1 of 1 Moonshine Car? 1959 Pontiac Catalina

The Catalina became Pontiac’s entry-level full-size car in 1959 with the retirement of the Chieftain name. We’re told this is a one-of-one car having been the only 4-door sedan supposedly built with the Tri-Power 389 cubic inch V8 tuned to NASCAR specs. The story goes on to say the original owner was a moonshiner who may have used the car for nefarious purposes. With an older restoration and further mechanical tweaking, this Poncho sleeper is in Corbin, Kentucky, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $29,500.

At first glance, this two-tone Pontiac looks like an ordinary people mover – except for the raised-letter whitewall tires. The standard engine in 1959 would have been the 389 V8, replacing the 370 from 1958. These cars could come with two or four-barrel carburetion and horsepower started at 215. We’re told this car was specially ordered from a dealer in North Carolina and its owner wanted a 4-door sedan that could outrun the long arm of the law. That’s supposedly how the Tri-Power V8 came to be.

But no documentation is offered by the seller who got most of the history of the car second-hand. A complete frame-on restoration was started in 2006, and we assume that’s when the 389 was bored out to 440 cubic inches. And the output is now far greater than the 345 the Tri-Power motor was rated at back in the day. A more modern 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive replaces what would have been in the car on Day One. For such a rare car, the seller neglects to pop the hood for photos.

Half of the asking price for the Pontiac equates to the engine work that was done in 2006 or sooner. Digital gauges were added that have a factory look to them (per the seller). Based on what we see and are told, this could be a very desirable automobile, even if the moonshiner portion is embellished. I wonder what this thing can do in the quarter mile? Thanks for the interesting tip “Pnuts”!