant, I tried to secure a Cosworth Vega engine for school, but because the short block was hand assembled, serialized, signed by the engine builder and carefully recorded for registration with Cosworth Engineering, GMAD could not release an engine from the vehicle assembly plant.

Keith Seymore 07-27-2023 01:00 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by srmmmm (Post 6442796)
I was there in 1973-1978 and it wasn't there. We did have a 1971 Firebird Esprit that came with the 350 2 barrel. The "Firebirds" club under the guidance of Professor Jim Lyons installed a small turbocharger on the engine, pulling through a 2 barrel carb from a Chevrolet Vega. The intake manifold consisted of a 3 pound coffee can with 1 inch diameter copper tubing going to each intake port in the heads. We managed to get one of the very first lock-up torque converter turbo 350 transmissions from Hydra-matic for the build and we entered the vehicle in the Clean Air Car Competition. The car managed an amazing 28 mpg on the city cycle and 21 mpg on the highway taking 2nd place in the competition. We got dinged on NOX emissions-no catalytic converters yet. When Hydra-matic asked for their transmission back, we had to inform them the car had gone to the crusher. That didn't go over well.

Other engines in the lab included the Buick 3.8 V-6, both NA and an early turbo version, the developmental "Iron Duke", a Chevy 350 and an Olds 350. Thanks to Professor Lyons relationship with Pontiac (He later went to Pontiac as head of the 301 Turbo team), we managed to have an SD455 on a stand for a while.

Ah - yes. Those GMI profs were good people.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1690477168

Quote:

Originally Posted by srmmmm (Post 6442796)
Since I co-oped from the Lordstown plant, I tried to secure a Cosworth Vega engine for school, but because the short block was hand assembled, serialized, signed by the engine builder and carefully recorded for registration with Cosworth Engineering, GMAD could not release an engine from the vehicle assembly plant.

I was sponsored by Chevrolet Flint Assembly (Van Slyke and Atherton rds).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore (Post 6442491)
I don't recall stumbling across it while I was attending GMI (1979-1984)

Quote:

Originally Posted by srmmmm (Post 6442796)
I was there in 1973-1978

For those of you following along: I just want to point out that this was a five year program. Four years of study with a thesis during the fifth year.

I didn't want the reader to think we were a couple dummies.

K

VCho455 07-27-2023 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-man (Post 6442592)
Seriously, who’s really gonna run that thing the way is was meant to be run?

No replacement parts available.

Sure anyone with deep enough pockets and a full machine shop at their disposal with an expert running it possibly could, but realistically it’s garage art.

Somebody with Max Werner's skills and resources. Saw his car run 12 or 15 years ago at PIR. He was pushing it hard enough to cause the wire wheels to show deflection in the corners, while the car was in a 4 wheel drift. All the while he was sawing that huge 24 or so inch steering wheel back and forth like a madman.
His Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 with its pedigree is deep in the realm of truely pricelesps automobiles. Not to mention there are no parts available for him either.

https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/chas...a-2211120.html

jhein 07-27-2023 02:29 PM

That's an incredible piece of Pontiac history. I agree that it would be crazy to run that motor in a car. It belongs in a museum somewhere. Maybe somewhere like the Brothers Collection or something like that. In fact, I'd bet that if the owner contacted them, they'd be interested.

JSchmitz 07-27-2023 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhein (Post 6442847)
That's an incredible piece of Pontiac history. I agree that it would be crazy to run that motor in a car. It belongs in a museum somewhere. Maybe somewhere like the Brothers Collection or something like that. In fact, I'd bet that if the owner contacted them, they'd be interested.

I'm torn between museum and road course! lol It is too rare to be destroyed though. Museum is probably the place for it.

srmmmm 07-27-2023 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore (Post 6442824)
Ah - yes. Those GMI profs were good people.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1690477168



I was sponsored by Chevrolet Flint Assembly (Van Slyke and Atherton rds).





For those of you following along: I just want to point out that this was a five year program. Four years of study with a thesis during the fifth year.

I didn't want the reader to think we were a couple dummies.

K

And not to mention that 18 week semesters of normal colleges were compressed into 12 week semesters for us, so my average class load for the nine semesters was 21-23 hours with my senior III semester at 26 hours. But I always believed that since we made it through that, we could make it through anything. I'd do it all over again given the chance. It was an unbeatable experience.

Hoping to get back up there with my 1970 Firebird and visit the new learning center.


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