Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Silver Streak! 1935 Pontiac Sedan

d2

This charming Pontiac “Silver Streak” (so nicknamed from the grille/hood trim) has been off the road since 1965! It can be found for the moment in San Angelo, Texas, and is listed for sale here on eBay, with bidding at just below $5,000, reserve not met but a buy it now is there at $6,000.

d7

As you can see from these ads, Pontiac was quite proud of their new six-cylinder engine, despite me reading that it was essentially a rehash of their older engine. However, it was stylish and offered many of the features of their larger engined 8-cylinder cars. A lot of their marketing push had to do with quality, including “triple sealed” hydraulic brakes and “silver alloy bearing” engines.

d1

Here’s a better shot of the “silver streak” on this car. As you can see, the body appears largely intact, and while the pictures are more craigslist quality than I’d like to see, and there’s no picture of the engine at all, what I can see looks to have minimal corrosion at worst. The seller tells us little else other than they have a bonded title in their name.

d4

Looks like there is plenty of room to get into the back, unlike many sedans of the day, so you can take your family along when you go cruising. This is a late enough car that as long as reasonable care is taken for stopping distances, you can drive it on weekends without every nerve being on edge. Probably not so much in the way of crash protection, though, as is the case with most classics.

d3

The interior will certainly need work, and I’m wondering about what looks like a transmission in the floor. Is it extra or is it the only one? I’d certainly like to know that before proceeding with a bid. Look at the length of the shifter that’s attached! Ultimately, it’s your call–do you think this is a good candidate to put back on the road? Would you restore it or just get it running, safe and drive it?

Comments

  1. Avatar Rick

    Neat project. No drivetrain – hole in the floor confirms the transmission is out; radiator in the back seat probably means engine is gone. Perfect for an update. Love the lines on this one!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Wm Lawrence

      The transmission sitting on the passenger side footboard might be a clue the transmission is out…

      Like 0
  2. HoA Howard A Member

    I had a friend with a ’38 just like this. I helped him redo the brakes, and was amazed brake technology, at least drum brakes, hadn’t changed in 50 years. It was a ho-hum car, nice, for 1930 standards, but horribly inadequate for todays roads. 50 mph was humming right along for the old “Chief”, but like Rick suggests, better just to update it. It’s got that retro 30’s look that every customizer loves, and I’ve seen some pretty fancy resto-mods like this, beautiful jobs, but retains little of the original, and that’s ok. The ’23 Lincoln, no, the ’31 Packard, absolutely no, this, you bet.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Van

    How about a sprint 6 with a 4 barrel? 230 hp is enough to cruse at 75 mph.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jamie Palmer Staff

      Van, that would be a nice combination. Always liked that engine…

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Chuck Cobb

    From the pictures, this car looks pretty good for it’s age. From the one interior picture I saw, keep in mind this car has a LOT of wood in it’s body. Sprint 6 with 5 speed would be real nice.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar geomechs Member

    This is a nice car, kind of a rare beast with the slope back instead of the bustle trunk. For what he’s asking I would want some assurance that the motor is there and fairly complete. Resto-mod something like this? No. Just not enough of them around. I’m curious if this has got the Knee-Action front suspension? Some Pontiac models used it. Nice ride but quite fussy to align….

    Like 0
  6. Avatar tmc_61

    I had a 36. There is a lot of wood in that car

    Like 0
  7. Avatar David L Member

    I emailed the seller re motor, transmission, etc.
    “ALL YOU SEE IN PICTURES GOES WITH CAR
    TRANNY MOTOR ORIGINAL THANKS JOE”
    So I guess it’s complete.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar the one

    401 nail head 2 4s auto high stall 391 rear gear Dig the rims and caps. lots of cool stuff, the grill that big ole back light. Funny how you had to use both hands to open the trunk. Wad if ya only have one!

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Hoos Member

    I like this car, and the current colors work for me, although I have no idea if this combo is original. The amount of work needed is far beyond not only my abilities, but my wallet too. David L asked the seller about the engine, but the ebay ad does not show any questions asked. I have seen this in other listings, too. Does the seller choose which ones show?

    Like 0
    • Avatar CATHOUSE

      When an ebay seller is answering a question sent through the ebay system they have the option of checking a box so that the question and their answer will appear on the listing. If they do not check the box the Q & A will not appear on the listing but the seller is still able to send their answer to the person who asked the question.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Eric Hare

    My grandfather had a 38 Buick in the late 90’s. Two spinsters bought it new, and parked it in the hayloft when the last one gave up her license. They should have given up their licenses earlier because all four fenders were caved in. Apparently when getting into, or out of a parking spot they would crank the wheel and stop when they hit something, change direction and go until they hit something else. We took off all four fenders (22 bolts each) and tried to straighten them with a 2 pound dead blow mallet and a 2 pound hammer. I can tell you that it is more than a little bit frustrating when your 17-18 year old self winds up and hits it for all of your worth and it doesn’t move, or barely moves.

    Like 0

Leave a Reply to Wm Lawrence Cancel reply

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.