Jake Visser was born in Holland but visited Canada many times as a kid with his family.
One vacation included British Columbia and a rental car breakdown that gave a young Jake an opportunity to explore the area.
He spotted a 1948 Pontiac and instantly fell in love with it.
Jim Sutherland
Eventually Jake and his family moved to Canada when he was 14 because they liked the country and had spent plenty of time in it. Time moved on for Jake, but he never lost interest in 1948 Pontiacs as the years went by in his life. In fact, Jake continued his interest until 2023 when he discovered a 1948 Silver Streak Fleetleader that had been parked since 1984.
A little automotive history is in order: Canadian Pontiacs shared much of their lineage with Canadian Chevy models until the 1965 Auto Pact agreement eliminated severe automotive trade tariffs imposed on vehicles built in either Canada or the United States.
The net result was Canadian Pontiacs were built for a Canadian market and had to keep costs under control, so they were based upon Chevy foundations in many ways.
Consequently, a Canadian Pontiac had stronger overall links with a Chevy model instead of an American Pontiac in 1948, save for its Pontiac flathead engine and exterior trim package.
Very few 1948 Canadian Pontiacs have survived in one piece over the past 77 years, a grim fact that made Jake’s search even more difficult.
Jake’s Pontiac had enjoyed a pampered life until its removal from active duty 41 years ago, including a long history as a parade car for its original owner. Unfortunately, the ravages of time are accelerated when a vehicle enters the gone-and-forgotten phase of its world. Even if it is stored inside.
The result was a car driven into storage and hadn’t moved since 1984 will not drive out in the same condition, so Jake had a list of issues, including his Pontiac’s frozen brake system due to the long timeout.
Jake managed to un-seize the brakes and was pleasantly surprised by the good condition of his Pontiac’s shoes and drums. They were likely replaced shortly before storage and required no replacement during the brake overhaul.
Jake kept the car’s original vacuum wipers, but they were not an easy repair task since rubber components do not last forever in a car over several decades.
The Pontiac’s original 239 cubic-inch flathead six-cylinder fared better over long storage, likely because the car only had 53,000 original miles on it and was well-maintained by its original owner.
The original owner also looked after the Pontiac’s stylish hood emblem because he removed it from the car and saved it from potential vandalism, theft or, more importantly, exposure to extreme weather conditions. Jake told MyStarCollectorCar the plastic components in the hood emblem were very susceptible to sun damage but this one survived the passage of time.
Jake owns several vehicles and his ’48 Poncho is high on his list of favorite cars, but it is Number One on his dog Otis’s list. Otis loves the car and will choose it over any other vehicle every time.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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