Project "I Left the Bowtie Reservation" 62 Catalina
 

WHERE WERE YOU IN 62? (Am. Graffiti).
Yes, off the reservation, but joined the tribe of Chief Pontiac!
I like to check out the classifieds and the eBay sections when I log on this site. I drool over several finds and usually dismiss all the drool worthy rides because of lack of funds or the car is too far away. Besides, I have a slew of unfinished projects and do not need anything else. I can't explain why I was mesmerized by this car. Maybe it was the fact that it had a lot of cool features wrapped in one package. Tony (Scuncio) posted the ad:youguysrock:, I took the bait, bid, and won. The cool features include: This was an untouched old school drag car. It has not seen the light of day in 40+ years. It is a convertible! It raced in North East Ohio.
Primarily at Dragway 42 in Salem, Ohio. I am the 4th owner, I think?
It has a interesting, neat, history. The car was born a 389 4 bbl. automatic with Selmar Red exterior and tri-tone red interior.
THE RACE HISTORY
In 1963, a fellow in Ravenna, Ohio, I will refer to as G.V., bought this car. G.V. is still alive. He dismantled the whole car, he said, and proceeded to do several modifications and fabrications to compete in stock class racing. I won't list all the mods. now, but they are numerous. He primed the car in Rustoleum Red Oxide primer and had "some kid" lay on a heavy metal flake paint job. It resembles a racing helmet or boat type metal flake. This was a new kind of paint in 63. The "kid" laid on the paint thicker than a las Vegas whore. Now, the paint is falling off and very fragile. G.V. raced this car from 1964-'74. He had several combinations of Pontiac power and ran a stick early on, later going automatic. His last combo was a 400 with TH400. He blew up the engine in '74. He told me that is when he decided he was finished with racing. He pulled the drive train and sold both, engine & tranny, along with all the engine racing goodies. He put the rolling body away in a garage.
NEXT OWNER #3
As said, the car was put away in 74. But in 1977 the car was sold to George M. (or G.M.) G.M. had bought a 62 Catalina convertible new. When he retired his car, he put it in a dirt floor shed on one of his rental properties. His son was turning 15 in 1977 and he thought it would be nice to fix up his Catalina for his boy. Upon pulling the car out in the light it became apparent that the harsh Ohio environment had taken it's toll on this car as it was literally rusted away up to the doors. G.M. knew of this other car body, the race car, and struck a deal along with parting out the rusted car keeping any usable parts for this race car body. I was told that the drive train from the rusted car, sans rear end, was put in this race car. The engine was built by the famous Oties Speed Shop in Akron, I was told. The car as bought, has a 389 Tri-Power with manual 3 speed and a locked 4.10 Olds /Pontiac rear. For reasons not clear, but I suspect that putting the car back to road worthy condition was daunting and the project was abandoned. The son got a new Trans Am and the Catalina was put in the back of a 4 car dry garage. There it sat untouched and not run for the next 40 years.
2017
I buy this car that has not seen the light of day since, essentially, 74. I have had this car about a month now. I have it running now:3gears:! I also put the floor shift Hurst Dual Pattern w/ Syncro-Loc, back in the car. I have also been replacing decals that were gone/missing and added a few discreet embellishments, but basically interested in preserving the car. The car still has the dirt on the body as found, I did clean the carpet and area behind the rear seat of a zillion mouse turds, yuck! And I did evict a few rodents with poison. I am not cleaning anything else. I am leaving the chrome, paint, engine, '64 Keystone Kustomags, and everything else, as found. I did fabricate a brass fuel log, and replaced the radiator and water pump, hoses and belts. A little brake work and fuel line to tank I want to replace (it is 1/2 in. copper!). Car has no mirrors. Now, I still love my Chevies :worship:, but the inability to move forward and the inability to find paint and body people have frustrated and depressed me. The hobby is supposed to be fun and it has not been for quite awhile. I thought this may get me enthused again. And it has. :biggthumpup:

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Amazing find, and what a great backstory. You win.

Awesome car and story. Congrats!


BTW we need a walk around video of the thing running!!

Nice sore Bentley. Love the looks of the big cat '62s! Congrats!!

Way to go, Bentley! That's awesome!

That thing's cool!

Cool! I saw this car on eBay. Yeah, the "hobby" can get you down at times so something off the wall like this can bring back the fun!

Yep, sometimes I am so close to getting a car done, but can't make it happen. Then, I start thinking about getting rid of everything. But I hang in there. This car had a lot going for it, I felt. It was a good bodystyle, a plus. A convertible, plus. Ex drag, plus, at least to guys like us. Untouched time capsule, plus and did not take much to get it going (lucky?). Pontiacs had a killer reputation during this timeframe, especially in North East Ohio. I hope to make it to its 1st show October 1st.

Very cool!:biggthumpup:

Geesh that is so cool!!!!!!

Awesome! I'm glad I could be a little part of the story!

underside
 

picture1) Ball joint extensions. Pic2) A-relocated fuel line, now, 1/2 in. B-drain cock front edge of tank, C-driveshaft loop,D-Watts link on rear of 3rd member pumpkin. Pic3) A&B-boxed trailing arms w/ steel bushings. C-watts link LH arm. Pic4) A-Airlift bag, B-Watts link mount on sectioned frame. Pic5) A-looking inline with axle tube, top of pumpkin, pinion angle turnbuckle B-hoses to trunk mounted Bendix fuel pumps. Below clamp is Watts link pivot on pumpkin and partial view of rod.

1st show!
 

Car debuted at its 1st show, the Pumpkin Run (Owensville, Ohio) Sept 29,30,Oct 1.

Bentley, That thing is so cool!! Good for you!
I love early 60s Pontiacs.

Good deal Bentley. How did she fare?

If you mean did I get an award? No. If you mean did I have any incidents or break downs? No. Great weather and great time.

I love it Bentley! I bet it was a blast to discuss the car with folks at the show. Glad that it put the fun back in the hobby for you.

Uh no, I wasn't inferring a possible award, unless an award for the car with the best vIbE!!!!!!! Glad you had a good time. What sort of reactions to your car did you get?

Put it this way, Sam, can you say "rock star"? Ha!
Yeah, I never had so many, show so much interest. I arrived Friday morn. Parked with some long time Camaro buddies out in the backlot. The next morning, I am greeted at my car by some guys who insisted the car got moved to a better site were it could be showcased with other vintage race tin. They saw the car enter the show on Friday and hunted it down (approx, 3000 cars). They found it after I had left for the day. These 2 guys told me they crawled under the car and all around it and determined it was gold. I was immediately moved to prime real estate, amongst the upper crusts of the show. I was put on the corner, on pavement, as seen, across from the gas pump island display (Most of the grounds are gravel or grass and it was very dusty). Yep, I moved from Baltic Place to Park Place in an instant. I had to bring down the SUV to haul my ego home! I was stoked! :biggthumpup:

Bruce, it was a blast! Regarding putting the fun back in, it worked! Ear to ear grin came back. Taking the fun out, you don't know the half of it (disgusted with my Camaro). But thank you for encouraging words.

1964 ads for car's components
 

These ad copies are out of a 1964 PHR. All 3 are in this car.
Keystone Kustomags, Hurst Dual Pattern with Synchro lok, Cure Ride 90-10 front shocks.interesting that Hank's Speed Shop is in Da Grumps hometown.

That's awesome! Barn Find Drag Cars drive people nuts . . . me included!

What a beautiful ugly bastard !
Got Dang wild as hell
Love It

Probably wind up in Hollywood making a movie with this beast in it.

Thanks for letting me know you had a thread for it on here Bentley.

Would put out an All Points Bulletin for an old Knafel Pontiac-Akron Ohio die cast dealer emblem to put on it.
Pontiac Folks in your neck of the woods would all be doing back-flips and cart-wheels around the car. Even the old old old guys.


I had a picture of one from eBay years ago.
Cant find the pic now.
The "K" 's are usually backwards - on purpose.

I think they still reproduce these decals.
Could "age-enhance" some patina on them if you can find them - probably on eBay.

A lot of us are big big fans of Knafel and the Tin Indians .

https://www.yenko.net/forum/attachmen...1&d=1529382174

Found the pic from eBay of early die-cast.
This one is about correct vintage of your car.

GTO DON / Ram4King - got it on ebay
He may still have it ?



I had a 6x2 (twelve pack) intake/carbs/linkage set-up for these early engines.
Six -3bolt base Stromberghs mounted on Logs.
Would like to seen it bolted down on this machine of yours !

Took forever to find a buyer for it.
Sold it for about $200 .... 15 years ago



https://www.yenko.net/forum/attachmen...1&d=1529435169

Dang! Story of my life...hour late, dollar short. I want that emblem!

I put in about a $10 bid on that emblem - as a marker.
Then brain lapsed and didnt keep track with it - until after it ended.
Only one other bidder besides me - and they got it for $10 and Change.

Week or two later i posted the pic of it on PY
Don says - hey that looks just like the one i got off eBay recently.

Got Dang ! lol

----Bought a couple of cars off of Bill K back in the early 70's. 1st was his wifes 72 TA driver. Had about 4000 easy miles on it. White, blue gut, loaded, automatic. 2nd was a 73 GMC El Camino. What I knew about him was all good. Real decent, nice guy!......Bill S

Hey Bill, thanks for sharing your actual person to person experiences with Knafel . Not many in the hobby seem to have ever had any real life encounters or business with him.

On a whim if possibly you were active in that area in later 1969 - by any chance did you ever see one of these wild 69 GTO's on his lot ? Or running around town ?

https://www.yenko.net/forum/attachmen...1&d=1529509219

Bill, would you be able/willing to dig up any pictures of the TA, no matter how good or bad they are, I'd love to see any.

----You know, Nick, I never took a pic of that TA. Im sorry. I wasn't very comfortable in it and moved on after about 6 months to the GMC El Camino as I thought I needed a quasi-pickup to haul stuff around. Only thing I did to the TA was a set of American Daises. Car looked cool with them!...…..Bill S