If you attend cruise nights or car shows, you're likely to always notice a crowd around a "survivor". A survivor can be best defined as a classic car that's not worn out, but simply well worn in. A survivor is absent of any real restoration work. Maintenance items such as brakes, batteries and tires have been replaced. The paint is usually original with lots of patina. Every scratch, bump and bruise is a battle scar that must be preserved and not repaired. Canadian Pontiac survivors are pretty rare since these cars were built for the middle class and were well used and, thanks to our climate rusted out after only a few years of use. Chris Labonte's 1952 Pontiac Fleetleader Special is an exception. This fleetleader somehow managed to survive relatively relatively unscathed for 60 years. Because of this I'm proud to make this our September feature car. Kudo's to Chris for deciding to keep this car original! He tells us a bit about the car:

Well to start my story in finding this Poncho, I was looking for any older car from the 30's-70's that was running, had a decent body and wasn't too expensive.  The interior didn't matter at all because I wanted a car that I could fully modernize the interior in and keep the outside as period stock as possible. The only other mods that I wanted to do the lucky car I found would be a wheel upgrade and Air suspension. I looked at 8 cars in my price range from a late 60's Austin Amaerica to a 60 Biscayne that was "saftied" with loosely mounted crown vic seats, a thousand small holes in the floor with a patch panel that was a trailer or motorcycle license plate. I then came across an add on Kijiji; 1952 Pontiac original, runs good $price and ph# It didn't have a picture and was located 2hrs outside the city. Figured no harm in just calling the guy, I researched what it looked like and thought it would make a sweet Demonstration car for my business. I talked to the guy for about 10mins, hearing it had the Front Visor and Fender Skirts

.  I asked for directions. After navigating the back country gravel roads I saw the Big Red Barn that was the landmark for his property, got to the driveway and saw the car sitting outside the main house, thinking in my head "SOLD". I went over the car with the gentleman and listened to some stories. He was the second owner, the first owner drove it till he was 87 so it explains why it has the dents and scratches on it.

The list of options on the car was making me want to take the car home that day. It has options like the radio, clock,  signal switch, front visor, fender skirts, washer fluid sprayer, external oil filter and I think all the trim you could possibly put on the Base model Fleetleader Special.

  I felt bad even trying to barter the price but asked for $300 off asking and he accepted. He also offered to deliver the car to the city for me so I took that offer and gave him $50 for the delivery. He showed up in front of the house and before we even got the car off his trailer an old lady stopped quickly on her motorized cart and asked what year it was. She told me her story about being 14yrs old and learning how to drive her dads 51Pontiac (it would make her 74 today). Just seeing the look on her face, thinking of the great memories she had in the car made me feel that I bought something special.

I started thinking of what I wanted to do to the interior again but after going through the car, I decided to keep it the way it is. Its too original, with rust only on the rockers and its very solid floors the car is a time capsule. It needed under $600 in parts to get it safetied that included mostly front end components and a waterpump. The previous owners recently did all the breaks, fuel tank, engine gaskets and went through the trans. I have to thank Canadian Poncho for being a great and informative site with a bunch of great knowledgeable Pontiac guys. Since I'm leaving my '52 stock who wants to Retro-Mod their interior for a great price and allow me to put my business name on it somewhere :) lol.