Engine Mini-Series – Pontiac’s 326 Prt 2

The 326 was used as the base model for the Pontiac Tempest.  That was going to be the extent of the division’s uses for this engine.
For 1963 and 1964 production years that was the case.

But in the 1960’s GM had a rule that production A-body or intermediate-size car would carry no more than 330 cubic inches and none were to be sold.  Pontiac had the idea that they would bring on the Tempest GTO would have the 389 as its base engine, but GM set the rules.  So the best Pontiac could do was to offer the GTO with the base engine as the 326.

1964 Tempest GTO, Yes you'll find 'em with a 326

However, on the order form there was a check box to order the 389.  This is how the 326 got in to one of the most famous iconic cars of the muscle car era.
1965 was the year and the 326 offered was with 250 and 285 hps in both automatic and manual transmissions.

That’s enough to make it a piece of historical automotive hardware. But there is one more noteworthy pair of shock towers this power plant was mounted between that was the 1967 Pontiac Firebird.  Yup it powered up its second iconic car with a 250 hp version and a 285 hp version.

326 in a 1967 Firebird

67 F-bird

And that, fellow car crazies, was the short life of Pontiac’s 326.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Racing Corner 4 THE POSTON CAMARO!

Check out Average Guy’s Car Restoration, Mods and Racing – Racing Corner page and look over Vickie and Jodie’s 1970 Camaro

http://wp.me/PKHNM-oL

What’s Going On? How about an update?

That’s an email from a reader.  Been under the weather for a few days and a heavy workload this time of the year where I “pound salt” (hopefully a fair ratio of people get that).

So here is what is coming up:

Finish up the series on the 326 Pontiac engine.

Finish up the last couple entries for the Name That Car Contest (tally for this latest round coming up).

Feature Car – one of the Studebaker’s models.

Update on my 1970 Mustang “make-over”.

And some other stuff.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Lost Car Show Videos

Here are a couple of videos I forgot to post up.

The first is my friend Steve Fagan’s 427 vette he just finished restoring.  Took 2nd place in his class at one of the largest car shows in the areas.

And here is my Mustang at the same show.

Enjoy.

Tim

Engine Mini-Series – Pontiac’s 326 Prt 1

Even while operating within the huge conglomerate that is (was)  GM, the divisions all strived to retain some semblance of their earlier identity or develop a separate identity. Even with continued mounting to conform (within reason) to use standard tooling and
engines parts out of the GM bins they strove to be unique.

The Pontiac division made this effort “job one” with slightly different body parts and paint schemes (Trans Am paint schemes).  What I think made them standout was the effort to stuff unique power plants in their offerings’ engine bays.

With this in mind, I selected Pontiac’s 326 CID engine.  This short production run engine had some special Detroit steel wrapped around it. But we’ll get to its uses and an interesting note about its purpose as related to circumventing a rule or two.

The 326 (restored)

This engine came about as a need to replace Pontiac’s aluminum 215 V8 engine. (It was actually built by Buick.) It was expensive to
build and not well received by the public, most just couldn’t get over the aluminum part and worried about durability and even about the ability for it to
say lubricated and whether coolant would eat way at the aluminum.  Of course we not differently now where aluminum is desired in many, especially with heads.

The 215 Aluminum (Buick built)

Coming up how –  Pontiac used the 326 –  a unique dealer trick that put this engine between the fenders of famous car and the difference between a 326 and a 327.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Pontiac V8 engine

Pontiac 326 engine in 1967 Firebird

Checker Cab Note from a Reader

Thanks Bill.

This web site claims you CANNOT tell Checker years 1960 to 1982 apart:

http://jalopnik.com/#!266317/checker-marathon

I still wonder what would have happened to Checker if Ed Cole had not died in a plane crash. Ed Cole was a GM Engineer who was ‘the father’ of the Chevy 283. The story goes that Checker was about to go out of business, and Ed Cole had accepted an offer to take the company over. Ed had retired ‘comfortably’ from GM, and wanted to have some fun with Checker. Legend has it that Ed planned to get the GM Impala/Roadmaster RWD chassis, drop in a a Mitusbishi V6 drivetrain from the Diamante, and keep the SAME Checker body panels. His goal was to keep the car in fleet sales with great MPG and long term reliability,

Knowing what I know today about Government regulation for automobiles, I have to think that Ed Cole would have prolonged Checker perhaps another few years, or so. Crash test alone cost about 1 million dollars per car model today.

My THREE cents for the day!

Happy Easter, Bill

Name That Car – 2A

Here this one is going to be a tough one.

Jump in the ‘way back’ machine and guess this early turn of the 20th Century car.

Name That Car

Good luck.

Remember you need 5 correct answers to win.  If you are reading this on Facebook you need to chase the link and post on the blog.

Thanks for playing.

Tim

Name That Car – #1A Answer

The correct answer is 1956 Continental

1956 Continental

Bob Sweeting was the first correct answer.

(No I don’t believe we are related.)

Thanks for Playing Bob.

Next one coming up right up.

Tim

Name That Car – #1A

Ok.. Steve Sear won the last round.

This round the rules are the same.  You have to be the first to get 5 correct answers.

If you see this on Facebook you have to chase the link and post your answer on the Blog.

You’ll have to provide a mailing address to receive the prize.

So here is the first car in the next round.

This car was once it’s own company.

This particular car is 1950’s era.

Name that Car #1A

Good luck  and thanks for playing.

Tim

Chevy’s 283 Follow up Site

A while back I did an engine mini series on Chevy’s 283. Since then I found a great site for more information on the 283.

Links – http://wp.me/pKHNM-nu
http://wp.me/pKHNM-nB
http://wp.me/pKHNM-nT

http://chevroletphotosblog.com/?p=23046
Chevy 283 Motor | ChevroletPhotosBlog.com
chevroletphotosblog.com
‎1965 chevy 283 motor complete runs good 500.00 cash call 205-792-4699. Location: Tuscaloosa. State: Alabama City: Tuscaloosa tuscaloosa.americanlisted.com

Thanks for reading

Tim