Coming from a family of autoworkers and growing up a block away from Pontiac Motor Division, it's kind of hard not to love Pontiacs. When other kids were riding bikes, I was flipping over the air cleaner lid on my mom's '78 LeMans to get the two-barrel to sound more aggressive.
When I was 15, my dad (a mechanic), his closest buddies, and I pulled the Chevy 305 from the LeMans and dropped in a Pontiac 350. My uncle painted it and it became my first car. It was incredible to be a 16-year-old with a 13-second Pontiac.
I've had my share of cars over the years, from a Pro-Street Camaro to a '39 Ford street rod. Now I'm a 35-year-old husband and father of three, back with the brand that started it all for me-Pontiac. I currently own a '68 Pontiac Catalina sedan (post) with a 400ci two-barrel engine, factory-installed air conditioning, a three-speed stick on the column, and factory 3.23 gears. It was built in Arlington, Texas; its hood tach and 400 emblems were dealer-installed when new. Seeing it for the first time, I said, "I have to have this car."
I've been told 276,182 Catalinas were built for '68, but only 1,625 standard 400s were manual-shift cars, and 1.8 percent of these were two-door post sedans. That would make this car approximately 1-of-29 ever produced.
Though I've never left a car stock, I haven't altered or made any changes to my rare Catalina. (The car came with fender skirts that I've chosen to keep in the trunk.) You would think this beautiful B-body was kept in a time capsule with its laser-straight body, pristine Cameo Ivory paint, and even a lingering new car smell. This is one of those Pontiacs that you hear about and think is too good to be true-until you see it.
The only change I would like to make is-you guessed it-swapping out the two-barrel for a four-barrel. I've also been kicking around the idea of pulling out the original 400, wrapping it in a bag, dropping in a Butler Performance 400/455 stroker, painting it to look original, and having one bad sleeper. Who knows? The next time you're on Woodward Avenue and see a plain-Jane Cat, it might just be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
We got a lot of looks this past summer at the Woodward Dream Cruise. My wife and I have lots of fun going to car shows, taking all of the kids with us. My Catalina may be one of the most unusual full-size Pontiacs built for '68, but to us, it's the perfect family cruiser.
My Pontiac and Me spotlights reader experiences with their own Pontiacs in their own words. To be considered for publication, submit several high-quality color
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My Pontiac and Me
c/o Christopher Phillip
9036 Brittany Way
Tampa, FL 33619 or christopher.phillip@sorc.com
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