The OTHER project - '81 Pontaic wagon

Things have a way of happening so that what I really want to do has to be put off for things that I need to do. I've been accumulating parts for this car for years, but had been putting it off for more interesting projects. Meanwhile, this Pontiac wagon, which I've had for about 9 years, has alternately been transportation and parked. A couple of months ago, the tired Buick V6 finally dropped a cylinder, forcing my hand. So here goes the plan for a street/strip 12 second 1981 Pontiac Grand LeMans wagon.

Outside: It has an '85 Bonneville front clip on it. Remove all the mismatched trim, but still up in the air about the roof rack; Satin black paint. Will have a functional 1-1/2" cowl scoop with air pan. Skinny satin centerlines up front, 15x8 aftermarket corvette rallyes with 295/50-15's out back (no trim rings or centers) - debating on painting them black. Right now, tires are blackwall. I could turn them around to white letter, but fronts are blackwall, so probably not. Also, tossing the battering ram front bumper and filling the bumper cover with foam.

Inside: Leaving it stock, including column shifter. Does have a split back front bench seat out of a two-door car (seat backs fold forward) - super handy for hauling long items. Interior is burgundy, and clean, with black carpet and headliner. Battery will be relocated to trunk.

Driveline: 9.75:1 461 Olds big block (the blue one), should be making about 450 HP at the flywheel; Hooker Super Comp headers, 3" exhaust with X-pipe; 2800 Stall with lockup torque converter on a built 200-4R transmission; Buick turbo T-Type 8.5 rear, 3.42 posi, with aftermarket axles.

Other: Manual brakes, manual steering, deleted cruise control; Electric in-tank pump, line-loc, electric fans, aluminum radiator, and working A/C!

I know that it is not very old, if 28 years old is not considered old anymore. I decided on the Satin black paint mainly as a quick way to get it all one color (see pics), and on the advice of my best friend. Should look good.

Some of the things I'll be doing may be useful to others whether they are building really old cars or not, but I thought I'd share anyway.

The engine will get a different (lower) intake. The tall Victor and the zoomies are for the S-10.

The second pic is why it now has a Bonneville front clip.

The last is a recent pic. That's where I'm working on it right now, behind the house.

Ya gotta keep the roof rack! I can't explain why exactly...

roof rack

Is this why? I used the wagon to move shop, making about 5 trips, which probably contributed to the engine problems soon after. First pic is my homemade glass rack (for windshields, etc.) and the second is my pallet rack. The car is also full of stuff each time.

The last two pics are of the black 455 Olds, complete, in the back of the Pontiac, en route from MD to PA when I got the engine. I really worked the poor car hard, didn't I?

440shorty

Wow, A rear engine station wagon! Yeah, you used it all right. Guess thats kinda why ya gotta keep the rack. I wagon without the rack is kinda like a lowered 4x4. It may look good, but...

Bet you coulda got moved a lot quicker with that new motor in there!

The dorky rack has to stay! Gives it a sleeper feel...

I built a '79 with a BBC (454) back in 1984. I blacked out the rear windows, flat black paint, homemade salt flat caps, no grill, and built a partition behind the front seat and all of the rear was gutted as used as a cargo area...I used it as a parts getter when I was a Harley wrench.

inspiration

Tired - I like it! Thanks for the inspiration. It was also cool that you hot rodded a 5 year old car! Those were the days, for sure.

Mine has dark tinted back door and rear windows now, and I might redo them darker. I'm also going to look for non-air deflector hinges. Still may delete the roof rack, but it is hard to fill the holes...

I'm making progress as we speak - scoping out a factory-style in-tank electric fuel pump to feed the monster! More details to follow...

440shorty

wagon crap

dig a hole, bury it now for the neighbors see it.......lol, sorry but I won't waste a dollar on that ride.

streetrodman said:

dig a hole, bury it now for the neighbors see it.......lol, sorry but I won't waste a dollar on that ride.

Click to expand...

That's why it is my ride, not yours. I don't expect everyone to like this car. I don't necessarily like every body else's projects either, but I was raised to keep negative opinions to myself, and instead offer words of encouragement or none at all. If we all liked the same thing, what a boring world this would be.

The real reasons for posting this build are (1) I am building what I have with what I have, which does not include much money. I already have about 90% of the parts listed above. (2) This car is already registered and insured, and is daily transportation for me (did you read the posts?) (3) It will be a street/strip sleeper (4) I live 20 minutes from an NHRA sanctioned 1/4 mile drag strip; and most importantly,

(5) There will be details of this build that can be used on anyone's hot rod.

I like to share information that can be useful to many, and maybe save them some time and money. The last street/strip car I built was loaded with details that most people overlooked because it was a 1980 Volaré wagon. But it was quick (13.35 @ 100 mph), reliable (Power Tour 2006 Long Hauler), and fun. And I built it. Isn't that what hot rodding is all about? Not building yet another '32 Deuce, necessarily, but building a modified car that is fun, reliable, and faster/better than what you started with.

So, any opinions are welcome. Don't worry, there won't be any red wheels, Mexican blankets, or any other stereotypical rat rod touches. But the Camaro/Nova/Chevelle/Mustang/Show Car crowd will hate it just the same!

440shorty

P.S. As soon as I get some more time, I'll be posting the junkyard manual brake conversion, also useful for anyone using a GM A/G body (or S-10) pedal assembly or firewall on their old ride.

440shorty said:

that's why it is my ride, not yours. I don't expect everyone to like this car. I don't necessarily like every body else's projects either, but i was raised to keep negative opinions to myself, and instead offer words of encouragement or none at all. If we all liked the same thing, what a boring world this would be.

The real reasons for posting this build are (1) i am building what i have with what i have, which does not include much money. I already have about 90% of the parts listed above. (2) this car is already registered and insured, and is daily transportation for me (did you read the posts?) (3) it will be a street/strip sleeper (4) i live 20 minutes from an nhra sanctioned 1/4 mile drag strip; and most importantly,

(5) there will be details of this build that can be used on anyone's hot rod.

I like to share information that can be useful to many, and maybe save them some time and money. The last street/strip car i built was loaded with details that most people overlooked because it was a 1980 volaré wagon. But it was quick (13.35 @ 100 mph), reliable (power tour 2006 long hauler), and fun. And i built it. Isn't that what hot rodding is all about? Not building yet another '32 deuce, necessarily, but building a modified car that is fun, reliable, and faster/better than what you started with.

So, any opinions are welcome. Don't worry, there won't be any red wheels, mexican blankets, or any other stereotypical rat rod touches. But the camaro/nova/chevelle/mustang/show car crowd will hate it just the same!

440shorty

p.s. As soon as i get some more time, i'll be posting the junkyard manual brake conversion, also useful for anyone using a gm a/g body (or s-10) pedal assembly or firewall on their old ride.

Click to expand...

and just what do you have against red wheels and mexican blankets?

440shorty said:

That's why it is my ride, not yours. I don't expect everyone to like this car. I don't necessarily like every body else's projects either, but I was raised to keep negative opinions to myself, and instead offer words of encouragement or none at all. If we all liked the same thing, what a boring world this would be.

The real reasons for posting this build are (1) I am building what I have with what I have, which does not include much money. I already have about 90% of the parts listed above. (2) This car is already registered and insured, and is daily transportation for me (did you read the posts?) (3) It will be a street/strip sleeper (4) I live 20 minutes from an NHRA sanctioned 1/4 mile drag strip; and most importantly,

(5) There will be details of this build that can be used on anyone's hot rod.

I like to share information that can be useful to many, and maybe save them some time and money. The last street/strip car I built was loaded with details that most people overlooked because it was a 1980 Volaré wagon. But it was quick (13.35 @ 100 mph), reliable (Power Tour 2006 Long Hauler), and fun. And I built it. Isn't that what hot rodding is all about? Not building yet another '32 Deuce, necessarily, but building a modified car that is fun, reliable, and faster/better than what you started with.

So, any opinions are welcome. Don't worry, there won't be any red wheels, Mexican blankets, or any other stereotypical rat rod touches. But the Camaro/Nova/Chevelle/Mustang/Show Car crowd will hate it just the same!

440shorty

P.S. As soon as I get some more time, I'll be posting the junkyard manual brake conversion, also useful for anyone using a GM A/G body (or S-10) pedal assembly or firewall on their old ride.

Click to expand...

Personally I love wagons I have had a few. Cant wait to see how it turns out!

Instead of Mexican blankets how about Norwegian Quilts or Scottish Kilts? No WWW's? No skulls or Maltese Crosses? I'm getting depressed.....

If it's moving fast enough it's all a blur anyhow!

Sorry shorty

No offense there fella, I got caught up in a bad day. You no what they say about opinions.......best of luck on your build.
Sorry,
Streetrodman

Its all good

No problem, streetrodman - wagons have always been a love/hate thing with most people. I grew up riding around in one, so I guess I got infected with the wagon virus. Honestly, the more I hang around here, the more I eventually want to build something really old. But in the meantime, I need to get these "modern" projects out of the way...

440shorty

THE WAGON

440SHORTY
The reason I started building my car, was to be different than everything else around here, street rodding, hot rodding, or rat rodding, what ever you call it, to me means building what you can with what you got, or what you can get very cheap, the old rodders would all get togeather and build something from what every one had in their parts pile or what was left over from fixing other things, I too had a 71 ford ltd wagon in my early years, blacked out windows, white letter tires and side pipes, I thought it was the coolest car in the world when I had it, only paid $ 300 for it in 81 and drove it for about 3 years like that, like you said, if we all had the same thing it would be pretty boring. I will be watching to see how fast the times are at the track with your wagon.

progress

I just finished the in-tank fuel pump conversion with all junkyard stuff. I plumbed it to test it outside the car, and so far so good - quiet, no leaks (other than a temporary plug) and 6.5 psi steady. I need to check the flow rate, since I cannot find any flow data for a stock 1995 Ford Crown Vic pump, but I did see the pump produce 45 psi when I cranked down on the regulator, so at least it is a high pressure pump. It will probably be very happy keeping a Holley double pumper full.

I'll post details and pics soon.

440shorty

Work stoppage

Snow in Maryland, in March.

Kinda slows the progress a bit.

440shorty

Long time since an update was posted...

Not that it much matters, but the ratty Pontiac got its Olds big block May of '09 just in time for part of the HOT ROD Power Tour '09. Been together ever since, has about 30,000 miles on it now. Best time of 12.99 at 103.66 mph through the mufflers with air cleaner and flat hood, and old ET Streets.

I drive it year round, which shows (rusty!) Still hauling junk with it, too.

440shorty

Video from HRPT 2009 Bristol

Here's a link to a youtube video of it at Bristol in 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTKaaUwG8YQ

The Mustang guy wasn't too pleased. Especially since he had a 2 tenths head start!

440shorty

cool

l like it[cl

l had a 1965 chevelle wagon from 1999 to 2010, fun ride.

Later