[Parkman51]

Having wanted a classic car all my life I finally jumped in and picked up a '55 Star Chief. I can tell there are a few things I need to do before it'll run properly, and I expect there are a few things I don't know I need to do as well. Am I in the right place to ask really basic questions as a beginner, and get advice on doing some of the work? If not, just point me in the right direction and I'll see myself out.
Thanks in advance!

[OG68]

We all start at one time or another with "Basic questions"
It would help if you gave some of your automotive background first.
Are you familiar with older non computer cars?

But welcome aboard. Hundreds of years of Pontiac experience here and some, with '55 Star Chiefs

[Parkman51]

Originally Posted by OG68

It would help if you gave some of your automotive background first.
Are you familiar with older non computer cars?

Thanks for your response!
My grandfather was the 'car guy' when I was growing up, and I was privileged to help him out with some projects - all modern cars regrettably, as he didn't hang onto any of his classics when he owned them. The most in-depth work I've ever done was to rebuild the front end of a collision-damaged 2003 Nissan Maxima. The engine and frame were fine, but everything in front of that (A/C condenser, radiator, bumper, etc) needed to go. So in that sense, my hands are dirty and I know my way around hand and basic power tools. Definitely wouldn't want to open up an engine or transmission, but willing to butt my nose in pretty much anywhere else.

That said, I know next to nothing about the nuts and bolts of classics. I don't know whether I need to put lead substitute in the fuel, whether to use natural or synthetic oils... etc etc. All I know is that cars stopped being pretty sometime in the late 70s.

[Goatracer1]

The front suspension is way more complicated than a car from the 1960's. If you are careful you can fix any of it. The engine is fairly simple to work on. Don't fool with the auto trans. Find someone who is familiar with them. You can't find anything with a much simpler electrical system. If you should have any charging system problems replace everything with an internal regulator alternator. Brakes are simple drums with no self adjusters. Very easy to repair. Vacuum windshield wipers suck but do usually work. Star Chief might have electric ones. There is a nice kit to convert vacuum ones to electric that is very easy to install. Don't try to install large tires in the rear. They will fit if you can get them in but getting them into the wheel well is a bitch. Be careful trying to swap later parts. Most stuff from 1955-57 can be used but later stuff won't easily fit. The doors, glass and weatherstripping are the same as a 1955-57 Chevy. Rock Auto does have some parts and a good source is Ames Performance. Good luck and if you need help just ask.

[Parkman51]

That's very helpful, Goatracer, I'm going to make notes of all that. A few follow-up questions for you (and some new questions later).

-Why is it that the suspension in a '55 is more complicated than one from the '60s?
-What's the link for the vacuum-electric wiper conversion kit?
-I've read that it may be advantageous to convert the drum brakes to disc brakes, and I already think I need a new master cylinder. Assuming I have to replace the master cylinder, is it worth the upgrade or should I stick with the drum system? I'm not planning to race this car or do anything high-performance with it, if that helps.

And new questions:
I want to install lap belts, does this require welding or is it something that can be done with hand tools? And where can I find a good kit to do this - Ames and RockAuto don't seem to have them.
The car has sat for an unspecified amount of time in the previous owner's garage and the gas has probably turned to varnish. Advice on a complete drain and flush of the fuel system? Any "don't forget this"es or "try this product"s?

[Parkman51]

Alright, the fuel tank is removed and drained. That was an interesting bit of mechanical Tetris. It looks to be in remarkably good condition - I can't really see any rust.

No luck on the dash lights, but for the horn, I did find a disconnected wire on the junction block next to the driver's side horn. I highly suspect this to be the culprit but didn't get to reconnecting it today.

I've been having a lot of fun watching the video you linked, Sirrotica. My engine bay looks a lot fuller than theirs, I think due to a/c equipment, but you'll be able to tell better than I from the pictures.

Tomorrow I'll get a gallon or so of gas and rinse the tank, then re-drain it. The tank drain plug tries to leak, so I'll replace the plastic washer if I can find one. What should I do (if anything) to the fuel pump? I assume replacing the fuel filter is a given, but I haven't been inside a fuel pump before. Goatracer mentioned something about a 'sending unit' to be addressed while the tank was out, too. Also going to locate that fuse box (thanks for the tip, Larry) and replace any bad fuses - most are 7.5 amp, according to page 12-34 in the Shop Manual.

[Bill Hanlon]

Originally Posted by Parkman51

No luck on the dash lights, but for the horn, I did find a disconnected wire on the junction block next to the driver's side horn. I highly suspect this to be the culprit but didn't get to reconnecting it today.

Don't be surprised if the horn honks continuously (or intermittently when you turn the steering wheel) when you reconnect the wire. Disconnecting this wire is a "fix" for the wire's insulation rubbing off up inside the steering column and touching ground to activate the horn relay.

Originally Posted by Parkman51

Goatracer mentioned something about a 'sending unit' to be addressed while the tank was out, too.

You can test the sending unit by removing it from the tank (most GM vehicles used 5 screws to hold it into the tank, Pontiac used the same gasket [GM part number 1516395] from 1935 thru at least 1960, my '57 GMC pickup used the same gasket ) and using an ohm meter to check from the post where the wire attaches to any metal on the attaching flange. Most GM vehicles of this vintage used 0 ohms empty, 30 ohms full. Attach the ohm meter and slowly move the float from empty (zero ohms) to full (30 ohms). The change in ohms reading should be linear. There shouldn't be any rapid changes in ohms or any readings much over 30 ohms.

[Parkman51]

It worked!



Today's two questions:
1: How do I test the vacuum tank?
2: I've looked at the shop manual, but it's just not making sense: how do I drain the coolant? Shop manual says there are 3 drain cocks - one on the radiator lower tank and two on the engine block - but when I poke my nose under the front all I see is a mystery-maze of metal. I see nothing I can identify as a 'lower tank,' - the radiator lower hose seems to go to the engine - and I'm not sure where on the engine to look, either. There's a round hole (6" or so) in one of the metal plates under the car, through which I can see two bolts, but those don't look like 'drain cocks' to me.

[Goatracer1]

Car does NOT have ball joints. As for wipers I will have to try to find it. If I do I'll post on here. Replacing the master cylinder with something else can be complicated. It is mounted under the floor. I never had the ambition to try to convert it to disc brakes. I suppose it would depend on how complete the kit is. I never felt the drum brakes stopped that bad to make it worth the effort to change them. For the master cylinder some people remove the defroster and mount a hanging pedal from the firewall. I didn't want to because in cooler fall weather I want the defroster. Just buy generic seat belts and drill hole in the floor to mount them. Install some kind of reinforcement under the floor. I usually use very LARGE washers. Ames has seat belts pn:PA206BA front and PA206BC rear but you can probably get them cheaper online. Don't try to start the engine before you remove and drain the tank. While you have the tank out remove the sending unit and replace the filter on the end of it. Pull the plugs, install new engine oil and filter, squirt some oil in the cylinders and then crank until you have oil pressure. If starter doesn't want to crank the engine remove starter and clean the contacts inside the starter and the solenoid. Reinstall the plugs and try to start. If it starts idle the engine at about 1200-1400 for a few minutes. Good luck.

[fyrffytr1]

This is the place to get your answers. Very knowledgeable people here. There is also a Facebook group that can help with parts and questions. I am a member there' In addition to my 67 GTO I have a 1950 Pontiac Streamliner.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/150467135123404

[Goatracer1]

I am on Fbook also. Be very CAREFUL on there. There is probably more misinformation on there than correct info. I have looked up information in Pontiac parts books and service manuals and posted for them only to have people tell me I am wrong. You will ask a question and 10 different people will give you 10 different answers and you won't which, if any, is correct. Also be careful buying parts. Lots of times they are way over priced. The rare and valuable part they are selling is neither rare nor valuable. Beware of scams. People that never send you anything or just junk. I have been taken a couple of times. There are good people on there just take your time and learn who they are before trusting anyone. Good luck with your car.

[Parkman51]

Fluids are going to be the first major project along with testing out the electrical systems.

What type of engine oil should I use? It's got 78k miles, and according to the maintenance records that came with the car it's had 10, 20 and 30 in it at different times. Does natural or synthetic matter? And do I need special additives, like high zinc?

Any recommendations on where to buy LED replacements for all the lights? I found superbrightleds.com, are they reputable/high quality or should I look elsewhere?

Thanks, Fyrffytr, I hoped this would be a good place to ask questions. I poked around before making my account and everyone seemed helpful.

[Parkman51]

Nice big update for you today: After I posted last night I did a little cleaning: the door locks had been greased with something truly awful that rendered the manual lock pins black and sticky, and the windows didn’t roll as smoothly as they ought. So I worked over the rear door on the driver’s side – the others will follow as time permits. I removed the inside window trim, cleaned that, degreased the lock pin and its screw, then added some judicious WD-40 to the window (and door latch) mechanism. Also removed, cleaned, and reinstalled the metal strip that holds the carpet down at the door. I forgot to take before-and-after pictures, but I intend to remember in the future.

From Sirrotica’s video, also, I discovered that this car must have been fitted with the windshield wiper fluid canister, because there are capped-off lines running from the receptacle to the windshield. I shall have to see about getting that working, farther down the project list. Sirrotica’s video shows that the wiper fluid can be converted to run on the electric rather than the vacuum system, so that’s another thing to look at. It looks like CPR offers a bunch of parts for either system.

Today, I checked the indicators – all worked except the front passenger one, which is odd because that light illuminates correctly when the parking lights are on. This was a perfect excuse however to open up the front indicators to see what was going on – the gaskets were bad on both, but so seriously decayed on the passenger side that there was rust inside the housing. Two of the screws were rusted fast and only yielded to serious persuasion – but I ran to the hardware store and got replacements. I also checked the rear indicators, to see what they looked like, and found two more dessicated gaskets (before and after photos below). Finally, the glass covers for the reversing lights are loose in their fittings. So I ordered all 3 types of gasket from Ames.

And the horn! Bill Hanlon is a prophet. When I connected that wire, the horn worked so well it wouldn't turn off! My initial guess was a faulty spring or switch in the steering column, but rubbed-off insulation certainly qualifies. That will go on the list for a later project, but I assume the only way to rewire that without taking the whole harness apart is to somehow tie a new wire to the old wire and pull it through.

Lastly, I cleaned the outside of the gas tank with water and some degreaser, and sloshed some new gas around the inside, then redrained. Pulled the sending unit to see what was going on, and picture below, let me know what you think. The fuel line was totally plugged at the tank end – a good inch or so of semisolid molasses. After removing that, I could blow through the line no problem. Below you will also see a picture of the tank’s interior, I’m not sure what that odd block is in the middle of the tank floor. Another big thank-you to Bill Hanlon, who not only tells me how I can test the float, but gives me the part number for the new gasket I need!


Edit: It seems the forum decides - totally at random - in which orientation it wants to display my pictures. How do I rotate them to be right-side up?

[GtoFM]

Edit: It seems the forum decides - totally at random - in which orientation it wants to display my pictures. How do I rotate them to be right-side up?[/QUOTE]

Try cropping your pics to get rid of all black borders, especially the bottom border with .jpg and date info. Rotate as desired, then attach to your thread.

[Goatracer1]

I have always used 10-30 synthetic. Synthetic tends to leak more the conventional but oil is cheap and I prefer the synthetic. Why do you want to replace all the lights? Do you plan on doing a lot of night driving? The few LEDs that I have bought I just buy whatever is cheapest. Be careful. In some application they don't always work correctly. Directionals won't blink. Dash lights won't dim.

[Safari Larry]

Suggestion, forget about the upgrades for now. They are not needed for a car that doesn't run. Focus on the basics. Get it running and stopping with what it has and enjoy it for a while. Then move on to upgrades as you see needed. The stock brakes will work fine if properly maintained and adjusted. They won't be as good as disk brakes but they will be far easier to repair than installing disk brakes. Just drive it with a little extra caution and insure the emergency brake works.

I suggest you get familiar with my website, www.pontiacsafari.com. It has the Shop Manual and Body Manual (Fisher Body Service News) available online. You'll find much more interesting and useful information on the site. Get familiar with the '55 Shop Manual on the "Pontiac Garage" page. Learn how to do maintenance work there. That's where you start, maintenance, and you may have a long road ahead of you on doing just that, especially if you don't have much auto mechanical experience.

Regarding relevant Facebook groups, the best to use is the "1955, 1956 Pontiac" group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/321200353272194. The group given by fyrffytr1 is okay but largely about pre-55 Pontiacs and a bit too "social" to suit me. There are knowledgeble people there but you need to be careful. Pay attention to good advice given by Goatracer1 above. For good answers on techincal issues, there is no better place than right here in this forum. I follow Facebook groups, but this is where I go for Tech advice.

A couple of quick tips. Lug bolts on left side are left-handed and right side are right-handed. Assuming you have the automatic transmission, to put it in Park, turn engine off and put selector in R (Reverse) position. Check all rubber hoses, if they are old, they will need to be replaced. When you remove the gas tank, check it closely for possible leaks and damage. Some radiator shops will test and work on gas tanks. Check line going from tank to fuel pump. You should also drain the transmission and install new oil.

Any idea how long it has been setting without being run? Do you know if the engine is stuck? Will it turn over using a socket with breaker bar on the crankshaft?

Another place for parts is California Pontiac Restoration (CPR). They have a lot of same parts as Ames. You can get catalogs from both CPR and Ames. Or just get to know them online.

55 Starchief, nice car. I hope you get it back on the road. You will enjoy it once you do.

[Parkman51]

Originally Posted by Safari Larry

I suggest you get familiar with my website, www.pontiacsafari.com.

Holy Havel on a Horse, you're the Pontiac Safari Larry? I've been devouring - and being intimidated by the breadth of - your website (and it's great to meet you here). I think you're right about putting off all the upgrades until we get the big stuff sorted. I'm just so darn excited about all this that I've got a bad case of Shiny Syndrome.

Now, the juicy details. Last night I finished going through all the papers that came with the car - and it was a gold mine. I have the original sales order - it was manufactured in May/June 1955 and sold in June for $3600 (taxes and fees not included). Also have the 1955 Pontiac sales brochure featuring the complete lineup for that year.

Additionally, and what forms the bulk of the papers, is essentially the car's entire maintenance and service history, from 1959 to 2001 - mostly composed of receipts, work orders, and the owner's supplemental notes. Owner 1 had the car at least as late as 2009 (she had a 2009-2011 registration in the papers, but never put the '09 sticker on her plate).

Side story. She got this car involved in a traffic accident in '94, against a brand new '95 Chevy S10 with less than 1k miles on it. A local Chevy dealership sent her a copy of the bill to repair the S10 - about $850. Her notes show that the Pontiac got its bumper repaired for $155. They don't make 'em like they used to.

After '11...nothing. According to the traffic ticket she got for the collision, she was born in 1917, so already almost 80 by the time of her accident, and I assume she made it into her 90s. My guess is that the car was sold by her heirs to Owner 2.

The second-to-last maintenance document I have, an invoice dated 25 Mar 2000, gives an odometer reading of 72845. In the past 25 years, therefore, the car has been driven less than 500 miles - current reading is 73103. So not only did Owner 1 quit driving in the 2000s, but Owner 2 did nothing with it either (he also had a Mustang Mach 1 and a Corvette Stingray, so I guess he preferred driving the higher-performance cars).

Owner 2's death sent the Stingray to his nephew, and the Mustang and the Pontiac to his daughter, who liked the Mustang but didn't need the Pontiac (enter Myself, stage left). According to the daughter and her husband, Owner 2 would occasionally fire up the Pontiac's engine, and let it run for ten minutes in his garage, but he never drove it. He would back it into his driveway and then pull it back into the garage. No one knows when this car last made a journey of any distance.

However, the good news - allegedly everything is in working order except the master brake cylinder (and a few smaller projects). Garage kept for basically its entire life. Repainted its original color in the late '80s. Interior reupholstered/recarpeted in the early '90s.

I don't intend to turn the engine over until I get all the fluids changed - gas, engine oil, transmission oil. Any fluids I'm forgetting about? What transmission fluid does a Hydra-Matic take?

Hope that's enough detail for Rachelsdad, and let me again express my gratitude for the help each of you has provided so far.

[Rachelsdad]

A great source of information for all Tri-5 Pontiacs is Larry Gordon's Safari site:

https://www.pontiacsafari.com/

Don't be fooled about the depth and breadth of the Safari info; you will find mechanical info there (and more) relevant across the line.

As for oil, I use Lucas Hot Rod & Classic 10-40 in my '63. Synthetic is fine, and I use Mobil 1 in my more modern cars, but tolerances being what they are, and the need for zinc in these older engines being what it is, I prefer an organic oil with high zinc content. (Back in the day - 40 years ago - I ran Valvoline 20-50 exclusively; I've found no need for that since the engine rebuild, and the 10-40 is definitely easier starting in cold weather.)

Now, about that wiper motor...

The electric motor was on option on my '56. Checking on '55....

It does not look like the electric wipers were offered for '55:

https://www.pontiacsafari.com/55/Acc...esPamphlet.pdf

Vacuum wipers should work well, but will slow down going uphill or under other periods of low engine vacuum (sounds funny, but that's a fact of life).

There are some very knowledgeable people here (including Larry). Another piece of advice I'd give you is to collect as much sales and parts literature as you can, whether original or reprint (or perhaps better, in digital format). Another book I have which is quite handy is an interchange guide for Chevy, Pontiac, Olds, and Buick. Often the same NOS part with a non-Chevy part number can be much more expensive (or unobtainium) than a standard Chevy part which fits, connects, and works just the same.

Anyway, welcome to the group. Please *do* ask questions and provide as much detail as possible (pics are always a plus).

[Rachelsdad]

Larry, for heaven's sake... Couldn't you have waited to post until I finished lauding your site and you in *my* post?

LOL!

[Safari Larry]

Originally Posted by Rachelsdad

Larry, for heaven's sake... Couldn't you have waited to post until I finished lauding your site and you in *my* post?

Sorry about that Lewis, I'll try to do better in the future. My distance mind reading was a little off today.