Pages

Saturday, December 7, 2019

1975 Pontiac Catalina 2-door with a for sale sign


Found for sale in Mulga, Alabama in front of a tire store.

Goose chase.
Not all wild goose chases result in disappointment. Sometimes they go rather well. When JYL got the call that there was a garage find we might like. It was for sure a mid-1970’s Pontiac. The tipster indicated it may be a Grand Prix. We might be borderline obsessed with Pontiac Grand Prixs. It might be 45 minutes away. Do we chance it? Heck yes, we do!

A tan colored half vinyl top on the 1975 Catalina.
1975 Pontiac Catalina's clean lines and huge quarter panels wrap around to the squared off tail lights.

Holy Mother Goose 
  Armed with some vague directions and a few landmarks, this tip turned out to be very true. It was a 1975 Pontiac Catalina! Oh, what a Catalina it was too. It was a beautiful car that was well taken care of since new. The original owner’s wife decided it was time to go to other hands.

New Goose 
  During the fall of 1974, the new 1975 full-size line-up was proudly displayed at Brownell Pontiac in Birmingham, Alabama. In that row of Bonnevilles, Safaris, Grand Ams and Grand Prixs sat Emma Goose – this beautiful Catalina.


The saddle interior looks new. No cracks, splits, tears. Signs of a low-mile garage queen.


Emma Goose
  So what is Emma Goose exactly? She is a 1975 Pontiac Catalina in Oxford Brown with Saddle interior. She is propelled by an appropriate Pontiac 350 and the expected automatic transmission. Emma Goose was moderately optioned, saving money on certain features and a little spendy on others. A bench seat covered in the previously mentioned code 63V Saddle interior-one of the most beautiful colors they could have matched with the regal Oxford Brown (Code 59) exterior. A trivial fun fact is that Oxford Brown was not shown on most factory sales literature. Why? Because in 1975 it was ONLY on the Catalina! Making Emma a rare goose indeed.


Radial Tuned Suspension emblem is mounted above the radio.
AM/FM 8-track stereo serves up the tunes in the 1975 Pontiac Catalina. Note the Radial Tuned Suspension emblem mounted above the radio.

Counting on Emma

  How many options can you spot? We spotted the Cordova vinyl top and the Rally II wheels – those were not free. We also noticed the air conditioning. Don’t think for a second that we missed the AM/FM stereo with the optional 8-track tape player! Emma rocks! She even had the famous RTS badge (Radial Tuned Suspension) on the dash.
  This Catalina presented itself so well that we really didn’t miss the options not checked. Not present were power windows, cruise control, power seats, extra-cost material called Morrokide or even a 4-barrel carburetor. We didn’t care. We loved this car.

  So Catalina fans, what did we miss? A low-mile, garage find, straight from the original owner in preserved condition. This car was amazing enough. Our goose was cooked! We were feeling lucky just to be near it. Junkyard Life sincerely hopes this incredible Pontiac finds a great new home to keep up the preservation and the life it deserves. How great is it to be reassured that these treasures are still out there? We would say…very!

Ron Kidd
— Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust


A grandma-fresh garage find.
$7,000 on the sign in window. This pristine brown beauty was found in Mulga, Alabama in front of a tire store.


Catalina Disclaimers and Fun Facts

  • The name “Catalina” first appeared on Pontiac’s top of the line Chieftain series in 1950. The most expensive in the 1950 Pontiac line was a Catalina.
  • By 1959 property values went down considerably and the name remained on the entry level, lower optioned, lower price cars. A demotion that never affected Pontiac loyalty. Buyers loved the name Catalina, despite the fact it was now the least expensive in that line of Pontiacs.
  • Some sources say Catalina is Spanish for the name Catherine.
  • Other sources claim the word “catalina” is a Greek word meaning pure. This makes sense for the base model association.
  • Some indicate “catalina” is a type of balance wheel, named for St. Catherine whom had a dire experience with such a wheel.
  • Junkyard Life writer Ron Kidd was sure a Catalina was a commercial fishing boat. He will still try to tell you that it is. Other staff members thought it was named after Catalina Island. (Discalimer: We don’t really know.)

This Pontiac Catalina is one-of-40,657 2-door hardtops built for ’75 model year. 

Brownell Pontiac dealer emblem on trunk lid.

100 mph speedometer in the round gauge that sits next to clock on dash.

66,359 miles on odometer of ’75 Pontiac Catalina.

Six distinct grille elements mimic the six outline shapes on the tail lights. Design details that add bonus points for the discriminating collector.

Style, class and determination. The face on this Pontiac Catalina captivates.

Rallys II wheels and white wall tires on the 1975 Pontiac Catalina. Radials beacame standard equipment in 1975.

Large quarter windows keep blind spots away when merging in the big Poncho.





Under hood shot of the all original engine.
A Pontiac 350 engine powers the 1975 Catalina.

Manual window cranks for the passenger in the ’75 Catalina.

The Catalina could fool people into thinking this was a time machine. One loaded with options like air, AM/FM stereo with 8-track.



Got a classic car in your driveway? Send us details!  Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com and Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.


5 comments:

Unknown said...

I have a 1973 Pontiac catalina rust on top and trunks can be fixed 87000 original miles

robert f. duncan said...

sold?

robert f. duncan said...

sold?

For sale said...

I have a 1973 4 door small block Chevy v8, 63,000 original miles, original interior, electric windows and seats,original removable side skirts, great condition. Email russellfarrow@rocketmail.com for more info. Pearl bronze paint white top, brown leather interior,

Anonymous said...

My name is James I would love to find another Catalina as my last toy to put back together