1962 Pontiac Catalina 2-Door Hard Top Coupe
389 V8 4-barrel, Roto Hydramatic 3-Speed Auto
Odometer shows 31k, but I know it's turned over once.
I would classify this car as a "builder" project:
--This was my first car in 1996, and had been my father's for quite a few years before that, so I know first-hand the vast majority of the miles this car has seen.The Big Cat got parked for good in 2002, and has spent the last 15 years either in the barn, or in the field next to the barn. She was in daily-driver condition when parked, with a solid engine and trans, and no known mechanical, electrical, suspension, or braking issues. I pulled her out of the barn this summer, and found some mouse droppings and chewed wires in the engine compartment and trunk, but the interior seemed pretty much mouse-free. The engine will rotate by hand with the fan, and it didn't feel gritty or stuck at all. As far as the electrical system, with a new battery, plugs and wires, and a few hours of wiring repair and troubleshooting, the engine should probably be good to go. The brake pedal didn't seem to do much when we rolled it out of the barn, but the hand brake worked fine. The master cylinder was basically empty; filled it, but the foot brake still diidn't seem to do much. I can't speak to the current condition of the rest of the drive-train or the fuel or cooling systems, but the car was generally in good running condition when parked.
--The good: The 389 in the car is from a '65 Grand Prix (330-ish HP), and has less than 20k on the full rebuild. A rebuilt Roto Hydramatic transmission was installed with the new engine, and had a rather firm shift (would bark the tires on the 1-2 shift under moderate to hard acceleration). Generator system has been upgraded to a standard GM alternator. All of the glass is there and in good shape, except for a crack in the windshield in the upper passenger corner. 99% of the exterior chrome is there and in really good shape for the age. All interior hard trim is there and in really good shape. Window regulators all still work, including the vent-window cranks. All of the dash controls and instruments worked when she got parked. Has the optional second ashtray in the passenger side of the dash, along with the passenger grab handle. Included in sale is a period-correct Pontiac under-dash tachometer. Hood, deck-lid, front clip, doors, roof, and sail panel all in excellent condition with only minimal surface rust, if any. I have the keys and a clean Colorado title in my name in hand.
--The bad: Interior vinyl, seats (except rear bottom, which is in pretty good shape), dash-pad, package tray, head-liner, and carpet all shot. Glove-box insert comes with the sale, but the mounting holes/tabs are shot. Driver side rear wheel well has some cancer, but not as much as one might expect. Passenger side quarter will need significant repair or replacement: was in a minor accident (minor for this old tank, but rather major for the jerk who clipped me with his Dodge Colt) in the '90s and never repaired. Trunk floor has lots of cancer, and would need significant repairs from the accident anyway. Paint is pretty much gone with some amount of surface rust on most panels.
These '62 Catalinas are getting extremely hard to find, and I would label this one as pretty easily restored.
$3500 cash or best offer. Local pick-up only, but I'll help you get her on the trailer. Please email with any questions or to see more photos, and thanks for looking.
