Maybe it was a good thing that we didn't get a feature car for June until the last minute. Like they say, "Good things come to those who wait" and we certainly have a "good thing" for  June! Call me crazy but my favorite body style is the two door sedan. Dale and L.J Hamill own this impeccable 1963 Strato Chief sedan. Starting with an 8000 mile original, they created a cool tribute to the Super Stock cars from back in the day. Dale tells the tale:

"I found this car in an Auto Trader while I was riding shotgun in a semi. I was just killing time – dreaming about another project. I was way too far into a ‘62 Strato Chief Wagon with the thought that it had to be finished to ever be worth anywhere near the construction cost.

So here is this two door post car in Saskatchewan, it looked nice and had a reasonable price. Of course it was much higher than what anyone would pay, except a bona-fide gear head, who has suddenly found a new direction! I immediately called my friend Rod of Rod’s Restoration Project’s in Saskatoon who knows everyone and announced that the car was in the Trader. I wanted it. He replied quickly that it was not for sale. It belonged to a couple who had bought it at a farm auction. He wanted to market it and she wanted it to stay. It stayed...

Almost a year later Rod had been watching the car and calls with the great news “I have your car”! Short story long- he made me a trade for the wagon, which now running still had a long road to recovery. It was a gift that ‘63. I just made the deal.

We hooked up and away we went, never a thought of asking Rod “how nice is that car?”. After all I knew he was looking after me. In the meantime I might add that L.J. (my wife) has watched me buy, build, and sell a number of cars. It has probably never been easy, and the street rods were never really her cup of wine! Was she skeptical? Well the wagon had been a mouse infested stink tank from day one. But it was okay now, although not finished, and I was trading it for another unknown commodity! We are much better now!

In May 2007 we went and completed the trade. We brought it home to Headingley, Manitoba. This Pontiac Strato Chief Tudor Post was delivered to Mid West Motors in Regina SK. on Sept.25, 1962 after being completed on Sept.14. From there it went to Longeway Motors in Storthoaks Sk. and sold to Ted Mann on Nov.3 1962. The odometer read “8050” miles, when I picked it up. The standard equipment included a: 230 cu. In. six cylinder engine and a three speed column shift transmission, standard steering and standard brakes. The interior was basic with the rubber floor matting and radio delete. The build sheet found during the restoration brought to light only two options.

The paint was pretty good and I had a number of die hard purists that did not want it to be painted. The interior was pretty nice and there was no serious odour inside. AND it also rain! This was one of those special BARN FINDS. Really it was.The only thing on the car that had ever been changed was the headlights. Although, it did have a set of cheap radials on the original rims. They had been on the rims a long time along with the original dog dish caps. Once I had the car home the real inspection started. I blew a 20 litre pail of gravel out of the frame and underside! The 230 still had it's original decals on the valve cover. It ran with the original points, cap and rotor. I never did change them, and drove it for a summer and a half. The belts and hoses were all original – my buddies were no longer second guessing the 8000 miles on the odometer. Even the windshield is to this day still the original, as is all of the suspension except for the shocks and sway bars. Funny thing is all four brake linings were worn to the steel. I was able to machine the drums. In the first round of restoration I added a dual master cylinder and power booster. And almost overnight I was running 15” rally wheels and Goodyear 255x65’s on the back and 205x75’s on the front. 

It got more interesting the following summer when I showed up running the Muncie M22 behind the six. It worked out really well with the 3.73 posi unit that Russ Erskine had contributed to the build. Actually it was a good trade for the hours I spent on his 55 Pontiac Delivery! I drove the car that summer until Norm Dumontier sold me the 327 out of his Impala. We got the motor in. I had left town and when I returned David Anderson had added a 1963 intake, carb and an original set of '63 Pontiac valve covers. 

OW the car looked like so original. I had hit the mark. It was perfect. Well kinda? I could drive it anywhere. Every cruise night, Super Run in Brandon, Manitoba, Back to the 50’s (St.Paul, Minn.)X2. I’ve doubled the mileage to sixteen thousand, give or take a cruise! But the 327 did not like the M22 and became anemic. 

With the addition of the 327 it was time to dress the car with a new set of shoes. Those hub caps were just not right. So I got real lucky when I came across this brand new offering from Cragar. Wouldn’t the “Eliminator” be just the best?  I could not be happier!

A year or so goes by and I decide that the interior has to be cleaned up and Mickey and his friends have to go. Legendary answered the call and before I knew it I was a Legendary shareholder..

And along came John.(can you remember the words?)  I spoke to John….. and we had a plan. There’s more!

Oh, John is married to Deb. John and Deb live in Stonewall, Manitoba. John worked his heart out on our car and Deb gave him the time and space to reach out to a friend beyond what anyone could ever expect from a friendship. I forever owe him a great deal of gratitude for bringing the Pontiac to life. 

And my L.J. always a supporter of  my (our) projects. She told me once that she had spent a lot of money on my gifts that just drove away, or something like that. Sound familiar? She seems more interested in the Pontiac than any car we have ever had because a discussion about selling it ended with "through me first!"  I think she is pretty proud of the response it has gotten.

In February of ’13 my wife came home from a holiday and announced that it was time for a change (a move). The biggest problem was the Pontiac was already in a big stage of disassembly. I already had Legendary supply me with a complete interior package. There it sat and John was ready to tackle that for me. 

So here’s the conversation: 

D: John I told him we are moving.

J: So what about the Pontiac?

D: Well… will you refinish it for me?

J: Well. I could, it’s a nice car. But it needs a lot of work!

D: YA I know {but}(like I’m a rich guy)You tell me how much money you need and I’ll pay you.

J:  Really?! 

Well it was something like that anyway. We discussed the build and weeks before L.J. and I were ready to leave John and I decided to add a new motor to the tab. ‘course I had the motor to start with. It just needed everything plus a stroke of luck to 383 inches. It gets along with the M22 much better. And so do I!

John completed our car in eighteen months and pretty much looked after everything. He installed the sound deadener and Dynamat material and finished the interior. John handmade the new wheel lips and rockers. Then he reassembled the car so straight it is better than new. You can’t tell it was ever a part. John also added my SD hood scoop. That was an absolute and it creates the most conversation.  Remember the Saskatchewan farm thing? He told me one time that the car is so straight but it is stone chipped to death! He picked out the final colour for the paint after we had run back and forth from dealership to dealership in an attempt to get our heads in the same hue. He sold off the old parts and built the fresh stroker engine.

So now it is here in B.C. It is without a doubt the most interesting car we have ever had. 

I could not have completed the car to this point had it not been for Linda-Jane’s support. Then of course there are the friends that made it happen.

I built a car from a distance and each of these guys made my dream and vision come true. Without Rod and Rods Project Cars we would not have the car. John and Brian carried the load all the way, and Don who spent hours above and beyond to help. Russ and David and Adam for help and advice. And my brother Vern for all of his help. 

A saying I like is ”You get what you least expect when you least expect to get it.” It does not work here, because I could always expect help from my friends."