I'm new to this site

widetrack69 · Member

I'm new to this site

MorePower · Poncho Master!

welcome....Ray.
Love your sig.
Blessings

Lefty · Uber Guru

welcome, the more you chime in (and Pictures) you will find the support is great..
Best knowledge base around..

widetrack69 · Member

Thanks guys, I hope to be able to give as much information as I get...As far as pictures go, I'm somewhat illiterate when it comes to posting them, but, even though it may be my age conflicting with my computer skills, I will learn and post...all I can do now is post a URL of a vehicle that I did the paint and body on...it's not a Pontiac so I don't know if you guys would be interested. If you are, let me know and I'll put the URL up. I wish I did nothing but Pontiacs but, we all need to eek out a living.

Oh, "Poncho Master" if you mean the "Faith, Respect, Trust" as my signature, I try to live my life by those words and sometimes when i explain the theory behind them, it helps other people as well.

Thanks again guys, looking forward to posting.

Best to you
Ray

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Welcome aboard. As for your question, Canadian Poncho is geared more towards Canadian built Pontiac's. Prior to CP, there really wasn't much online to help owners of these cars. Of course, we love all Pontiacs and our U.S counterparts are more than welcome.

Captain Beaumont · Poncho Master!

Welcome from Edmonton

widetrack69 · Member

Canadian Poncho wrote:
Welcome aboard. As for your question, Canadian Poncho is geared more towards Canadian built Pontiac's. Prior to CP, there really wasn't much online to help owners of these cars. Of course, we love all Pontiacs and our U.S counterparts are more than welcome.

Thanks for the response, I was just wondering...When I was 16, I had a 67 Firebird with a 326 and nobody in my small town in Manitoba knew what it was...Getting parts was always a chore, I lived close to the US boarder and would have to go state side to pick up even the smallest of Pontiac only engine part. When I was invited to join this site I looked it over and that was my first question to the person who invited me. So I thank you for the answer and for the welcome.

Ray

widetrack69 · Member

Captain Beaumont wrote:
Welcome from Edmonton

Thanks, Edmonton, my favorite city in Canada, lived there for 17 years, Sherwood Park actually..."Go Oilers" Had season tickets from 82 to 96, still a big fan if we ever get hockey again.

Ray

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Welcome from Morris, Ray. Where did you live in southern Manitoba? I thought for a second you might be the guy from Morris who had the red and white 67 Bird with the 326 4 speed but then I saw your name and knew you're not him.

widetrack69 · Member

Well Carl, I was born and raised in Winkler Manitoba, my Firebird was black with a candy red over top, done in lacquer in 1974 by a local shop in Morden...I wasn't overly happy with the job at the time...went back to the shop owner almost 20 years later and apologized. As I got older and was in the trade myself, I realized what a great job he had done and what it took to get the car as straight as he got it, especially with the materials that they had to work with, I felt it was time to eat crow. We are now still friends, just wish I hadn't been an Idiot (didn't know I didn't know) in 74.

The Firebird ended up getting a strong 1968 400 put in it and made a few respectable passes at Bison drag-ways from 75 to 76.

The only other thing that's similar to my Firebird compared to the fellow you knew besides the 326 was that mine was a 4 speed as well.

Even the 326 wasn't to bad a runner with a little work that I did to it.

And thank you for the welcome, do they still have the stampede there every year? I haven't been back for a while now.

Ray

lueger68 · Poncho Master!

Welcome to the site Ray , great group of guys here you will enjoy this site as its the best around!! Post some pics of your bird when you get familiar with the site.

Kevin

widetrack69 · Member

Thanks for the welcome Kevin, as far as pictures go of my Firebird, well they are the old film camera type...Now I do have a digital but haven't got a clue as to how to post pictures...I'll learn and get some pictures of my paint, body and engine work on the site...I know it can't be that difficult and I am smart enough to get up in the morning and make my own coffee so I will take the time and learn.

Thanks again for the welcome.

Ray

dcneric · Poncho Master!

Ray, Welcome from Regina. There always seems to be something going on here that's worth reading.

Later,
Eric

widetrack69 · Member

Thank you for the welcome Eric.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

widetrack69 wrote:

Well Carl, I was born and raised in Winkler Manitoba, my Firebird was black with a candy red over top, done in lacquer in 1974 by a local shop in Morden...I wasn't overly happy with the job at the time...went back to the shop owner almost 20 years later and apologized. As I got older and was in the trade myself, I realized what a great job he had done and what it took to get the car as straight as he got it, especially with the materials that they had to work with, I felt it was time to eat crow. We are now still friends, just wish I hadn't been an Idiot (didn't know I didn't know) in 74.

The Firebird ended up getting a strong 1968 400 put in it and made a few respectable passes at Bison drag-ways from 75 to 76.

The only other thing that's similar to my Firebird compared to the fellow you knew besides the 326 was that mine was a 4 speed as well.

Even the 326 wasn't to bad a runner with a little work that I did to it.

And thank you for the welcome, do they still have the stampede there every year? I haven't been back for a while now.

Ray

Do you remember another Ray who ran a 400 4 speed 67 at Bison in those years as well? I can't even remember for sure, but I think it was green. Anyway, he's still around (lives a bit east of Dominion City) but that must have been right around the same time you ran your car. Also, I would have been running a turquoise/light aqua 65 Acadian Sport Deluxe there in 1975.

Stampede is still here every year. My uncle was one of the founding members and ran it for a number of years. He is long gone but the tradition continues. I think they are coming up on 50 years but I have no interest in horses that aren't under a hood so I never bother to attend other than take in the parade.

I do some dealings with the boys at the remaining GM dealership in Winkler as well as regularly browse at the auto wrecking in Osterwick. I am thinking that wrecking must have been there even back when you lived here. It's been around a while.

widetrack69 · Member

Sorry Carl I don't remember a Ray with a green Firebird from Dominion City, I remember a Ron from Plum Coulee area that had a green 68 Firebird 400 that he ran around that time. I also Remember Dennis Darling from Morden with his Hemi Charger Daytona and Kenny McKenzie with his 55 327 Chevy gasser running at Bison...It's funny when you think of it, these guys where running mid to low 10's and they had to trailor their cars there every weekend...now you can fill up 10 and 11 second cars at the premium unleaded pump and dependably cruise the streets. As far as your Acadian goes, again, we're talking 40 years ago and I'm sorry, I just don't remember. When I was racing at Bison I was either to busy with the car or chasing a cute little girl whose father owned Dubois Pontiac from Winnipeg to notice much else...Never did catch that girl.

The Morris Stampede, second only to Calgary was there slogan if I remember...We used to go there every year when I was a kid, glad to hear it's still going.

Never have been to the wrecking yard in Osterwick, we had a real good wrecker on the North end of Winkler that had a bunch of old 30's and 40's vintage cars...I think it was a Neufeld family that owned it, but like everything else, there's a Walmart there now.

I'm so out of touch as to what's happening in that area of the world these days, I don't even know which GM dealerships are still around...We had Jansen Pontiac Buick and Courtesy Chev Olds back then but have no idea of whats left.

Thanks
Ray

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Janzen remains, they bought up Courtesy a number of years ago. They have a beautiful new operation at the corner of 14 and 428. As with most dealerships, there's a number of car guys in the shop. There's an LS1 Trans Am, 502 Chevelle, G8 GT just to name the three I can think of.

If you came back and tried to buy a home there now you'd be in shock. I believe I heard it's the fastest growing town (city now) in Manitoba. Prices have gone crazy, the school is busting every seam and they won't get the new one built fast enough.

And Tim's has a lineup 24/7 just like every other one I've ever been to!

widetrack69 · Member

Yah Carl, I heard from family and friends that the population is over 10,000 now and you don't have to be a Mennonite to live there anymore...still no liquor store from what I hear. I remember the big referendum in 66 about building the Garden Valley High School and how people then where saying they where building it to big. When I graduated in 73 we had some classes in little out buildings and that was only 7 years later.

I'm surprised that Janzen bought Courtesy, I would have thought that it would have been the other way around. This is bringing back a bunch of memories, there was a fellow whose father was part owner Janzen Pontiac who had a 68 Firebird convertible that was real quick, his name was Dennis if I remember right. So many cool cars back then, seemed like everybody had one.

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

Welcome from Ontario

lots of Firebird and GTO guys here

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

Welcome from Canada's east coast Ray!

widetrack69 · Member

Thanks for the welcome, now from Ontario myself, glad to hear that there's a lot of Firebird and GTO guys here. I haven't had a bunch of time to go over the whole site but I will as time allows. I'm always looking for new and relevant information and now that I've got a major Pontiac build starting soon I know I'll have some questions.

On the other side of the coin...If there are any paint or body questions...and if I have the answers...I'd be happy to help.

Thanks Again

Ray

widetrack69 · Member

Pontiacanada wrote:
Welcome from Canada's east coast Ray!

Once again, thank you so much for the welcome, you guys are making me feel like I finally made it home...Thanks Again.

Ray

Beaumont4008 · Uber Guru

Welcome from Winnipeg. Always been a fan of the first gen Firebirds. I have owned two over the years. One was a 68 400 four speed convert. The other a 67 overhead cam six sprint. My brother in law back then had a orange 67 326 four speed. That little 326 sure could move.

widetrack69 · Member

Beaumont4008 wrote:
Welcome from Winnipeg. Always been a fan of the first gen Firebirds. I have owned two over the years. One was a 68 400 four speed convert. The other a 67 overhead cam six sprint. My brother in law back then had a orange 67 326 four speed. That little 326 sure could move.

Thanks for the welcome...I always thought the 326 was under rated...a lot of torque for little cubes.

Ray

57poncho · Uber Guru

Welcome from Winnipeg.