1964 Pontiac Lemans Convertible.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Well, I've decided that I'm going to continue on with the final installment of my 1964 Poncho trio.

 

The '64 Grand Prix and Bonneville are now in the history books, so all that I have left to do, (Short of an original AMT '64 GTO presenting itself) is this somewhat derelict AMT '64 Lemans convertible.

 

I began working on converting an old X-EL 1959 Desoto Fireflite 4 door hard top into a convertible a few weeks ago, but I'm just not feeling it at this time.

It was going to be a very involved project that would need a completely scratch built interior, and it was having a hard time keeping my attention, so I thought it might be better to move on to something a little less involved.

Not that this project will be a simple one, as it's still going to be a full detail build with all of the usual goodies, but it will be a little less ominous undertaking than the Desoto.

 

So, in any event, I picked up this kind of abused '64 Lemans at an antique shop many years ago for $12.00.

It was missing the hood and tail light lenses, but I was able to replace those via Modelhaus before they closed up shop.

Interestingly, as I'm not a big fan of working with resin, and I'm not particularly convinced of it's long term viability, on a whim, I went on eBay last night just to check on the odd chance that there might be an original hood available.

Lo and behold, there was a pristine original hood that someone was selling for $20.00, so I snapped it up!

At least now, short of the tail light lenses, the entire model will be styrene.

The hood should arrive within a week or two.

 

There is some minor damage to this kit, including a mild windshield frame crush, consisting of damaged and missing vent posts, and a crack in the center of the windshield header, but those are easy fixes.

A little more of an issue is some of the interior glue rash.

The previous builder had of course glued on the seat belts to the front bucket seats, causing some relatively minor damage to the upholstery pattern.

These shouldn't be extremely difficult to repair.

More daunting is the fact that he had also glued custom parts to the center console, completely destroying the fluted panels.

Unless I can find some suitable material to replace those panels with, the entire console might have to go.

Not that I have any aversion to console delete 4 speeds.

We'll cross that path later.

 

So in conclusion, I believe that one of the '65-'67 Chevelle chassis will be a good fit, or even more so, if the wheel base is correct, either the AMT '66, or the Lindberg '67 442 should be the ticket.

I'll have to do more research on the engine to make an informed decision, but at this point it appears that a 6 cylinder, a 326 2bbl, or a 326 4bbl were the only options for the '64 Lemans, and if that's the case, finding a suitable Pontiac small block is likely to be all but impossible.

In that case, I'll have to find out what the appearance differences were between the 326 and 389, and either do some parts swapping between them, or try to do some upgrading of the original engine.

 

So, here's what I'm starting with.

New chrome some time back and a new hood on the way.

The tentative decision on color at this point is correct '64 Pontiac "Singapore Gold" from scale finishes.

I'll have to do some research and thinking about it, but my initial thought off the top of my head is a dark red, or white and red interior.

Either that, or some combination of gold and white, or just gold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited November 11, 2023 by StevenGuthmiller

[Supernurd]

Fascinating 👍

[TransAmMike]

Well Steve, with your models, this will be another stunner. Good luck with it. 

[customline]

Another challenging build of a Poncho ragtop. I love it. But this one has a childhood memory for me. I'm following. School is in session.

[Yeah Nah]

Something tells me this is going to end in a stunning model.

[dodgefever]

There was no Pontiac "small block".  A 326 looks the same as a 389.

[StevenGuthmiller]

22 minutes ago, dodgefever said:

There was no Pontiac "small block".  A 326 looks the same as a 389.

That’s good to know.

I know absolutely nothing about the smaller displacement Pontiac engines, so it was my assumption that as with other GM makes, there was probably a demarcation between a big block and small block.

This was one of the things that I was going to have to research, but as you’ve clarified it for me, it will make substituting an engine considerably easier.

Thanks!

 

 

 

Steve

[kelson]

This should a interesting build,i have a couple of these in my stash,i thought the polar lights 64'GTO would make a better chassis donor,i'll be taking notes.

[StevenGuthmiller]

19 minutes ago, kelson said:

This should a interesting build,i have a couple of these in my stash,i thought the polar lights 64'GTO would make a better chassis donor,i'll be taking notes.

My assumption was that the Polar Lights GTO had either a rudimentary “snap kit” type chassis, or was a copy of the old Monogram 1/24th scale kit.

Regardless, it looks like either of the Oldsmobiles, or even more likely, the Revell ‘66 GTO chassis looks to be a very good option.

 

 

 

Steve

[Scott8950]

Steve i think it's safe to say your a Pontiac guy. I will be following along as usual 👍

[Bills72sj]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

That’s good to know.

I know absolutely nothing about the smaller displacement Pontiac engines, so it was my assumption that as with other GM makes, there was probably a demarcation between a big block and small block.

This was one of the things that I was going to have to research, but as you’ve clarified it for me, it will make substituting an engine considerably easier.

Thanks!

 

 

 

Steve

You need not worry about the big block small block issue. Pontiac blocks went from 287 through 455 CID with the same external dimensions. There were some yearly changes for such things as water pump bolt count and upper radiator hose routing. Once you have a decent photo of a '64, 326, you will be good to go. I would recommend the 2 BBL. I am currently converting a 1966 Bonneville curbside to a full detail using a Revell parts pack 421.

P.S. I vote for a gold interior.

Edited November 12, 2023 by Bills72sj

[Dan Hay]

Knowing your attention to detail, this should be stunning!

[Kah puts]

This could be a series on Netflix, I’m sure someone will come up with a name, regardless im looking forward to your build 👍

[StevenGuthmiller]

"Bucky", (Keith Buckner) was so kind as to donate a hard top from the AMT '65 GTO kit for me to try to convert into a convertible up top for this project.

Mega thanks Keith!!

 

So, I began work on it today.

First order of business was to sand the ridge along the corners of the top to ease, or round the corners, and to remove all of the trim.

Then I did a little filing and sanding around the top and side of the rear window opening to try to reshape it a bit.

Next came the "fillers".

 

The top will be moved back slightly, so a filler panel was added to the front of the top.

Then some fillers were added to the top corners of the rear window opening and the side window openings to round them to more closely resemble a convertible top.

 

Once all of this work is completed, I will begin adding the top bows, followed by the top seams, and finally the welting around the perimeter and rear window opening.

 

A lot of work I suppose, but this is the kind of stuff that I really love doing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited November 25, 2023 by StevenGuthmiller

[Nacho Z]

And now for a bit of a different compliment.  We all know this will be stunning when finished, that is basically a given.  What I really appreciate is this; I appreciate the amount of time and effort you put into the narrative, the explanation of what you did, why you did it and how you did it. Secondly, I appreciate the clear, in focus and uncluttered photos that accompany your narratives.  I get that not everyone is a wordsmith, but everyone can take a second to take a decent photo.  I appreciate you doing both, Steve.

[Keef]

3 hours ago, Nacho Z said:

And now for a bit of a different compliment.  We all know this will be stunning when finished, that is basically a given.  What I really appreciate is this; I appreciate the amount of time and effort you put into the narrative, the explanation of what you did, why you did it and how you did it. Secondly, I appreciate the clear, in focus and uncluttered photos that accompany your narratives.  I get that not everyone is a wordsmith, but everyone can take a second to take a decent photo.  I appreciate you doing both, Steve.

I too appreciate the effort he puts into not only his builds but the description of the how’s and whys of what he does in each step. Watching one of his builds is akin to watching one of those automotive shows or reading a book describing how a car is built. I look forward to seeing each new post and love going back and reading his threads. I’ve actually learned quite a bit from his posts.

[atomicholiday]

Another ambitious build and another classic Pontiac (my personal favorite brand).  Looking forward to learning from your updates sir.  Best of luck with this one.

[Nazz]

Definitely  following this one. Great work so far Steve!

 

Jerry

[espo]

Look forward to following this build, have always liked Pontiac vehicles.  

[StevenGuthmiller]

Thanks guys!

 

 

17 hours ago, Nacho Z said:

And now for a bit of a different compliment.  We all know this will be stunning when finished, that is basically a given.  What I really appreciate is this; I appreciate the amount of time and effort you put into the narrative, the explanation of what you did, why you did it and how you did it. Secondly, I appreciate the clear, in focus and uncluttered photos that accompany your narratives.  I get that not everyone is a wordsmith, but everyone can take a second to take a decent photo.  I appreciate you doing both, Steve.

 

13 hours ago, Keef said:

I too appreciate the effort he puts into not only his builds but the description of the how’s and whys of what he does in each step. Watching one of his builds is akin to watching one of those automotive shows or reading a book describing how a car is built. I look forward to seeing each new post and love going back and reading his threads. I’ve actually learned quite a bit from his posts.

 

Well, I appreciate that guys!

I figure that if I'm going to do a build thread, it should be as comprehensive as possible.

Plus, it ends up being a useful reference for myself, as I don't always remember what technique I used for a particular circumstance, so it serves as a sort of catalog that I can return to if my memory escapes me.

 

As far as photos go, most of us have a smart phone these days, and mine is always with me, so when I'm in the shop for a while, and I've finished a process, or if I'm just ready to take a break, I'll pull out my phone and snap a few quick pics.

Then I just send them to myself in an e-mail where I can deal with them later on my desk top.

 

I organize all of my photos into separate folders, one for the progression of the project, with sub folders for different aspects of the build, (ie, body, engine, interior, chassis, etc.) and another folder for photos of the completed builds.

I'm not particularly organized in many other parts of my life, but I've found that my photos can become an absolute quagmire to wade through if I don't have some sort of organization.

 

In any case, I'm happy that you are all following along.

Thank you!

 

 

 

Steve

[atomicholiday]

21 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Thanks guys!

 

 

 

 

Well, I appreciate that guys!

I figure that if I'm going to do a build thread, it should be as comprehensive as possible.

Plus, it ends up being a useful reference for myself, as I don't always remember what technique I used for a particular circumstance, so it serves as a sort of catalog that I can return to if my memory escapes me.

 

As far as photos go, most of us have a smart phone these days, and mine is always with me, so when I'm in the shop for a while, and I've finished a process, or if I'm just ready to take a break, I'll pull out my phone and snap a few quick pics.

Then I just send them to myself in an e-mail where I can deal with them later on my desk top.

 

I organize all of my photos into separate folders, one for the progression of the project, with sub folders for different aspects of the build, (ie, body, engine, interior, chassis, etc.) and another folder for photos of the completed builds.

I'm not particularly organized in many other parts of my life, but I've found that my photos can become an absolute quagmire to wade through if I don't have some sort of organization.

 

In any case, I'm happy that you are all following along.

Thank you!

 

 

 

Steve

It’s definitely appreciated.  One of the things I’ve picked up from this forum is the different uses of the wip threads by different users.  The way you present yours are educational and beneficial to anyone interested.  So much more useful than just posting “well, the engine is done now”.

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, atomicholiday said:

It’s definitely appreciated.  One of the things I’ve picked up from this forum is the different uses of the wip threads by different users.  The way you present yours are educational and beneficial to anyone interested.  So much more useful than just posting “well, the engine is done now”.

Thank you Jeremy.

I agree.

How you got there is much more important and informative than just the fact that you got there.

But, it’s understandable that some might just want to share what they’ve done on a project, rather than what processes they’re using to get there.

Personally, I find the latter to be much more educational, and I’m always interested in learning something new.

 

 

 

Steve

[Bucky]

Looks like you're well on your way to making that top work for this project. Ever forward, brother!!

[Bills72sj]

3 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Thanks guys!

Well, I appreciate that guys!

I figure that if I'm going to do a build thread, it should be as comprehensive as possible.

Plus, it ends up being a useful reference for myself, as I don't always remember what technique I used for a particular circumstance, so it serves as a sort of catalog that I can return to if my memory escapes me.

As far as photos go, most of us have a smart phone these days, and mine is always with me, so when I'm in the shop for a while, and I've finished a process, or if I'm just ready to take a break, I'll pull out my phone and snap a few quick pics.

Then I just send them to myself in an e-mail where I can deal with them later on my desk top.

I organize all of my photos into separate folders, one for the progression of the project, with sub folders for different aspects of the build, (ie, body, engine, interior, chassis, etc.) and another folder for photos of the completed builds.

I'm not particularly organized in many other parts of my life, but I've found that my photos can become an absolute quagmire to wade through if I don't have some sort of organization.

In any case, I'm happy that you are all following along.

Thank you!

Steve

Than you Steve for the WIP pics. I use them for motivation and try to use your techniques to really speed up my learning curve (much less error in the "trial and error" method)

I too, snap pics with my phone and transfer them to my PC via direct cable for review and clean up. Much easier with a bigger screen and photo manipulation software.

 

Bill N.

[Nazz]

  Steve, if I may request when you get to the interior if you would explain just how you make your knob for the signal arm and shifter. I have been trying to do it with styrene rod, but I can't seem to drill in the center of the rod. Sanding the outside to shape with the piece in a drill is difficult but not imposable. Thanks for all you do.

 

Jerry