Getting a Clue

 It seems most project cars that are on the market are being sold due to burn out, either mentally, monetary, or both. If you're lucky, every once in awhile the car gods might decide to throw a deal your way. But in my humble opinion, buying someone else's project car is a lot like playing the game Clue. You start out with very little information and as you dive deeper into it, more clues start to reveal themselves. Recently I was fortunate enough to accompany my lifelong friend Duane on a trip to pick up not one, but two Pontiac Grand Prix hardtops! The car gods were in an especially good mood because he scored them both for $1000! Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

There was not a lot of information available about them. The owner had passed away and his family was selling them. The cars had been stored for decades in a rural storage lot so their overall condition was suspect, but they were both bucket seat cars with center consoles, so could you really go wrong for a thousand dollars? Duane and I are old school and came loaded for bear. We also did this very methodically, one car at a time, swapping out flat tires, airing up the ones that would hold air, and using a chain and a come-along to pull the cars up on the trailer. No electric winches or battery powered impact wrenches here, just brawn and muscle that we paid for dearly the next day! I call this the "young of mind, old of body" syndrome. 

Yours truly pretending I'm in the pits at a NASCAR race.

Getting ready to hand winch this behemoth up on the trailer.

The wide track Pontiac is loaded and ready to go.

What we have is two almost identical Pontiac's that had been sinking into the terra firma for decades, but there was still a lot more to figure out. Both trunks were locked with no keys, and one of the car's hood was chained shut, so it's engine remained a mystery for now. All the seats were in amazing shape considering how long these vehicles sat. We also found a lot of evidence of the cars being covered with heavy tarps at one time so that is what probably saved both interiors from total annihilation. Once each Grand Prix was relocated to their new home, the inspection began. Up first was cutting the lock and chain that secured one of the Pontiac's hood to see what lurked in the engine bay. We knew both cars had the 4 speed Hydra-Matic transmission and one had what appeared to be it's original 389 V-8, but the other was a complete mystery. Upon cutting the lock and opening the hood, Duane was greeted by every Pontiac enthusiasts dream - a 421 cubic inch V-8 with tri-power carburetion! Talk about hitting the jackpot! 

This very special air cleaner is a clue to what lies below it.

A sight for sore eyes, factory multiple carburetion.

As the clues started to reveal themselves, there were still some major unknowns. The 389 in the other Grand Prix was totally complete and stock. It still wore it's factory Carter 4 BBL carburetor along with dual exhaust but it's condition was a total mystery. It was as though the car had been driven into storage and parked. But Duane didn't just fall off the turnip truck, and we both knew better as our combined 90 years of automotive experience told us so. There was a reason, but what was it? Duane was determined to get to the bottom of it and began working on the 389 in earnest. He actually got the engine to start and run! This ruled out any major engine problems like a spun bearing or broken timing chain. The radiator was bone dry and the system appeared to still be sealed. Probably a rusted out freeze plug, right? Upon further inspection the next clue revealed itself.

Pretty sure this cracked block is why the car was parked!

With both engines more or less sorted out, curiosity was killing the cat so we had to find out what was in those locked trunks. Both cars were sitting really low in the rear and we figured either the trunks were loaded with cement blocks or the coil springs were collapsed. First up was the Grand Prix with the 421. Upon getting the trunk open, besides getting attacked by wasps, Duane was greeted by a cornucopia of Pontiac parts. The previous owner had apparently used the Pontiac's portly trunk to store his spare parts.

All this and more was discovered in the trunk of the Grand Prix!

Next up was the 389 powered Grand Prix to see what treasures were tucked away in it's trunk. Using the clues divulged in the first trunk, I jokingly told Duane that there was probably a tri-power stashed in there. Low and behold, there was a tri-power manifold and more!

Another set of 8 lug wheels and a tri power!

With both trunks sorted out it was time to solve the mystery of the 421 powered Grand Prix. The engine looked as if it had been rebuilt and installed but with nothing really hooked up. It needed a starter, which was in the trunk, so that had to be addressed first. Upon further inspection another clue revealed itself. The flywheel was missing! Someone had bolted the engine to the transmission but failed to install it. Duane had no choice but to remove the trans in order to install the flywheel, which conveniently was also found in the trunk.

No car lifts here, this transmission was removed the old fashioned way!

 

After the Hydra-Matic was removed another clue revealed itself. The reason they did not install the flywheel was because the 421 that was installed in the Grand Prix was a later model motor. In 1962 the 389 would have had a crank hub that measured 2.600 whereas the 421 had a crank hub measurement of 2.750, so there was no way to bolt the Hydra-Matics special flywheel and spring hub to the 421. The original starter would not work either so that presented another problem. With a vast array of Pontiac parts at his disposal, Duane quickly formulated a plan. The Hydra-Matic would be swapped out for a Turbo-Hydramatic TH400 transmission. The flex plate for the TH400 will bolt up to the 421 crank and a later model starter could be used. Once the clues were figured out it all started to come together.

Starter and flexplate problem solved!

 

Doesn't everyone have a good used TH400 in their parts stash?

As I write this the final details are being completed on the transmission swap for the Grand Prix. Next up will be going through the brake system and maybe using one of the sets of 8 lug wheels to put this Pontiac on the road. So for this automotive version of Clue, if you accused Professor Pontiac in the driveway with a wrench, your guess would be correct!