1933 Pontiac Coupe Street Rod

Finding the right Pontiac is never easy. If you have an idea in your mind's eye about what your ride should be, settling for a lesser example just isn't enough. Edward J. Roskey, a sign fabricator and installer from Barnegat, New Jersey, knows the trials and tribulations of searching for the perfect Poncho, but his determination paid off in the form of this '33 Pontiac four-door sedan.

Edward spent five years scouting car shows far and wide looking for a prime example of vintage Pontiac stock. Hunting for this elusive all-steel street rod eventually put him in the presence of Barry Monberger at the Hershey Pennsylvania, show in 2003. Barry had brought along a pristine '33 coupe, which had become a Seniors winner. "I told him I was looking for a street rod," Edward says. "I have owned many cars throughout my 44 years of driving, but never a street rod." As it turned out, Barry had more than a few, two of which he was restoring and a third waiting in line for the same treatment. When Barry showed Edward photos of this particular Pontiac, Edward knew right away he had found the street rod he had been looking for. The downside-it wasn't for sale!

Edward explained his situation and Barry decided there was something he liked about the cut of the would-be owner's jib. After all, he had two other vehicles to work on, what was one less car in the stable? The two agreed to a time and place to view the project car, and soon this prospective buyer was showing up for his appointment in Boyerstown, Pennsylvania. Edward reflects on his love-at-first-sight experience. "When I saw it, I instantly had to have it. There was no Bondo on this car!" A deal was struck, and soon Edward was beginning a frame-off buildup on his new street rod.

Cracking open his project, the new owner was blown over to find only light surface rust throughout. While some may cry foul and claim this to be a fictional tale, the previous owners had taken tremendous care of this now-rare beauty, and their attention to detail had paid off in preservation.

Kowalski's Custom Body Shop in Redding, Pennsylvania, split the frame and body apart, and gave both a bead blasting to remove the previous years' paint. Afterward, Eastwood self-etching primer and sealer was used to coat everything until the body was sprayed with three coats of Sikkens Indigo Blue Metallic (the fenders in black) and shot with clear using product from the same company.