1962 Pontiac Catalina - Super Special Super-Duty

Among a host of extra-cost options appearing on the Catalina's original window sticker, a front and rear stabilizer bar (UPC 574) added $7.10 to the bottom line, but Riotte contends that the rear bar wasn't ever installed. "There's a group of holes on each side at the rear of this Catalina's control arms that my other Super-Dutys don't have. It looks as if this is where the bar would have been mounted, but there's no indication that anything was ever bolted in place. I believe the bar was planned, but the car was built without it."

The Super-Duty 421
Upon disassembly, Riotte found that the SD-421 had previously been rebuilt and was bored 0.030-inch in the process. He had the block bored an additional 0.030, which increased its bore diameter to a total of 4.15 inches. When combined with the 4.00-inch stroke of the original No. 990 forged-steel crankshaft, total displacement now measures 434 ci and compression checks in around 12:1

The cylinders were filled with forged-aluminum Ross pistons and forged-steel Crower connecting rods. Though the original McKellar No. 10 camshaft was in excellent shape, Riotte elected to replace it with a modern Crower No. 60310 mechanical flat-tappet grind featuring 240/248-degrees of 0.050-inch duration and 0.525/0.550-inch valve lift when combined with a set of 1.65:1 ratio roller-tip rocker arms from Comp Cams.

While rebuilding the Catalina's rear axle, Riotte discovered that the original left-hand axleshaft had been replaced with a billet-steel unit. He also found that the splines of the original right-hand axleshaft were badly twisted, so it, too, gave way to a billet-steel unit. "Someone had replaced the factory 4.30 gears with a set of 3.90s, but the original ring-and-pinion came with the car. They looked new, so I installed them after Fabcraft in Southlake, Texas, rebuilt the original limited-slip differential," he adds.

The Results
It took Riotte nearly 20 years to complete the Catalina's restoration. "I took my time because I wanted it done right and worked on it in my spare time. But when I learned that the POCI National Convention was being held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2007, I pressed to finish the project. We were down to the wire working several 12-hour days. My friend, Ed Giolma, came to my rescue several times during the final months, and I really appreciate his help."

Since the Catalina's completion, Riotte has taken it to several area shows and says it's usually awarded a top honor. "I had Chris Frasher of CF Designs in Long Grove, Oklahoma, touchup the paint in a few areas, but I'm very satisfied with the overall result. I don't drive it much because of its rarity and historical significance, but I enjoy driving it around show areas with the exhaust collectors uncapped. While in Tulsa, Jim Wangers got to see it for the first time since January 1962, and he autographed the sun visor for me."

Conclusion
A countless number of enthusiasts can relate to Eugene's desire of owning a Super-Duty in the early 60s, especially after reading the Motor Trend article. He admits that while he'd be satisfied owning any Super-Duty Pontiac today, he relates, "I never would have guessed that I'd some day own the car that fueled my dream. I'm very fortunate to have found it."

We might also consider Riotte's Catalina as inspiration to Pontiac hobbyists of all ages. You see, this isn't just a famous press car, this was the first production Super-Duty Pontiac released to the public and it paved the way for all performance vehicles that followed. So whether your dreams include owning a vintage Pontiac or a late-model performance car, there's no denying that this Super-Duty Catalina has touched us all.