Too bad Terry passed because he always had multiple roofs at any given time. And he would have bitched lamf about cutting it off with a zawzall and wizz wheel. As for shipping, he knew freight guys, and could get items like that shipped for a good price.
Anyway.
Contact this guy—not because he has a roof but—because he's very dedicated to Pontiacs, and he's part of a huge Pontiac network. On the salvage part, I would take the entire front posts, and well below the factory sail panel seam. That way, as you are getting into it, you can see where you stand. The problem: the insides of the posts act as drains for the incoming water, so they could have extensive rust on the inside.
You need SAE tools, not an option. I helped another Pontiac guy do some work on his car, at his friend's $1000, 000 garage attached to his house. He didn't have a compressor or SAE tools. Imagine! Building a $100,000 garage, and not having a compressor or SAE tools!
By the way, the engine sounds as if it's firing late. If you don't have a timing light, you need one, a cheap one is fine. Even if it's set to speck, it still needs about 5' advance. You ran out of room to advance it more, correct? If that's the case, you need to advance the dizzy at least one tooth.
No, you cannot clock the wires advanced one hole. Actually you can, but it won't solve the problem because you need more positive articulation on the advance, not different plug wire sockets. It's fact not opinion, and the fact can be proven with math. And if a guy who cannot do math can prove it with math, it's a sad day in the world of 'reading it on the internet.'
Just like you, I don't like the b-hoses, but it's one of those repop deals, whereby we have no choice. How does the lengths of the old hoses compare to the new hoses? Hindsight: After breaking the hose from the w/c, remove w/c bolts and spin the w/c off from the front side.
Also, your brake shoes are on backwards. Shorter shoes to the front of the drums, the longer shoes to the back of the drums. I cannot tell for sure, but it looks like bonded shoes. No matter how new, throw those shoes away, and get a set of riveted Raybestos. Riveted shoes have two purposes. They allow the shoe to float, whereas bonded shoes can separate from their plates. Second, the holes allow the shoes to gas better while against the drums.
You need w-cyl/m-cyl now not later. So when one of them blows out, I won't say I told you so because I already did. Lot's of good information on gravity bleeding, the only way I do my 9 and daily-drivers.
I can pull the shoes in about 30 seconds. Try this, maybe video it? If you did, it would be a one-of-one because it's my proprietary technique. As for me, I made videos of me one-man installing the w/s and b/g, but they are pig size files. Like to know how to reduce the size because they would be the only one-man w/s b/g install on the tube.]
Remove the nails from the backing plate, unload the adjuster, and back the star closed. Pry shoes open, pull the star out, and remove the bottom spring; at this point, the spring should fall out or coaxed out without prying.
With a shoe in each hand, pull open/out/up, and the shoes springs roll off. It could be reversed. I have been pulling brake shows like this for decades; again, it's my proprietary technique. I dinked with trying an install this way a few times, but the time I spent dinking with them I could had it assembled.
If I'm such a know-it-all, why don't I post technical comments? People like BronzeBird.
Speaking of BronzeBird, here's one for him: Why does the left front friction wear faster than the others? I'll give him one incorrect answer: driver's weight in the vehicle. As for googeling it, the hits are only as good as the idiots who offer the information. If you internet fish, my post history would have the answer.
