The Special Six was Pontiac’s entry level car for 1940, sharing a restyled A-body with its Chevrolet counterpart. The car was powered by a 223 cubic inch L-head inline six-cylinder motor that was good for 100 horsepower with a one-barrel carburetor. This sedan is a one owner car that has been in storage since 1976 and does turn over. It might not be a difficult restoration for someone looking for a Pontiac of this vintage. Located in Middleton, Wisconsin, the family member selling this car is looking for $9,500 here on craigslist. MattR brought this interesting tip our way!
Pontiac offered four series of autos during the early 1940s, two featuring a six-cylinder engine and the other two an eight. The Special Six would account for production of 107,000 units in ‘40, nearly half of total Pontiac output. Previously known as the Quality Six, it sported sealed-beam headlamps mounted in the car’s broad fenders, a new development in the auto building industry. A Special Six could be had for as little as $780 or about $14,600 today. That’s a lot of value for the time period, even for a basic automobile.
The seller’s grandfather acquired this Pontiac Special Six when it was new in 1940. 81 years is a long time to keep a car, much of it likely in storage in a barn where it sits now. And just 58,000 miles have crossed over the odometer in all these years. The car looks to be in remarkably good condition under all the dust and dirt that have built up. We’re guessing it would look fairly good under all that when cleaned up. Sure, it’s going to need a new coat of blue paint, but there doesn’t appear to be any rust, at least any that we can see.
This Pontiac must be pretty airtight because the interior looks good, too. The headliner may be the dirtiest part and the woodgrain finishes on places like the dash have held up quite well. There is no mention as to when the car ran last, so we don’t now know what it will take to get it going again. Since the engine turns freely, perhaps changing all the fluids and replacing the hoses along with flushing the fuel system would be a good start in getting this pre-war beauty back on the road.
1940 wasn’t 71 years ago; it was 81 years ago. Just an FYI.
Get some glasses, and read it again.
The Craigslist posting shows the climate controls including one for “water.” What does the water knob do?
It probably closes the valve to the heater core.
$9,500.00 ? Yeah…..have another drink!
“water” ? Does it open the valve to let radiator water go to the heater? And the transmission of these things had an awful (at least to me as a kid) transmission whine in 1st and 2nd.
There’s a heater knob too, along with defroster and fresh air.
Welcome to the world of old cars
Water shut-off valves on heaters Used to be common. Still found on class 8 trucks–keeps from getting extra heat in cab during warm weather.
Thanks, makes sense. I suppose the heater knob operates the heater fan. We used to open the windows and turn the heater on in hot weather in our ’56 Ford when the motor would start to overheat. Not fun.
Early competition for the well-known Amphicar. The “Water” lever was activated when approaching a boat ramp or beach from the dry side. For those sticklers out there, no, there wasn’t a “Land” switch, you simply moved the “Water” lever back to it’s original position!
This car may be dirty, but it looks solid and the interior looks really nice. I don’t think he is too far off on his price . Good luck to the seller. The buyer is getting a nice solid ride.
that art deco dash is beyond cool!
Looks like mine when I bought it in 1991. Mine was in a barn since 1958.
Does it come with the rest of the gallon of blue house paint and brushes? And while 58,000 miles over 81 years isn’t a lot, it was typical for the ten years it probably was used, or 15 years if you factor in gas rationing and the driver being overseas…all before the interstate.
But come on, make the old man happy and give this a bath…
This is just the way I like them.
Solid enough to resurrect, preserved enough not pour a boatload of cash into.
I do think the price is strong for a non-aero, but I wouldn’t be embarrassed to ask that amount if it were mine.
My oldest brother owned one of these cars back in the 50’s. He rode it hard and put it up wet a few to many times, eventually wearing it out so that it was relegated to the back of the farm where many an old car went to die.
I think the price for this car is fair for the apparent condition it’s in. These engines were built to run about 25,000 miles before requiring an overhaul. A complete rebuild of the entire drivetrain as well as brakes and cooling systems will probably be a wise move for the next owner.
God bless America
In the mid-1950’s we spent summer vacations in a house with hundreds of 1930’s issues of Life and The Saturday Evening Post, which just about always had ads for piston rings – Perfect Circle if I remember right was one. Engines got rebuilt, my father rebuilt our ’37 Studebaker Commander’s, a straight 8 if I remember right, when I was 8 or 9. Our ’50 Studebaker with no oil filter had to be rebuilt at 40,000 miles. My cousin’s ’41 Pontiac fastback was slow, same vacation was spent going to junk yards for parts for it. Same blue as this, not a lot of car underneath that sheet metal. But it was really cheap.
If his Grampa is the original owner and the seller says he is selling it for his Grampa, he must have had a lot of money as a kid or he is really old ; my dad is 99 and was 18 when this car was new . He was driving a $50.00 paint brush painted ’28 Model A in 1940.
Its a really solid looking car with great potential, but I’m not buying the story
Hmm. Well, apparently, he’s simply selling it FOR his grandfather. Perhaps it was his grandfather’s father’s car. If one were selling one’s dad’s, grandfather’s or great-grandfather’s car, who had owned it from new, one might reasonably describe the car as having been held by the same owner, that is, one’s family.
I see where you’re coming from, though, Don.
Find Kyle M. and Miss Brown.
They were THERE.
With their help, we can get to the bottom of “The Mystery of Grandfather’s Pontiac”.
Okay, here’s another mystery: what in the wide wide world o’ sports is a-goin’ on with that orange vehicle outside the garage door? Is it one of those shoe cars?
This is local to me if anyone needs a set of eyes on it, feel free to let me know.
TCOPPS, anything of concern to be aware of on these cars? Looks rather clean from the pictures.
looks like it’s gone