Vehicle Description
As a general rule in life, for just about anything, if you are
going to do a thing, do it the best you can. When it comes to the
things we are passionate about, that ideology is exponentially
magnified. Car restoration is a passion and, at times, a
painstaking one that can tempt us to take shortcuts or lower our
expectations due to budgetary or time constraints. We have a vision
of the end result, but occasionally, life gets in the way, and we
adjust. That is exactly why when we come across a car like this
1952 Pontiac Chieftain Super Deluxe Catalina 2-Door Hardtop, every
enthusiast in our company stops what they're doing to appreciate
just how special it is.
The previous 40-year owner of Belfast Green over Sea Mist Green
hardtop spent more than 30 years collecting and restoring this
post-war beauty, with almost every part being either New Old Stock
(NOS) or a rebuilt original. Spending more than $120,000 to make
this car as exactingly correct as the day it rolled off the Pontiac
assembly line, it's no wonder this car was chosen for a feature
piece in Crankshaft Magazine.
The pillarless Catalina design is the hallmark of the Chieftain's
top-tier trim introduced in 1950. The body panel fit and finish on
this car far exceed its original tolerances, while its flashy
chrome trim is 90% NOS parts that have been replated to show-level
chrome finishes, and the stainless steel pieces have been
professionally polished to reflect that Joker-level grin you're
sure to have walking around this stout unicorn. It is also worth
noting that the flying head Native American hood ornament even
lights up as it should.
Inside, you won't immediately notice that the cabin has been fully
insulated with Dynamat, nor the roof insulated with
aluminum-reinforced aircraft insulation. Still, after a five-minute
drive down the road, you'll realize that what you're not noticing
is precisely the point. No rattles or squeaks to distract you from
the Kelleen Leather interior that has been fabricated to the
correct factory original thickness (yes, really). The seat springs
have been bagged in burlap as per the original factory process,
while 154 hand-cut cardboard squares were used to recreate the
lower door panel's original look. An original tube radio powers two
speakers, one in the front and a rare NOS speaker in the rear,
while even the trunk sports the correct fabric and materials that
would have been found in this car more than seven decades ago.
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Excellent Factory Restoration
• No Expense Spared w/ Over 120K Invested
• Over 30 Years Invested Using Only NOS Or Rebuilt Parts
• 1,158 Miles Since Rebuillt
• Top Notch Fit And Finish
• Show Quality Chrome
• NOS Rubber Throughout
• Dynamat Insulation
• Original Tube Radio w/ NOS Rear Speaker
• Fully Rebuilt 268 CID I8
• Two Barrel Rochester
• Dual Range Hydra-Matic (4 Speed Automatic)
• Crankshaft Magazine Feature Car
Although it isn't a DeLorean powered by a Flux Capacitor, this 1952
Pontiac Chieftain Super Deluxe Catalina 2-Door Hardtop will
time-warp you to the past with its fully-rebuilt 268 cubic-inch
straight-eight cylinder engine that is fed by a correct single
two-barrel Rochester carburetor and exhales via a factory
replacement muffler. Power is routed through a rarely seen
Dual-Range Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission introduced
for the 1952 model year. Made to provide greater flexibility for
drivers who had to traverse various road elevations and conditions,
the DRHM offered better control in changing road circumstances and
still performs admirably 73 years later.
In life, it is always good to try and succeed at everything and
anything you involve yourself in. So, if you have been searching
for a car that is the epitome of restoration perfection, you can
accomplish two incredible things at once with one phone call.
First, you can inspire more green flashes than this car was made
within the eyes of jealous onlookers everywhere you go, and two,
you can commend yourself as a resounding success because you have
found one of the absolute finest factory resurrections we have ever
seen, and it's hard to do any better than that. Call today!
