ANOTHER Canadian Pontiac

[61 Bubble]

As many of you know, I bought a 1961 Ponitac Parisienne BUBBLE TOP back in the late fall of last year. This particular car once belonged to Aubrey Brueneau (CDNpontiac409guy on here). Car is "a-bit-rough" and was in need of some desperate work. So since I have acquired this car, I have had the seat redone and new carpet, redid the COMPLETE front suspension with the 2" drop spindles (pain-in-the-ass) and disc conversion, cleaning up some stuff and just getting the car to run right.

Some know that Aubrey's car had a stoked 348 (to 380 inch) with some mild upgrades with cam and head work, headers. It's a T10 4 speed with OEM 3.36 posi. As per GM Canada records, car was equipped from the factory black with red int, PS, PB, posi 3.36 and a few other things.

Now that the car is back on the street, I have decided with this to make it like a old "barn-find" Super Stocker from back in the day. Just finished hand painting on some lettering on the front fenders and hood. Going with re PONTIAC on the rear quarters and OEM Super Duty scoop. I have modified the front some more to keep the original 14" steel wheels with the Pontiac dog-dish hubcaps, but using a 15 X 8 rally in the rear.

In the next couple of weeks, hope to get the stereo, alarm and PDL installed and the rest of the interior back in. Doubt I will get to the PS conversion or installing the AC unit this year.

Future plans is this will be sorta a daily driver style car. Most days be driving this and taking trips with it, so creature comforts are whats needed. Plans to go thru the rest of the chassis/driveline is winter to make it more reliable and give me piece of mind.

 

[real61ss]

Great!! Congratulations on saving the car, i like your ideas about making it look like an old super stocker but Now you need to redo the front end cause old super stockers didn't set low in the front.

 

[61 Bubble]

Ok lets try this. a bit of a timeline.
Aubrey found the car like this:


Finished it to this:


Sold it and it looked like this:



I bought it late last year looking like this:



And out for the first time today, no where near done yet:



Still doing interior stuff, and have to get the big PONTIAC on the quarters plus the Super Duty scoop. BUT it's a start anyway.

 

[benchseat4speed]

Duuuude....second pic down, chrome reverse wheels, 'finished to this,' cats' meow and the dogs' bow wow right there

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

I like it! Of course I love those 61's, both the Chevy and the Pontiac .

Have fun appointing it like an old racer!

TomK

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

Duuuude....second pic down, chrome reverse wheels, 'finished to this,' cats' meow and the dogs' bow wow right there

PERFECT.................

 

[jim_ss409]

Looks great!
I really like your idea of making it look like a old race car that was put back on the road.

I wonder if it would look neat to wet sand and buff the new lettering to give it a faded look, kind of like this picture...

 

[CDNpontiac409guy]

When I took that car out of that junkyard, that was the look I was going for... and old hot rod, back on the road.
Still regret selling it.
BTW, did I ever mention that the total time lapse between those first two photos, was 11 days
Man, was I obsessed with that car

 

[DonSSDD]

Nice old Pontiac Parisienne.
'Don

 

[61 Bubble]

Thanks guys.
Jim, I was thinking of fading the lettering. Just been behind the 8 ball on this car this year, way to slow getting things done. Most due to the 3 extra weeks the front end took.
Aubrey, not sure where, maybe your site, but YES I know it was "The 11 day wonder" LOL.

I still have the scoop to do, PONTIAC across the quarters, and figure out what wheels for the back, 15 X 7 rallys at this point with G60 15. Trying to get a 15 X 8 chrome with 275 60 15.

LOL everytime I work on it, something else screws up? Blew up the carb due to crap getting PASS the filter! Then the windows that worked fine, are getting stuck! Headlight work, then won't even get power to them! Shifter locking up! And then, loosing the grounds on the brake light as you drive it!!!! Nice learning curve fix one, screw up 3!!! lol

 

[61 Bubble]

Update, 2015.
- "Peppy" the stroked 348 has left and is waiting to be trucked out west. Sold the motor and Tri Power to a gentleman who is putting it into a '34 Ford Coupe. Not sure if its a 3 or 5 window.

AND A BIG THANKS TO "THE JIMS" I am now the proud owner of a 409. 690 heads, Edelbrock intake with 2 Edelbrock carbs wo take the place of "PEPPY"

This just happens to be the engine that "THE JIMS" had in the '62 rag top a while back.

BUT I'm thinking the 427HP on the hood might need to be updated.

Thank you, Jim & Jim. Was a pleasure meeting you two today and looking over the stuff in the shop. Those Z11 heads were cool.

John

 

[Don Jacks]

Looks like a great starting point!

 

[Phalen409]

This will be (is) a great retro look. I really like it....I am building my '63 along the lines. Really cool!

 

[61 Bubble]

Planning on this being a 10 second "streetcar". Nothing to serious just a good driver that can run. I'm sure. by the fall of 2016 that this Pontiac with the 409 will run high 10's. That way I will have:
-A LOW 8 second all motor N/A car, 1967 Acadian SP

WITH OLD PONTIAC, with the cast single, it made 1267 @9500 RPM

-A low/mid 9 second streetcar all motor N/A car

Waiting for the '69 ZL-1 "052" Block, "074" heads, and a "198" intake for now, till I buy a '69 Vette

-And this high 10 second streetcar
-"POSSIBLY" there is an 11 second driver/resto coming too.

 

[jim_ss409]

I'm glad to see that stroker motor go to a good home.

 

[61 Bubble]

Well after some gremlins (some still there playing games) I actually had the car running down the road. "PEPPY", the lil stroked 380 the Aubrey did is a thing of the past. The JIMS '09 is far from PEPPY. With the 3.36 gear, T-10 and this "MILD" '09, I was having issues in 3rd greeting traction. If your going alone say 2800 and you nail it, it starts to pull, then spins all the way thru 3rd. Now mind you, this was with the lil tires. 1st was just like not being in gear, would just shred the tire.

Jim, glad I didn't get the 500's that you said had better throttle response!!!!! I figured the 750's would be better to hook the tires. And it does seem to pull well into the MID 6500 range pretty well. Think I was about 6800!!

 

[jim_ss409]

I'm glad to hear you got it up and running.
Some grippy tires would help, but then again, the drivetrain might not like the extra traction.

 

[61 Bubble]

Jim I have a set of Hoosier Quick Times, G60 x 15's I will put back on. Just wanted to see what a "normal" radial would be like. I would like to get a 275 x 15 on it.
But as we discussed, the 750 carbs where not as responsive as the 500's? Well I would go form a roll, nail it, and watch the tach. Car has a bit of a stumble down low, but seems to really co,e alive about 3200. From 4500 to 6800 happened pretty fast, faster then I expected. My 498 took .6 of a second to go from about 6800 to 7800, so I'm used to a fast accelerating engine, but wasn't ready for this one like that. It revs as fast in first as it does when not in gear!

Thanks for selling me this "Cop ticket collector 409!!!!!" Lol

 

[Dr Richard Kimble]

that thing sounds like an animal , bubble . Before creating traction , I would recommend some basic rear end "helper" parts .

 

[61 Bubble]

Ya NOT looking to get the car to hook for a while. Just a BFG 275 TA or the Quick Times. I have a set of MT 275 Dr Pro's but not going on this car.