Just haven't found the right 58 but to be honest I'm not looking. My toy box is full ! The 62 hood with the scoop has made the rounds !
Pontiac
- Thread starter Iowa 409 Guy
- Start date
Yeah, Bob would like that !
I like them all, when I was about 8 or 9 dad bought a 59 Safari wagon a great car. We needed a fender for it when I was around 15 and dad knew someone with a 59 about 15 miles out in the country. It didn’t run so dad pulled me back home in it, that was a crazy ride power brakes and steering it was hard to keep the chain tight. The plan was to remove the fender, take our time in our own yard and then take the car back. I begged dad to let me keep it or at least use the 3x2s and 4 speed in the wagon, he said no to both. It was a Star Chief 3x2 and 4 speed as I think back to 53 years ago I chalk it up to another one that got away from me. I guess it was not a factory original 4 speed, not available in 59 I think. Don’t remember shifter or much else about it.
Read this post on a 1960 Ventura Tripower converted to a 4 speed, the 4 speed hardware setup is very unique. The whole thread is a great read.
www.348-409.com
1960 Pontiac Ventura | Builds & Projects
Picked up this 1960 Ventura 389 Hydro 80,734 miles today. All original local car purchased at the Pontiac dealership here in town. It has all of its original paperwork from purchase. Also I was lucky enough to find everything from one person to convert to stick minus the trany...:deal
I can see why, thats a heck of a nice collection! Wowzers. Best rearend GM ever used as standard equipment on all those cars!
It's only fitting that you get a 58! Arnie Beswick's first Pontiac was this 58. I'm absolutely in love with this thing. No bumper, tube grill, whitewall slicks etc. Arnie's wife survived a violent top-end clutch explosion in this car. The guy I got my '61 from has a '58 Chieftain 2-door post just like this, 370/hydro but man is it rough. Has 1970 Oklahoma plates on it. Would love to bring it home but I know I'll never get to it.
I'm currently restoring a 59 Catalina 2 door Sport Coupe, Ca, car, originally a tri power 420a / 3 speed manual car. The 420a was Pontiacs biggest motor in '59 and the only 4 bolt main block they had in 59. Because of my NASCAR roots I'm more inclined for it to be like a NASCAR race car than a drag race car. I want this to be like the car Smokey would have purchased to build the 59 Pontiac that Fireball drive in the 59 Daytona race. They didnt allow the 3x2's so I'm going with a 4 barrel setup. I located a 59 aluminum intake that has a stamped casting number preceded by a "D", this means "Developmental" or experimental, it has a casting date of C 6 9. In tracing the history of this intake I have found it was on one of the 2 all aluminum motors that Pontiac built for Mickey Thompson in 1960. I have never found a good photo of the motor in Fireballs car but I'm betting Smokey may have had one. Also have located a NASCAR breather for it. 
So cool. what I would give for that paint booth
Nice GTO Fathead
Nice GTO Fathead
My Pop had a beautiful 59 Catalina in 61. I was waiting the driveway when he pulled in.
A friend of mine Mike Ingersoll has a 61 tempest with a stroker motor in it and the 63 tempest wagon. It to has a 480 inch stroker motor in it. And it has a square frame rail chassis - grocery getter with exhaust on it. Under the hood and in the interior it is slick! I met him when he sold me a 9.3 Pontiac rear end. My second car was a 68 Firebird with a 389 tri power and a four-speed, and it had a 12 Bolt with 373 gears. Crazy fun… at 16 yrs old
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We aren't sure how many of these manifolds were cast, I was told by a retired Pontiac engineer that the Developmental Dept. was approved to build up to 18 of most anything, at that point they had to decide to issue a casting number or discontinue it. He looked at my manifold and said it was one of no more than 18, could be one of one but it's my understanding that two complete all aluminum 389 motors were built so there should be at least one more somewhere. I really wish I could find a good picture of Smokeys 59 Pontiac, I bet it had an intake like this on it, if nothing else just for the weight reduction
Agree and throw in that breather and maybe a fortune and a half. I saw one of those breathers somewhere years ago! Might have been at Smokey’s shop auction?
Robert
Skip FIx
Well Known Member
My 78 TA original owner-missed ordering the higher 220 HP motor with an auto by 1 month-they were stockpiling them for the 79 4 speed TAs, but I found a code correct one years ago if I want to make it as I ordered it. First Pontiac after the 409 Impala then a 69 roadrunner I drove in college.
1981 Turbo 301 Special Edition TA I bought from a guy as a project car he was going to put a 455 in it. Put in a mild 400 for the kids to drive to high school. I have a 455 slated to go in it now that they are in their 30s and it is my car.
1965 GTO big project 389 4BBL 3 speed. Plans for a 428 style with my Ram Air IV heads to go in it with a Muncie or racing Nash 5 speed I have. No good pictures on this disc.
2004 GTO stock automatic. Added the Special Appearance Hood after this picture that is the 05-06 hood with 2 scoops
1981 Turbo 301 Special Edition TA I bought from a guy as a project car he was going to put a 455 in it. Put in a mild 400 for the kids to drive to high school. I have a 455 slated to go in it now that they are in their 30s and it is my car.
1965 GTO big project 389 4BBL 3 speed. Plans for a 428 style with my Ram Air IV heads to go in it with a Muncie or racing Nash 5 speed I have. No good pictures on this disc.
2004 GTO stock automatic. Added the Special Appearance Hood after this picture that is the 05-06 hood with 2 scoops
