Rich Antonacci's love for Pontiacs started when he was just 5 years old! His father, also named Rich, ran a '63 Pontiac Catalina back in the day at US 30 and Oswego Dragstrip in Illinois. Rich grew up going to the track with his father and they lived in a Chicago neighborhood loaded with race cars and right down the street from the legendary racer and car builder Romeo Palamides' chassis shop. Needless to say this had a big influence on Rich and since then he has had many Pontiac race cars and show cars over the years with his father who taught him everything.
Currently, besides his 63 Lemans, Rich has a 1966 GTO called THE GODFATHER that he intends to update and race again hopefully in late '21 or '22 depending on finances. The car which Rich followed as a kid, has not been run since 1999. Rich acquired it 4 yrs ago from the guy who owned & raced it over 40+ years. It's an original survivor car and has been a race car since 1968 with a legendary history. It was well known around the Chicago area and raced at Byron, US 30, and Union Grove.
The '63 Lemans was purchased from the second owner in '91 from very nice elderly lady in Aurora, IL. It was an original 62,000 mile car that he drove for a few weeks before he started to disassemble it. The car had the base 4-cylinder engine connected to a transaxle. So, the transmission and torque convertor were in the rear under the trunk floor connected to the engine with a rope shaft inside a torque tube housing. This setup was used from 1961-1963 in all Tempest and Lemans cars. Rich finished the car in late '92 and was made into a Pro Street car and drove for 4 years before next he decided to make changes and modifications to what you see today.
The body is all original steel except VFN Fiberglass fenders, hood, and deck lid with paint by Bob Carter owner of BC Auto Creations & Hot Rods in Crestwood, Ill. You'll also notice a decal in memory of Rich's father who he lost in '03 and the side window and a cross on the trunk dedicated to Rich's 10 week old Grandson Jaxon who he lost in Feb 2020.
The interior is completely original interior except for the front racing buckets. All the windows are factory OEM glass with fully operable window cranks. Rich used a Painless wiring kit for required lights, turn signals, brake lights, instrumentation, etc., to operate and license as street legal.
The party starts with an engine built by Custom Auto Machine Crete, IL. consisting of 482 cubic inches, Pontiac 400 block, 15.3 to 1 Diamond pistons, Crower Ultra Lite crank, Ferrea titanium valves, Comp Cams roller cam, Edelbrock Aluminum heads with Cometic gaskets, Twin 750 Demon carbs, Wenzler Guts Ram intake manifold and a Moroso Vacuum pump.
Ed’s Auto Conversion of Plano, IL made the custom step-headers.
The trans is a Turbo 400 with a Reverse pattern with an ATI transbrake, ATI 9 inch convertor, JW Ultra Bell front housing and built by Don Stanley @ TSI Transmissions.
The chassis was built by Chassis Craft in Addison, IL and includes an all stock front suspension except for an aftermarket steering rack and Calvert 90/10 shocks. Rear suspension is an Art Morrison 4-link with coil overs and a 9” Ford rear housing with Strange axles and center section with 4.56 gears.
This year was the first time out with the car in 12 years as Rich's sons played high school and college football. Rich's weekends were spent traveling to camps, going to both home and away games to support his sons. Rich's intent now is to run it at select nostalgia events, and at some of the Nostalgia Super Stock Inc. events. In another two or three years Rich plans to retire it, swap in his other motor and drive it on the street again! #pontiac #nostalgiasuperstock #warparty