the 71 Catalina Freeway Enforcer is headed to the Restoration Shop
 

After a 5+ year delay the Catalina Police car is headed for Restoration. The main issue was finding a shop that was both willing to do the work ( I got alot of responses like that's not what we normally work on, or that's not a Muscle car.)
I was lucky and found Chase Classic Motors about 1 hour away from me. And they are actually excited to have a chance to work on the car. They will work on just about any classic, but the team has a soft spot for old Police cars, and they have restored a Michigan State Police Fury, and others. So they have at least some experience and connections to the small antique Police car groups.
The plan is not for a frame off, as that would be way to expensive compared to the potential value of the car. But frame on restoration, fix the mechanical issues, make it drive-able, and put as close as possible to its in service condition when it was the Police Chief''s car of Chambersburg PA from 1971-1980.

I have attached some pictures of the trip on Sunday. The 1st is it loaded up and ready for the 1 hour drive on I-94, the 2nd is arriving at the shop, and the last 2 are it safely inside the shop. The last one is the only Vintage In service Picture that I have been able to find of the car, oddly taken on the day my wife was Born

What do you all think? Worthy project? Or just proof of my fascination with weird Performance Pontiac's?

Someone has to keep these boats on the road just for the uniqueness/historical reference alone...glad you found some help with her 👍

That shop does not shy away from large cars! That's an unusual mix in the shop.

James Q

Interesting :)

Hell yeah! Love it.
I'm curious.... does it have hi-po drivetrain/suspension like the old police interceptors?

I just watched the YouTube video. Adam loves his full size Pontiac s
What a great car

Sent from my SM-A426B using Tapatalk

It has the normal 4bbl 455 D-Port 66 heads, but it has the long branch exhaust manifolds that would have been on 1970 Ram Air III 400's. The carb is the same as the 455 H/O's. I don't know what cam or rocker arms it has. It sounded healthy at idle when I bought it 10 or so years ago. The carb has all the emission parts omitted on it. That's about all I know about the engine.
I find it odd that the aircleaner lid and valve covers are painted, I am used to GTO's and F-bodies that would have chrome.

My wife is looking forward to driving it in the Lights and Siren Parade to kick off the 2025 Dream Cruise.

Thanks for letting me know its on Youtube, just watched it myself. Generating more interest than I would have thought, especially for a car I bought on accident on E-bay years ago.

That’s such a cool project! Sounds like a good fit with that shop for sure!

Our family had a ‘71 Catalina when I was in HS and that was by far my favorite car my dad ever bought! Rode like a dream and man, was that 400 4bbl ever quick for a big car! One of the reasons I got hooked on Pontiacs!

Good luck on the restoration!

First thing I thought of was Oakland County Sheriffs Department, nothing more ominous than seeing a black and white Pontiac with a single red beacon mounted on the roof after doing something dumb……..

I like it and a real piece of history. Good to see it will be getting preserved and some well deserved restoration work.

I'm hardly the Mopar guy but the big Mopar police cars of the 1970's are a treat to look at in the shop photo.

Good luck and post more photos of the progress.

Thanks Guys, not much happening at the Moment, sourcing the needed Battery Tray and gas tank straps from Steve Barcak, Then it will need all new fuel lines & fuel pump (they are rusty inside) after that we will get it started started for the 1st time in 5-6 years, The shop will be posting some Youtube videos of the progress. I will link them here when they post.

Really hope to have it drivable, and the exterior done by August 2025.

Any updates? Such a cool B-body!

Dennis

Not much, other than the shop got the engine fired up, running well, found the radiator leaking slightly from the bottom of the core. So it is out and being recored, looks to be the original Harrison Radiator. I found the missing battery tray in my garage, and located some good Gas tank straps. A 1 1/8" front, and 1" rear sway bars for it from a Demo Derby guy in OH10. So 99% of the missing parts are now accounted for. The original Rims are out being powder coated, And I just found a NOS passenger side rear fender extension to replace the dented original. I have never seen a pot metal part "dented" before. Not cracked or broken, just dented. I am sure it could have been repaired but for $50 delivered for the NOS part I didn't see the point.

That's about it for now. The shop is planning on posting some video's of the work, but nothing so far. They like the sound of the engine with the ram air III D-port manifolds and the dual's. It does sound good. Thanks for asking.

RAIII exhaust manifolds? That's very interesting. Do you have any pictures of them on the engine? Are they listed in any police package descriptions? I'd love to hear (read) and learn more about this as I thought the 455 4-bbl 325 hp engine was the same YC code 455 available in all the models (A, B, F, & G) and they just had log manifolds.

Dennis

Awesome!!!

I can envision Buford T. Justice driving it, a few years before he had that terrible encounter with that rascal, the Bandit!!!

Dennis, I am only about 90% sure the June 1970 dated Ram Air III manifolds were original to the car, The passenger side manifold was cracked in half around the center ports, and the Drivers side had a large crack in the same area. I suspect they cracked from all the idling that a Police car does. But I don't know.
The previous owner was a Pontiac Collector and had several 69-70 GTO's and 70-73 T/A's, and this Catalina. I know he removed the big front and rear sway bars for some reason, and put on a 7/8" front bar. So it is possible that he added the manifolds? Nothing in the Police Brochure's say anything about a performance exhaust system, other than dual exhaust.
I replaced the cracked manifolds with some repo';s from Ram Air Restoration's. It is a YC block, but the carb is odd as all the emissions parts on the Q-Jet are deleted. And the PHS has Emissions & Tax exempt hand written over the 1st page.
I don't think I have any pictures showing the original manifolds on the car. I can take some of the repo's the next time I go visit it.

Jeff, I think the RA D-ports were added a later time as you suspect by the previous owner. I'd leave them on myself. Glad you found the police sway bars for big gal. I'll be following your progress on Freeway Enforcer!

Are you rebuilding the 455?

Dennis

You are probably correct, but no way to know for sure. The shop sent me a picture today, I think just to prove the radiator was out.

I did find a picture of the cracked passenger side manifold, unfortunately out of the car. the missing piece was actually sitting in place on the car, helt on by about 1 mm of material. Fell out when I removed it and fell into the exhaust system up pipe!

I don't know what happened to the radiator out picture lets try that again