Spare Engine Included: 1949 Pontiac Chieftain Silver Streak
This 1949 Pontiac represents a major restoration project. The car has been owned by the same family for more than 60 years, and unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be one square inch of the car that isn’t going to require work. However, there has been a distinct lack of ’49 models on the market in recent times, so a restoration may well be justified. You will find this Pontiac for sale here on Craigslist. Located in Lenoir City, Tennessee, it is offered for sale with a clean title. The asking price for this Pontiac is $3,000.
There are a number of rust issues on this car, and what we can identify is only that which is visible on the passenger side of the car, as the seller provides no shots of the driver’s side. Rust is visible in the quarter panel and the rocker. There may also be some present in the bottom of the door, but it’s hard to be sure. While all of the glass appears to be present and in good condition, a number of external trim pieces are missing, and a number of the existing pieces will require reconditioning.
From what we can see of the interior it looks to be a real mixed bag. It appears that everything is present, and some of the interior components look like they could be revived with a decent clean. The optional 7-valve radio is present in the dash, although one of the control knobs is missing. The seats look like they may just be okay, but the door trims will require new upholstery. Both the headliner and the carpet will require replacement.
Under the hood is the 248.9ci straight-eight engine. In this particular car it is backed by the optional 4-speed Hydra-Matic transmission. The seller is not clear on how long the car has been sitting idle, but apparently, the car did run when it was parked. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, as the seller indicates that the engine is now locked. This may be able to be rectified, but the seller is hedging his bets if it can’t be.
Included in the sale is this spare engine. The seller states that this engine ran when it was removed from the donor car around one year ago, so hopefully it still turns freely. If the original engine can’t be revived then this should prove to be a suitable replacement.
As I said in the beginning, this Pontiac represents a major restoration project. Looking at vehicles currently on the market combined with recent sales reveals that while a significant number of Chieftains are either on the market or have recently sold, examples of the 1949 model have been extremely scarce. This makes placing a potential value on this car quite difficult. In this case I am forced to rely on valuations from both Hagerty and NADA, and both value a #2 car with Hydra-Matic transmission at around the $22,000 mark. If the rust issues aren’t too severe, and the replacement engine is also in decent condition, then a restoration could be justified. It really depends on what a personal inspection reveals about the driver’s side and underside of the car.
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Comments
Wisconsin, where we really know how to put on the Salt in winter.. We can make blacktop look like it was Whitewashed.. Cars that are 3 to 4 years old have rust holes.. Frames, Well I’ve seen them rusted through in 6 years..
$3,000 seems a reasonable price for what you’re getting and you could maybe get it for less. It seems mostly complete; hopefully the missing bits wouldn’t be impossible to find. It’s a two door sporting the very cool visor and the Pontiac hood/trunk chrome streaks are a real styling standout. Restore it to original or it’s a good candidate to resto-mod.
Kind of looks like the car Scott Wilson and Robert Blake drove in the movie In Cold Blood.
Yep. But IRL I believe they drove a Chevy of the same era.
In Truman Capote’s book (In Cold Blood), I believe the car was a 51 or 52 Pontiac, but in the movie version the car was a 55 or 56 Pontiac. Or maybe it was the opposite? I just remember when I saw the movie I thought that they got the make of the car right, but not the year–and that it wouldn’t have been that hard to get the year right! The more I think about it, maybe the movie was a 51 or 52 Pontiac–the dashes are the same for those years (and for 55 and 56).
The book says it was a 1949 Chevrolet.
https://www.shmoop.com/in-cold-blood/chapter-1-summary.html
well, so much for my memory! I stand corrected…
Just one question: What’s a “seven valve radio”?
Very rare option, usually seen on GM cars with a 12 volt rear axle.
vacuum tubes (now pretty much replaced by transistors and integrated circuits) were sometimes called valves, especially in the UK I think.
The British term for electron tubes “valves”
Gary is correct !
Brings back memories. Mom drove a ’49 Pontiac wagon when I was a kid.
These were tough old birds.
Need to check frame.
Then it needs a 427 and new paint and some bucket seats