Well, well, what do we have here? The listing tells us that we’re looking at a 1967 Pontiac Catalina but that face, with its concealed headlights, says otherwise as it projects a Grand Prix vibe. Mixed up maybe, but it’s a nice-looking car and appears to be in excellent condition. Sherman Texas is where this big Poncho garages itself and it’s available, here on craigslist for $26,500.
Size mattered back in the ’60s and Pontiac’s fullsizers came in large and larger layouts. With its 121-inch wheelbase, this Catalina, along with the Ventura, 2+2, and Grand Prix are members of the “large” contingent while the Bonneville and Executive, which ride on three additional wheelbase inches and stretch about another seven inches in overall length, comprise the “larger” cadre.
Throughout the sixties, Pontiacs underwent a sort of Pinocchio syndrome with their ever-enlarging proboscis, culminating with 1968’s most ouvert chromed schnozz. For ’67, it was a bit more restrained but still protruded like the blade on a log splitter. Regardless, it’s the Grand Prix concealed headlight arrangement on this Catalina that piqued my interest – I’ll assume that it’s a transplant; unfortunately, the listing is silent on this matter. The Montreaux Blue finish, a GM standby that went by many different monikers depending upon the applying division, is just excellent but it is a repaint. The red stripe tires and doggie bowl hubcaps project a performance image that was typical in this era though maybe not on a B-body Pontiac.
This tin indian gets its go from a 290 gross HP, 400 CI V8 engine which is connected to a three-speed automatic transmission. With a “believed” 53K miles of usage, the seller claims that this big hardtop “runs and drives great“. It definitely has one of the cleanest engine rooms that I’ve spied in a while and though it all looks stock and original, it’s not. An “Atomic” EFI system now fuels this V8 and it exhales via a dual exhaust system.
Blue on blue is how this Pontiac rolls. The blue cloth and vinyl upholstery is as clean as a whistle and actually, the entire bench seat environment is so perfect, that I would imagine that it’s a total redo. Faux wood was all the rage in the sixties and seventies and this Cat’s dash has no shortage of that stick-on veneer. Aftermarket A/C has been added and a sporty wood-grained tiller now controls this car’s direction.
While this Pontiac is not a muscle car per se, it does surreptitiously project that image in a very refined and understated way. Sure it’s big, but it’s a sure bet that this baby gets up and cruises with authority. I like it, how about you?
LOVE THE BIG PONCHOS!!! GM’s best work of the time; both in power and style.
The dealer’s listing states that the electrically operated headlight door were “added”. (IMO) this Poncho needs a set of Rally II or perhaps even eight lug wheels to really make it pop! Definitely won’t see another like this one at the next Coffee & Chrome! :-)
Yep….another Texas dealer Barn Finds supports for free or maybe a kick back.
Really? What’s your proof? You have no idea how our process works or how I found this subject car.
JO
I’ll take the GTX
Just what I was thinking, the 67 in the background
Imagine this had a 421 4 speed . This would be sold in one day! Its a beautiful Poncho with those hide away headlights. Great price.. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
Yeah, I can imagine it…and the more expensive price tag that will come with it too. At least this one will make for a solid cruiser without needing to take out a second mortgage.
67 was first year for the 428
Pontiac offered gearsets ⚙️ from 2.56 to 3.73 love it. Great car J.O
How on earth did this 1967 Pontiac Catalina 2-door get the Grand Prix hideaway headlights? Was that even an option? When I first saw that, was like WTF? It’s very creative and stylish, but I just don’t believe that hideaways were ever on option on any Pontiac Catalina.
Read the sellers description
P.S…. I like that 67 Plymouth GTX .. With the 440 or is it a HEMI !! 🤔
Website says it’s a 440 with the correct date code
First car at 16 years of age was a ’67 Parisienne. It was ten years old. $500. “Certified.” Stacked headlights, 283 and a powerglide. Factory A/C,..p/w.., under dash 8 track. Copper. Black vinyl roof.
I was an A&W fry boy, soon to graduate to the grill. Had life by the short hairs, did I.
Canadian?
Correct Chris.
Another most excellent write-up!!!
Original or not, she’s absolutely gorgeous and worth every penny of the asking price. Try finding something more stunning for less…..
Pretty sure what you’re looking at is a Canadian vehicle. The Pontiac Grande Pariesienne. Gorgeous car.
No Sir! Check out the pedals! They are 100% big USA chromed pedals. This is a Catalina with crank windows wearing a GP front clip!
Incorrect. The Grande Parisienne was the same as the Grand Prix, and this is NOT a Grand Prix.
What a beautiful automobile. Whatever brand is your favorite you have to admit it’s an awesome example.
In high school I had the reverse of this. It was a 1965 Grand Prix with a Catalina front clip. Looked good like this as the side body lines all matched up and a repaint blends it all together.
As a follow up to some of the comments, attached is an article on “Canadian” Pontiacs and the history of auto manufacturing in Canada and the very close – but not identical- connection with similar U.S. manufactured products.
By the way of some background, I’m in the process of writing a book on the history of Durant Canada, in which I go on at length about the National Policy and high tariff walls. The theory (which would be familiar to U.S. readers) was that if a manufacturer wanted to sell a product to Canadian consumers, the product had to be made in Canada. This all started to end with the 1965 Auto Pact and the Canada – U.S. – Mexico Trade Agreements of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
https://www.pontiacv8.com/blog/2018/6/11/exploring-the-canadian-built-pontiacs
67 GPs had the more formal notchback-style roof. IMO, 67 and 68 GM full-size coupes had the best fastback bodies. The Grand Prix front end was also by far the best looking of nose treatment Pontiac did making this hybrid the ultate 67 Pontiac. If this were mine, a manual transmission conversion would be about all I’d do to it.
IMO these were so ugly compared to 66 and especially the 65 Pontiac.
The same dealers Barn Finds supports…….just don’t get it.
So go find them somewhere else stillrunners
A Catalina/Gran Prix hybrid, or an assembly line error? The factories do or did make mistakes from time to time. Back when I was in high school, a friend of mine worked in a local body shop, I stopped in one night to talk cars. He was working on a 1968 full sized Dodge that belonged to one of the locals. He said take a walk around the car and tell me what you see. I walked around the big green 4 door and didn’t pick up on anything that I thought was out of place. He said “did you see it”, I said see what. He told me to look at it again, I did and came to the same conclusion. He then said look at the trim from one side to the other, I did and then I saw what he was talking about. One side of the car had a Monaco emblem and corresponding side trim and the other side said Polara with the trim from that model. It came that way from the factory, the local owner had purchased it that way from the dealership.
This may be a Canadian version of the Grand Prix. It is certainly a beautiful car, but it is not a American 67 Grand Prix. The 67 Grand Prix had slotted tail lights similar to the front turn signals.
This car’s visual is stellar, regardless of any fine nits to pick. It reminds me of a 67 Impala, with its sleekness and swoop. Of course, if all of its story and DNA are legit and reasonable, what a sweet beast to bring home. I love it : )
Happy New Year BF writers! this site is very well done ; )
Look forward to another great year.
Is that Rust I see around the rear wheel well or just a reflection?