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

BOSS 302: Scary Test Result as Brakes Fail

Don Royby Don Roy on April 26, 2011

It is easy to envy the job of a road test editor for a magazine or web site. After all, when it comes to the world of automotive enthusiasts, you’re pretty much living the dream. Often flown at other’s expense to exotic locations, you’re wined and dined in expensive establishments and given the latest high performance hardware to thrash around in. Other times, you just get really neat stuff to park in your driveway and make your neighbors jealous.

Generally, the only rule is ‘bring it back in one piece’ and given today’s anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, hugely capable tires and other modern developments, it’s pretty hard to break that rule. So, imagine that you are on a quarter-mile track, running some brake tests for which you run up to 70 mph and stand on the brake pedal and mostly let the electronics keep the shiny side up. Say you’ve done this dozens of times on all manner of performance cars, but this time the pedal goes right to the floor just as a metallic ‘snap’ registers in your brain.

Perhaps it is not always such an enviable position to be in because that is just what happened recently to Motor Trend editor, Scott Mortara, while evaluating a Boss 302 Mustang. Fortunately, the experienced tester was able to slow the car by downshifting the manual transmission and get off the track without serious incident. What followed from there, as reported by MT senior editor Angus McKenzie, is both a PR nightmare and a curiously unsatisfying conclusion for all.

An immediate and thorough investigation by Ford, which also involved stopping production temporarily at the Flat Rock, MI, assembly plant, revealed no inherent problem with production cars. The test car, however, appeared to have its brake pedal incorrectly assembled, so that a pivot pin sheared under the extreme load and master cylinder actuation was lost.

No conclusive evidence has been identified as to how this car’s brake pedal got to the state it was in, but once you let these cars out into the hands of others, anything is possible. This is the type of thing that Ford will continue to pursue internally until there is nothing left to investigate. In the meantime, this set of freaky circumstances serves well to remind all of us that bantha poo-doo happens and paying continual attention while driving is highly justified.

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