1955 Pontiac Strato Streak v8

I bought this Pontiac in Pretoria in a semi-OK condition.

It was running but the gearbox made a terrible noise in reverse and jumps out of 2nd gear. Everything that contain oil was leaking.

Because I am too busy with other projects I decided to just get it mechanically good for now and leave the body as is.

In 1955 The Pontiac came out with a 287 Cubic Inch V8. (4.7 Litre) with 264 ft.lbs of torque at 2400 rpm (358Nm) and 190 hp (134 Kw).

Much like Chevrolet, its sister division at General Motors, Pontiac received an all-new chassis, body, and V8 engine for 1955—a bold stroke indeed. But for Pontiac, the stakes may have been even higher, as the smaller division had more to prove. Sales had been flat at Pontiac for several years, falling behind Oldsmobile and Buick, and the brand’s identity seemed to be adrift. There was even some talk on the 14th floor of the GM Building about eliminating Pontiac entirely. But with the all-new product line for 1955, and the arrival of a new general manager, Bunkie Knudsen, in 1956, Pontiac was soon reborn as the corporation’s youth and performance brand.

The Pontiac V8 proved to be one of GM’s more versatile and enduring designs. Offered in numerous sizes—389 and 455 CID are the most familiar—the engine remained in production from 1955 through 1981, powering not only Pontiacs but also some Buicks and Oldsmobiles, and even GMC trucks from 1955 through 1959. For the performance crowd, there were Tri-Power, Super Duty, HO, and Ram Air packages in bountiful variety. Final members of the engine family included a lightweight (lighter than a Chevy, reportedly) 301 CID V8 in 1977, with a turbocharged version for the 1980-1981 Firebird Trans Am, and a 265 CID V8 with a narrow 3.75-inch bore for low emissions. All began right here with the original 1955 Pontiac V8.

Click here to read more about the engine, https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/inside-the-1955-pontiac-v8/

Below are two more interesting brochures to read about this Pontiac:
Promotion brochure, click here
Article which since disappeared from the internet