Five years ago, Don Cressman was working with his brother on a scrap metal removal project when he spotted a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain 2-door hardtop in a Quonset building on the property.
Fortunately, the rare 73-year-old Poncho was not headed for the crusher because Don wanted to buy it as soon as he spotted the car.
Jim Sutherland
It turned out that Don had to buy two cars to get the ’52 Pontiac, but it was money well spent in his case because he would be able to save the old Poncho.
Don mapped out a game plan for his vintage Pontiac, one that involved a blend of new and old features for the project.
For example, the car now sports a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain two-door hardtop with a 350 Chevy small block mated to a 700R-4 automatic transmission for a major performance boost from its original six-banger coupled to a three-on-the-tree manual transmission.
Don won a big fitment battle when he was able to join the car’s original manual transmission linkage with the newer 700R-4 automatic overdrive transmission in a seamless union. These are the kind of battles car guys face when they do a resto mod project and Don won his skirmish in relatively easy fashion.
He was also able to use engine mounts donated by a Chevy grain truck to hold the transplanted 350 small block in place under the hood of the ’52 Pontiac Chieftain.
Surprisingly, Don was able to use the Pontiac’s original honeycomb pattern radiator for the engine swap because it was still intact and provided enough cooling power for the newer V-8 transplant.
He also upgraded the Pontiac’s electrical system from its factory six-volt configuration to a more modern 12-volt package. Don told MyStarCollectorCar that his car’s original AM tube radio still works after the proper electrical conversion.
He swapped out the Pontiac’s worn-out turn indicator for a newer one with an emergency flasher function that was not available as a safety feature in 1952 but was offered as an aftermarket choice in later years.
Don chose a wheel and tire package that gave the car a cooler look and blended very well with its early 1950s body lines, particularly in early two-door hardtop form like his ’52 Pontiac Chieftain.
However, Don wanted to retain most of his car’s originality whenever possible, so he kept its original interior, along with its factory finish that has its long history etched into its surface. The vintage Poncho also sports its factory bling package that help define its cool design. Overall, Don concluded that “everything is just as I bought it” in terms of body modifications.
The net result is a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain two-door hardtop that can easily handle today’s pace on the road. Don’s overall impression is his car “handles pretty good and rides like a dream”, in his words. It was a very successful rescue mission for Don.
Don is not finished with the resurrection process on his very cool 1952 Pontiac Chieftain, but he is very satisfied with the progress because now he can enjoy his vintage Poncho while he heads toward the finish line.
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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