[pontchief]

Originally Posted by Bill Eveland

The American built Pontiac has a totally differant frame than a Canadian built which is the same as a Chevy frame.
If I were getting a 8.8 I may be looking for a 95-01 Explorer with rear disc. It's narrower than a 55 rear but would make it easier to get wider tires on and off the car . The 8.8 is a pretty tough rear end and should be ok.

If your talking Muncie 4 speed, probably anywhere from 500-2000 depending on condition. I could never find the correct parts to use the factory clutch pedel for my 4 speed and used a th400 instead. Manual trans cars are rare and getting all the parts my be a harder task than getting a muncie.

Thanks for some very useful information.
I have to figure what I will go for.
But I really want too have Muncie 4 speed, so I have to do some research about the clutch pedal and linkage.

Insn't there 2 different Muncie 4 speeds?

The one that I had in my 56 Chevy, had 1 gear that I almost never used because of the ratio.

[Bill Eveland]

Another option would be to go to a hydraulic throwout bearing with the muncie, you'll have to figure in some extra work to add in a clutch master cylinder somewhere.

Yes ,there is a close and wide ratio trans, depending on rear gear and driving habits.
M20-wide ratio, m21 -close ratio and m22 -close ratio "rockcrusher" are the choices, not a real expert on muncies though enough to determine which is which.

[Bill Eveland]

A little bit of good news today, the tire size I wanted to use looks like they will fit. I'm using some Hoosier dirt track tires for now, but it will give me a good idea of what will work. May even drive around on these for a little. They look good on the $60 pair of Cragars I scored on epay that were practicly NOS, never mounted on a car, probably 15-20 years old .

The tire size is 90/11 x 15 . Which the 90" is the rollout, 28.5 " tall and 14 1/4" section width on 10" wheels.

[pontchief]

That looks great, Bill.

And I love those classic Cragar rims.

[lunaticeh]

Gotta love used race car stuff.... looks good... those things will hook nicely too..!!

[pontchief]

Hi Bill
Is it any progress on the 55?

I have only collected parts for my 56.

I will be in the USA for 7 weeks this year, 3 weeks alone, before I am going to take my family on a vacation.

[Bill Eveland]

About the only thing i've had done lately is I got the 9" housing narrowed. Good thing about having a parts car is if there is something I don't like or mess up parts are available.

I pulled back the reigns on the deal using the wide cragars and big tires. It was getting too "pro street" looking and I decided not to go in that direction. I've scaled it down to a 10" wide tire on a 7 or 8" wheel. This will be a lot less noticable change and still keep alot of the original looks of the car. I had the 9" rear narrowed down to 2" shorter than the stock axle.

Instead of my frame rails I tried to pie cut and box in, which I wasn't real fond of after all that work. I'm going to use the rear frame rail section off my other frame and move the spacing 3" in on each side. The leafspring mount will set right against the inside of the other frame rail and than box everything in. This will also allow me to keep the backseat ,unlike the way I was going I would have lost it.

[pontchief]

I think its a good idea with the frame rails and it's also nice to have a backseat.

[Bill Eveland]

Drug this outside the other day-literally. Had to do some cleaning. This is the first time I got to see the stance and look after i've done most of the work.





my other pics won't upload- here's a link to some pics

[Bill Eveland]

Is it just me or do the widewhites look better? These are some old tires I ground off the thin black layer of rubber that covers the white stripe. I also changed the front springs again, along with the ball joint conversion I did it said to cut some off the coil, I went a little far and the front end was sitting in the weeds-too low for my taste. I swapped in some uncut springs from my parts car. These back tires are about 1 1/2" taller than the others thats why the front end doesn't look as raised as it should have. Still has a nice rake to it I think.


[IMG][/IMG]

[pontiacpark]

guys, i have a 1960 bonneville that has a 389 with a 4 speed muncie. originally a hydramatic. Bob the guy who built this up sent me an email telling which parts he used to do this swap. i cant find the email but im sure the peddle box was from a buick. i could ask him again for that info if you wish. tell you wot tho. this car is great fun to drive with the m 20.

[Gas455]

I like the whitewalls on it!

Bill, with my 57...I'm buying a local Aussie car(70's Holden) to get the front half of the chassis off it...then it will be grafted to the 57 chassis.
Will give me disc brakes powers steer and a ball joint front end.
Plus I can get all the steering and suspension parts from my local parts shop any time of the day. Not have to wait for it to be shipped from the states.

I will email you with updates as they unfold.

Greg

[Bill Eveland]

Hi Greg. Thats what py member 63gpstanley , also from Sydney mentioned doing awile back. He mentioned the 71' and up chassis was front steer which gave him more room . Is the 70 chassis rear steer than? It sounded like it used a subframe? I'm not famaliar with the Holden chassis. Maybe he can give you some pointers on that specific swap if your not already in contact with him.

[Gas455]

Hi Bill,

I actually bought this car from Stanley. He lives half an hour from me.

I will be getting his mate to do the welding on the car for me.
Greg

[pontiacpark]

Oooo we were so lucky in new zealand and australia when GM built the HT and HQ holdens. These cars made the hotrodding of old cars cheaper and alot of stuff fitted the chevs and pontiacs. Most are subframed except from memory the 1 ton utes.I converted my 69 firebird to disc brakes donated from a hq Statesman. swapped straight over. the front ends from the early HT models and up are in alot of old trucks and cars. These cars are cheap to buy and many parts fit or are easily adapted to american cars.

[petritl]

Bill,

Are you ready to race yet?





Your neighbor
Old Injun

[Bill Eveland]

Ha Ha, I should have got on it like that when you let me drive it. Not bad for a 316, dual range 55 trans and what rear 5:13? Welcome aboard.

[petritl]

The racer of Old Injun was a cheatin.
I looked at the casting codes this evening it appears to be a 1959 389ci

-Tad

[63gpstanley]

Could you use a 2nd gen. Firebird front cut on these??? They look very similar to the Holden ones, have front steer set-up etc.
Might be nicer to ride as well plus easy parts availability.

Dave.

[Bill Eveland]

That subframe has been used in the past by others, but I didn't like a few things about it.

It was wider by at least a few inches on the front track width, and where the steering box will end up - once you line up the front axle centerline it puts the gearbox right at the radiator, I think i've seen others mount the radiator in front of the support.