You’ve all heard the old adage: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” I’ve always felt flattered-by-proxy for Harley Earl’s General Motors styling team regarding the 1949-’52 Chevrolet and Pontiac fastbacks, because nobody will ever convince me that Bentley didn’t pay close attention to their swooping tail when penning the majestic R-Type Continental of 1952. Of course, that’s where the similarities end, but the GM fastbacks are fantastic collectibles on their own. Although I’ve always had a spot for the Chevy Fleetline on my bingo card, I really should be paying closer attention to the Pontiac Streamliner, such as this one for sale on eBay in New London, Wisconsin. Aside from their “old-fashioned” architecture, I’ve never heard anyone bad-mouth the Flathead Pontiac sixes or eights; they’re as rugged as the hills. And Pontiac’s styling is as attractive as the Chevy’s, especially when it’s as uncluttered as this base model is. Let’s see what it has to offer.
The eBay seller is a charity that takes in vehicle donations, and they post fairly comprehensive videos about the cars they sell. Although the “inspection sheet” on eBay mentions that the frame is “poor,” it clearly is in fine shape in the video. The cameraman takes us on a dizzying (literally) journey around the trouble spots of the undercarriage, and there’s nothing out-of-the-ordinary for a ’50s car from Wisconsin. It will need a little work in the floors, and it will almost certainly need inner and outer rockers if you want to do it right. If you’re from the Great Lakes region, however, this is actually a solid car.
The engine is Pontiac’s reliable 239-cubic-inch six with 90 (or 93 optional) horsepower, and behind the six is a basic three-speed manual. It’s about as simple a car as you could order in 1950, and someone’s put in some effort to get it running and driving. It has a new fuel tank (and perhaps a rebuilt carburetor), and it runs perfectly in the driving video that was posted with the ad. It starts instantly and is clearly hitting on all six, with only the light clatter of solid lifters to remind you that it’s running. As a side note, Pontiac seemed to be ahead of its time when it comes to protecting the carburetor from manifold heat; the shield under the carburetor is a factory installation.
The interior is a little mouse-eaten and could clearly use a cleaning and a carpet, but it’s not terrible. The seller claims that the car was donated by the family of the original owner and has 45,000 miles on it. There’s always room for healthy skepticism when it comes to mileage claims, but the comparative lack of rust suggest that it’s plausible. In my experience working with old cars that navigated salty streets back when they were new, a 60,000-mile car was ready for the junkyard, absolutely clapped out.
I think someone is going to get a great deal on this Pontiac; I know I want to buy it, but if I bought everything I wrote about on Barn Finds, I’d be broke and even my ever-patient bride would put me in the doghouse. The seller’s commentary in the video is astute; it isn’t a bad car on which to do a sympathetic restoration. In other words, you can improve things as you drive it. The current high bid is $1,605 with about five days to go on the auction, so let us know if you end up with this car that inspired Bentleys.
Great write up Aaron. I totally agree with you about the GM fast back designs from this period, no matter what car it was on. Even Cadillac wore it handsomely with its tail fins. If I bought this I’d be torn. I’d leave the original powertrain for sure the body looks pretty solid. This would look great restored, but the opening photo, the way it sits looks really cool too. Hope it finds a great new home.
IF you can stand the whine of 1st and 2nd gears. Why GM didn’t put the transmission from any of its other 4 in it is a total mystery. It shared almost everything you could not see with the Chevy except the drive train, and some of what you could see, like the windows, roof, and maybe doors. I can still tell when some of the neighbors are going by, by the sound, but cars were louder, and more distinctive, in the 1950’s, and the neighbor’s ’51 Pontiac fastback was one. Their kid and I carpooled to work for a summer in 1960, it was a well made car.
Down the street from me, is a 1949 Pontiac two-door sedan, medium-light green with a cream top, unrestored, not rusted, and driven daily (it vanishes somewhere during the winter, however). The paint has something of a dull shine, and the laminated driver’s window has a diagonal crack through it. The rest of the glass is fine, except for some yellowing and bubbles near the edges. The interior looks almost like new and clearly is original. I don’t know where it came from, nor anything about it.
That battery looks almost as big as the motor
I remember many Chevrolet fast backs. but I don’t even recall seeing a Pontiac. I probably saw them but missed that they were Pontiac’s. For the price this could be a fun car!
Long live these “Torpedo-Backs”!
Looking Good! I just love the older cars and trucks. I have a 1931Model A Tudor Sedan that I need to finish, otherwise I would grab this one! Thanks guys!
My parents bought a black ’49 Silver Streak straight 8 Pontiac a few months after I was born in ’49. They got a good deal on it as a ‘demonstrator” in December after the ’50 Pontiacs had come out. I remember that car very well. They kept it for twelve years. It was built like a tank and never gave them any problems. Mom said they traded it in because they wanted a car with air conditioning, which was a used ’59 Pontiac Star Chief in coral red with low mileage that was equally as reliable for them. It was succeeded by a new ’66 Pontiac Star Chief in that silvery blue color that again was just as reliable as the two before it. They built them very well back then.