[Helge71]

By reading and searching in this forum i learned that i will most probably have to get another front sway bar fro my '65 Cat Convertible after changing from the original 389 to an early 70's 455 motor due to a larger vibration damper on the new engine.

My question: Who supplies aftermarket sway bars with the "v" in the middle that gives room for the damper? In an older post i read something abour Addco but from the picture on their website it seems their sway bar has a straight mid-part like my stock one...

Thansk for all tips

Helge

[65FATCAT]

If i remember that thread right someone else offered another way and that was to space lower the bar down with either washers or some home built bar stock spacers, that sounds much easier to me than trying to find another sway bar.
Now on Sprockets..............it's time to dance.

[66bonne]

http://www.p-s-t.com/c-46-sway-bar-kits.aspx?pagenum=2
Try this link, I've gotten the thicker sway bar with "V" from Performance Suspension Technology.
As mentioned in the above post I have also used washers/home made spacers to gain clearance.

[Stuart]

It's interesting that the link says the bars are for 1962 and up big cars...if they'll fit a '62 I don't know why they wouldn't fit a '61.

[66bonne]

Stuart - you bring up a good point [altho I am not that familiar with 61s or 62s]. However, when I was looking for air bags for my 65 I ran across a set that said they would fit a 66 big car Pontiac. I know that 65 and 66 suspensions are the same so I called the manufacturer about it. His answer was simple "We never had a 65 to do a test fit". And they did not know of the similarity of 65s and 66s.

Jim

[65catalina]

I bought one from Addco. It is 1-1/8" diameter and has the V in the middle. I have the original engine, but it has plenty of clearance. These picts were taken a couple years ago, but I think they show the bar OK.
Ed

[Keith Vrabec]

ADDCO. Can be black or anodized gold. Get one from Summit. Just happen to have mine out and convenient...

[Helge71]

Thanks for all the great information!

I did read the thread with the tip to use distance shims under the sway bar mount. But as my old mounts and the sway bar itself don't look so very nice anymore i planned to install new hardware anyhow.

The addco thing looks exactly like what i had in mind. Does anybody happens to have the summit order number for me? In my summit catalog i can't find the front sway bar for a '65 full size Pontiac...

Helge

[66bonne]

I doubt you'll find the sway bar at Summit. Try the PST link I posted above. Or I bet that our host Performance Years or Ames Performance has them.

Good luck, Jim

[wfbarto]

Summit does carry them....I was looking about a month ago or so and noticed they carried them.

[66bonne]

I checked Summit on-line, found the Addco Anti-sway bars but can't find one for the 1965 big cars.
Sorry,
Jim

[wfbarto]

You're right....I went back to check and the one I was looking at was for the rear sway bar. They have the 71-76 Pontiac wagon rear sway bars which can be used on the rear of the 65 - 70 B body cars....they specify an Addco 943 for the rear application. It is a 1 inch bar and runs around $150 - $160 bucks. Sorry for the confusion!

[Nathaniel1234]

FYI I consulted with Ron Panzer (old timer tech / mechanic advisor with POCI) and he confirmed what 66BONNE said about the viability of shimming the front sway bar. Ron said it would not affect the performance of the sway bar. I went the shimming route for now with the 455 in the 65 Cat due to the harmonic balancer being larger than a 65 389. Ron also said that it would not hurt anything to bolt on the smaller version harmonic balancer (say from a 65, but I believe until 67). Good luck. please let me know if you do find the appropriate Addco or other brand "V" sway bar.

Nathan in Chicago

[Helge71]

Just to finalize this thread:
I finally got my front sway bar from P-S-T (the standard one from their catalog9 and it is just what i wanted. It has the bent middle part and clears the harmonic balancer of the 455 very well. On the attched photos you can see the old, stock sway bar and the new one for omparison and the new sway bar installed with the balancer (a bit difficult to get on photo...)
Helge