Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

40-Year Garage Find: 1967 Pontiac Catalina

The Catalina nameplate would be a fixture at Pontiac for more than 30 years (1950-81). In 1959, the Catalina became a separate model and would become the entry-level full-size Pontiac. The 1967 models got a heavy facelift of the 3rd generation redesign of 1965. The 2-door hardtop, like the seller’s car, was the second-best selling Catalina in ’67. This edition has been stored inside a garage as far back as the 1980s. It will need a complete refresh, although the seats were redone in the ‘70s. It’s located in Torrance, California and available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $3,000.

Styling changes made to the 1967 full-size Pontiacs included more rounded, wasp-waisted body contours and fuller fastback rooflines and concealed windshield wipers, an industry first. New powerplants would sit under the hood, with a 400 and 428 replacing the older 389 and 421 V8s. They had bigger valves and a valve angle change, although the same design had been in place since 1955. The base motor in the Catalina was the 400 with a 2-barrel carburetor rated at 290 horsepower with the automatic. A 4-barrel got you a displacement of 325 horses. We’re guessing this is the engine and setup in the seller’s car. But a 428 was available at 360-376 horsepower.

The seller’s Catalina has decades worth of dust and dirt on top of it. There is no mention of corrosion and the photos provided only show surface rust. Once the car is removed from its perch, a good cleaning will reveal the extent of work to which the body will need besides fresh silver paint. 2-door hardtop Catalina’s had a substantial rolling presence on the road, especially when fitted with rear fender skirts (we don’t know if this one has any). Given that the seats were recovered before the car went into hibernation, the headliner and carpeting would need scrutiny to determine their condition.

This Catalina doesn’t run, and we don’t know how much effort it would take to change that. Everything liquid would have to be flushed after all these years and the tires and old and flat. The seller believes the car’s mileage stopped in the 90,000 range went it was put up. They were just shy of 78,000 Catalina coupes sold in 1967 and Hagerty and NADA both believe that super nice examples are worth $15,000. So that leaves a little room to fix what needs fixing and to take care of the paint.

Comments

  1. Avatar alphasud Member

    Definitely has the 2bbl carb so that makes it the base engine. Blurry pictures don’t reveal much but at 3K it’s definitely a price you would want to make the drive and check it out.

    Like 8
    • Avatar Skorzeny

      I can’t get over the size of that carb. Just comparing it to the size of the car, wow… Would definitely go with a 4 bbl or fuel injection there… Just imagine the time it would take to tear this down for sandblasting…

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Vance

    The photos of this car are about as bad as I have seen. Why not get a court reporter to draw pictures of the vehicle, and let yourself imagine what it looks like. If they can’t take decent pictures, you need to run as fast as you can from this one.

    Like 24
  3. Avatar 8banger Member

    Is this like a sistership to the same year Impala?

    Like 1
  4. Avatar Steve Clinton

    A 1967 Pontiac Catapatina. (I finally get to use that!)

    Like 4
    • Avatar chuck

      lol

      Like 0
  5. Avatar glenn hilpert

    Looks like it comes from a well established area. If you view however, you may need an escort. In had a 67 4-dr sedan with the base 400. Not a bad car. Friend currently has a very rare, 67 4-dr sedan with the 428 V-8, 376HP, a former Nevada Police unit. That is an animal of a motor.

    Like 0
    • Avatar WL TAYLOR

      I had a ’68 Bonneville 2dr with the same thing…BIG ANIMAL…..I blew most of my classmates 383 Chrysler/Plymouth Barracudas away..!!!! It was THAT GOOD.!!

      Like 0
      • Avatar Bmac777

        Pontiac 428 is my favorite motor.
        I put a 69 428 / 370 hp and a TH400 w/ shift kit in my 69 GTO with 3.55’s.
        When I held it in first and hit second at around 4,000 it would leave about 5ft of rubber as the back end slid about a foot to the right.
        Incredible stock motors.

        Like 0
  6. Avatar Steve O Member

    Boy, If $15K is max value for these, buyer should try to negotiate that asking price down as low as possible. You can get to $15k in the blink of an eye with car restoration. Hopefully the new owner likes that patina look and doesn’t add paint and plating to the list of to do’s. Throw some cheap seat covers or a blanket over the seats and bob’s you’re uncle.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar wcshook

    My brother had a 4 door Catalina. The 400 went south, and he found a GTO 400 to put in it. Everything else was kept original. It would GO. He ended up breaking a ring, shutting a Porsche down. The volunteer ambulance, I was with in the same time frame, had a 67 and 69 Pontiac Catalina Superior Coach body ambulances. If memory serves me right, one had a 428 and the other had a 429. The ’67 would smoke the tires. It was better than the ’69.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar george mattar

    My dad bought a new turquoise 67 Catalina with 400 two barrel. I remember riding in it. Comfortable, never broke down. Unfortunately, in 68, he started a new business and traded it for a POS Ford Country Squire 302 two barrel. What a pile of crap. Found on Road Dead. I told him not to buy a Ford and at 12 years old, I knew and still do that Fords are junk. It rotted out in 4 years, engine leaked oil, etc, etc. This one brings back plenty of memories for me. I have a photo of me sitting in the car as a 12 year old. Now I am a senior citizen. This car is really from California, as evidenced by the A.I.R. pump, still on the car. In 67, only CA cars had them. Try to find the correct pump for this car. Not happening.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve Clinton

      “I knew and still do that Fords are junk.”
      Everyone is entitled to their opinion and you have made yours known! LOL

      Like 0
  9. Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

    My family visited the local Pontiac dealer and went for a test drive in an Executive wagon. This was back when the salesman simply handed you the key after slapping a dealer plate on the back end. What the salesman failed to do is put fuel in the tank.

    On the way back, the car ran out of gas in front of the Chrysler-Plymouth dealer. Dad called the Pontiac salesman from inside the C-P showroom, & told him to pick it up. He then ordered a new Plymouth Fury wagon! [Dad had test driven the Plymouth the day before.]

    Like 1
    • Avatar Steve Clinton

      In the future, I bet that salesman always checked the gas gauge before a customer test drive!

      Like 0
      • Avatar WL TAYLOR

        😄😄😄😄😄😄😄👍👍👍👍

        Like 0

Leave A Comment

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.