1974 Pontiac Astre "Project Ben"

[rockislandrides]

Hello all,
My apologies in advance if this post isn't appropiate for the journal.
This is my first post and second attempt, I screwed up the first time when attaching a picture. I just recently purchased a 1974 Pontiac Astre from a departed friends wife. My friend Ben died suddenly just before the completion of his fantasy ride, a pro-street Astre. Aside from the plumbing, brake lines, gas line, rad hoses and a few parts, the car is pretty much complete. I have everything else needed to finish the job.
Let me start out by telling you what I know, the car has a full 2 x 3 '' box chassis, a 4 link, Dana 60 rear end with Strange axles and 410 gears. The car is equipped with a full roll cage from front to back. It has 31'' tires on the rear, chrome moly drive shaft and countless other custom parts. The front and rear valances are custom made along with the bumpers that are nicley tucked into the body. The car was engineered to death with flush mounted glass, stretched front and rear quarter panels. The engine is a 383 stroker with aluminun heads and a Demon 750 carb, hi torque starter still in the boxes to install. It also a turbo 400 transmission with a 3500 stall converter. To the purist, the difference will jump out but to the mere mortal it would probably most likely look normal. Just before Ben passed away he had the car painted, water sanded and buffed in a GM peiod color Pepper Green with a black rally stripe. It also has Willwood disc brakes front and rear along with a tubular upper and lower control arms with rack and pinion steering. The cock pit is a story in itself with a custom dash, fire wall ,transmission tunnel and padded fiberglass buckets, with a B&M shifter. I'm told by a friend John that 2250 hrs of work went into the fabrication and with the receipts received with the car, the cost is well into the 6 figure range. My hopes are to finish the car and take Ben's kids for a ride as promised. I'm in my mid fifties at the age that I'm not in too big of a rush to get where Im going and told my wife this is way too much car for me. I will most likely sell it at some point after its finished but at least I will see Ben's dream through its completion. I hope all who post here will enjoy this story to the end.

[stage169]

I know I'll enjoy it to the end! That is great story and it will be a sweet time giving Ben's kids a ride!

Keep us posted. Brian

[rockislandrides]

Thanks Brian,
I also own a pro-touring / resto-mod 1961 F-100 unibody P/U that also in the finish stages. More than likely, my pickup will be put on the back burner for now to finish up the Astre, its one job that gives me butterflies. makes my heart race every time I open the garage door. It's funny in one sense, this car right now as it stands has zero miles on it and hasn't even been fired up yet, probably why I feel like a kid going for his first roller coaster ride. The fastest thing I ever drove was probably a 18 second car, you could probably drink a full coffee and read the news paper while watching it make a pass. I've attached a couple more pictures for everyone to see and appreciate.

rgds D

[HI WINDING MONZA]

Welcome to the board , glad that someone is going to finish this car seeing it has shown up on here for sale over a year ago or so. ( listed on Kijii ,I think) We are here to help if needed..............

Doug in P.R.

[cjbiagi]

Looks like a very nice top quality build, that's exactly what the H body community needs. You are a true friend to see this project through to the end in memory of Ben. Love seeing the pics, keep them coming.

[waybad]

I'm glad I didn't see a Astre for sale before I bought my vega,, I would have bought one of those!!
Very nice car

[vegastre]

The front end is just outstanding, well, the whole car. Green is not my first choice but this works very well. It's good to know a H-Body guy is looking down and smiling =)

[spencerforhire]

After drooling over this Astre and even sending a link to a fellow H-body enthusiast(orangeastre), I find out the car is in Newfoundland, Canada. Only an 8-hour ferry ride away. Seriously nice build, considering it's five hundred miles east of the middle of nowhere.

[rockislandrides]

Hi All,
Just a few quick comments, Project Ben is coming along nicely. I just got a shipment in from Summit Racing and I'm pretty stoked at the moment. The original builder of the Astre is back onboard, is excited to see the car again and quick to pick up where he left off. My buddy John B, has just installed the line lock and brake lines. he opted to go with stainless flex lines and some real nice anodized fittings that he had in his tickle trunk which were left over from a hot rod build. John is a stickler for detail, no doubt a professional car builder in my honest opinion and he makes no apologies for not taking short cuts. He insists on taking extra time to bend lines properly and makes every installion look like it was factory installed and purpose built.
I stole my own transmission cooler belonging to my truck thats also tucked in nice and will order another when the Astre is completed.
There were a few changes that I encountered, nothing serious and I guess it is to be expected when you work on something with no blueprints and fab as you go. The short chrome water pump is the same as you'd see on a corvette, unfortunately the alternator would have interferred with the top rad hose so in order to put the alternator on the passenger side, out with the new and in with the new, the water pump and pulleys had to be changed out.
There was some interference with the positive terminal on the high torque PowerMaster starter motor and header so that was changed out for a Hitachi which worked out fine. I found the JAZ prostreet seats to be a little to high for my stature so I've changed them out for a set of Krenke aluminum seats that sit lower which will require a few quick mods to make them work.
The exhaust is going to be a work of art, I ordered up a bunch of mandrel bent 2-1/2'' U's, J's, 45's and 90's, John has begun to fab the works into a nice well engineered system accompanied with Flow Master 40 mufflers.
I've also ordered up the B&M shifter knob with button to control the line lock, a killer billet trottle assembly that bolts right on the 750 Demon Dominator carb, a Taylor aluminum battery box and a firewall mount billet trans dipstick.
The job is getting down to the wire, so excuse the pun as the harness is pretty much all that is left to install. Both John and I have occasionaly reminisced during the build about Ben and how exicted he would be if here were here with us now. We're both convinced and satisfied that Ben would have more than approved of the work that's going on. As promised, please check back, I will post new pictures later in the day.
Best regards to all
D

[megavega]

I love the way the exhaust exits the rear and all the little subtle changes made to the body. cant wait to see it done, thats a awesome car and awesome thing your doing by seeing your friends dream become reality.

[dadhad1]

Very touching story and awesome of you to do this.
These are the kind of stories more than worthy of a magazine article.
I especially like the earlier bumpers and that custom rear valance... Damn, that rear valance is killer. Always liked the Astre tail light panels too.
When that bad bear gets going, it oughta part your hair !

Good luck with the rest of it.

And don't sell it. Ben's kids may want it someday. There's a big piece of their dad in that car !

Mike

[rockislandrides]

Thanks Mike,
both front and rear bumpers are custom made and are tucked into the body which was hand knurled along with the custom made front and rear valances.
As for the car, my friend passed away leaving two young daughters, neither of which are into prostreet. As mentioned earlier, it going to be a wait and see, I just wanted to complete Bens dream and take the kids for a ride, most likely I will sell the car not long after its finished and get back at my truck.
stay tuned, pictures to come.
rgds D

[rockislandrides]

a few new pictures as promised

[rockislandrides]

a few more pictures added, brake lines, rear pics

[rockislandrides]

Hello All,
just got back from my buddy John B's place, I've gotta say he's done an awesome job on the exhaust system for the Astre. The Camero style exhaust tips will no longer look like jewelery but will actually be functional.
All is tacked together and will be taken down over the course of next week to get welded up solid, grinded, etched primed and painted with high heat paint. Buying the mandrel bent pipe ends from Summit Racing was certainly a good choice. Check out the attached pictures and give me your opinions.
Thanks
D