Sometimes a classic car will appear on our desks here at Barn Finds, and it becomes difficult to decide what its most outstanding attribute is. That is the case with this 1969 Pontiac Catalina because this car has a lot going for it. The Catalina is an original survivor. It also has a genuine 29,000 miles showing on its odometer. It is a one-owner vehicle, and it is virtually rust-free. Barn Finder Larry D spotted the Pontiac, so thank you, Larry, for striking classic car gold for us. It is located in Troy, Michigan, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $5,625, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
When you find a 52-year-old classic that has been in the care of one owner since new, you can be reasonably confident that you have just located something pretty special. That is the case with this Catalina. It is finished in Carousel Red with a Black vinyl top. The car presents superbly, with the only flaw being some peeling paint on the Endura front bumper. This was a common problem that is easy to fix. The panels are laser straight, and it appears that the elderly owner hasn’t been the type to drive a car by feel. The only rust to note is a small spot under the vinyl top. This should not be a problem to fix, and I’d probably tackle that before it has the chance to deteriorate further. The rest of the panels look good, and the underside is clean enough to eat off. The exterior trim is in good condition, the hubcaps are free from physical damage, and there are no apparent problems with the glass.
Lifting the hood on the Catalina reveals a 290hp 400ci V8, a 3-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power front disc brakes. This was a car designed for comfortable cruising rather than outright performance. However, it was still capable of whipping through the ¼ mile in 16.5 seconds if you poked it with a sharp stick. With only 29,000 original miles on the clock, the Pontiac is barely broken in. While the elderly owner didn’t clock the miles, he did fire it up to keep the fluids circulating. He also had the car regularly and properly maintained so that it would remain in good health. The result is a classic that runs and drives perfectly. Included in the sale are the Owner’s Manual and Protect-O-Plate.
There really is no other word to describe the Catalina’s interior than spotless. This is the sort of interior that dust would be afraid of because while it is all original, it still looks factory fresh. There is no visible wear, no marks, nor are there rips or tears. The dash pad has no cracks, while the dash is perfect. It seems that the original owner knew what he wanted from his new car because this is not an interior loaded with luxury appointments. There is an original AM radio, and that’s your lot. There’s no air conditioning, no power appointments, and no cruise. It is bare-bones, but it is also perfect.
This 1959 Pontiac Catalina isn’t perfect, but you will struggle to find a nicer survivor. It has managed to remain unmolested, and it seems to hold the promise of years of classic motoring pleasure for its next owner. It would’ve been nice if it had featured a few creature comforts, but maybe I’ve become spoiled in my advancing years. I admit that I will envy the person who buys this classic because they will own a beautiful car that is sure to attract attention and positive comments wherever it goes.
WoW. She sure is a looker.
Awesome car, but is it really Carousel Red? That shade is generally a lot more orange than this car.
Yeah…NOT Carousel Red, lol.
Neat car, loved the roofline on these coming out of the 67-68 fastback era. Paint the endura and don’t change a thing!
It’s so unusual to find a car of this era without it being loaded with options. The plainer one of these is, the less that can go wrong.
I think this Catalina is fairly typical of late 60’s family cars: power steering, power brakes, AM radio, and a few dress-up options. We’re used to seeing power windows and locks on everything today, but, as late as 1967, it was possible to buy a Cadillac without power windows.
Looks like grandpa misjudged how big the car was and damaged the passenger fender.
Also, what is that thing on the driver’s fender? I can’t tell from the pictures.
That is the alarm key insert. circular key set the theft alarm.
Too bad the fender was drilled for an alarm switch, but that’s what we did in the day!
Yep. looks like that ’78 TA just listed has one, too.
Oh the humanity!
Gotta be the tiniest backup light lenses ever.
Odd that there is a spring of some sort up against the firewall.
Nice to see whitewalls & wheel covers, instead of sport wheels & RWL radial t/a’s.
Why would somebody drive a car like this so little?
Long reach for the points & condenser. lol
It’s better to have the distributor at the back of the engine.
It’s less likely to get wet when going through flooded streets,
like old Fords and Buicks that were stalled after blasting
thru a puddle because of the distributor at the front.
Beautiful survivor, the Carousel Red with the black vinyl top suits it very well. Under the hood is very impressive and the interior appears faultless. It’s nice to see an unmolested car these days, a car that looks just as it did when purchased from the dealer showroom. I know the intermediates get all the glory but the full-size models from any of the Big Three are a real treat to see. Repainting the Endura nose properly will finish off this Catalina nicely and you do have the option of adding A/C. There’s a lot of appeal in a turn-key classic; hopefully the reserve is realistic.
I think the seller is mistaken on the color, this is appears to be Matador Red. As previously mentioned, Carousel Red is more orange, in fact Chevrolet called it Hugger Orange, both code 72.
Oh. Oh my. Be still my beating heart!
Our first new car was a 69 Laurentian, 4 door. 350 2bbl. Power nothing. Green on green. One of my all time faves. If Grandpa had bought a convertible, I’d be on it. Hard to find these in decent shape, and this one, well, its just beautiful…..
best
bt
Can’t beat such a clean original. A set of ralley wheels would be the only change.
I would clone it into a GTO
Sorry, not even close.
I like seeing the full-size cars of the 60’s and 70’s. They had such presence. Even a fairly basic model like this Catalina is an attention-getter. I wonder what Grandpa had for his daily drivers, and if he took good care of them too?
I got my license on my Dad’s 66 Catalina. Essentially the same car.
I loved it. That 389 could leave a stripe a mile long.
That schnozzola. The Jimmy Durante of cars.
Not sure if I believe the 29k. That nose should be the same color as the rest of the car.
My first car was one of these, army green, but a convertible. It leaked like a sieve, which eventually rusted everything. It did have a factory 8 track tho.
Oh geez. Really? Always someone that just has to comment with some dumb statement. Did you even look at the rest of the car, lol?
I always liked how Pontiac integrated the side marker lights into the molding on this car. It looks clean instead of looking tacked on or an afterthought like some other vehicles back in the day.
What a find! Think it’s maybe Cardinal red. Same as my 70 GTO.
My Dad bought one like this new in dark blue. Great car.
Price on eBay is currently $9800, reserve not met.
Grew up in a Pontiac family. Dad’s aunt owned Bonnevilles from the 50s well into the 70s. We had a new turquoise 67 with few options. Dad was very frugal and no air cond or any power stupid this and that. He claimed if less garbage on a car, less to break. TRUE. Great car, but this is Matador Red and there is an error in the write up calling it a 59.
Odd this looks like a ’68 Grand Prix w/o hidden headlites & with a different rear end.
The 68 Catalina and the GP are similar, but they are Pontiac sisters so its not suprising
I was eying this car for quite some time and finally broke down and bought it a few weeks ago. I’m curious to see it in person but I’m pretty confident about it condition wise.
The nose is a problem all those 69 full sized Pontiac’s suffered from. It isn’t paint peeling it’s the outer layer of that rubber-plastic compound that has dried up and is cracking off.
Luckily Pontiac released a new version of that nose in the parts system in the early 70’s that was made of a different compound that doesn’t deteriorate. They are hard to find and I have a nice one on my shelf so it will go on this car once it’s paint matched.
Congrats on the purchase. The car looks spectacular in the ad.
What a deal – the memories… Seriously, how much do you want for it?