Classic recollections: 1939 Pontiac Model 25
When assembling a classic car, sometimes you can't help but think how sweet it would be to start over with a clean slate.
Having a second crack at modifying your machine would provide for new variations, allow you to sidestep pitfalls and, most importantly, give you twice the satisfaction of crafting a cool custom ride. Bartlett resident Don Hamelka was able to do just that with his two 1939 Pontiac Model 25s.
He purchased his current Sapphire Blue two-door coupe in 1995 after having previously owned another one decades earlier.
“In '62, my parents came across a perfectly good one at a gas station on the South Side of Chicago. I was 16 and didn't have my license yet, but even then I was hooked on old cars.”
So much so that the teenager couldn't resist plunking down a paltry $125 for the street ready Pontiac. He immediately stripped the paint off, yanked and sold the underwhelming engine, transmission and rear end, all with “grand plans to make a hot rod.”
A coat of menacing black paint went on and a hopped up 1958 Pontiac engine went in. Cruising commenced for the tinkering youngster but was cut short in '66 after an official letter from Washington, D.C., arrived in his mailbox.
“I got my papers from the U.S. government saying they would gladly welcome my service to the country,” Hamelka recalls wryly.
With two cars to his name (the Pontiac and a '65 Chevy) and a father who said only one could be stored in the family garage, Don made the difficult decision to keep the bow-tie and sell the Model 25. The coupe went to a new owner and the drafted private left for a military base in Germany.
When he returned home a few years later, his boyhood garage days were replaced with full-time family responsibility. “As my children grew up, my main hobby became my fishing boat. However, my wife never cared to go out on the water and I wanted a new toy that she could have fun with, too.”
So in 1994 he went on the hunt for a four-wheeled vessel. “My heart was set on another Pontiac coupe but (I) figured the chances of finding one were slim to none.”
His determination paid off when he located a partially completed project car in St. Charles.
“It was assembled and painted but its poorly built engine wasn't running. I decided I was going to make it right.”
A bulletproof crate 350-cubic-inch V-8 was bolted in along with a 7000R transmission, providing for trouble-free motoring.
While speed was the goal in Hamelka's earlier days, comfort was king this second time around. The factory bench seat was tossed in favor of two buckets, giving he and his wife their own adjustments for long hauls to shows in places like Louisville, Ky., and Kalamazoo, Mich. When they're in the area, they'll head to cruise nights in Downers Grove or Lombard.
“The first time round I was just a young person and not sure of what I was doing. Working on this second coupe has allowed me to confidently try new things and make a hot rod I'm thoroughly happy with.”