Ivan is the dude I got the car from originally. He still has 20-30 cars...down from well over 100. I think he is just trying to liquidate so he can sell his property.
CK5
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57 Pontiac "Zero Fox"
- Thread starter tRustyK5
- Start date
It's like the war of the roses...with newfie accents. 
Hahaha! Epic!
Well, I ordered all the parts i need to get this 261 up and running. i'm still waiting for some to arrive but some have showed up. The water pump is giving me fits, as it's specific to the Canadian Pontiac 261...I ended up having to order one for a chevy 235 and will have to add a .625" spacer to get the pulley where it needs to be.
i've mostly just been cleaning engine parts lately. Not a joyful job...but the result will be cool I think. I did find engine paint that is an almost perfect match for the Pontiac dark green. That showed up today so I spritzed a few parts.
I did scrounge a starter off the gnarly parts car, thinking it might be a good core at best. For giggles I hooked up my battery to it and it actually spins over strong. Cleaned, painted and ready to go in. Every part I clean and repair gets me closer...
i've mostly just been cleaning engine parts lately. Not a joyful job...but the result will be cool I think. I did find engine paint that is an almost perfect match for the Pontiac dark green. That showed up today so I spritzed a few parts.
I did scrounge a starter off the gnarly parts car, thinking it might be a good core at best. For giggles I hooked up my battery to it and it actually spins over strong. Cleaned, painted and ready to go in. Every part I clean and repair gets me closer...
Parts look nice....this weather is perfect for auto projects right now!
Well I've been slowly picking away at this project, and now that the temps are a lot warmer it's easier to stay out there and get busy.
I have spent endless hours chipping away at the inches thick grease/dirt on this engine. I'm calling this "good enough" as I don't plan to run this 261 forever. It's miles better than it was. Here the rebuilt generator has been installed, head gasket in place.
New fuel pump installed. The two steel lines there are fuel and vac advance lines...and are original. Amazing how well the crud preserved stuff!
Next up Nick came over just in time to help me wrangle the head into place. No dowels, which makes things a lot harder than they should be but we got it done!
Rocker assembly on.
next up we installed the plugs, coil, all new distributor parts, new wires and the starter...
Last up was the intake and exhaust manifolds. I had to install new studs on the exhaust manifold, but that was pretty straight forward.
I have a few things left. The phenolic spacer under the carb needs to be repaired. Some JB weld should do the trick I think...then the carb can go on. Also on this side of the engine the oil filter canister gets mounted. That is cleaned and ready to go. I'm going to plumb it as it was, but run the engine without a filter element inside the canister.
then I have to run some wiring, and a temporary fuel tank...
I'm hoping to possibly start it tomorrow...for the first time in 49 years and two months.
I have spent endless hours chipping away at the inches thick grease/dirt on this engine. I'm calling this "good enough" as I don't plan to run this 261 forever. It's miles better than it was. Here the rebuilt generator has been installed, head gasket in place.
New fuel pump installed. The two steel lines there are fuel and vac advance lines...and are original. Amazing how well the crud preserved stuff!
Next up Nick came over just in time to help me wrangle the head into place. No dowels, which makes things a lot harder than they should be but we got it done!
Rocker assembly on.
next up we installed the plugs, coil, all new distributor parts, new wires and the starter...
Last up was the intake and exhaust manifolds. I had to install new studs on the exhaust manifold, but that was pretty straight forward.
I have a few things left. The phenolic spacer under the carb needs to be repaired. Some JB weld should do the trick I think...then the carb can go on. Also on this side of the engine the oil filter canister gets mounted. That is cleaned and ready to go. I'm going to plumb it as it was, but run the engine without a filter element inside the canister.
then I have to run some wiring, and a temporary fuel tank...
I'm hoping to possibly start it tomorrow...for the first time in 49 years and two months.
video!
Picked up a radiator from some crazy old coot this morning. Looks decent and apparently doesn't leak. I fixed the phenolic spacer that goes under the carb. Time to head out there and see what else I can do.
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Very cool project. I like when people save the old stuff!!
Filter canister installed, as is the valve cover. Phenolic spacer was a fail, so I gotta order one off eGhey. Carb bolts are MIA. It's for the best, I tend to get like a horse with the bit between his teeth when I get close to start up. Better I get foiled a little and that leaves me time to double check stuff.
I have an aluminum spacer off a 1 bbl carb,not sure what it belonged too originally,might have been my '56 pickup's 235,or maybe one of the 250 sixes in other trucks I had--maybe even off one of my old air cooled VW's....if you can get dimensions on the bolt spacing and hole diameter ,I will see if its anything you can use, if you want..
I have a pm in to the guy I got the carb and starter from. It should be a phenolic spacer to insulate the carb from heat so the fuel doesn't boil if I understand it right. I think an aluminum spacer would pass the heat right through to the carb...
I may have one of those thick spacer gaskets from a carb kit too,either from the 235 or a 250 six...I'll look tomorrow and let you know what I have...I have no use for them--only thing I own with a gas engine is my van's 307 with a 2 bbl..
That is correct. I have one on my flatty. Mine uses the same size spacer as your car does. I can try and find the company I bought it from if you need. I might have to get rid of mine actually. My carb is real cold while the car is running
I ordered one off eBay. If I need to hog the bore out a little that's no big deal.
I would guess that 283 is still salvageable.
Disassemble it, and take it to a local machine shop and have them tank and bead it.
Martin
Disassemble it, and take it to a local machine shop and have them tank and bead it.
Martin
I'm not that desperate to have a 283...
Half the fun would be disassembly!
Martin
Martin
