The summer is coming – and parking a gigantic land yacht in your garage is entirely appropriate to do when the weather turns fair. This 1970 Pontiac Catalina convertible is rough around the edges but a seemingly deserving project that could continue to be used as-is or refreshed further if better-than-driver-quality is your goal. The seller has basically gotten it to the point where it can cruise without issue, and is including some spare parts to help the next owner continue on the path towards total rejuvenation. Find it here on craigslist in Des Moines for $1,500, and thanks to Barn Finds reader Rudy C. for the tip.
Though I can’t say an old Catalina convertible is among the most desirable classic American iron you can buy, there’s no denying it fills a certain niche rather nicely. Big, sweeping American convertibles with acres of room inside allow you to bring a few buddies or one good friend and some beach chairs and coolers. That’s not even including the trunk, which gives you the type of luggage capacity that lets you plan for a trip that takes longer than a week to complete. Of course, you’ll be making plenty of fuel stops along the way, but that should be obvious. While the body isn’t perfect, you can definitely live with it for the time being.
The same goes for the interior, and the rear bench looks perfectly fine to use as-is. The seller is including an upholstery kit with the sale which will hopefully allow you to at least get the front bench re-done. While you could live with that, too, no one wants to ride around on a heavy cotton blanket while the summer sun is beating down. Door panels look to be in decent shape, but given none of the pictures show the top up and the seller is including a new one with the sale, I’m guessing the need for a replacement roof is somewhat urgent. No other interior shots are included, but hopefully the dashboard isn’t a sea of cracks.
The seller has installed new tires and notes that while he purchased the car non-running, he installed a new electronic distributor and it fired right up. He has included the original points-style setup should the next owner want to bring it back to 100% original condition, but this doesn’t seem like the type of car you need to sweat those details on. From this angle, it looks like the rear quarter could use some rust repair, but I can’t tell for sure. Regardless, this is a lot of potential fun for not much money – with a clean title, to boot. For $1,500, it seems like you can’t lose if you’re looking for a summer cruiser on the cheap.
This won’t last long. Even comes with a top and upholstery kit for $1500. The rust looks minimal for this price range.
Rust may be an issue, left rear quarter has a problem. No underside pics I don’t know? Floor pans being a drop top with a bad top, might have some issues. Could be a winner, I am too far away to check it out and I really like Poncho’s
This boat is going to weigh anchor and get grabbed quickly.
I had a black 70 impala vert with 350 4 bolt and 12 bolt factory rear. It drank fuel like a thirsty alcoholic but was a fun cruiser.
The only issue i had was builders of new homes depth for garages that use micro cars to model needs.🤨
Two inches from wall and the garage
door went down .
This is when i went 67 mustang convertible and sold the land yacht 😟
The new owner sold to another who went off the rails…
Now i get to see at car shows every now and then…
(And no I don’t like the low riders with scuffed paint look)
It at one time had a skull and crossbones on door but now just sucky paint and low rider wheels 🥺
I know its not mine
If it’s solid, fresh paint, a fresh interior, and rally II wheels would make this a great cruiser for cheap. Alternatively, since there’s not a huge amount of collector interest in a stock 1970 Catalina convertible, the next owner could resto-mod it, perhaps creating the 1970 2+2 that Pontiac never built.
I left Oklahoma
Driving in a Pontiac
Just about to lose my mind…
What a wonderful summer ride. I’d drive proudly as is
The only thing uglier than a 70 Pontiac is 2 of em. Good project for someone and affordable. Good luck to the new owner!
Cheers
GPC
I had a beautiful 70 Bonneville convertible, 455, gold, parchment bench seat interior, white top, Rally ll’s. I eventually sold it to a kid that stopped by all the time. He kept it for many years, it was used in parades, homecomings, and displayed at local shows. I wonder what ever happened to it, it really was a beautiful car, also the first of many Pontiacs.
It’s in no way my favorite year Poncho and what the designers were thinking when they shaped that ass into something I think looks like a late 50s Continental is something I’ll never comprehend…
With that said I love to see unusual cars come back to life – I’m tired of rows of Corvettes and Mustangs at car shows and a Poncho like this definately adds diversity to the hobby. It would be a car that’d catch my interest at a show and unless there’s extensive rot present the new top and upholstery should be worth seller’s asking alone( didn’t even know they made upholstery for this!). Cool cheap project for the right enthusiast! 👍
Butt ugly and in 70, PMD built the best looking GTO ever. Despite that, this is the best deal on Barn Finds. Wish I had room for it. Set of Rally IIs” do the seat covers and drive it. Life is short.
That is a sweet looking car.
You can only wonder what this looks like from underneath, that’s why it’s so cheap.
These are the types of cars I like to see properly restored. I still like Camaros, Mustangs, and Chevelles, but these deserve there due. You would be the only one at a car show. Seeing something different is rewarding. Love the big beak on this one. No roof almost always is an attention getter.
Yea.
This could be a good Summertime driver.
2 door ragtop.
With interior parts and ragtop.
Already hit him on Craigslist.
Waiting…
Sold
Da@#it
From Pontiac’s Duesenberg phase. That nose is supposed to recall the grand classics of the 1930s, which it does, but only in a “hey, look – we slapped a 1930s grille onto a very ordinary car” way.
Cotton blanket to sit on is better than black vinyl seats on a hot summer day, any time!
Love it…especially that BUTTAFACED grill. Drive it…and restomod it when winter hits.
In 1971 me (in high school) and 2 family members bought 3 ex police cars, I bought a 70 Catalina with a 400 motor, for $1000, they bought 69’s Catalinas for $900. That 70 would fly, it was heavy but that 400 would move it out, I loved the grill then and the vertical grill stuck with me years later now I drive a 58 Edsel.
Brings back a lot of memories. I got a loaded 6-year old ’70 Bonneville Brougham 4-door hardtop that was my daily driver for six years. Unique love-it-or-hate-it styling; I loved it and still do. Am currently looking for an old Pontiac convertible but looking for one that is finished, not a project. Good luck to both seller and buyer.
Arnold Schwarzenegger drove one of these in the movie “Last Action Hero” Dark green,
That was a ’69 Bonneville actually.
Nick Nolte special….oh hell yeah.