Maintenance and (partial) restoration
The beginning
October 2012 to March 2013
The first thing that had to be done was to find a good cover for the car, this was achieved at Cabrio Styling in Apeldoorn. It fits well despite the height of the car. In addition, a new 6V battery had to be installed in the car. Because I'm only used to 12V, I also needed a new trickle charger. This was ordered immediately and could be placed immediately after delivery. The following week I put in a new ignition coil. In the following week, together with a friend of mine, the ignition parts were renewed, rotor, hood, cables, points, spark plugs, etc. As a result, it ran a lot better. Unfortunately, due to a problem with the accelerator, he could not go faster than 80 km/h. Via Marktplaats I contacted the owner of a 48er Torpedo Convertible. Thijs Vogels. I visited him to see how his accelerator pedal and rods are connected. So there was something wrong with me. Since the winter of 2012/2013 was severe and it was not allowed to tinker in the shed, nothing happened until March. Time was spent finding and sorting out parts.​ Through eBay I met a man in America who collected the packages for me and shipped them to me in one box. There are now some stuff ready, some scale models, a 1948 Pontiac accessory booklet, a sunvisor (an original Fulton 800 Series!!) and hopefully at the time of writing also the large order with a new wiring harness, door seals and many other parts. I'm curious!
Fuel injection in 1948?
April 2013
The parts and other nice stuff from America are now on their way to me. I am also no longer parked in a parking lot under an apartment building where I am not allowed to tinker. I now share a garage with family. It can accommodate 4 cars and you can tinker! In the shed are now an original windscreen washer set, exhaust deflector, 6v fuel pump and some other things.
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​ In the last weekend of April, things got underway. There is a new accelerator pedal in it, the rod system, which was mounted incorrectly, is now in place and you can now just accelerate without the whole thing being kicked crooked again. The Trico windscreen washer is now in it and the windscreen wipers work a bit, with a vacuum system that never works... Some vacuum lines have already been replaced. It contains a 6v > 12v converter and a radio with 2 speakers that all work now. The license plate with Pontiac club frame is mounted together with the exhaust trim. The oil has been changed and a few loose buttons on the front seat are fixed again.
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To prevent that petrol has to be poured into the carburettor every time, and therefore starting is always a two-person action, we have made a provisional petrol injection. This includes the 6v fuel pump and a bottle of petrol. There is a temporary pressure switch in the car that injects some petrol. This greatly simplifies starting. The cause is probably low pressure at the fuel pump and empty carburetor float chambers. The old oil clearly contained gasoline, so it must have leaked through the pistons. Read 'the piston rings no longer close'.....
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The first real ride of this year was the Orange Classic Ride in Velp. The Pontiac withstood this 120km ride well, although he struggled to get out of the Posbank's humps. We were awarded the 'incentive prize' (in other words, it will be all right...): an annual subscription to Auto Motor Klassiek.
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The sun can come, rain not yet
April 2013
The Fulton 800 Sunshield was mounted today, with 4 men and some hassle on it. Whole change! The new right wing mirror has been fitted and some rubber buffers have been replaced. The driver's door has been stripped of its rubber seals, these were rock hard and it also leaked when you washed the car. The rubber of the trunk has also been removed, but replacing it is difficult, the profile was correct according to the book, but you can see it when the lid is closed. The size turned out to be wrong. There are namely 3 sizes. We still have plenty to do in the coming days!
New wiring harness, seals and much more
10 to 18 May 2013
We were actually on vacation. Unfortunately not a quiet one! All the stuff from America had arrived and had to be built in. The wiring harness provided most of the work, but the hose to the new fuel pump was also not quite right. Furthermore, a friend of mine had made the mistake of his life by agreeing to help. So that turned into 6 days of full-time tinkering and a few extra hours here and there...
We started by removing the wiring harness under the hood, then loosened the dashboard and looked at everything slowly, took pictures and at the end of day 1 the wiring harness was out. The next morning we were completely lost looking for a 6v flasher relay and 6v lights. Finally found at a Beetle shop and at an Army dump. We also bought a new battery cable with eyes and other small items, which we managed to do at an agricultural store. Started resetting the cable in the afternoon.
One day later we were already very far until the light switch no longer wanted to be in place, which took hours. In the end a part turned out to be 'misplaced' after which it was a piece of cake.
Door seals, window guides, boot rubber, heater hoses, v-belt, speedometer cable and much more were also replaced. The carburettor has been overhauled, everything has been sprayed; door edges, headlight boxes, spare wheel bin, etc.
During the 'demolition' of everything and anything, only two bad places were found where something had to be welded. It all fits very well!
In the last weekend we were able to go to a Rock 'n Roll event in Hengelo. For this we continued to work on Saturday until well after twelve o'clock (Cor, thank you very much!). We concluded this event with a ride of 80 km to Germany and back via Nijmegen to Arnhem. The second stage of this year was one with a whirlwind ending. This is because of the high oil consumption and therefore blue smoke that swirled out of the exhaust. One of my friends, Hans, who was driving behind us, always kept enough distance not to have to polish his car....
1 liter of oil per 100 km plus some coolant
June 1st, 2013
June 1 was in Herten, Germany, the Kustum Kulture event. First time at this location. We gambled that we could handle the journey with the car as it is now. The outward journey went fairly well and we arrived without any problems. Found a nice parking spot, unfortunately not on site because I didn't make a reservation. We were immediately entitled. The entrance fee without reservation was high at 40 euros, but if you are there anyway.... For the photos you can look at my Flickr account (see photos). On the way back I found out that I still had to top up the oil. Stopped at Hünxe and another 1.5 liters went in. Unfortunately, it was also noticed that the block on the side started to get wet. I also felt wet .... He did not start after that. So let it cool down first and then tried again, that worked. When we arrived at the shed, the block had gotten even wetter and was bubbling past the head. Conclusion? Replace head gasket and continue driving .... if possible then ... and then overhaul in the winter.
Remove the head, flatten and put it back with a new gasket
11 June 2013
The weekend of June 9 picked up the car to polish and polish. He didn't drive very well and he didn't pull either. Sunday we wanted to take him to Brummen where we went to visit. Unfortunately, it bubbled up again and we didn't do that. The next Tuesday the head was removed and it turned out that a lot was going on. Gasket was still good, but there was a lot of caked stuff on the head around the valves. Anyway, the head was taken away to have it flattened and bought two head gaskets for 200 euros. Could be cheaper, but it will take a lot longer. Returned the head a few days later. When we arrived in the shed, the block had already been cleaned (thanks again Cor!) and we could get to work. Friend Hans didn't like it because the block on top was damaged and it was a waste of effort. I wanted to because I wanted to drive! But built up anyway and unfortunately .... it didn't want to catch on anymore. Tried everything but to no avail. You won't get anywhere without compression. To compress!
Remove engine for overhaul
10, 11 and 13 July 2013
After the debacle of the head gasket, we decided to overhaul the engine because otherwise it would just stand still. Wednesday started with the hood off, radiator out and some other things. On Thursday some other things removed and Saturday the engine with gearbox removed. Tough job, but with the help of Cor, Wendy (the other owner) and Hans we succeeded. After removing it, it was noticed that there is actually little wrong with the engine compartment. No rust or other trouble seen. In the coming period, the intention is to clean and treat everything. The radiator had been checked in the meantime and turned out to be completely in order. According to Gerritsen in Velp, it was also a very old, if not the original, block. He cleaned and sprayed it. Now to see if there is budget left for the Hydra-matic revision. This one still shifts well, but it could be better..... It is now out and I have already had contact with an overhaul company.
Van der Linden overhaul company already disassembled the block
July 18, 2013
Within one week the block was neatly arranged in many parts on the workbench and on a trolley. The camshaft, crankshaft, lifters and springs are still good, the rest all need to be replaced. The crankshaft is still so good that it does not need to be sharpened. The main and connecting rod bearings can therefore remain the standard size. The pistons with springs should be one size bigger because of the honing. Block is still being leveled and everything is being cleaned.
The color will be dark blue/green, about as original. The order with Egge.com has now been placed. They still make their own pistons using original machines.
Parts are in, but the block is delayed
August - October 2013
Not much happened in August. The parts have been ordered. Not only for the engine, but also for the hydra-matic. Since it is not built in now, we decided to have it overhauled as well. The equipment has also been ordered for this. Just when it was taken away, my employer went bankrupt. Due to all the commotion around here, not much has happened for a few weeks. Fortunately, Cor took it upon himself to tackle the engine compartment. Various new rubbers have also been fitted, including around the headlights and in the trunk. Then I completely cleaned the bottom and treated it with RX5, an anti-rust coating. Now only the last double layer of RX10 has to be applied and then the car is ready to have the engine installed again. Many parts are also powder coated and galvanized. Fortunately, the machine turned out to be in good condition. The tires are good and not much need to be replaced. Unfortunately, the engine is in worse shape. A crack has been detected in the 4th cylinder. The crack runs from 3 cm from the top of the cylinder to the right valve. This is now being repaired so that hopefully the block can still be built.
Crack in the block seems to be solved and the bottom is ready
October 2013
The crack in the block is welded. To make sure that the welding remains good, the block is pressurized. Then the seats of the valves are placed. These have a pre-tension and can therefore put too much pressure on the welding. After placing the block is therefore again pressure tested. Then a bush, again with pretension, is placed in the cylinder with the crack. After placing this sleeve, the block must be pressure tested again for the last time. If this all went well, it can be rebuilt and I get it back.
The floor is well protected again after evenings and evenings of cleaning, impregnation and topcoating. First I removed all the grime from 65 years. Grease and oil at the box and at the differential, gunk around the grease nipples and flash rust in all other places. I also removed the tank to be able to clean on top of the tank. It also gave me better access to the bottom of the rear of the car. The bottom now has a black glossy finish that looks like it has been powder coated. The hardest part was the front suspension (control arms, springs, etc). The new engine mount is back in place, as is the battery box. Bring on that engine!
Bed under the car....zzzzzz
October 2013
Thanks to this reclining trolley, moving under the car is a breeze! Three bucks that were definitely worth it! The height of the car is just right thanks to the trestles. Unfortunately it is dark under the car and during the day the lamp had to be added. The rest is on standby, incl. motor hoist!
Still need another block
Nov 2013
At the beginning of November I was told by the overhaul company that a second crack had been discovered during the pressure testing of the block, now at the 2nd cylinder. It was therefore unwise to continue with the current block. Fortunately, there was a second option. Thijs (see the register), owner of a beautiful 1948 Torpedo Convertible, was able to help me by selling an engine that he once bought as a spare. Its own block has been overhauled so that it will last for years and years to come. He wanted to help me out. Saturday 9 November I went to Best with Hans, a borrowed trailer and money. Thijs had already virtually disassembled the block, making it easy to determine the condition, as well as the transport. In any case, the block seems to be in good condition and is now in Didam at the overhaul company. The pistons are stuck, but that shouldn't be a problem for them! Hopefully all will be well now....
Now the bearings
Dec 2013
The 'new' block is good. Happy!!! The stuck pistons have been removed, but the valves were also difficult to remove. There are now cylinder liners to make my pistons fit, the fact that the damaged cylinder walls are now no problem is a nice bonus. However, the block is not from a 1948 Pontiac but from a 1951 model. These have a capacity of 4.3 liters compared to 4.1 in 1948. It also has 116 hp instead of 104 hp. This will no longer be the case because the bore has been made smaller. Fortunately, it does come with a high compression head. Saves a few horsepower. Another problem was my good crankshaft won't fit because they started using crankshaft seals in 1951. Luckily I had the crankshaft with it. The disadvantage was that it had to be sharpened so that my already ordered bearings would not fit. Luckily I was able to return these and the correct bearings are on their way. Gasket set, chain and sprockets etc will also fit a '51 block.
Van der Linden Motorentechniek was kind enough to make a video of the smoothing of my 'new' engine.
It's back! Yes!!!
February 15, 2014
It's back!! YES!!! Picked up the block on Saturday 15 February and installed it. Many things have already been connected and reassembled. Think of the dynamo, starter motor, carburetor, exhaust, vacuum lines etc... Thanks to the help of Cor, Hans and Paul we have come a long way. He's walking now! We have already been able to drive a bit and that was nice after 8 months...... In the meantime also mounted some small extras such as an original glass AC Delco fuel filter. At the beginning of March, the valves will be adjusted again because it ticks properly and then the automatic transmission can be adjusted. When that's over we can see what 108 hp feels like!! Yes yes, no more 104, it has a high compression head on it!
ATF Leakage
March-April 2014
The car is now running, but when mounting the automatic transmission to the block, we did not sufficiently seal the bolts that hold the starter ring to the crankshaft. There is now a leak that causes the ATF to be thrown out. Unfortunately, the machine has to go down again. That wasn't the only problem. There was a small leak at the water pump. There was still a difference between a block from 1948 and 1951. The water pump. The gentlemen of Van der Linden solved this leakage for me and immediately adjusted the valves and engine so that it now runs nicely quietly. April 5, the box went down and after a lot of hours of tinkering, the leakage has been solved! Cor and Hans, thanks again!! We were fortunate to be able to use a four column bridge from a good acquaintance of Hans. Immediately cleaned the bottom and fastened the tank ladder properly. Rene gave me a crankcase ventilation pipe through the Pre66 forum. We now make a small bend to connect it to the valve cover and then the last missing part of the car is back! Unfortunately, there is still a leak at the water pump.
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Water pump issues, hydra-matic set and driven!
April 2014
Thijs sent me the water pump that belongs to the block. This turned out to be the same pump as it is now. The version with 6 bolts, of which I now have two, is the old type up to 1949 and probably the '51 block was made suitable for the old type pump, judging by the number of bolt holes. There are more in there than usual.
In the meantime I polished the whole car, what a job! But it shines again. Henri Reuvers has now adjusted the gearbox so that it shifts smoothly again, he has also adjusted the engine and it now runs wonderfully quietly and the leaking exhaust has also been closed again by means of a new flange. Finally, he is now back in Didam because of the leaking water pump and checking the head and adjusting the valves. When that is over, all technical issues are solved!!
The first rides have already taken place, a visit to the departure point of the Fleetselectrally in Kesteren, the Easter ride in Elst and the 12th stage of the Orange Association in Velp (OKRV). 750 km in April!
Next thing on the list? Revalue of course. Let's see what the appraised value will be now!
Leaks fixed and drove even more
May 2014
The leak at the water pump came from a leaking seal. Unfortunately the second water pump was also leaking. Luckily I was able to get a pump very quickly through Jambroes. Delivered and installed within 1 day! The valves have also been adjusted just like the CO. The crankcase ventilation pipe is also on it. Unfortunately, there was still a leak at the side cover of the machine. I replaced that gasket. So far it is dry.
Visited 100 Jaar Dodge in Amersfoort this month combined with a nice tour. Went to Herten, Germany at the end of May for Kustom Kulture and to Verl, Germany for Jukin'50's Straßenkreuzer Festival. 500km driven with an average of 1 in 7.5! Luckily had no problems. Just to be sure, brought oil, cooling water, ATF, jack, tools and more, but luckily that could be returned unused in the garage. I'm happy.
Oh yes, the valuation has also been carried out and luckily my investment was expressed in an increase in value.
Some parts and goodies are now coming from America, such as a chrome stone chip protector for the rear fender (the current one is screwed, not supposed to be like that) and an unused membership set from the 1940s of the AAA (American ANWB). Santa Claus is early this year!
Engine overhaul 2.0
Sep 2014 - Dec 2015
At the end of the 2014 season, it started getting worse and shook a lot at idle. Nevertheless, Van der Linden was informed. At the beginning of the next season they would check him out. We still had time to install the LPG installation. Around the Christmas period, Paul also installed LPG. In March I wanted to drive a short distance to see how the car was doing on LPG. Starting on petrol was needed to fill the empty LPG tank at the gas station. That he almost didn't want to anymore. When he finally ran, quickly refueled and returned to the garage. Only switched to LPG here which went smoothly. Then drove a short ride of 20 km. Except bad starting and still shaking at idle speed was not too bad. So made an appointment with the overhaul company to check it for the now scheduled LPG inspection at the RDW. Unfortunately I got bad news when I brought it. The car was idling but on 7 cylinders. Later that week it turned out that there was almost no compression. So the RDW called off.
The engine probably had a hot door, cause unknown to date. The biggest chance is a wrong bore of the cylinder liners. Possibly due to incorrect or missing data about the expansion values of the pistons. For this, the engine, including the gearbox, had to be expanded again to re-hone, polish the pistons and put new piston rings on, etc. Because of the purchase of our new house, the car was brought to Didam in its entirety. When everything was rebuilt, ok, but immediately removed the box again because of leaks that persisted. Revision company Special Gear from Tiel quickly found the cause and solved it, all under warranty! Kudos! One of the o-rings from the overhaul kit was the wrong size.
In August the engine was back in, but it took until December before I had the car back. They didn't manage to get the gearbox to shift smoothly. Finally had the car brought to Tiel. Within one day Hernri called again that he shifted perfectly again. Problem was in the tailpiece and was quickly resolved.
After 1,000 km on petrol, the car had to go back for inspection. This happened in June 2016, after which the RDW inspection took place in July 2016. Passed with flying colors! Since then already about 12,000 km driven.
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Coating new tires and rims
July 2015
While cleaning the engine compartment I noticed that there was a piece of a tire. It looked as if it had been accidentally cut with an angle grinder. Because I no longer dared to drive in this way, I decided to order 4 new tires. Fortunately, they were in stock in the Netherlands at Oldtimer tires in Heeze. The rims could also use a new coating so that's what I did. It costs a monthly salary but then you also have something!
Only one bad luck in 2016
May 2016
On Ascension Day we went to Cars & Bikes in Waarland (NH). On the return trip to Maarssen, the car started to slow down and barely reacted to gas. This was also just as suddenly gone. Until near Maarn, where he almost died. The hard shoulder is very wide there, so we were able to find a nice place to stop. When checking the contact points, it soon became apparent that the wire that supplies the ignition coil to the points was broken. Unfortunately I didn't have enough stuff with me and we called the ANWB. They came pretty quickly and were thrilled to have a simple problem for once. Together with the road warden we made a new thread and they then drove from Maarn to Veenendaal just to be sure. Service!
New stainless steel exhaust from EPS
March 2017
When the weather was finally good enough for a long ride, we left early on a Saturday for a 2-hour journey to Kiel Windeweer near Groningen for a new stainless steel exhaust. The old one was gone and had already been sealed with gungum once to get through the season and to be able to save. After a few hours and some bending, there was a new nice and quiet exhaust under the car and we could drive back.
Maintenance
September - October 2017
The car was returned to Didam in September due to a persistent oil leak at the rear crankshaft seal. Unfortunately, that hasn't been resolved yet and he's going back one more time. They immediately lubricated the car and adjusted the valves. After this, Hans adjusted the car and provided it with new dots. This was necessary too, he started to walk worse. In October, the car was taken to Classic Car Expert in Alphen aan de Rijn for maintenance. The main reason was the adjustment of the brakes of the machine. This worked out well. In addition, also have all kinds of other small things done.
I ended up here because they sold a 1956 Cadillac, just the model we were looking for. The owner, Ruben de Jong, showed me his company after the test drive and told me about the hydra-matic buckets that he could adjust and overhaul. He even had them lying around. Because Henri Reuvers did not have time, I decided to go to Alphen for maintenance. Absolutely no regrets! Although he was unable to sell the Cadillac to me, I think I often go to Alphen aan de Rijn for specific maintenance.
Oil leakage is rigorously tackled
December 2017 - January 2018
Just before Christmas, the car went back to Didam to fix the oil leak once and for all. Fortunately, they also saw that it was no longer possible to do with patchwork. In the new year I received a message that the engine had been removed because the leak appeared to be near the camshaft. You can't get to that if the engine is built in. The steel cap (type of freeze cap) at the camshaft has been replaced. After disassembly it turned out to be quite wet from the oil. The seal on the front at the timing cover also turned out to be nicely pressed, and it was only 500 km in, since September. Poor quality, or maybe wrong size. With a pile of new gaskets and probably also new freezer caps, it is ready to build again. Via Vincent van der Welke to make two spray cans on colored cloth so that the block could be sprayed neatly again.
New season
April-May 2018
The first rides are over. On short journeys, the car remained dry and therefore did not leak oil. After long drives where the engine ran for several hours at a time, it leaked a few drops of oil. In any case, it's worth it! Happy. Starting on LPG was a bit more difficult than on petrol. When replacing the tips and condenser, the distributor turned out to have play on the shaft. As a result, it is no longer possible to adjust the points. Can buy a very affordable NOS dealer via eBay. After installation it started again as it should.
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In the meantime, the bottom has been inspected in connection with possible damage to the Caprotech RX coating due to leaks. This much along with it, there was only one small spot that needed updating. Furthermore, the coating is still very good after more than 5 years!
End of an era
August 2018
After all the dots had been put on the i, the car was up for sale. This went faster than expected! After some people with trade-in that I was not waiting for, interest came from a man from Beekbergen. The contact was a bit stiff, which did not help confidence in a good sale. In the end everything worked out and the Pontiac got a new owner after 6 years. He has already been spotted here and there with the car and I saw that I could even rent it! Jeroen, have fun with the car! Take good care of it!
