i just came across this video and had to comment. I am 90 years old and this exact Pontiac was my first car. It was the most beautiful car I ever owned. The black lacquer finish took a lot of care but I kept so polished that my fellow Airmen accused me of keeping it in a blanket. That straight eight engine would run like crazy, too. I am teared up watching your video. Love it! Thank you so much.
I’m 31 and my father has had a 1953 Pontiac cransbroke since I’ve been young and I grew up at cars shows. Car has been sitting since 2004 due to title issues and it’s crazy how much that car has had influenced me and my memories. I’ve been talking with him to rehab the car again. It’s crazy to think how many families have enjoyed this car over the years and that the original person who bought this car in 1953 never new how much that car would mean to 31 year old in 2022. I remember when he got this car in 1999 it was rusty and had bad motor. I spent many hrs in the garage with him as kid when rebuilt this car. After rebuild he won many trophies at car shows for some reason he lost interest in car after some stupid legal reasons between new York and pa after we moved there. We’ve been in tennesse now for 11 years and I would like to rehab car and get it back on road as it was parked 2 years before I could drive.
To bad they can't give us humans a rebuild huh Mr. Veydt? 😉 My Great Uncle Mike Leal was in the Airforce and often tells tales of his fellow airmen giving him a hard time with a huge smile on his face as he reminisces about his brothers of which most he has out lived. From me and my Family who have been able to live full Free lives here in the United States, I Truely and Guinuinely would like to THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. May God bless you and hold you in the palm of his hand.
My first car was a 1952 Pontiac two door hardtop. I bought it in 1961 for $200 and drove it for a couple years. I then sold it to my younger brother who wrecked it, running into a hearse at an intersection.
I'm a 75 year old lady that just loves these resto videos. I grew up in a family that built and raced cars..... Your passion and honest excitement when she started brought back a lot warm and fuzzies. Good luck in all your endeavors for future projects.
I like the fact you changed the oil before you tried to start it. Most of the ‘will it start?’ Videos I’ve seen wait until after starting the engine to change the oil. Your approach makes much more sense to me. You can learn a lot about the condition of the engine from what comes out of the pan.
I have 1950 Pontiac Chieftain Silverstreak, too!! Yes, and she has a straight 8, too. My baby name is Christine!! Yes, like the movie because when I turned the radio on for the first time, the song was Love Me Tender by Elvis Prestley!!😅❤
bringing old things to life... love your spirit boys... put a smile on my 74-old face. when I was in high school my brother had a maroon-colored '51 Pontaic straight-8 convertible with automatic transmission, leather upholstery and the orange lucite Indian head hood ornament that illuminated when the headlights were on... vacuum tube AM radio hummed when it was turned on, engine vacuum-powered windshield wipers hesitated in the rain when you stepped on the accelerator... the chrome stripe from the trunk lid to the front hood was a remarkable distinction... the car had character... great to see you guys having so much fun with this... enjoyed your video... the good old boys at the late great Pontiac Motor Company would be proud!
That's the one thing I really love about these kind of shows. Having some fun with your Dad and family. I never had a chance to doing anything like this with my dad. It really makes me smile. Great job guys.
My dad had a 76 custom deluxe Chevy but my stepmom took it from me when he passed I was born in 75 so it would have been nice to have I guess it just wasn't meant to be
Great stuff! The old flatheads didn't use detergent oil and usually only went 50-70K miles before a rebuild, so an oil filter was kind of an option! By the 50's they were ending their cycle as the dominant engine design and OHV, higher compression engines with detergent oils and double the life-span were taking over. My old Studebaker flathead 6 only went 65K before it got tired and smokey. The Packard OHV V-8 that replaced it made over double the hp and went on to run well beyond 100k miles with little problems.
The dealer installed oil filters probably could reduce the rate of cylinder/piston ring wear and "tired" engine,also those air filters weren't so great and were high maintenance to actually keep serviced,there were also a lot of dusty dirt roads in the days that those cars roamed the earth and that probably contributed to the typical tired oil burner at about 60k miles,I think the ones that had the oil filter if serviced usually got to 100k miles before oil burning got as bad as the non oil filter ones got at 60k miles Packard at great trouble built new engine plant and a line of huge V8 engines only to go out of business after only about 2 years of building the engines,some of Studebakers after that were badged "Packard" I think some of the Packard tooling was sold and shipped to USSR where a car that looked like a '56 Packard was built called a "Chaika"
Very little to no recycled steel was used and the primers and paint used then were much stronger (and toxic) than the watered down paints and primers used today. Couple that with thicker body panels and they’ll last out in a field forever.
It's not as much about the quality of steel, IMO, as about design philosophy. Those early body-on-frame cars just didn't have many pockets where water could collect and cause serious rust issues, aka hidden cavities. As cars were moving towards unibody design, things got significantly worse. Even GM X-frame cars of late 1950s had a lot of pockets formed into the sheet metal to strengthen the body structure, and perimeter frame cars from 1965-on were essentially semi-unibody from design perspective, as the body was as much a load-bearing structure as the perimeter frame. Which means a lot of rust-prone areas - and no means to adequately protect them available at the time.
This is awesome. My first car was a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain Deluxe. I bought it in 1974 for $100. My girlfriend's father taught me how to work on it. After doing a valve lap job on it, it would idle so quietly, you couldn't hear it. There were issues with the design - the 6 volts meant it didn't want to start sometimes in cold weather. And there was no acceleration. It would run at 80 mph, but take ten minutes to get there. I wish I could post pictures in the comments section.
My very first car was a '51 Pontiac Chieftain with the same straight 8 engine. With a little work, they will run so smooth and quiet, you'll think it died when you're sitting at a stop light. Valve adjustment was a common problem with that engine. If you pull the left front tire off, you'll be able to access the valve covers and adjust the clearances quite easily. Good Luck with her!
My dad had a 1950 Pontiac with the same straight 8 engine, good for an easy 70 mph all day long. It was a bit of a gas guzzler at around 14 mpg. I learned to drive in that car at ages 14 to 16 with an instruction permit and with my dad in the passenger seat. He let me drive it a lot. I don't recall that the valves were ever adjusted; never heard a thing about it. I agree that the idle was so slow and quiet that at age 10 with brand new hearing I could barely hear the engine run with my ear next to the closed hood. Top speed was about 90 mph.
I had a 1953 Pontiac straight eight,. There was never a doubt in my mind that '51 you're working on would start . You can't destroy one of those old straight eight engines!!
I worked at Skyland Olds as a mechanic from 1968 until 1978, I remember rebuilding the carburetor on that car in 1970 ' can't believe you took an air hose and blew all that crap around under the hood without covering up the carburetor.
This was my first car. My parents bought me a car like this when I was 14 years old. It was delivered by tow truck. Needed tires and wheels, radiator 6 volt battery and other parts. I had it running in a month. I don't remember what I did with my old Pontiac but I had fun getting it to run.
I once bought a 1950 Buick out of a junk yard were it had been sitting since 1972. I worked on it all day until midnight. Had to do a transmission swap and major tune, but drove it home 45 miles. Awesome job guys 👏
My Dad had a '53 Pontiac Chieftain, it was the first family car I drove when I got my license in '68. I remember that "rhythm" of the crank that we got every winter, those 6V systems just didn't want to start in cold cold weather. The 8 cylinder engines were pretty awesome, low compression and they'd last forever, my grandfather had a '52 with over 300K on the clock and I think my Dad had almost 200K when he took it off the road. When they were running well, they were really a quiet engine, only week spot was valve guides (Probably why you see smoke). They were built like a tank, but the New England winters and salt would just keep eating away at the iron heavy steel and they'd rot away before the engine and tranny quit. Good luck with the restore!
My Dad worked for skyland olds back in the 80s, the toolbox i inherited from him still have the dealer decals they put on the new cars that came in stuck on the lid. So cool
I enjoy your excitement, bringing these forgotten vehicles back to life! Also, my dad was an excellent mechanic, but on the quiet side...kind of like your dad. Keep up the great work!😊😊
Wow, the famous Straight 8. Both of my Grandfathers hat Straight 8’s in the 30’s. My Dad’s dad told me he got it up to 120 MPH on flat straight roads in central Oklahoma. My other Grandfather said 90 MPH was tops, but he lived in the hills of NW Arkansas. Not a dragster, but given the chance a great performer.
Had a '54 Pontiac, 4door, 3 on the tree. The dash plate over the glovebox said eight on it, but it actually had a straight 6 cyl in it. It still looked like a huge engine. Great job guys!!!
If this car needs an engine rebuild, it deserves it! It's been waiting 51 years for some love man, she's a sweet old rig. Put a cool old school exhaust on it like those long glasspacks that were popular in the 60's and 70's.
I think these straight eights would sound amazing with some long Cherry Bombs on it and a full 2.5 or 3" dual exhaust. I have ALWAYS wanted to tinker with one of these engines. I realize that they're limited on horsepower due to the small bore size, but I think it'd be cool to see one with a custom intake with either a multi-port injection setup (one injector per cylinder) or a single 600 cfm 4 bbl carb with a centrifugal supercharger. Nothing outrageous obviously, just something that would be reminiscent of an old salt racer or an old school drag car.
Just recently acquired a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain with a swapped 1954 Straight-8. She's in great shape, I drove her to my shop from the guy I bought her from and all was well, then I parked her for the night and she wouldn't start.. go figure. First time she's been up to running temps in a looong time, traced it down to not getting fuel and I'm currently waiting on the carb to come back from the rebuilder. Very fun and personable cars, I can't wait to have mine up and running. Good luck with your build!
In 1962 my dad used his 53 Pontiac to go to work. It got to the point one day that it sounded like it would throw a rod. Instead of scrapping the car I asked my dad to give it to me, a 16 year old. If I tore it down and clean it up, he would help me rebuild it. Yes, there is no oil filter! When I took the valve covers off you could not see the valve stems or springs from all the waxy sludge. It was my high school car.
Brilliant job guys!! Just on a sort of philosophical note, your values are fantastic too. Taking the old and decrepit and bringing it back to life. An America full of you dudes holds nothing but hope.
WOW...amazing!!!! You and your Dad were able to revive a 68 year old Pontiac is unbelievable!!!! And the silly thing had a great sounding exhaust note to boot! I'm just gobbed smacked!!! Awesome Video, I LOVE your channel!!!!
Rev it up high as you pour trans fluid down the carb. It has glaze breaking properties for the bands and clutch pak. but they also work to remove cylinder glaze in the engine. This may give a renewed seat to the piston rings and help with the smoking issue.
Way too cool. When I was a kid, the man next door had an old 53 Buick with a Straight 8. He was always tinkering with it in the driveway. I was in awe of that big old piece of iron. Thanks for bringing the memory back. Now I'm anxious to see what you have planned for that old car!
Everyone's got such a cool story.. and such a vivid memory, Were all so much alike its uncanny. It's like hav'n identical twin cousins! " hey cousin 👋 "
That really brings back memories. Back in the late 50s, I was a teenager and worked at a gas station. One of my co workers had a '52 Pontiac straight-8 like that one. His sounded the same as that one when it was cranking. I still remember that and I'm 81 now. And there is no oil filter in the pan. Just a pick-up screen. Oil filters and turn signals were optional on cars back then. If it had an oil filter, it would be clamped on to the side of the intake manifold. Not a full-flow.
This brought back memories. My parents had a 53 Pontiac straight 8 and I used to sit on a small folding stool between them so I could see over the windshield. When I was a bit older, I used to do the shifting with the 3 on the tree. I don't know why it died, it sat in the back yard for a couple of years and I was allowed to try to take the engine apart. Didn't have the strength to do much. They replaced it about 1961 with a used 58 Chrysler New Yorker with a 392 Hemi and a gas heater which gave heat immediately.
I learned to drive my dad's 53 powder blue 53 4-door just like this one. It was the first car I learned to drive in 1962. I drove the standard trans 3 speed on the column like a sports car I thought anyway. What the heck I just learned to drive! What a blast I had at age16. I raced and drove it like it was a supercar. That straight 8 it took everything I could do to it and it asked for more. It would burn rubber in reverse like crazy. My last memory of it was it was towed away from the front of the house listing to one side with a broken rear spring and the front tires rounded off from cornering through the neighborhood north of our house chasing my friend's old Ford. I think if it had been any other car it would have died long before this Pontiac. Watching you start this thing up with the sounds it was making just brought back such memories at the age of 77. I graduated from high school in 1962 driving this huge tank of a car, what a blast it was! My friend had a 52 Pontiac automatic straight 8. We would drag race and I would just beat him by about 1 car length after about a quarter-mile.
My dad was driving a straight eight on a flooded dirt road in the '50s. Things got so slippery that he didn't dare shift down because he thought he'd lose traction. Eventually he was going so slow he could hear each individual cylinder firing, but it didn't stall! That raw torque got him through!
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. My dad owned a 1954 Pontiac Straight Eight and the similarities brought back many memories. I was 15 when I was able to drive it and even for a dumbass kid, this thing was so easy and straightforward to work on. Back then parts were easy to come by and could be changed out in minutes with the most basic of tools. My dad got rid of it around 1968 and it still ran for years after that since someone local had purchased it. Many thanks for this video!
Oil filters were an option and were mounted externally with rubber lines running to the block. In those days they ran non-detergent oil which allowed sediment to settle in the oil pan and other areas.
It's rather infectious seeing you guys having such fun! Well done on getting her running and a tribute to the engineerring of the engine after such a time standing. My grandpapa was an engineer and I can just hear him saying that an straight 8 cylinder engine must be very smooth and well balanced, 2 cylinders firing each cycle/Not cheap to produce,,,,think how well machined that crankshaft must be...not sure a production stright 8 was produced in UK, but stand to be corrected
Man....I can't quit watching your videos. I binge watched this channel last night after stumbling across the GMC Eleganza rescue video. I live just up the road from you guys in Hendersonville, NC...I bought my 2nd car (1992 Chevy Z-24 Cavalier) from Skyland Auto on Smokey Park Hwy in Asheville... You guys are awesome. Can't wait to dive into more of your videos.
Great to see you and your dad having a great time together! Car has some nice patina ! Very fine sanding and a clear coat to preserve it. Add some Native American print seat covers to finish the classy lines!
So nice to see you wrenching on old cars with your dad. I really wish I had done that with my dad but he was never much of a mechanic (and he still isn't one). Really enjoying the videos!
Over here in the UK there are occasions when a barn find surfaces but its different for you where so many vehicles were produced giving loads of opportunities to find cars like yours. Now 74, this type of find has always excited me most and it's so good that you have a chance to save or just amuse yourselves with this good ol' car. I remember, back in '66, finding a '53 Studebaker Champion in our local breakers but someone had taken the wheels and back then I didn't know how to find replacements. It is buried now, where I found it. Keep this up, we are all focused on how it goes! Best to you all..............
My second car was a '51 Pontiac back in 1969. It had 30k miles and was owned by an old couple that had put clear plastic seat covers on when they bought it. The seats literally were never sat on. It was a beautiful machine. Torque like you wouldn't believe. That was my second favorite all time car.
I really enjoyed watching this Pontiac being revived and running again. This car is a candidate for a frame-up restoration (to make it look like when it came from the factory). The car does need a lot of work, but the good part it runs again. Keep up the good work.
You have to make up your mind restoring these old cars you"ll never get rid of it ! You'll never get out what you put in it ! Labor of love is what they are !
Thanks so much for making a video record of the '53 Chieftan. This evokes fond memories of one of the first cars of which I became aware, owned by an uncle, back in the days where each family had just one car. I imagine he bought it used. I came along in '55 and by the time I knew anything, our relatives' cars were established as part of their respective identities. They were such cars as the Pontiac Chieftan, a '54 Dodge, a '55 Pontiac, a'57 Chevy Nomad Wagon, Two '56 Chevys. As each car was exchanged for another, it seemed as if the end of an era had been reached. Best wishes on your restorations, and thanks again for resurrecting some nostalgia.
I love those 50s cars. That one deserves a second chance. I like how you and your dad work together! Something I want to do with my son when he gets old enough. God bless!!
This is so cool! It reminds me of back in 1976 right after I graduated from high school... I bought a 1950 Oldsmobile 88 for $50 and got it running. It had the Hydramatic 4 speed automatic transmission, and would only shift into 2nd gear, but I drove it all over the small city I lived in. At 26 years old, it was in very good condition (body-wise), and I wound up selling it for $400... a decision I have regretted ever since!
That Olds Hydamatic automatic 4 speed, no overdrive, , I'm almost for sure is the same tranny that they put in the 50's Chieftans. My family drove a 53 Chief...and it was factory installed in ours.
Love this video. Came up randomly on my feed after watching a bunch of “will it start videos” just you and your dad spending quality time together wrenchin. Can’t get any better than that.
My grandfather had several Pontiacs in the late 40s on into the 50s. His favorite was the 1951. On a fishing trip in 1958 he let me drive it. The straight 8 was smooth and powerful. The Hydramatic transmission was trouble free. There were a lot of Pontiacs around. They were good cars. None of the early v8s or straight sixes were as smooth as the straight 8.
Wow, this really brings back memories. One of my earliest childhood memories was the day my dad bought a new 53 Pontiac from Cawood Auto Sales in Port Huron, MI. In 1959, we moved to South Florida. He drove the Pontiac pulling a 27-ft 1947 Spartan trailer the whole way. The only difficulty encountered along the way was a flat tire on the trailer. There were no Interstate highways back then and because it was winter with ice and snow in Michigan and Indiana, we only traveled during daylight hours. It took us six days to get to Miami.
@ Ch W D, I was born (1953) in Windsor, Ont. not far from you in Port Huron, (about an hour's drive), and our family moved out west in 1959, in a brand new 1959 Chevy station wagon.
@@mr.blackhawk142 Hey, glad to "meet" you! Yes, I know where Windsor is. Recall only going there once via the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit. Other than that one time, I visited Canada often via the Blue Water Bridge which spans the St. Clair River between PH and Sarnia, Ontario.
@@Chazd1949 My grandparents had a cottage on Lake St. Clair where I visited a few times as a child. (summer of 1965). Fond memories. We moved to Vancouver in 1959, but us kids visited Windsor in 1965. More recently, Bob Probert died on his boat on that lake. Also, one of my FAV Black Hawks was Pat Stapleton, who was from Sarnia.
I had a 1959 Pontiac Silver Streak. We rebuilt the engine, a flat head six, in 1974. Ran well for a few more years until we retired it. The sound of you cranking it brought back memories. I still have my keychain that says, Pontiac, Chief of the Sixes.
My dad bought a 53 Pontiac new when I was born. It was our family car until the early 60s. I remember riding in it, standing up in the back seat and holding on to the cord that went across the back of the front seat. I still have one of the wheel covers with the correct paint on it. I have a couple pictures of me at two years old standing next to it with my older sister in one and my older brother in another. The car was special to me because it was the first one dad bought new and it was when I was born. Thank you for the videos. I watched both parts.
Absolutely brilliant guys! What a great result, now let us hope that this classic elderly lady will be restored and will look absolutely amazing I am sure! Thanks for this, so well done! Love this.
My dad owned one of these .I was 3 years old then . My dad had a gas station . He closed it .Then drove one of these out to California . He got sick . So we drove back to Michigan . Then he past shortly after . Love seeing you guys working on it . Cool ,you got her started . Love it . Sure would like to have . Fond memories .
Nice to see you and your dad working more and more in tandem, love the teamwork! Cool car, simple and basic, is it technically a Pontiac "Chieftain"? Can't wait for the next update!
I loved this vid so much. Mostly because i purchased my 53 Chieftain about 10 years ago. Exactly like this 1 but mine has 2 less doors. It was my summer car my favorite thig to do at car shows is to show folks how smooth the Straight 8 runs with a beverage sitting on top and if the old girl warmed up the liquid hardly moves love these car.
My father owned a 1951. I can still remember riding down south from Salt Lake to Provo, where he traded it in on a new Oldsmobile 1955 V8. I was 9 years old. What a flash from the past. Thanks guys. So much of the old girl is intact, it would be a great restoration job. Oldsmobile.
That was really great watching you two working on it and actually getting it running, I am a Pontiac fan anyway, I own a 1970 LeMans and a ‘72 GTO and my father owned 4 and my brother has a ‘72 LeMans
I have a 50 Pontiac Chief 8 that’s been off the Road due to brake System needing full over haul since 2019. Watching this has got me motivated to get it all done and the old gal running again. Always in the UK since 1950 bar two short trips back to the US. A Mr Evans owned it. He was involved in the US Air Force Odiham UK. Car has only 21k from new. Brakes had original brake fluid I’d say red with rust and debris. Master cylinder jammed two thirds down all the brakes smoked up great. I have all the bits bar getting shoes relined. Great old motors sound all their own. Great vid love it 👍👍
I know I’m way behind the times here commenting on this build because I saw it in your history. But it is so cool to see a ‘53 Pontiac being restored because my father-in-law started working for Pontiac motors in ‘51 or ‘52 probably helped build that thing!!
In 1959, My mother and older brother and I traveled from N.J. to Southern California in this exact car pulling the ever popular teardrop trailer where it died in the driveway of out first house in Santa Ana. I remember someone giving Mom the bad news that the old Pontiac Chieftain had suffered a broken crankshaft as straight 8"s sometimes did. Really loved this video! Thanks
Just watched you guys getting this lovely old car running...loved every second of it!! Well done for getting her started...so much fun to watch, I admire your passion and not giving up!! I have subscribed to your channel...you enjoy a good challenge...and to get this old girl to start and run was fantastic...cannot wait to see more fun drama from you guys!! Thank you 🚗🛻🚐😁😁😅😅
That was fun to watch! I stayed up later than I should have since I have to get up with my Granddaughters in the morning to get them to School. But once I started watching, I couldn't stop. I have a 53' Ford Pickup that can be quite challenging to get started after sitting for a few years. The one thing I was curious about when you were trying to get the car started, was I never saw if you checked to see if the radiator had water in it? I assume you did at some point, but didn't video tape that. Your cruise down the road was hilarious!
15:53 permanent oil filter in the oilpan, so they would have more work hours in their service shops to take of the oil pan to change the oil filter, more work hours means more money to make.
My father has a 1953 Pontiac cransbroke grew up going to car shows with it it has been sitting since 2004 and we’ve just been talking about rehabbing it again. It has original windows as well and many bubbling. Crazy how durable cars were back then that thing is solid steel. Cool to see that you found one with original motor and was able to get it running ours has a 353 stroker in it.
Wow, that beast is ancient! Amazing to see it spring to life after half a frickin' century! They really built these things... Imagine a modern car in 50 years, you'd need to find working antique laptops and specific diagnostic software just to start working on it.
Not only that, the wiring would be shot because it is insulated with materials designed to be biodegradable. They rarely last 20 to 25 years, let alone 50!
Agree, but on the flip side, those motors were usually ready for rebuild - or junkyard - at about 100k, if you took care of it. Longevity is one area where modern cars win. 100k is nothing special anymore. But a modern car sitting in a field for 50 years would dissolve.
A modern car will still be running in 50 years. Nostalgia is one of the greatest enemies of the truth. These things were junk when they were seven years old.
@@sludge8506 Electronics are a weak point for longevity, and they are at the fatal heart of modern cars. Plastics used are orientated to recycling, not to aging. Technology is changing too fast to make it worthwhile for long term survivability. We are in a 'throwaway' society now.
Had a 52 Chev that was hard to start. I installed a twelve volt battery in the trunk with a switch to the starter. Spun that engine like an airplane too start it. Great video with your dad.
The engine sounds super healthy! Good oil pressure, stable temps, even the generator is charging the battery! Give her a good clean up, a new set of tires, and rebuild the brakes/fuel system and you’ll have a really cool weekend cruiser! She’s a bit too far gone to preserve, but is a very good candidate for a restoration project.
@@ironmonkey1512 Indeed, as have I, but those cars are usually more valuable, highly sought after, and even have a decent parts aftermarket. Most of these cars have rotted away or were junked by now. This one has a straight body and is fairly complete with only surface rust to deal with. Would it cost more than the car's worth to do a nut-and-bolt resto? Absolutely. In this case I'd still go for it, just simply because you don't see to many early 50s straight 8 cars like these anymore.
@@foxyloon That. Plus I'd like the fact the car sat for 51 years and seeing it hit the road again in it's former glory. I don't know ehat they're worth in the US, but at least over here in Germany I'd totally give this thing a go.
Just watched this on a big screen, great video. This car would make a great rat rod low budget build!!!! 👍 Also I'm sick at the moment and this was a great video to watch to take my mind off things. You and your dad are a great team.
When my parents married in 1955 their bridal 🚗 cars were like this Pontiac. I have seen wedding photos of them. My parents have passed now ,so I can't ask them about what type of cars they were. It's good to see an old car getting some tender loving care.
Past few days I’ve been working on my mother in laws 1952 ford f1 that’s been sitting for 30 years in her woods , got it running yesterday, hopefully I’ll have a new manual pump and I’ll be able to have it idling
The gas tank is on the roof, the battery is on the front fender, it smokes like a chimney, the tire tread is coming off ,, but it runs GREAT! LOL I was laughing my head off at the end,, Great work guys but there's more to do! LOL keep it up! :):)
Them tyres looked good for another 40,000 really surprised they blew. Really enjoyed this vid, good to see you back with a new project. Looking forward to the next instalment :)
My Dad is on his last legs and basically hardly talks anymore. He used to talk about this car a lot that Gramps gave him and would drive from Long Island to Maine when he was courting my Mom. I showed him this video and he was beside himself...tearing up...talking about the past...telling me how he fixed a flat with a rubber boot and so on...he wouldn't stop...it was like you gave him a shot of adrenaline! Many thanks.
I really enjoy watching your uploads, guys. You are always in such good spirit 🙂 Great channel, great content. Best regards from a car detailer in Norway.
In the past I have had two 49 Pontiacs (a coupe and convertible). The long skinny 6 volt battery is a group 3 (ET/EH can't remember). I used to get replacement batteries at the local John Deere dealer as the 4020 type tractors used two of those to make the tractors a 12 volt system.
Shell rotella t4 comes in 10w30 and lower viscosity in a diesel type oil with all the dinosaurs and minerals older engines need. My 95 chevy grandpa bought new has always had rotella and still holds 40 to 60 pounds oil pressure with 227k on it.
I love your videos! You Gentlemen know your stuff and have fun while saving the old steeds. Vehicles are made to drive , nothing cooler than reviving silent and abandoned machine s!
i just came across this video and had to comment. I am 90 years old and this exact Pontiac was my first car. It was the most beautiful car I ever owned. The black lacquer finish took a lot of care but I kept so polished that my fellow Airmen accused me of keeping it in a blanket. That straight eight engine would run like crazy, too. I am teared up watching your video. Love it! Thank you so much.
I’m 31 and my father has had a 1953 Pontiac cransbroke since I’ve been young and I grew up at cars shows. Car has been sitting since 2004 due to title issues and it’s crazy how much that car has had influenced me and my memories. I’ve been talking with him to rehab the car again. It’s crazy to think how many families have enjoyed this car over the years and that the original person who bought this car in 1953 never new how much that car would mean to 31 year old in 2022. I remember when he got this car in 1999 it was rusty and had bad motor. I spent many hrs in the garage with him as kid when rebuilt this car. After rebuild he won many trophies at car shows for some reason he lost interest in car after some stupid legal reasons between new York and pa after we moved there. We’ve been in tennesse now for 11 years and I would like to rehab car and get it back on road as it was parked 2 years before I could drive.
Awesome that's cool. Airman always had the coolest rides. Thank you for your service !
BLESS YOUR HEART MR VEYDT, I KNOW THIS PROBABLY A GOOD MEMORY FOR YOU JUST LISTENING TO IT COME BACK TO LIFE I,M SURE.
To bad they can't give us humans a rebuild huh Mr. Veydt? 😉 My Great Uncle Mike Leal was in the Airforce and often tells tales of his fellow airmen giving him a hard time with a huge smile on his face as he reminisces about his brothers of which most he has out lived.
From me and my Family who have been able to live full Free lives here in the United States, I Truely and Guinuinely would like to THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. May God bless you and hold you in the palm of his hand.
I drove this car in 1958 when I got my license. My father bought it new in '53.
I am 76 years old and my very first car was a 1952 Pontiac Deluxe - Deluxe meant it had a radio and a heater. Good work guys.
awesome! i bet you loved driving that thing.
Wait r u really that age
My 54' Pontiac straight 8 had a second heater under the front seat for the rear passengers. One of the smoothest running engines ever made
My first car was a 1952 Pontiac two door hardtop. I bought it in 1961 for $200 and drove it for a couple years. I then sold it to my younger brother who wrecked it, running into a hearse at an intersection.
Radio and heat's all a guy needs. Heck, the radio's optional.
I'm a 75 year old lady that just loves these resto videos. I grew up in a family that built and raced cars.....
Your passion and honest excitement when she started brought back a lot warm and fuzzies. Good luck in all your endeavors for future projects.
Thamk you for what you do. I'm 75 years old from Brooklyn, New york, and you're living my dreams to live your PASSION .
I like the fact you changed the oil before you tried to start it. Most of the ‘will it start?’ Videos I’ve seen wait until after starting the engine to change the oil. Your approach makes much more sense to me. You can learn a lot about the condition of the engine from what comes out of the pan.
I have 1950 Pontiac Chieftain Silverstreak, too!! Yes, and she has a straight 8, too. My baby name is Christine!! Yes, like the movie because when I turned the radio on for the first time, the song was Love Me Tender by Elvis Prestley!!😅❤
Outstanding! Your Dad's laughter as you drove off with shredding tire made this video the highlight of my day, thanks for that.
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bringing old things to life... love your spirit boys... put a smile on my 74-old face. when I was in high school my brother had a maroon-colored '51 Pontaic straight-8 convertible with automatic transmission, leather upholstery and the orange lucite Indian head hood ornament that illuminated when the headlights were on... vacuum tube AM radio hummed when it was turned on, engine vacuum-powered windshield wipers hesitated in the rain when you stepped on the accelerator... the chrome stripe from the trunk lid to the front hood was a remarkable distinction... the car had character... great to see you guys having so much fun with this... enjoyed your video... the good old boys at the late great Pontiac Motor Company would be proud!
What's the coolest part is you having fun with your dad, you're making memories!!! Hope this ole Pontiac gets put back on the road!!!
That's the one thing I really love about these kind of shows. Having some fun with your Dad and family. I never had a chance to doing anything like this with my dad. It really makes me smile. Great job guys.
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It’s so nice to see you and your dad working on cars, I lost my dad a couple of years ago and I think about him every day!😊
I miss my dad so😇😇😇
@@markcarr9030 my dad was the wisest man I ever met.❤️
My dad had a 76 custom deluxe Chevy but my stepmom took it from me when he passed I was born in 75 so it would have been nice to have I guess it just wasn't meant to be
Sorry to bother you but it's been nice to talk about dads
I like how you blew away all the dirt and leaves and crap AFTER you took the filter off the carburettor 😂
That’s exactly the correct way to do things..right? 🤣
@@BudgetBuildz hold my stomach while laughing out out 🤣👌🏻
@@BudgetBuildz I'd at least do the same thing for sure. And think about that right after
@@BudgetBuildz it's good to see that you do not drown it by pouring a lot of petrol into the carburetor as all amateurs do.
Budgetbuildz man 51 years and she runs! Way to go!
It’s a old car that deserves to be a daily , again , like it was.
Sharing good times with Pop is always enjoyable
Great stuff!
The old flatheads didn't use detergent oil and usually only went 50-70K miles before a rebuild, so an oil filter was kind of an option! By the 50's they were ending their cycle as the dominant engine design and OHV, higher compression engines with detergent oils and double the life-span were taking over. My old Studebaker flathead 6 only went 65K before it got tired and smokey. The Packard OHV V-8 that replaced it made over double the hp and went on to run well beyond 100k miles with little problems.
The dealer installed oil filters probably could reduce the rate of cylinder/piston ring wear and "tired" engine,also those air filters weren't so great and were high maintenance to actually keep serviced,there were also a lot of dusty dirt roads in the days that those cars roamed the earth and that probably contributed to the typical tired oil burner at about 60k miles,I think the ones that had the oil filter if serviced usually got to 100k miles before oil burning got as bad as the non oil filter ones got at 60k miles
Packard at great trouble built new engine plant and a line of huge V8 engines only to go out of business after only about 2 years of building the engines,some of Studebakers after that were badged "Packard"
I think some of the Packard tooling was sold and shipped to USSR where a car that looked like a '56 Packard was built called a "Chaika"
Ö⁹
I hope that the Cheifs face still lights up. My Buddy's Dad had one of these. Traded it in for a 59 Catalina Coupe in 59.
Same thing happened to my Buddy's Dad's Chief
😂😢😂😅
I'm always amazed by the quality of the steel of these cars, not much rust holes after all these years!
Very little to no recycled steel was used and the primers and paint used then were much stronger (and toxic) than the watered down paints and primers used today. Couple that with thicker body panels and they’ll last out in a field forever.
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@@prevost8686 Probably built by the same engineers who designed tanks for the Army!
It's not as much about the quality of steel, IMO, as about design philosophy. Those early body-on-frame cars just didn't have many pockets where water could collect and cause serious rust issues, aka hidden cavities. As cars were moving towards unibody design, things got significantly worse. Even GM X-frame cars of late 1950s had a lot of pockets formed into the sheet metal to strengthen the body structure, and perimeter frame cars from 1965-on were essentially semi-unibody from design perspective, as the body was as much a load-bearing structure as the perimeter frame. Which means a lot of rust-prone areas - and no means to adequately protect them available at the time.
Our oldest son has a 55 3100 pickup, I have seen some vehicles not 1/3 that age all to h**L body wise, his was in very good condition !
This is awesome. My first car was a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain Deluxe. I bought it in 1974 for $100. My girlfriend's father taught me how to work on it. After doing a valve lap job on it, it would idle so quietly, you couldn't hear it. There were issues with the design - the 6 volts meant it didn't want to start sometimes in cold weather. And there was no acceleration. It would run at 80 mph, but take ten minutes to get there. I wish I could post pictures in the comments section.
My very first car was a '51 Pontiac Chieftain with the same straight 8 engine. With a little work, they will run so smooth and quiet, you'll think it died when you're sitting at a stop light. Valve adjustment was a common problem with that engine. If you pull the left front tire off, you'll be able to access the valve covers and adjust the clearances quite easily. Good Luck with her!
My dad had a 1950 Pontiac with the same straight 8 engine, good for an easy 70 mph all day long. It was a bit of a gas guzzler at around 14 mpg. I learned to drive in that car at ages 14 to 16 with an instruction permit and with my dad in the passenger seat. He let me drive it a lot. I don't recall that the valves were ever adjusted; never heard a thing about it. I agree that the idle was so slow and quiet that at age 10 with brand new hearing I could barely hear the engine run with my ear next to the closed hood. Top speed was about 90 mph.
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My 1st car was a 52 Chieftan, I still have the half round PONTIAC emblem from the trunk lid...
And "with no work" that straight 8 engine will still run smoothly & quietly like silk!
Burn out the starter don't worry Amazon has got one .
I had a 1953 Pontiac straight eight,. There was never a doubt in my mind that '51 you're working on would start . You can't destroy one of those old straight eight engines!!
I worked at Skyland Olds as a mechanic
from 1968 until 1978, I remember rebuilding the carburetor on that car in 1970 ' can't believe you took an air hose and blew all that crap around under the hood without covering up the carburetor.
Should have put something over the carb throat
-Yeah. If they spent more time thinking instead of Laughlin they would have indeed thought of covering the carburetor.
Thanks….. for mentioning….etc… I have a feeling VIDEO makes a big influence on talk & Work….it does to me!,
@@auggie803 Yes, agreed that the laughing was overdone.
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This was my first car. My parents bought me a car like this when I was 14 years old. It was delivered by tow truck. Needed tires and wheels, radiator 6 volt battery and other parts. I had it running in a month.
I don't remember what I did with my old Pontiac but I had fun getting it to run.
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I once bought a 1950 Buick out of a junk yard were it had been sitting since 1972. I worked on it all day until midnight. Had to do a transmission swap and major tune, but drove it home 45 miles. Awesome job guys 👏
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True skills.
My Dad had a '53 Pontiac Chieftain, it was the first family car I drove when I got my license in '68. I remember that "rhythm" of the crank that we got every winter, those 6V systems just didn't want to start in cold cold weather. The 8 cylinder engines were pretty awesome, low compression and they'd last forever, my grandfather had a '52 with over 300K on the clock and I think my Dad had almost 200K when he took it off the road. When they were running well, they were really a quiet engine, only week spot was valve guides (Probably why you see smoke). They were built like a tank, but the New England winters and salt would just keep eating away at the iron heavy steel and they'd rot away before the engine and tranny quit. Good luck with the restore!
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My Dad worked for skyland olds back in the 80s, the toolbox i inherited from him still have the dealer decals they put on the new cars that came in stuck on the lid. So cool
I enjoy your excitement, bringing these forgotten vehicles back to life! Also, my dad was an excellent mechanic, but on the quiet side...kind of like your dad.
Keep up the great work!😊😊
Wow, the famous Straight 8. Both of my Grandfathers hat Straight 8’s in the 30’s. My Dad’s dad told me he got it up to 120 MPH on flat straight roads in central Oklahoma. My other Grandfather said 90 MPH was tops, but he lived in the hills of NW Arkansas. Not a dragster, but given the chance a great performer.
“Hello how are you doing. I hope you’re fine”😊
My Dad tooled around in a. Packard with the straight eight when he was a young man
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Had a '54 Pontiac, 4door, 3 on the tree. The dash plate over the glovebox said eight on it, but it actually had a straight 6 cyl in it. It still looked like a huge engine.
Great job guys!!!
If this car needs an engine rebuild, it deserves it! It's been waiting 51 years for some love man, she's a sweet old rig. Put a cool old school exhaust on it like those long glasspacks that were popular in the 60's and 70's.
HELL YEAH ... I'M WITH YOU ON THAT !!! 🤘🤘🤘🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Make it stock , nothing fancy , you could rebuild this thing in a day or two .
A coating of oil means no rust , I always welcome small oil leaks on old cars . Keeps them safe from rust .
@@Pop_Hockenbush You know what they say, if it's leaking it, it's got it!
I think these straight eights would sound amazing with some long Cherry Bombs on it and a full 2.5 or 3" dual exhaust. I have ALWAYS wanted to tinker with one of these engines. I realize that they're limited on horsepower due to the small bore size, but I think it'd be cool to see one with a custom intake with either a multi-port injection setup (one injector per cylinder) or a single 600 cfm 4 bbl carb with a centrifugal supercharger. Nothing outrageous obviously, just something that would be reminiscent of an old salt racer or an old school drag car.
Just recently acquired a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain with a swapped 1954 Straight-8. She's in great shape, I drove her to my shop from the guy I bought her from and all was well, then I parked her for the night and she wouldn't start.. go figure. First time she's been up to running temps in a looong time, traced it down to not getting fuel and I'm currently waiting on the carb to come back from the rebuilder. Very fun and personable cars, I can't wait to have mine up and running. Good luck with your build!
In 1962 my dad used his 53 Pontiac to go to work. It got to the point one day that it sounded like it would throw a rod. Instead of scrapping the car I asked my dad to give it to me, a 16 year old. If I tore it down and clean it up, he would help me rebuild it. Yes, there is no oil filter! When I took the valve covers off you could not see the valve stems or springs from all the waxy sludge. It was my high school car.
Brilliant job guys!! Just on a sort of philosophical note, your values are fantastic too. Taking the old and decrepit and bringing it back to life. An America full of you dudes holds nothing but hope.
WOW...amazing!!!! You and your Dad were able to revive a 68 year old Pontiac is unbelievable!!!! And the silly thing had a great sounding exhaust note to boot! I'm just gobbed smacked!!! Awesome Video, I LOVE your channel!!!!
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Rev it up high as you pour trans fluid down the carb. It has glaze breaking properties for the bands and clutch pak. but they also work to remove cylinder glaze in the engine. This may give a renewed seat to the piston rings and help with the smoking issue.
Way too cool. When I was a kid, the man next door had an old 53 Buick with a Straight 8. He was always tinkering with it in the driveway. I was in awe of that big old piece of iron. Thanks for bringing the memory back. Now I'm anxious to see what you have planned for that old car!
Everyone's got such a cool story.. and such a vivid memory, Were all so much alike its uncanny. It's like hav'n identical twin cousins! " hey cousin 👋 "
That really brings back memories. Back in the late 50s, I was a teenager and worked at a gas station. One of my co workers had a '52 Pontiac straight-8 like that one. His sounded the same as that one when it was cranking. I still remember that and I'm 81 now. And there is no oil filter in the pan. Just a pick-up screen. Oil filters and turn signals were optional on cars back then. If it had an oil filter, it would be clamped on to the side of the intake manifold. Not a full-flow.
This brought back memories. My parents had a 53 Pontiac straight 8 and I used to sit on a small folding stool between them so I could see over the windshield. When I was a bit older, I used to do the shifting with the 3 on the tree. I don't know why it died, it sat in the back yard for a couple of years and I was allowed to try to take the engine apart. Didn't have the strength to do much. They replaced it about 1961 with a used 58 Chrysler New Yorker with a 392 Hemi and a gas heater which gave heat immediately.
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I learned to drive my dad's 53 powder blue 53 4-door just like this one. It was the first car I learned to drive in 1962. I drove the standard trans 3 speed on the column like a sports car I thought anyway. What the heck I just learned to drive! What a blast I had at age16. I raced and drove it like it was a supercar. That straight 8 it took everything I could do to it and it asked for more. It would burn rubber in reverse like crazy. My last memory of it was it was towed away from the front of the house listing to one side with a broken rear spring and the front tires rounded off from cornering through the neighborhood north of our house chasing my friend's old Ford. I think if it had been any other car it would have died long before this Pontiac. Watching you start this thing up with the sounds it was making just brought back such memories at the age of 77. I graduated from high school in 1962 driving this huge tank of a car, what a blast it was! My friend had a 52 Pontiac automatic straight 8. We would drag race and I would just beat him by about 1 car length after about a quarter-mile.
My dad was driving a straight eight on a flooded dirt road in the '50s. Things got so slippery that he didn't dare shift down because he thought he'd lose traction. Eventually he was going so slow he could hear each individual cylinder firing, but it didn't stall! That raw torque got him through!
“Hello Albert how are you doing. I hope you’re fine”😊
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@@allysonhanks9159 why ?
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. My dad owned a 1954 Pontiac Straight Eight and the similarities brought back many memories. I was 15 when I was able to drive it and even for a dumbass kid, this thing was so easy and straightforward to work on. Back then parts were easy to come by and could be changed out in minutes with the most basic of tools. My dad got rid of it around 1968 and it still ran for years after that since someone local had purchased it. Many thanks for this video!
I was about 5 when that car rolled off the assembly line, and it always makes me happy to see one like this come back to life!
Oil filters were an option and were mounted externally with rubber lines running to the block. In those days they ran non-detergent oil which allowed sediment to settle in the oil pan and other areas.
It's rather infectious seeing you guys having such fun! Well done on getting her running and a tribute to the engineerring of the engine after such a time standing. My grandpapa was an engineer and I can just hear him saying that an straight 8 cylinder engine must be very smooth and well balanced, 2 cylinders firing each cycle/Not cheap to produce,,,,think how well machined that crankshaft must be...not sure a production stright 8 was produced in UK, but stand to be corrected
Man....I can't quit watching your videos. I binge watched this channel last night after stumbling across the GMC Eleganza rescue video. I live just up the road from you guys in Hendersonville, NC...I bought my 2nd car (1992 Chevy Z-24 Cavalier) from Skyland Auto on Smokey Park Hwy in Asheville... You guys are awesome. Can't wait to dive into more of your videos.
Great to see you and your dad having a great time together! Car has some nice patina ! Very fine sanding and a clear coat to preserve it. Add some Native American print seat covers to finish the classy lines!
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Hi I'm Joe Simon from South Africa i can't wait for the Pontiac Straight 8 to be completed and resprayed I'm 76 years old and i really like old cars
So nice to see you wrenching on old cars with your dad. I really wish I had done that with my dad but he was never much of a mechanic (and he still isn't one). Really enjoying the videos!
All my drunk step dad ever did seem's was kick the crap outta me hav the time,
Over here in the UK there are occasions when a barn find surfaces but its different for you where so many vehicles were produced giving loads of opportunities to find cars like yours.
Now 74, this type of find has always excited me most and it's so good that you have a chance to save or just amuse yourselves with this good ol' car.
I remember, back in '66, finding a '53 Studebaker Champion in our local breakers but someone had taken the wheels and back then I didn't know how to find replacements.
It is buried now, where I found it.
Keep this up, we are all focused on how it goes!
Best to you all..............
My second car was a '51 Pontiac back in 1969. It had 30k miles and was owned by an old couple that had put clear plastic seat covers on when they bought it. The seats literally were never sat on. It was a beautiful machine. Torque like you wouldn't believe. That was my second favorite all time car.
I really enjoyed watching this Pontiac being revived and running again. This car is a candidate for a frame-up restoration (to make it look like when it came from the factory). The car does need a lot of work, but the good part it runs again. Keep up the good work.
Put $50k into it and you have a nice $3k car.
You have to make up your mind restoring these old cars you"ll never get rid of it ! You'll never get out what you put in it ! Labor of love is what they are !
A bit of spit and polish and she’ll shine again. Amazed it ran, great job guys. Wish modern cars had so much room under the bonnet
“Hello how are you doing. I hope you’re fine”😊
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Thanks so much for making a video record of the '53 Chieftan. This evokes fond memories of one of the first cars of which I became aware, owned by an uncle, back in the days where each family had just one car. I imagine he bought it used. I came along in '55 and by the time I knew anything, our relatives' cars were established as part of their respective identities. They were such cars as the Pontiac Chieftan, a '54 Dodge, a '55 Pontiac, a'57 Chevy Nomad Wagon, Two '56 Chevys. As each car was exchanged for another, it seemed as if the end of an era had been reached. Best wishes on your restorations, and thanks again for
resurrecting some nostalgia.
I love those 50s cars. That one deserves a second chance. I like how you and your dad work together! Something I want to do with my son when he gets old enough. God bless!!
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This is so cool! It reminds me of back in 1976 right after I graduated from high school... I bought a 1950 Oldsmobile 88 for $50 and got it running. It had the Hydramatic 4 speed automatic transmission, and would only shift into 2nd gear, but I drove it all over the small city I lived in. At 26 years old, it was in very good condition (body-wise), and I wound up selling it for $400... a decision I have regretted ever since!
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That Olds Hydamatic automatic 4 speed, no overdrive, , I'm almost for sure is the same tranny that they put in the 50's Chieftans. My family drove a 53 Chief...and it was factory installed in ours.
Love this video. Came up randomly on my feed after watching a bunch of “will it start videos” just you and your dad spending quality time together wrenchin. Can’t get any better than that.
This brings back a lot of memories of my dad and I working on cars like this from the 60s. Great video.
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A flathead straight eight! Be still, my beating heart... So glad you got that old girl going again! Good job!
It's always a pleasure watching these old engines being brought back to life ! 👍
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My grandfather had several Pontiacs in the late 40s on into the 50s. His favorite was the 1951. On a fishing trip in 1958 he let me drive it. The straight 8 was smooth and powerful. The Hydramatic transmission was trouble free. There were a lot of Pontiacs around. They were good cars. None of the early v8s or straight sixes were as smooth as the straight 8.
Wow, this really brings back memories. One of my earliest childhood memories was the day my dad bought a new 53 Pontiac from Cawood Auto Sales in Port Huron, MI. In 1959, we moved to South Florida. He drove the Pontiac pulling a 27-ft 1947 Spartan trailer the whole way. The only difficulty encountered along the way was a flat tire on the trailer. There were no Interstate highways back then and because it was winter with ice and snow in Michigan and Indiana, we only traveled during daylight hours. It took us six days to get to Miami.
@ Ch W D, I was born (1953) in Windsor, Ont. not far from you in Port Huron, (about an hour's drive), and our family moved out west in 1959, in a brand new 1959 Chevy station wagon.
@@mr.blackhawk142 Hey, glad to "meet" you! Yes, I know where Windsor is. Recall only going there once via the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit. Other than that one time, I visited Canada often via the Blue Water Bridge which spans the St. Clair River between PH and Sarnia, Ontario.
@@Chazd1949 My grandparents had a cottage on Lake St. Clair where I visited a few times as a child. (summer of 1965). Fond memories. We moved to Vancouver in 1959, but us kids visited Windsor in 1965. More recently, Bob Probert died on his boat on that lake. Also, one of my FAV Black Hawks was Pat Stapleton, who was from Sarnia.
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great times!
I had a 1959 Pontiac Silver Streak. We rebuilt the engine, a flat head six, in 1974. Ran well for a few more years until we retired it. The sound of you cranking it brought back memories. I still have my keychain that says, Pontiac, Chief of the Sixes.
My great grandfather had an early 1950s Pontiac. He also had a 1951 Hudson Hornet - both were awesome cars in their own way.
My dad bought a 53 Pontiac new when I was born. It was our family car until the early 60s. I remember riding in it, standing up in the back seat and holding on to the cord that went across the back of the front seat. I still have one of the wheel covers with the correct paint on it. I have a couple pictures of me at two years old standing next to it with my older sister in one and my older brother in another. The car was special to me because it was the first one dad bought new and it was when I was born. Thank you for the videos. I watched both parts.
Absolutely brilliant guys!
What a great result, now let us hope that this classic elderly lady will be restored and will look absolutely amazing I am sure!
Thanks for this, so well done! Love this.
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Yep decked out in a lick of fresh paint and the stainless polished it'll be awesome as so many of them were demolition derbied and destroyed.
My dad owned one of these .I was 3 years old then . My dad had a gas station . He closed it .Then drove one of these out to California . He got sick . So we drove back to Michigan . Then he past shortly after . Love seeing you guys working on it . Cool ,you got her started . Love it . Sure would like to have . Fond memories .
Nice to see you and your dad working more and more in tandem, love the teamwork! Cool car, simple and basic, is it technically a Pontiac "Chieftain"? Can't wait for the next update!
yes it's a Chieftain, you can see the indian head hood ornament.
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Takes me back to when all cars had points, so much time spent on cleaning and gaping. Great car great video, thanks from Australia
I loved this vid so much. Mostly because i purchased my 53 Chieftain about 10 years ago. Exactly like this 1 but mine has 2 less doors. It was my summer car my favorite thig to do at car shows is to show folks how smooth the Straight 8 runs with a beverage sitting on top and if the old girl warmed up the liquid hardly moves love these car.
Great video, haven’t seen a straight 8 being rescued before. Nice work ! Keep the videos coming.
My father owned a 1951. I can still remember riding down south from Salt Lake to Provo, where he traded it in on a new Oldsmobile 1955 V8. I was 9 years old.
What a flash from the past. Thanks guys. So much of the old girl is intact, it would be a great restoration job.
Oldsmobile.
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That was really great watching you two working on it and actually getting it running, I am a Pontiac fan anyway, I own a 1970 LeMans and a ‘72 GTO and my father owned 4 and my brother has a ‘72 LeMans
I have a 50 Pontiac Chief 8 that’s been off the Road due to brake System needing full over haul since 2019. Watching this has got me motivated to get it all done and the old gal running again. Always in the UK since 1950 bar two short trips back to the US. A Mr Evans owned it. He was involved in the US Air Force Odiham UK. Car has only 21k from new. Brakes had original brake fluid I’d say red with rust and debris. Master cylinder jammed two thirds down all the brakes smoked up great. I have all the bits bar getting shoes relined. Great old motors sound all their own. Great vid love it 👍👍
Amazing that you got it running again. Been watching the channel off and on and awesome to see you become a legit RUclipsr 👍
I know I’m way behind the times here commenting on this build because I saw it in your history. But it is so cool to see a ‘53 Pontiac being restored because my father-in-law started working for Pontiac motors in ‘51 or ‘52 probably helped build that thing!!
I can't wait to see what you have in store for the Pontiac. Please make it part of a series.
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In 1959, My mother and older brother and I traveled from N.J. to Southern California in this exact car pulling the ever popular teardrop trailer where it died in the driveway of out first house in Santa Ana. I remember someone giving Mom the bad news that the old Pontiac Chieftain had suffered a broken crankshaft as straight 8"s sometimes did. Really loved this video! Thanks
Damn, seem's like l'd be a quicker fix today then the huge durden it became back then do'in a rebuild, Ya' think?
Just watched you guys getting this lovely old car running...loved every second of it!! Well done for getting her started...so much fun to watch, I admire your passion and not giving up!! I have subscribed to your channel...you enjoy a good challenge...and to get this old girl to start and run was fantastic...cannot wait to see more fun drama from you guys!! Thank you 🚗🛻🚐😁😁😅😅
That was fun to watch! I stayed up later than I should have since I have to get up with my Granddaughters in the morning to get them to School. But once I started watching, I couldn't stop. I have a 53' Ford Pickup that can be quite challenging to get started after sitting for a few years. The one thing I was curious about when you were trying to get the car started, was I never saw if you checked to see if the radiator had water in it? I assume you did at some point, but didn't video tape that. Your cruise down the road was hilarious!
15:53 permanent oil filter in the oilpan, so they would have more work hours in their service shops to take of the oil pan to change the oil filter, more work hours means more money to make.
My father has a 1953 Pontiac cransbroke grew up going to car shows with it it has been sitting since 2004 and we’ve just been talking about rehabbing it again. It has original windows as well and many bubbling. Crazy how durable cars were back then that thing is solid steel. Cool to see that you found one with original motor and was able to get it running ours has a 353 stroker in it.
Wow, that beast is ancient! Amazing to see it spring to life after half a frickin' century! They really built these things...
Imagine a modern car in 50 years, you'd need to find working antique laptops and specific diagnostic software just to start working on it.
Not only that, the wiring would be shot because it is insulated with materials designed to be biodegradable. They rarely last 20 to 25 years, let alone 50!
Yep, and they have waaay more complicated wiring than an old car...
Agree, but on the flip side, those motors were usually ready for rebuild - or junkyard - at about 100k, if you took care of it. Longevity is one area where modern cars win. 100k is nothing special anymore. But a modern car sitting in a field for 50 years would dissolve.
A modern car will still be running in 50 years.
Nostalgia is one of the greatest enemies of the truth.
These things were junk when they were seven years old.
@@sludge8506 Electronics are a weak point for longevity, and they are at the fatal heart of modern cars. Plastics used are orientated to recycling, not to aging. Technology is changing too fast to make it worthwhile for long term survivability. We are in a 'throwaway' society now.
Had a 52 Chev that was hard to start. I installed a twelve volt battery in the trunk with a switch to the starter. Spun that engine like an airplane too start it. Great video with your dad.
You guys are great! Really neat to see that car finally started after all those years.
Hi family, I have a channel for old cars and restorations, watch it there and subscribe, hugs.
Awesome buddy . Thanks for the vid . cheers
The engine sounds super healthy! Good oil pressure, stable temps, even the generator is charging the battery! Give her a good clean up, a new set of tires, and rebuild the brakes/fuel system and you’ll have a really cool weekend cruiser! She’s a bit too far gone to preserve, but is a very good candidate for a restoration project.
I've seen worse cars restored. It looks like that is mostly surface rust. Not sure if it is worth it though.
@@ironmonkey1512 Indeed, as have I, but those cars are usually more valuable, highly sought after, and even have a decent parts aftermarket.
Most of these cars have rotted away or were junked by now. This one has a straight body and is fairly complete with only surface rust to deal with. Would it cost more than the car's worth to do a nut-and-bolt resto? Absolutely. In this case I'd still go for it, just simply because you don't see to many early 50s straight 8 cars like these anymore.
@@foxyloon That. Plus I'd like the fact the car sat for 51 years and seeing it hit the road again in it's former glory. I don't know ehat they're worth in the US, but at least over here in Germany I'd totally give this thing a go.
Wheel bearings.
-I don't think it is too far gone to preserve. A little elbow grease & extra time and you'll have a great looking car.
I admire what you and your dad do. Keep up the good work.sincerely,Ray..am a Pacific Islander (Saipan) and I do work on cars as well..
Amazing video, and such patience. Thanks for sharing all the tips, especially the carburetor fixer! Car sounds cool.
My grandfather drove Pontiacs in the ‘40s and ‘50s. He probably had one just like this. What a great car!
You guys are just amazing. I can't wait for the next episode. Please keep up with the great work. You are going to make it big on RUclips.
Hi guys, I have a channel of cars, motorcycles, old bicycles and restorations, watch it there and subscribe, hugs.
love the video when he drove it away i was clapping with joy ! Fantastic !!!! lovely car !!!!
Just watched this on a big screen, great video. This car would make a great rat rod low budget build!!!! 👍
Also I'm sick at the moment and this was a great video to watch to take my mind off things. You and your dad are a great team.
Here’s hoping your get well soon
I agree with your idea of turning this into a Rat Rod,
Hi family, I have a channel for old cars and restorations, watch it there and subscribe, hugs.
When my parents married in 1955 their bridal 🚗 cars were like this Pontiac. I have seen wedding photos of them. My parents have passed now ,so I can't ask them about what type of cars they were. It's good to see an old car getting some tender loving care.
As a new subscriber this is fast becoming my favourite channel!!!
G'day from Australia.👍
Glad to have you!! 😃😃
Hi family, I have a channel for old cars and restorations, watch it there and subscribe, hugs.
Past few days I’ve been working on my mother in laws 1952 ford f1 that’s been sitting for 30 years in her woods , got it running yesterday, hopefully I’ll have a new manual pump and I’ll be able to have it idling
Awesome revival here! Engine sounds as good as new! I'd love to see this fully restored!
Great work!
The gas tank is on the roof, the battery is on the front fender, it smokes like a chimney, the tire tread is coming off ,, but it runs GREAT! LOL I was laughing my head off at the end,, Great work guys but there's more to do! LOL keep it up! :):)
Them tyres looked good for another 40,000 really surprised they blew. Really enjoyed this vid, good to see you back with a new project. Looking forward to the next instalment :)
You have to be so careful, buying a used car these days. Imagine - a tire letting go the first day!
TIRES HAVE TO BE REPLACED AFTER FIVE YEARS OR THEY BLOW , EVERY TIRE
@@paulhailey2537 I guess nowadays they just make shit tyres.
@@martincurtis6445 I SUGGEST THAT YOU RUN OLD TIRES AT HIGH SPEEDS JUST TO PROVE THAT I'M WRONG
Hi family, I have a channel for old motorcycles and restorations, watch it there and subscribe, hugs.
My Dad is on his last legs and basically hardly talks anymore.
He used to talk about this car a lot that Gramps gave him and would drive from Long Island to Maine when he was courting my Mom.
I showed him this video and he was beside himself...tearing up...talking about the past...telling me how he fixed a flat with a rubber boot and so on...he wouldn't stop...it was like you gave him a shot of adrenaline!
Many thanks.
I really enjoy watching your uploads, guys. You are always in such good spirit 🙂 Great channel, great content. Best regards from a car detailer in Norway.
Hi family, I have a channel for old motorcycles and restorations, watch it there and subscribe, hugs.
In the past I have had two 49 Pontiacs (a coupe and convertible). The long skinny 6 volt battery is a group 3 (ET/EH can't remember). I used to get replacement batteries at the local John Deere dealer as the 4020 type tractors used two of those to make the tractors a 12 volt system.
Shell rotella t4 comes in 10w30 and lower viscosity in a diesel type oil with all the dinosaurs and minerals older engines need. My 95 chevy grandpa bought new has always had rotella and still holds 40 to 60 pounds oil pressure with 227k on it.
I use 15W-40 T4 in all of my ancient stuff.
Good product. I have a 1966 tractor running with it
Hi family, I have a channel for old motorcycles and restorations, watch it there and subscribe, hugs.
I love your videos! You Gentlemen know your stuff and have fun while saving the old steeds. Vehicles are made to drive , nothing cooler than reviving silent and abandoned machine s!