[TinyDancer]

So I was gifted a rat rod over Christmas from my father in law... he wasn't able to tinker with it like he wanted so he gave it to us. Not that I'm going to take it from him but rather help him get it running and upgrade some things with it.

What he tells me its a 32 Chrysler body with a '70 Pontiac Lemans engine. It has a automatic transmission and the suspension and tires are solid and workable. We just towed it from Ft. Worth to northern Virginia and nothing broke... except the crankshaft bumper (I-40 casualty I guess).

Some things I want to get going on this are a hood and a top. I don't have a garage so it needs to be covered by more than a tarp. Next I want to to swap the transmission for a manual and move the fuel tank (which sits behind the drivers seat). Everything else right now seems cosmetic (dash, lights, paint, etc...)

Looking forward to this as as winter still churns and maybe have it ready for spring.

 

[idrivejunk]

Greetings. If it is a Pontiac V8 it will have the displacement cast in large numerals near a mount pad. The tiny sliver of cylinder head visible looks like an iron Pontiac. If a crankshaft bumper is a vibration dampener or harmonic balancer... whatever it is called... avoid the cheapo units and do use a good torque wrench for installation. Enjoy your project.

 

[LATECH]

looks to be a poncho motor. The space between the 2 center spark plugs is a good indicator
Drivers side mounted alternator...
rear dizzy
yup.

get the block number and date code off the block back by the dizzy (distributor)

 

[1979Malibu]

Welcome aboard! That's a great looking project!

I know a guy that has one of those tent style car port enclosures. Considering the cost, I thought that was a nice idea. It's budget friendly solution to not having a garage and I think it looks nice too.

Are you interested in swapping to a manual for nostalgia? If someone did a full powertrain swap there, you may have a transmission definitely worth keeping.

 

[TinyDancer]

Welcome aboard! That's a great looking project!

I know a guy that has one of those tent style car port enclosures. Considering the cost, I thought that was a nice idea. It's budget friendly solution to not having a garage and I think it looks nice too.

Are you interested in swapping to a manual for nostalgia? If someone did a full powertrain swap there, you may have a transmission definitely worth keeping.

My townhouse HOA would hate that… so I’d love it aside from the inevitable lawsuit. But the tranny swap is solely for nostalgia. Well maybe, it hasn't been driven yet so I have no idea what awaits. FIL did say this morning that the auto is a Pontiac and came with the engine. When it clears up I’ll dig around for the numbers on the engine like the others mentioned.

 

[TinyDancer]

So the steering column has me worried a bit… this engine seems too big for all this so I’m interested in how to make it work.

are these the numbers y’all mentioned. I see a 305 on there but it’s up towards the alternator and not by the distributor. But that could be just how it was installed.

Found this on the frame as well… is this an original VIN?

 

[evintho]

The last photo, I doubt that's an original VIN. It kinda looks like the assigned VIN that I was given by DMV (actually California Highway Patrol). CHP assigns the VIN's for DMV. An officer made it on the spot and came out to the parking lot and riveted it onto my frame.........during a rainstorm!
My VIN is CA then six digits (blued out). Yours is CM then five digits. Maybe it's an assigned VIN for Texas.