hello Don, it's a pleasure to speak with you.
Thank's for your thoughts; the mention of MG Midgets brings me a wistful smile.
I taught myself to lead-wipe, I think you say lead-load? on a midge and an old MGBGT, rebuilt the engine, then sold them without ever having gotten to ride in them. How familiar does that sound, i wonder?
thanks for the word on ally high-comp heads and dual manifolds. I'm not too surprised to hear you suggest small-block. Yes the Pontiac is a heavy old car - had to push her around my (ridiculously small) yard last week, and she's heavier to move than the old sixities fin-tail mercedes I loved many years ago - 'course, I was younger then!
When it comes down to it, engine design changed because of the limitations of the old stuff, and the Chevy is so easy to find and probably unbeatable for parts, and about the definitive v-8, so yes, I'm going to think about it plenty.
i haven't yet nailed down exactly which engine I've got in the Pontiac, though it's a side-valve all right. The guy I bought it from toldme he believed it was original, but that always seemed unlikely. It's marked up as GM, and I've read that Pontiac still built their own up to that year, so, if the carb is any indication, someone's fitted an engine from a similar '54 GM.
cheers, Len
"I know I have an open mind - when the wind's right, you can hear it blowing
right through..."