1948 Pontiac Specifications

• Pontiac offered two cars for 1948, a year in which it was still rebuilding for the civilian market after the World War II years and trying to retool itself for the future. The cars looked much like the 1943 models. They featured six- and eight-cylinder Streamliners and Torpedos. The Streamliner was a family sedan, while the Torpedo was more of a sporty car. The cars carried prices in the mid range and they had a reputation for high performance.

Drive Train

• The Torpedo sat on a 119-inch wheelbase chassis, and the Streamliner sat on a 122-inch wheelbase. They both ran the same six- and eight-cylinder L-Head engines.

  The six-cylinder featured a 239.2 cubic inch, 93.5 horsepower engine and the eight cylinder sported a 248.9 cubic inch, 107.5 horsepower engine. The L-Head had mechanical lifters for its valves that were positioned over the cylinders. The bore and stroke for the eight-cylinder engine was 3.25 and 2.75 inches and for the six-cylinder engine it was 3 9/16 and 4 inches.

  The six cylinder had 185 feed of torque while the eight cylinder had 220. Most of the cars ran a one-barrel carburetor, but a two barrel was available that boosted performance.

  Both cars had standard three-speed manual transmission. An automatic transmission was an optional item. Both Pontiacs had 17-gallon gas tanks and held six quarts of oil.

General Details

• Both of the models came in coupe, sedan and station wagon models, and each had a regular and deluxe package. The cars were designed with comfort in mind with large seats and a large passenger area.

  The Streamliner featured deluxe station wagons that would hold six to eight passengers, and at a cost of $2,495, it was the most expensive in the Pontiac line. At the other end, the six-cylinder Torpedo Coupe was priced at 1,495.

  The wagon also came in a "woody" version with real wood on the body. It was usually featured on the six-cylinder and only occasionally employed on the eight cylinder. Only a few of these cars were built.

  The Streamliner was the official name of the car that was popularly called the "Silver Streak." It acquired that name partly due to the chrome going down the hood. The 1948 model had the most elaborate grille of any car during the postwar era.

Dimensions

• The Torpedo was more sporty and smaller, though not much smaller than the Streamliner. The Pontiac Streamliner sedan weighed 3,450 lbs., and it was 210 inches long, 76 inches wide and 65 inches tall. The Torpedo sedan weighed 3,360 lbs., and it was 204.5 inches long, 75 inches wide and 66 inches tall.

  The lightest car was the Torpedo Business Coupe at 3,295 lbs. while the heaviest was the Streamliner Deluxe Wagon at 3,765 lbs.

  All of the cars had a 17-gallon gas tank. Both the six- and eight-cylinder vehicles used six quarts of oil, 1.75 pints of transmission fluid and 3.25 pints of differential fluid.