[19612311]

Hello this car is a 1961 Catalina sport sedan that I grew up in. It has had miss matched fender spears since 1969, when my dad became the second owner. Could someone please post a conclusive answer as to which one is correct. Thanks....

[Chief of the 60's]

The one on the left fender

[Stuart]

Both styles were used in 1961, although I don't know if it depended on whether the car was early or late production, or if it depended on where the car was built. I've seen (and owned) cars with both styles, and have also seen cars that had one of each.

[19612311]

PHS build sheet was 11/11/60. The car has not been restored and both fenders appear to have never been removed . To tell the truth, I only discovered it after a paint shop buffed the original paint ...it was the guy running the buffer that found it. We have nearly all documentation including first owner receipts and this may be as it left the factory.

[Stuart]

I remember talking to another '61 owner years ago; he had one of each on his Ventura and claimed it came that way from the factory, but he wasn't the original owner so I didn't take much stock in what he said. It's possible, but I think it's more likely that one of them was replaced at some point. Of course that's just speculation.

That's a cool dealer badge you have on the car.

[pfilean]

If yours was sold in Norfolk it is likely a Wilmington built like my Ventura which was sold in Richmond. My build date is 6-6-61 and the spears are definitely like your right fender. Even has similar pits in the chrome. Those spears occasionally come through Ebay. Keep watching.

[Jeff Hamlin]

I would love to have that dealer badge...



My friends '61 has the straight version, don't know the build date.

[19612311]

You gentlemen are correct the car was built at the Wilmington Delaware plant and shipped to McLean Pontiac in Portsmouth Virginia. My father would work at the Navy Yard in Norfolk. My grandparents always drove Pontiacs and my grandmother bought a 1961 Catalina four-door new in July 1961. My dad ended up using that car as a winter rat, and The sport sedan became the summer car that is in this post. In about 1982 we scrapped the four-door which quite a bit of the car is still up in the hayloft. Unfortunately I did not save the fender spears nor can I find a photograph of what was on that car.

[61-63]

The earlier cars had the one on the driver's side. Not sure when they changed over but like most items where there were two versions different assembly plants probably ran out of the old style item at different times.

[19612311]

Thank you all very much for the replies. I have been watching eBay for the Spears however I have decided to leave the car alone for now, we didn’t notice it for over 50 years so what’s a few more. I’ve been waiting over two years for a new headliner from SMS and I’m about to give up. The acrylic steering wheel is cracking and the upholstery is stained, I’m surprised that I can’t even get the original floormat to replace the cracked one. This car has turned out to be the hardest thing to get original interior parts for I’ve ever worked on. I live within a few miles of a nationally recognized upholstery shop for restorations and they’re not able to get this material. They tell me SMS is the only game but I’m not sure I live long enough to finish this.

[alleyCat]

That is the downfall with these 61’s. Interior is impossible to replace without SMS. My wagon i terior would take forever to get the vinyl and then someone has to stitch it up. Guess 5k + by the time its done. I did get my headliner from Ciadella. It is yellow star pattern for 62 Impala wagon and fit perfect .