You may have something there, also note the Safety Belt, looks to be a 3 Point, but maybe just a lap belt. Definitly not factory issue in 1959/60. I have no 1st hand knowledge about the car, but the guy that gave me the pictures was a retired Pontiac Motor division engine development engineer. He could not remember the Police department it was loaned to, but is supposed to have a very early 389 duel 4bbl Super Duty engine. It was loaned for some real world high speed durability testing. The car was a 3 on the tree manual, and one of the officers badly over rev'd the engine and it experienced " an uncontained failure" with several connecting rods exiting the block.
"an uncontained failure" This is my new favorite phrase, it fits so many situations. Thanks for the posting cammerjeff.
I find it odd, in a way that they would have coupled a three speed manual, with that type of power plant. You would think if the cop was taking off in pursuit he wouldn’t want to work through the gears, and potentially over rev in 1st or 2nd. Even if automatic my have been a hair slower, with that supercharger it would be scant moments till the perp saw a light with a wide track Pontiac under it.
I understand what you are saying, but the early automatic's would not hold up to the over 500 ft lbs of torque those race engines for the street put out. No Super Charger on them, just very high compression and HD parts. Also Pontiac did not have a 4-speed Manual or a floor shifter for the 3-speed manual. When Jim Wagners won the NHRA Super Stock class in 1960 it was in a Catalina 2-door HT with the same engine and the same 3-speed manual on the column. I can't imagine speed shifting that combination. Also Hard to Believe just 1 year later they were running 421 SD's with a 4-speed Manual, Floor Shifter, and a "stock" Ford Pick Up Hood Scoop mounted on the hood
Those Hydramatics couldn't even lay a patch on dry pavement. The debut of the subsequent Turbo Hydramatic 400 was almost like a sudden step out of the Bronze Age
Speed-shifting with a column shifter is like combat-firing a bolt-action rifle: practice, practice, practice, and lots of maintenance and new parts. I'm sure, given a decent car with a well-maintained shifter, I could eventually get to the point of speed-shifting it.
