Funny what a paint job and a lowered suspension can do for an otherwise run-of-the-mill mid 1970's Pontiac. This is a 1976 Catalina and she's for sale in Niles, Ohio for, what appears to be just from the pictures, not an unreasonable asking price of $5,000. Well, honestly, I think this is a good $3,000-$3,500 car but knowing this insane car market I know it's not over-priced.
I'd never give one of these a second look in factory paint and trim as I've always felt these were over styled, fluffy, wannabee luxury cars. But, peel off the vinyl top, apply matte finish liberally to the body and wheels (this looks professionally done), chop a coil or two off the springs fore and aft and, voila. The closest thing to the Bat Mobile you'll find from here to Gotham City. Even putting white-letter tires on would mess up the sheer mysterious essence of it.
From 1974 through 1976, Pontiac shared that that far out "B-pillar" with a roll-up and down window on the Catalina with the Oldsmobile 88 and Buick LeSabre; I much prefer it to the "glasshouse-donk" on Chevrolet's and C-body Oldsmobile's, Buick's and Cadillac's. Half pillared coupe and hard top, it really gets accentuated with the funky paint job. The matte finish also helps bring to life the hunched shoulders of the upper rear quarter panels that you don't find on Chevrolet or Oldsmobile B-body two-door sedans of this vintage. No word if any work's been done under the hood where Pontiac's 400 cubic-inch V-8 would sit. What the price point is on this chances are it's all but original. Not a bad thing. Make it your own.
I'd love to get this and drive around in it whispering to people at stop lights, "I'm Batman".
The Catalina was originally a trim level denoting hard top Pontiac's from 1950 through 1958. From 1959 through 1981 it was Pontiac's "entry-level" full-size car.
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