I started Kindergarten in 62'. In 62' I wasn't into pontiacs much. I was a Chevy then Ford man then. In 62' We had a 1955 Rocket 88 Olds 2 door hardtop. Then my father bought a 62' Olds Ninety Eight, I wish he would have kept the 55' though which was a true classic.
You dont have to be seventy to love these cars. However it helps as kids today think that package was easy, but you likely had to know and doubly know the dealer to order it.
I'm 70 myself, and I know exactly what you mean. In 1962 I was a car crazy 4th grader, and Saturdays meant a trip to the hardware store and another AMT model car to put together!
I worked at my Dad's service station in 1962. I was 20 years old and many of my friends would come around to show off their latest muscle car treasures. Dad was a tune-up guru and they all flocked to him. I remember well these Pontiacs but forgot about the aluminum front ends. The 409 Chev was also a very popular machine then. A friend of mine had one and would pick me up on Sundays and we would head for the US30 drag strip in Oswego Ill. to race in the stock event. I had a pass for the pit area and checked out some really fine machines. What a heart pumper that was! The sound of a big V8 sucking in loads of air and the roar of the exhaust is beautiful music to me. We have lost an era that was truly special that my grandkids will never know. I feel damn lucky to have lived that era!
A couple of years ago I went to a small rural drag meet with my brother, who is the actual gearhead in the family. There was a blown 409 in the pits - unfortunately he had broken the previous day and I didn't get to see the car run. Pretty terrific that a guy would still run that valuable an engine "in anger", so to speak.
One thing you didn't mention, it has the Kelsey Hayes 8 lug aluminum brake drums. Very high tech for the day. I had those on a 60 Pontiac Bonneville 389 E420 three deuce engine. With 10.75 to 1 compression, it got 6 mpg in town (the way I drove it), on Ethyl gas. I would fill it up 3 times a week, but gas was less than 30 cents per gallon pre-OPEC. Good times...
I have a '63 impala 327 4-speed, 300 HP, and I get between 4 and 6 mpg and that's really without putting my foot into it very much. FYI, factoring in inflation, $.30 in 1961 is equal to $3.10 in 2023. So although $.30 sounds incredibly cheap, it's really not that much less than gas prices today, at least in my area.
@@Jerry-up8bk My dad bought a used ’64 Bonneville wagon when I was a kid. Nicest car we ever had, but I do remember him complaining about having to pay 39.9 cents a gallon for premium fuel!
I can remember going to the Alton Dragway, Alton Illinois in the early and mid 1960s, and there was a team from Iowa, Powers and Riley, who called themselves "The Hicks From The Sticks," who had one of these cars. As I recall it, it was white. Alton Dragway was a hotbed of Super Stock Cars, and there were often 8 or 16-car superstock meets. MoPars, fiberglass front end Ford Galaxies, a little bit of everything showed up. And I'll be darned the Hicks From The Sticks quite often cleaned everybody's clocks. Folks, them was the good old days... There was even a team from Chicago, from 1964-on, Farkonas and Minick. Their first year. John Farkonas and Pat Minick, and their A/FX "Fierce White Plymouth. They became the big dog on the porch. The 2nd year (1965-?) they picked up a mechanic by the name of Austin Coil. Who remembers Austin Coil.? Then they called themselves "Farkonas, Coil and Minick. Austin Coil ended up being John Force's crew chief for many years before retiring, but he got his start as the mechanic of an aluminum bodied 2dr 1965 (I think) Plymouth, with Hilborn injection and ran on alcohol. As to the Hicks From The Sticks, they enlarged their team to Powers, Riley and Meyer. Then they came up with the P&R reverser, which provided a backup gear for Top Fuel Dragsters so the crew wouldn't have to push the cars back after they'd done their burnout. The Hicks From The Sticks white 1962 Pontiac Super Duty experience gave them the impetus to introduce the reverse gear for Top Fuelers, and that concept remains to this day.
My husband had a 62 Bonnevile ( Rag Top ) 389 CID , 303 HP , mated up to a 4speed hydromatic . In dyno testing , it put out ,285 Hp at the rear wheels ,That is after going through power robbing things like ,,the transmission ,the single exhaust , turning the power steering ,and water pump plus, drag of the brakes. You get the point . We drove this car ,straight thru from Detroit Mi. to Phoenix Az. (stopping just long enough for gas ) . We averaged 19.6 MPG , most of the time we were going about 85 MPH . Not to bad for a ( LEAD SLED ). The seats were double padded ,and Oh ,so comfy . It also had a record player under the dash with a reverb unit .
2 door hardtop? Looks like my memory has failed me because I thought all the Super Duty 62 Tin Indians were 2 door sedans. But what a beautiful car, thanks for the post, now it feels like I'm 16 years old again.
Ah, the 63 Pontiac was their styling pinnacle. The duel vertical headlights is a styling masterpiece. Ford copied the style for the 64 full body Fords.
Hear you. This car was beautifully styled front to back, had great power and drive train specs and set the stage for even better Pontiacs to come. That decade was the best ever for the marque, thanks to Pete Estes’ leadership.
One of my Favorite years for cars. El Dorado, Corvette, Impala...bubble top roofs. Goodness. Probably the last year makers were putting out new bodies every year.
I graduated HS in 1965,,, Hopewell HS, Hopewell PA... Back in the 60's (1963-1969) I had my "1962 Catalina 2-Door Sedan 389 Auto" Canary Yellow... It was was my first car,,, I rode only Harleys before it... A Great Date Night Drive-In Movie Car,,, very Roomie... BUT I bought my "1965 Ponitac Grand Prix" in 69' and gave my Cat to my Brother... He commenced to Roll It coming back from one of our Weirton, West Virginia Weekend of Entertainment 3.2 Beer Festivities... We left it sitting on its roof to go get help and the police (before cell phones) but when we returned an hour later someone (s) stole all 4 wheels from it !!! Oh Well,,, it was a "Great Ride" !!!
I’m from Aliquippa. Had a ‘66 GTO (389, stock Rochester Quadrajet, 4 spd). I remember going to Ohio for 3.2 beer & REAL fireworks late 70’s / early 80’s. But before drinking, we would sometimes hit Salem, OH to get 1/4 mile times on our cars (they had a drag strip).
Yes Paul,,, "Aliquippa Quips" !!! We also did Salem Dragstrip those were some Fun Times... Don't we Wish we still had our Old Rides... After the 1965 Grand Prix in1969 I bought my "1968 T-Top Corvette" 327 4-speed with Side Pipes... White with Maroon Interior... I Bought it at Kenny Ross Chevrolet in Pittsburghs North Side for $3,000.00... I was getting married on November 1970 and we thought the Vette was not a Family Car... SoooZ,,, that year my brother came back from Viet Nam and I Sold it to him for $1,000.00 !!! We ended up getting Mum & Dad's old 1967 2-Door Ford Fairlane... Oh Well,,,, all has been GooD since then,,, we will be celebrating our 52nd Wedding Anniversary with many other Car's and Truck's and Motorcycles under our belts... BUT I still have my Keeper,,, my Orginally Bought for $2,026.00 with 5 test mile's on May 13, 1974 my "1974 Triumph 500cc Trophy Trail" Motocycle having today's 2,200 miles on it... It's been sitting covered in the front of the garage and hopefully soon this 75 year old body will get er' out and Ride Again...
I was too young back then to know much about cars. Dad was always a Pontiac man, my whole life until he passed, and the earliest car I remember as a kid was the 1956 Chieftain Catalina he had. It was followed by a 1962 Catalina (had the "economy" 389 2-bbl with Hydramatic transmission), and then a 1967 Catalina with the 400 2bbl. These were all 4-door family cars, and the '67 was the first car I got to drive when I got my driver license in 1970. I always liked the style of the '62.
your dad's '62 probably had the Roto-hydramatic, '60-'64 the automatic Catalinas and Grand Prixes had the Roto-Hydramatic, the Bonnevilles and Star Chiefs had the Hydramatic dual coupling.
Buddy of mine had an uncle that was a mechanic at Packer Pontiac in Detroit from the 50s thru the 70s. He would stop by during his "road-test" with some various cars. I vividly remember the same 421 SD Catalina except it was a dark metallic blue. What a gorgeous beast. It seemed like Packer and Royal (Royal Oak Michigan) Pontiac were being sponsored by some in-house GM racing engineers although it was "officially denied". A lot of sleepers were cruising Woodward, Telegraph and Stecker Avenues back then with manufacturer plates. Thanks for the great memory.
@@Loulovesspeed Yessir. Over the years working for the big 3 directly employed or as a supplier, I've seen a lot of in-house pet projects or one-off prototypes & mules that the public didn't know about or see. The one that sticks in my mind were the Chrysler turbine powered cars and the ZL-1 '68 Camaros & Novas. Yet, they pop up after 50 or 60 years that were tucked away in a garage or obscure warehouse.
@@robertchristie9434 - If I recall, Chrysler had one turbine car in each state, and I saw the one in Connecticut once and thought it was cool looking, and to be powered by a turbine engine was insane.
My father was a B-17 tail-gunner. He commuted on an Indian motorcycle from his youth. He owned a couple of Renaults, a Fiat and an RX-2. When he bought American cars they were Pontiacs. My uncles loved Pontiacs too. So I have a soft spot for 1960's Wide Track hardware. Thanks for excellent video.
A grateful national appreciates, his service and his love for Pontiac's, my Uncle's also had Pontiac's, including one buying a new '69 GTO, which lead to me loving Pontiac and buying a '69 GTO Judge
I had the greatest sleeper ever. A 1963 Pontiac Gran Prix. Light green with white interior, PS, PB PW,AC and 421 HO with three two barrel vacuum operated carbs and auto transmission. Monster at the Saturday night drags on Market Street.
@@MrJohnnyDistortion before Leaving Philly and the Marine Corp in 1968…I had the Pontiac tuned up…..headed to Alabama…apparently when the tuneup was done…the mechanic was just dropping the old spark plugs to the floor…one plug lodged between the frame and crankcase….somewhere in North Carolina the spark plug wallowed a hole in the crankcase….the engine locked up and I slid off the road…2 AM I sitting in a ditch…my motorcycle which had been roped into the trunk is now my only transportation… SoLd the bent up Grand Prix for peanuts 🥜…. Loved that Poncho…I could advance the distributor and run with the 440 Dodges on Market Street and lower streets near the Naval base…
I ordered through Ace Wilson's Royal Oak Pontiac in Michigan 4 months later I was told to arrive at the dealership at 10:am on Tuesday of the following week. I did that. We took a ride to the Pontiac factory delivery location and I met John Delorean in person. I was pleasantly surprised when I was told about dealer shop installed performance upgrades. It was a VERY FAST car!
I'm 70 this year 2022. One of my friends mom had a 1962 Ventura and his dad had a 1963 Grand Prix. Always loved these cars and especially the 421. Great piece of history and education for me. Thanks for posting this. It sounds Great!
Its amazing what was engineered into this car without noticing it from a glance. It may not be the biggest attention getter, but im sure it gets stares from the ones getting passed. Classiest Sleeper Ever!!!
Great video. Gorgeous piece of mechanical history, a narrator that knows what he's talkin about, and an actual driving video, with a bit of "layin into it" . Excellent job, and thanks for posting.
I was only too young by a couple of years as a young man to appreciate this car. Knew what it was but, did not know such a potent mill got put into it. Holy bat poop Batman! I'm 64 now and in my earlier life was a wrench but still only heard of the 421 even saw a couple but, because of their rarity I did not have any experience with one. 389's, 348's, 455's all the other gm, Mopar and, Ford's. Just not the 4v 421. Bitchin motor. I really want a Catalina with a 421 in it. An Effing Sleeper's Sleeper. Great story and coverage of it. Very good. Thumbs up.
I had a co-worker that bought a new '65 Pontiac Catalina 2+2, 4 speed, 421 Tri-Power, bench seat, no radio or PS, but it had a factory tach. Just a stripped street racer. I remember one oddity was the 6 lug wheels. We worked 3 to 11 PM every other week at a defense factory. The road was 6 lanes and about 6 red lights for the parking lots to clear out. Every night was a race with someone! I carpooled with him just for the nightly races. I remember one particular night we lined up all three lanes! This car was a torque monster. It's probably already come back from China as some form of cheap junk tools. Ah, the good ole' days!
My dad bought a 1961 Pontiac Catalina 4-door with 389 2-barrel carb brand new in 1961. I drove it to prom in 1983 and drove it away from my wedding in 1986. My dad died in 2011, but my mom still has the Pontiac. It has only about 58,000 miles on it. It has been garage kept its whole life. It still has the original windshield wiper blades, original radiator and heater hoses, and still has the plastic delivery covers on the seats. The original lacquer paint has some cracks in it, but still looks good. It has a few scratches from my bicycle when I was a kid.
In 1970 I bought a 1962 Pontiac Catalina. Black paint red interior. Had a 389 4 barrel with a super t 10 transmission 3.23 postive in the rear. mag wheels. not fast thru.quarter but the top end wow. Boy I sure miss that car. I paid $250 for it.
Always was a Pontiac guy.Owned a brand new ‘64 GTO for 9yrs,tired engine replaced in ‘70 with an iconic RA IV.What a top end beast it was.Kept the engine and sold the car in ‘73.
In fall '61 I went to the dealer with my father to pick up our 4 door 389 Catalina. I was 6 and it was my first " new car smell" experience. I'm now 68 and didn't know until a few years ago that this version was the original music le car.
I ran into one of those with my 63' Chevy 425 HP, 4-spd, dual Quad, Positrac 409....he flagged me down on the road from Port Orford, Or, to Langlois and wanted to race.....I said "ok, but you ain't got enuff"..... we went from a dead stop on the Sixes Flat, and I just left him in the dust.....the year was 1965....that 409 would really run, as my Dad had ported the heads, and we had it tuned to a gnats whisker....it would run in the 13's on street tires at Port Orford drag Strip....I'm 75 now, and I will NEVER forget that car.....4-speed, dual Quad, Positrac, 409.....she's still FINE....mine was a white, Impala, with buckets, no power brakes, no power steering...did have radio and heater.....what has always surprised me about that car, was how it would corner...I used to run between Gold Beach and Canyonville on the weekends chasing girls, and that thing would really go round the corners thru Humbug and whatever.....with that big X-Braced frame, all the weight was down low...I used to run away from everything thru the corners......something else....one of the "Locals" here bought a 421 in a crate, and dropped it in his 65 GTO....man ! you talk about GO ! whew ! well, he also stuffed the biggest cam he could find in it, and some other goodies, but that thing ran all out of proportion to what it should have...really NASTY sleeper on Saturday night ! .....OnWard......
Wow, this brought back some memories! In 1974 I was working at an ARCO station in Auburn, Washington, and the owner would occasionally ended up with cars as a result of mechanic liens, including one of these. It was very similar to the one in the video, including the 8 lug wheels and aluminum brakes. It was Ensign Blue. There were some differences I clearly remember, and some I'm less clear. The 421 had a tri-power rather than dual quads. The transmission was one I've never seen anywhere else. There was no clutch pedal because it had a torque converter, but it was a four speed transmission with a staggered gate rather than an H pattern. One of my doubtful recollections is that you still needed to shift it manually (maybe I just chose to shift it manually). Another one of my shaky recollections is that it had aluminum door skins, and an aluminum trunk lid. The story we heard about the car was that it was a NASCAR special. One day my boss sent me on a parts run up to the University District in Seattle (~65 miles round-trip), and he sent me in the Pontiac. When I got to the express lanes in Seattle, a Honda CL450 pulled alongside to challenge me. The Pontiac just buried him, but apparently I broke a motor mount in the effort. When my boss found out, his only question was, "Well, did you win?" 😆
When i was a kid my dad had a 62 Pontiac Catalina convertible.Had the 389 automatic.Was white with a red stripe on the side with red interior.I would love to have that car today!
Back in 75 my first car was a 62 Pontiac Grand Prix. I had many a great Saturday night cruising the avenue in it. Did a lot of racing as well. I still miss that car.
One of my fav cars. I was 16 yo in 1962 and had to walk by a Pontiac dealer going to/from school. Sat in many. . Great restoration and I didn't know about the drag model. I think the car sits a little higher then the standard model but is a beauty.
I had one similar for about a year, 421, tri power I recall. I went thru so many cars back then I can't remember all the details anymore. It wasn't a factory build, had a 389 originally.
My shop teacher from the late 80's was a pontiac mechanic in the early 60s and he and a fellow mechanic bought and raced one of these with great success. He kept it at our vocational school to tell stories and inspire us. His was a light blue and had 8 lug aluminium or magnesium wheels. Theyd modified it some having added a roll bar,a smaller fuel tank,only had the drivers seat, no wipers,spare,or jack. He said they quit racing it because the frame cracked.
I still like the 61 bubble top, I owned 5 of them. My first car was one of them. It was dawn fire mist paint, red interior. 389-4- barrel- automatic transmission a real fun car to drive
My first car was a 1965 4 door Pontiac Catalina. I bought it in 1977 for 175 dollars. It had a 389 two barrel. I used to race a friend of mine. He had a 1973 nova.
For my 16th birthday I got a 62 Catalina convertible. Bucket seats, floor shift, 8 lug wheels but only a 389. It had a bunch of electrical issues, sold it for $125 after having it only 3 months. Same color red as the car in the video.
I had a 63 GP, 389, auto, restored to near perfection.Carolina Blue body with a whit top. Loved that car. I did not see any "swiss cheese" frame work on the car in the video. They did make the frame much lighter by removing huge portions of it.
My father had a '61 Ventura Super Duty 421 Dual Quad 4 speed car and a '65 2+2 421 4 speed convertible. He sold those long before I was old enough to drive unfortunately
Back in the early 70s I had purchased a 1960 Ventura for $100. It was a bit of a rust bucket, but under the hood was what turned out to be a 389 Trophy motor. The song Little GTO had nothing on that beast, 3 deuces and a Borg Warner T10 4 speed. Raced it at US30 in Merrillville IN, high 13s low 14s. It was a true sleeper, wished I didn't trade it to get a 67 GTO rag top once I realized it's rarity.
I had heard of these and this one is absolutely beautiful !! I was 13 when this car came out and I loved it. When I got my drivers license I bought a 1960 Chevy Biscayne with a large v-8 and manual transmission. Black with black walls and baby moon hubcaps. Looked like something a priest of a nun would drive but quite quick to say the least. It fooled many a driver at a stop light.
That Pontiac whipped a 1966 428 T-Bird after 90 MPH. Beat by a 427 Biscane with a 4 speed . Made a mistake and he lined up at 40 MPH and got his butt whipped up to 110 when he quit. The Chevy was geared low and ran out of umph at higher speeds.
My uncle had a 65 or 66 with a421 3twos an a 4 speed I was just a little kid back then I remember him doing work on it in the barn an it sounded really powerful it was called a2+2
Back around '77 or so, I had a 67 GTO Ram Air I that was similarly set up for racing. The original window sticker was in the glove box and the only options that didn't make it go faster were the AM radio and console. One of the cars I let get away and regretted it almost immediately.
What an outstanding and beautiful machine! If I had the money to not only purchase but take care of it long term, I'd LOVE this car. For me, I'll have to enjoy watching it on this vid.
I know that's not my dad's 62 Catalina, because my dad actually bought a 62 Catalina new in January 1962, when I was almost 7. We had it through 1970. My mom always thought the car looked...attractive, even when we were into the Mopar fuselage era. Mom had good taste.
We got a 1962 Bonneville hardtop coupe new.. I was 5 years old. That was a good looking car with 389 tri power. Leather bucket seats, center console with console shifter, electric windows, tilt steering, Frigidaire AC, real wood trim on dash and console. When Pontiac built real quality. I wish I had that car now.
@@MarinCipollina So do I. My uncle had one briefly in the mid-60s - rode in it once. Unlikely it had tri-power. They were very much of their time - unfortunately I did not get a drivers license until 1973, right as this time was ending.
@@davemiller4721 Yeah, I got my license the same year, 1973.. Just in time for the national 55 MPH speed limit 🙄 We also had a 1966 Bonneville, and Mom had a 1967 Grand Prix. Great cars from Pontiac that era. Pontiac was riding high and could do no wrong back then. Pontiac went out with a bang in 1974 with the Trans Am 455 SD Super Duty, a full on racing engine.
@@MarinCipollina It would have been great to be a driver through the 50s and 60s before emissions, gas price hikes and shortages, and poor quality and design of American cars. I used to take the timing of the bad historical events personally - I've grown out of that. We can be nostalgic but can't pick the time we live in.
Love to hear those AFB's open up! In the mid sixties I ordered an AFB called the 'Daytona Special' from J C Whitney. What a moaner! I think it cost $24.95.
My parents brought me home from hospital as a newborn in a brand new 1962 Pontiac Catalina station wagon ... Light blue metallic in and out. Was replaced in 1969 with a pea green metallic Ford LTD country squire.
I first took notice of the '62 Catalina 421SD when a lad in highschool back in the 70s: Cars magazine did a piece on these purpose-built monsters. This feature manages to go into even greater detail. The lack of a 421 badge, a 'GR-R-R-R!' front license plate and added whitewalls are nice touches in making an extraordinary car look deceptively ordinary. But work that manual choke, fire the 421 up and you immediately hear that wicked idle and telling exhaust note. Only then does one realize they're in the presence of one of the baddest Ponchos ever built.
Thanks, interestingly,this CATALINA Is what got me interested in Cars/ Trucks/ Transportation BACK IN EARLY 1960:: did see , one in particular, with CUT OUTS, Gassing UP at local Service Station ( WOLF Lake Indiana, NOBLE County) in ?? 1962 ?.; after US30 ,FORT WAYNE DRAGSTRIPS , Aviilla back in the “” DAY”… And, the GALAXIE 1963.5 Scatbacks 427/425 Horse, SUPE4 LARKS, INDIANA STATE POLICE trying out Hemi’s!,,etc…what a time,!
Thanks Mike, Awesome walk about. Back in the mid seventies we heard rumblings about this Sleeper Chief. Turns out the 421 SD was all that and then some… On Premium Leaded fuel, for less than 25 cents per Imperial gallon. We sure had some fun!
