Early Pontiac engine?
 

Local machine shop went out of business. Owner/operator died, family is liquidating the inventory and tools/equipment/cores There is an early Pontiac engine there. Assembled, painted. Looks pretty--and fresh. The person I talked to has no idea what the history is, what work has been done to it, or who it belongs to. Office is a mess, "maybe" there's some paperwork on it.

Has the older "gusher" cooling system where the water pump discharges into the cylinder heads. Has huge fuel pump/vacuum pump unit.

If you had one of these engines at a machine shop here in the Seasonally Frozen Wastelands, and haven't checked in on it for awhile...you might want to do some investigating.

What's a 55--59 Pontiac engine worth?

Anyone reproducing the "gusher" water distributing tube that goes inside the cylinder head; and would it fit into a '70's OEM head?

Where?

Assuming it came on the engine, the "huge fuel pump/vacuum pump" would make this a 55-57 engine because this type of pump was used with vacuum windshield wipers which were not used on the 58 and 59 Pontiacs.

Within a hundred miles of the Canadian border.

I'm shy about giving exact location, I don't want to provide some random person with enough details to "steal" it from the shop before the rightful owner can claim it.

OTOH, it'd be nice if the engine owner saw this and got his ass in gear to talk to the family of the machine shop operator, get this paid for as appropriate, and reclaim the engine before it turns brown with rust. Shop's been closed for over four months.

"I" want some of the shop equipment...but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. I think I'll be lucky to afford the little-bitty milling machine, as I dream of the seat 'n' guide machine with the air-float table. Looking at it again tonight...

Some '58s had vacuum wipers, electric was an option.

Not the first time I've been wrong this afternoon. I knew the 55-57 had vacuum wipers standard with optional electric wipers. I checked the Master Parts Catalog and it only had one listing for a 58 pump, so I assumed it was for electric wipers. Shows you what happens when you believe what you read.

No and no.

Back in 61' my buddy's dad had a 58 Pontiac. Everytime he "romped" on the gas, the wipers would stop. He put the car in the ditch one day because of that problem.

If your trying to switch to a newer style head check the "Reverse cooling meets 6x head " thread down in the heating/cooling section of the board. Also the problem with the early blocks(55-60) is the trans bolt pattern and the lack of side mounts on the earlier engines. Either have a good trans on hand or you'll have to buy an adapter. I'm using an old style Hurst mount that was available on my 66 389 with a 60 cover.