Rebuilding a Pontiac V-8 engine can be a daunting task. It can be easier if you are properly prepared. This article will set you on the correct path toward bringing your beloved Pontiac back to life. When Pontiac designed its V8 packages, each … [Click here to read more...]
PONTIAC V-8 HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENGINE COMBINATIONS
The key to maximizing the performance of any combination is proper component selection. By expanding on the approach that Pontiac took when assembling combinations for its production vehicles, selecting components that compliment the operating … [Click here to read more...]
PONTIAC ENGINE REBUILD GUIDE: STARTUP, BREAK-IN AND TUNING
Your newly rebuilt engine is just about ready to fire! If everything was assembled correctly, it should start up relatively easily, and the sound of the exhaust pulsations smoothly bellowing out the exhaust is the best reward for your hard work. If … [Click here to read more...]
HOW TO ASSEMBLE PONTIAC V-8 ENGINE FOR REBUILD PROJECT
Final assembly is the most important step of any rebuild. The assembly process oftentimes varies slightly from person to person. There’s no issue with that as long as the technique produces an engine that operates consistently and reliably for long … [Click here to read more...]
PONTIAC V-8 ENGINE REBUILD MACHINING AND PRE-ASSEMBLY GUIDE
When assembling any engine, its intended output and operating range must be within the realistic realm of possibility. While any Pontiac can perform suitably in stock form, modifying the original pieces or purchasing aftermarket components is often … [Click here to read more...]
REBUILD PONTIAC V-8: AFTERMARKET PARTS
A complete Pontiac engine can make an excellent usable core, but many of those now available may not be large enough or contain the best components to produce the desired amount of horsepower. While the aftermarket has heavily supported many other … [Click here to read more...]
REBUILD PONTIAC V-8: FACTORY PARTS GUIDE
The Pontiac V-8 block is constructed of cast iron, and though its displacement increased from 287 to 455 ci by enlarging bore and lengthening stroke over the years, the external dimensions didn’t waiver far from the original design. A number of … [Click here to read more...]
HOW TO DISASSEMBLE YOUR PONTIAC V-8 ENGINE
With all of the necessary tools and equipment on hand, it’s time to begin complete engine disassembly. Though it might seem relatively easy, it’s a methodical process that should be considered as important as any other portion of the rebuild, and … [Click here to read more...]
PREPARING TO REBUILD YOUR PONTIAC V-8 ENGINE THE RIGHT WAY
When Pontiac designed its V-8 packages, each engine type was subjected to an endurance test, which consisted of static operation at 4,500 rpm on a dynamometer for 100 consecutive hours without shutdown. The engine was then completely disassembled and … [Click here to read more...]
HOW TO REBUILD PONTIAC V-8: RESTORATION RESOURCES
There are several companies, organizations, and publications that specialize in the preservation and restoration of Pontiacs. While vehicle restoration is a topic large enough to fill its own book, many of these sources can help identify and document … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac Trans Am & Firebird Restoration: Bodywork Guide – Doors, Spoilers, Bumpers and Wheel Flares (70-81)
Trans Ams and Firebirds have a variety of sheet-metal, plastic, and fiberglass body parts that often need to be restored. This chapter covers the technical aspects of restoring them. Some of these components are unique to the Trans Am and the steps … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac Trans Am & Firebird Restoration: Suspension Guide (70-81)
The chassis and suspension of the Firebird is GM’s second-generation F-Body so it shares its architecture with the 1970–1981 Camaro. The Chevy and Pontiac teams in Trans-Am racing (as well as GM itself) developed the geometry of this suspension and … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac Trans Am & Firebird Restoration: Brake Guide (70-81)
The stock front disc and rear drum brakes used on the second-generation Firebird were extremely robust and efficient. Depending on which road test you read, the disc/drum setup on the Firebird took about 160 feet to stop from 60 mph. The rear disc … [Click here to read more...]
Drivetrain Guide for Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am Restorations (70-81)
The Camaro and Firebird share many of the same drivetrain components, particularly the rear axle assembly. As previously noted, transmission choices were minimal. The Firebirds were either equipped with an automatic or 4-speed manual transmission. … [Click here to read more...]
Engine Rebuilding Guide for Pontiac Trans Am and Firebird Restorations (70-81)
Pontiac installed a variety of engines in Firebird and Trans Am models over their 11-year production run: everything from the anemic Chevrolet inline 6-cylinder all the way up to the powerhouse 400 Ram Air III and IV as well as 455 Super Duty … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac Trans Am & Firebird: Transmission Rebuilding Guide (70-81)
With the right equipment, you can certainly rebuild your Firebird’s transmission in your garage. But a professional-caliber rebuild requires specialized tools. You need an arbor press, and you must follow a detailed and comprehensive … [Click here to read more...]
Electrical System Guide for Pontiac Trans Am & Firebird Restorations (70-81)
The electrical system in your Firebird is the key to making the mechanical components operate at their best. Like the rest of your Firebird, the electrical system has aged over the course of three or more decades. Electrical wiring, terminals, … [Click here to read more...]
Mastering GTO Restorations: Electrical Guide
The wiring systems of the 1964– 1974 Pontiac GTOs are probably closer in complexity to a Model T Ford than anything currently in showrooms. While that may be true, wiring systems are still a point of fear and loathing among many restorers of Pontiac … [Click here to read more...]
Restoring the GTO: Alignment & Assembly Guide
This portion of the restoration is where the fruits of all of your hard work start to come together that pile of parts begins to take shape and start to look like a car. This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, HOW TO BUILD MAX-PERFORMANCE … [Click here to read more...]
Mastering GTO Restorations: Interior Guide
The interior portion of your restoration is as much about perception as it is about reality. How well the interior turns out reflects on the quality of the rest of your GTO’s restoration. The good news is that this is one portion of the … [Click here to read more...]
Mastering GTO Restorations: Brake Guide
Whether a stock restoration, a weekend cruiser, or modified for maximum performance, the vehicle’s braking system is hands-down the most important system. When I brought my first Pontiac restoration project home many years ago, my dad said, “I don’t … [Click here to read more...]
Mastering GTO Restorations: Transmission Guide
Pontiac’s transmission offerings for 1964–1974 GTOs were similar to the transmissions offered in other Pontiac and GM models. Transmissions were sourced from Muncie, Saginaw, GM’s Hydra-Matic Division, and even Dearborn (Ford). In addition to 3- … [Click here to read more...]
Mastering GTO Restorations: Engine Guide
All 1964–1974 Pontiac GTOs used some version of what we now refer to as the “traditional” Pontiac V-8. It was produced from 1955 through 1979 and a modified version continued for another two years. By the time the GTO rolled around, the Pontiac V-8 … [Click here to read more...]
Mastering GTO Restorations: Painting Guide
When considering options for painting, you may end up with even more questions. If you had been undecided about the level of your restoration, perhaps waffling between an upper-end, driver-quality car and a true concours-level effort, choosing the … [Click here to read more...]
Mastering GTO Restorations: Bodywork Guide
Good bodywork is the foundation of a quality paint job. You can’t have one without the other. How many times have you looked at a shiny, new paint job at a distance only to inspect it up close and find a visual nightmare of poor panel alignment, … [Click here to read more...]
Mastering GTO Restorations: Disassembly Guide
When evaluating your particular car for restoration, be sure you have a realistic expectation of the project, your skill level, and your intended use. This assumes that your car will be restored as a weekend driver/ cruise night car and not … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac V-8 Engine Performance Combinations
When building a max-performance Pontiac V-8, each engine is almost always unique unto itself. Depending upon the racing class restrictions, chassis hurdles, intended performance level and usage, and budgetary concerns, very few maxperformance efforts … [Click here to read more...]
How to Improve Pontiac V-8 Performance: Tuning Guide
Any engine must be tuned optimally for it to produce as much horsepower and torque as it possibly can. That includes adjusting its carburetor and distributor until the fuel and spark curves are perfect at every possible speed. Achieving that can be … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac V-8: Oiling System Guide
The oil within any engine is its lifeblood. Internal components rely on a thin film of oil to prevent metal-to-metal contact that can otherwise result in significant damage. The oil pump must be able to deliver to those components an adequate volume … [Click here to read more...]
How to Improve Pontiac V-8 Engine Performance: Ignition Guide
A vehicle’s ignition system is responsible for igniting the mixture within each cylinder at the appropriate time. It generally includes a coil that saturates and stores energy and a distributor that routes spark to each cylinder at the appropriate … [Click here to read more...]
How to Improve Pontiac V-8 Engine Performance: Exhaust Guide
Factory exhaust systems were designed to fit within the space constraints of a particular chassis while maintaining a specific noise limit at a reasonable cost. While that might not detract from the performance of a typical passenger car application, … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac V-8: Intake Manifold Performance Guide
An intake manifold transfers the mixture of fuel and air from the carburetor to the cylinders. The plenum, or large voluminous area directly under the carburetor, gathers that combustible mixture before it’s distributed to the cylinders through … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac V-8 Engines: Valvetrain Performance Guide
The Pontiac V-8 valvetrain is a simple overhead-valve design that’s comprised of several different components. Each cylinder uses one intake and one exhaust valve that allows the engine to ingest and expel the combustible air/fuel mixture and spent … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac V-8: Pistons and Rings Performance Guide
Most Pontiac V-8s were originally fitted with cast-aluminum pistons, and they operated quietly and consistently. Forged-aluminum pistons were specified to improve the reliability and durability of Pontiac’s very high performance engines such as the … [Click here to read more...]
Connecting Rods Performance Guide for Pontiac V-8 Engines
A connecting rod may be the most highly stressed component in an engine. Essentially in constant motion during normal operation, it’s designed to endure compressive loads and change direction nearly instantaneously, and the inertial force upon it … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac V-8: Crankshaft Performance Guide
A crankshaft transfers the energy created during combustion into a rotating force that’s channeled through a transmission and rear axle, and finally to the tires for vehicle motivation. As each cylinder fires, the crankshaft must be rigid enough to … [Click here to read more...]
How to Improve Pontiac V-8 Performance: Engine Block Guide
The stock Pontiac V-8 block is constructed of cast iron. When introduced in 1955, it displaced only 287 ci. Its robust design allowed immediate adaptability to future displacement increases. Though external dimensions remained very close to the … [Click here to read more...]
Pontiac V8 Engine History: 1955-1981
The Oakland Motor Car Company was founded in Pontiac, Michigan, in the early 1900s, and within a few years, it became a division of the newly formed General Motors Corporation (GM). Falling between Chevrolet and Oldsmobile on the corporate ladder, … [Click here to read more...]