PONTIAC EDITION Pontiac Museum Grand Opening Keeping Up With Your Classic Car Fixing your Classic On a budget
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Pontiac Museum Grand Opening Keeping up with Your Classic Car Fixing Your Classic On a Budget
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march 2013
Letter From The Editor In this issue we are going to take you around in the class of a classic Pontiac! This issue is dedicated to the Pontiac and is full of tips on how to keep yours running on a budget without compromising the quality. We also take a look into the new Pontiac car museum in Illinois. The collection they have is just breath taking and free to the public, so make sure to take the family. We have a special article on how to keep up with your classic car and the signs you should look out for when fixing it on your own or even if you are in the market for one. I hope you enjoy this issue of pure classic quality. Tavis Redmond
PONTIAC CAR MUSEUM GRAND OPENING A
n advance look at the museum was offered on July 22 and those who came included Marge Sawruk, the widow of John Sawruk, who was the company’s official historian. Pontiac collector Frank Kemp came from Pennsylvania and GTO creator Jim Wangers came from California. Denise Clumpner – known as “The High Priestess of Pontiac” – was on hand with her husband, Jesse. Pontiac drag racing legend Arnie Beswick posed next to a Pontiac buggy. Chuck Cochran, of Henderson, Nev., donated many items from his Grand Prix Museum and helped set up exhibits. Former Pontiac-Oakland Club International editor Ron Panzer played an old-time mechanic fixing a ’50 Pontiac. The museum features 15 Oakland and Pontiac cars, the Pontiac buggy (one of two known to exist), more than 300 linear feet of literature and printed promotional items, thousands of “factory” publicity photos, a historical library, dealer sales training films, pamphlets and guides, 2,000-plus gas station road maps from the 1930s-1960s, Pontiac models and toys and more than 2,000 oil cans. Pontiac enthusists visiting the gift shop can purchase T-shirts and collectibles. Collectors loaned five cars to the museum and 10 will be displayed permanently. Many in the latter group are set in historical dioramas. A 1924 Oakland Touring car – the first to use “True Blue” nitro-cellulose lacquer paint – is presented as a barn find car. Another features a 1964 Parisienne Safari station wagon in a camping scene. The ’50 Pontiac sedan that Panzer pretended to work on was displayed in a garage setting, complete with old oil cans. Other cars currently on exhibit include a 1934 Pontiac coupe, 1963 “Swiss-Cheese” Catalina, 1910 Oakland, 1968 Firebird, 1977 Can Am, 1968 GTO, 1931 Oakland Sport Coupe and the 1966 Pontiac GTO “Indian Tin” – a famous Bill Knafel Pontiac drag racing car. A Pontiac chassis with drive train also was included to show the general public what goes into a restoration. Many community events were planned in conjunction with the museum’s opening and a car show featuring Oaklands and Pontiac was staged directly in front of the new museum. According to Dye, another large Pontiac event is scheduled for September, when Pontiac clubs will visit the museum.
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“The city approved becau
Features a 1968 Ram Air II Firebird
by Tavis Redmond
photos & article by Tavis Redmond
d this (museum) use they wanted to increase tourism�
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earning how to restore a classic car only requires a few simple steps, but implementing them will take time and budgeting. Time is an important factor in full restoration projects since it can take around 1,000 hours to fully restore a classic car. You're going to need a lot of parts XIJDI XPOhU BMXBZT CF FBTZ UP mOE BOE XJMM DPTU TJHOJmDBOU TVNT PG NPOFZ )PXFWFS UIFSF BSF ways to accomplish the task without breaking the bank.
Finding Your Car
'JSTU PG BMM ZPV OFFE B WFIJDMF UP SFTUPSF :PV DBO DVU EPXO PO UIF BNPVOU PG XPSL BOE NPOFZ you need to spend on the restoration by buying a classic car that's already partially restored, or B QSPKFDU UIBU TPNFPOF IBTOhU IBE UIF UJNF PS NPOFZ UP mOJTI )PXFWFS ZPV XJMM QBZ NPSF VQGSPOU GPS UIJT "MUFSOBUJWFMZ ZPV DBO TDPVU BSPVOE GPS B DPNQMFUF QSPKFDU UIBU XJMM OFFE B MPU PG work but which won't cost you much on an initial basis. Talk to other classic car enthusiasts who may be aware of a potential project, look at magazines and check any online ads. Don't be in a IVSSZ UP NBLF B DIPJDF 5IF NPSF XPSL ZPV IBWF UP EP UIF MPOHFS JU XJMM UBLF BOE UIF NPSF ZPVhMM spend on parts.
Finding Parts
You need a number of replacement parts when you restore a classic car. If you're lucky, you will CF BCMF UP TBMWBHF TPNF PG UIF QBSUT BMSFBEZ PO UIF DBS BOE JO UIF FOHJOF )PXFWFS UIFSF XJMM still be a lot of items that you'll need to buy. $POUBDU WFIJDMF TBMWBHF DFOUFST JO ZPVS BSFB UP TFF JG UIFZ IBWF B TJNJMBS WFIJDMF *G TP mOE PVU XIBU QBSUT BSF BWBJMBCMF 5IJT XJMM CF UIF DIFBQFTU SPVUF "MTP DIFDL POMJOF UP TFF JG BOZPOF JT QBSUJOH PVU B TJNJMBS WFIJDMF GPS TQBSFT PS SFQBJST 5IJT DBO CF B HPPE TPVSDF PG DIFBQ QBSUT :PV DBO BMTP mOE B XJEF SBOHF PG DIFBQ QBSUT POMJOF 5IF CFTU QMBDFT BSF UISPVHI POMJOF DBS collector groups, where members offer parts for sale.
Restoring Your Car
The only way to restore a classic car on a budget is to do the work yourself. That means you OFFE B QMBDF UP EP UIF XPSL TVDI BT B HBSBHF XIFSF UIF WFIJDMF JT TIJFMEFE GSPN UIF XFBUIFS You also need a full range of auto tools, the owner's manual and plenty of experience. Talk to GSJFOET PS PUIFS FOUIVTJBTUT XIP IBWF SFTUPSBUJPO FYQFSJFODF BOE NJHIU CF XJMMJOH UP IFMQ PS teach you. 6OEFSUBLF BT NVDI PG UIF CPEZXPSL ZPVSTFMG BT QPTTJCMF )PX NVDI ZPV OFFE UP EP PCWJPVTMZ EFQFOET PO UIF DPOEJUJPO PG UIF DBS CVU UIFSF XJMM DFSUBJOMZ CF TPNF DPTNFUJD XPSL JOWPMWFE ,FFQ NPOFZ BTJEF GPS B QSPGFTTJPOBM QBJOU KPC UP mOJTI UIF WFIJDMF BMUIPVHI ZPV DBO EP UIF QSJNJOH PG UIF CPEZ ZPVSTFMG 5IJT XJMM TBWF PO UIF PWFSBMM QBJOU DPTUT Expect to take about a year to restore a classic car. Don't try and rush the project. Always take time to locate the cheapest sources for parts before you buy and do as much of the work as you possibly can yourself.
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KEEP
PING UP WITH YOUR CLASSIC CAR CZ 5BWJT 3FENPOE
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BENEFITS OF A HI
IGHER EDUCATION
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