1964 Pontiac SLemans

[Zoomin]

This is a nice little cream puff I picked up a while back. I figure the 215 six was a key ingredient in how it remained in such good shape all these years. Plus the fact is was originally Desert Beige before it got painted its present color.

It's pretty solid with the exception of some mud behind the wheels in the quarters, but that's the way it's gonna stay for a while because this one's going to be a driver. No worrying about chips or dings on this ride - the plan is to do some tours of the power type and play around doing some AX.

Here's how she looked the day she arrived. Always interesting to get a good look underneath when you buy something sight unseen. I try not to make a habit of doing that, but the price she was too good for me to pass up. These older A bodies in halfway decent shape command nice bucks these days.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/59E8F596-90AF-483E-8252-69EC15D8F230_zpsfsvptljv.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/21AEE2E9-3612-4B67-8A6B-6159E0452C1E_zpsjp6yuhg2.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/DF94E713-05A4-49E5-BFB6-569794BF2C48_zpsvkxpolu1.jpg

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/E02ED9F9-99E8-4C16-AB31-18D8E0EAC26A_zpspe9zlzaf.jpg


Anyway, the plan is to upgrade the suspension and drivetrain, no time out for paint and body work - get her back on the road.

[Wacker]

Looks to be in great shape. What motor are you thinking?

[Zoomin]

I've been looking around at 455's, but I'm thinking of trying something lighter like a turbo V6. Not much luck on either front yet.

[Wacker]

Have you thought about going 400 with possibly a stroker?

[Zoomin]

I've been checking out anything Poncho that's in a reasonable distance and price. Lots of people fishing for stupid money.:lostmarbles:

[Wacker]

Where are you located?

[Zoomin]

Oklahoma City. Guess I should update my info....

[Gscherer78ta]

Keep looking around on CL. There was just a 400RAIII for sale for $3900. If it was really what the ad said, that would be worth it because you couldn't build one for that.

[Panteracer]

Very nice find.. good to see a few more Pontiacs on this forum
There used to be a guy in Tennessee that advertised in High Performance
Pontiac (no Longer printing) that would sell a blueprinted 400 or 455 for
a fairly cheap.. I bought a 400 from him years back

I have a destroked 455 that is 40 over roller rockers,
crower rods, ross pistons, road race pan etc that I am having freshened
up and the cam replaced because the original builder lost a lobe and just
rounded it out.. never seemed right so pulled it and it sat for many years
but I am in California so a long ride to you... also redoing at 455 that is
30 over with all stock internals that had two spun bearings.. still waiting
to hear what is needed for that motor


Bob

[andrewb70]

LS swap FTW, everyday, and twice on Sunday.

Andrew

[WSSix]

Nice looking car. I like that color choice, too. What are your parts selection plans? I like that you're wanting to drive the car. Good luck!

[Zoomin]

LS swap FTW, everyday, and twice on Sunday.

Andrew

That's heresy, Andrew!
But I haven't ruled it out.


Nice looking car. I like that color choice, too. What are your parts selection plans? I like that you're wanting to drive the car. Good luck!

I get a lot of compliments on the color - very nice color from the day, plus very easy to maintain.

This isn't going to be a top dollar build, so no new frames just a nice coil over setup, a new rear end to handle the power, 4 wheel disks - probably Wilwood, control and trailing arms.

[Wacker]

Great thing about people like Andrew are is when the pull the injun engine, it goes up for sale.

[Zoomin]

When you pull yours, let me know. :lol:

[andrewb70]

When you pull yours, let me know. :lol:

Mine was pulled in 1998 and I never looked back. Sold that hunk of iron around 2009 for $1000 after doing my LS swap (to replace the 502 big block...).

Andrew

[Wacker]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/sat/pts/5719094538.html

Here ya go.

[Zoomin]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/sat/pts/5719094538.html

Here ya go.

Maybe you're luckier than I am, but I'm not buying from a guy that's 600 miles away that assures me it runs "spectacular". Thanks tho.


Got some work done today.

Before

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/4F2074B9-7DE2-4495-9B69-7D416E7B6C3C_zpsok6nfinb.jpg



After

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/108AF492-F965-4921-9F83-656A404DC32A_zpsjbpmdalr.jpg



Anyone need a boat anchor?

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/F085CE4D-23D4-44FA-BC3F-0DCAFC0CC184_zpsfz2dp8wd.jpg

[l2azorback]

Can't ever go wrong with this route....

LS swap FTW, everyday, and twice on Sunday.

Andrew

[Zoomin]

Can't ever go wrong with this route....

Oh believe me, I know the benefits. I've got a bead on an LS1 from a friend - we shall see.

Got the suspension off the front this weekend, and I'm going to order a Stage 4 kit from UMI with double adjustable Viking coilovers.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/4B14ED7D-E074-4C7D-8B5D-F89166967659_zpscjdyjrfk.jpg

Now the clean up of the grunge begins. I'm not sure which is worse - doing this or working under the dash. Not as bad as I expected under here, but still....

[sixshooter]

Been a long time since August. What's new with the car?

[Zoomin]

Hey sixshooter, yeah it has been a while and I got a lot done over winter. In fact it's pretty much finished, I've been driving it for a few weeks now.


Put in a Ford rear end from Quick Performance with 3.70's

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/7AB8C956-2D38-44DD-ADE1-3711678E09E9_zps8hywgs0g.jpg



Double adjustable Vikings and UMI suspension on all corners.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/E3D432F5-ACF5-4C91-9828-BBD032A60026_zpsfeyusoln.jpg


Wilwoods all the way around, 13", 6 piston upfront and 12", 4 piston out back

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/E63EB647-B87E-4449-B0F1-9C48D7A2266F_zpseysdlou5.jpg


Went with a Procharger D1 for a little extra mustard

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/DA6C2400-916D-4BE7-B43C-6FBD6E61CA87_zpsdccympkj.jpg



http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/7978053A-E994-4D2F-B1C6-8B663C5AA9AC_zpslvurrkwa.jpg


http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/303234A9-A0F3-4F24-9B13-73054070ADCE_zps8ovahcjh.jpg


http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/74A9222B-EDAE-4EDD-A18A-F9C04733CC05_zpsytiavefm.jpg

This has really turned out to be a great combination for a balanced driver. I've still got a few programming tweaks I need to get done, but it's been very good so far - very happy.

[WSSix]

fantastic! The under hood work is great. Congrats and enjoy!

[Interceptor5588]

All looks GREAT! I was thinking of such a valve cover mod, you have made it look right at home and not farmered up. Are those adapters, or just brackets/standoffs?

Which LS did you go with? How's driveability with the Procharger?

And, the 64 Pontiac is my second fave A-body. Nice work.

[Zoomin]

All looks GREAT! I was thinking of such a valve cover mod, you have made it look right at home and not farmered up. Are those adapters, or just brackets/standoffs?

Which LS did you go with? How's driveability with the Procharger?

And, the 64 Pontiac is my second fave A-body. Nice work.

Thank you so much for the comps. It's fun as heck to open the hood and watch people try to process what they are seeing.

I made up a couple rectangular of sheet metal that connect between the valve covers and the studs on the stock LS valve covers. The beauty of the Pontiac covers is that they are large enough to cover everything nicely. The are aluminum and cut easily with a cut off wheel.


I went with an LS1 that I came across. Changing the cam to one more SC friendly was the only internal mod I made. The driveability is perfectly fine with the SC - I suspect the large intake volume is more of a factor than anything in terms of driveability. Not much happens out of the ordinary until the SC finally fills all the ducting, intercooler and intake, then it takes off like a rocket at about 3,500 RPM. I will probably go with a smaller pulley at some point to reduce the lag time. If I were ordering again, I'd go with the bevel cut SC gears rather than square cut because of the noise it makes.

[jarhead]

Nice! Totally missed this first time around

[Interceptor5588]

Which charger kit is that? Most of them are big and ugly and hang way off to the side, yours is tucked in nice and close.

And, what intake? All pretty fancy ....

[Zoomin]

Which charger kit is that? Most of them are big and ugly and hang way off to the side, yours is tucked in nice and close.

And, what intake? All pretty fancy ....

It's Prochargers kit for a Corvette, and that decision was fortuitously driven by my earlier decision to use a GM Vette accessory drive. I needed to get the alternator away from the steering box. As a side note, there is room for an AC compressor down by the passenger side crossmember.

The inlet sizes for the SC (3-1/8) and the intake (4) had me using a bunch of adapters and clamps which really proved to be a PITA because the boost kept blowing the connections apart. A buddy of mine (Kyle at Laidback Recreations) fabbed the tubing up for me. He also made the radiator hold down and fan shroud.

Speaking of saving room, you'll notice there is no power brake booster. When you use a Wilwood master cylinder with a 7/8 bore with their brakes the pedal feel is very much like it was power assisted. I can't recommend that enough.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/Zoominz06/Lemon%20-%201964%20Lemans/980BA6B8-AEFD-45E0-A85A-C76887A77635_zpsdrbgdr3f.jpg