#1  
Old 03-02-2021, 10:23 AM
Mwieczorek Mwieczorek is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Imlay City, MI
Posts: 59
Default Going to look at a 66 Catalina Convertible, any advice on what to look for?

Hi,

Like the title says, I'm going to look at a 66 Catalina Convertible this weekend. I have owned a number of classics over the years and I *generally* know what to look for (bondo in the fenders and quarters, floor and trunk pans, frame issues), but is there anything specific to these cars that I need to check? Is there any specific spot the frames are known to rot? Kickups in front of the rear axle like others? I've never owned a convertible. Is there anything specific I should be looking at there?

I am taking a friend along as a 2nd set of eyes to make sure I don't miss anything.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide!

  #2  
Old 03-02-2021, 12:20 PM
389 389 is offline
Suspended
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 561
Default

Look at the frame at the rear wheels.

Check the rear window area..

Don't let a bad convertible pump motor stop you. Those tops come up and go down very easily by hand.. I used to take the motors off my convertibles..

Check the frame under the engine...

The 66 is a very nice car!

  #3  
Old 03-02-2021, 05:42 PM
ken66 ken66 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 105
Default

Check the core support, driver's side, under the battery.

  #4  
Old 03-02-2021, 08:44 PM
63gpman's Avatar
63gpman 63gpman is offline
Ultimate Warrior
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Rochester, MN
Posts: 2,000
Default

Steering wheels and Dash pads are expensive to replace! The trunk mounts on the frame, just behind the axle tend to rot out even on dry cars, Trunk pans and lower qtrs on the rear. Lower front fenders tend to rot as well. Battery Trays are not reproduced. Hope it works out!!

__________________
Brad Hansen

65 Cat Ventura, 66 Cat Vert, 63 GP
  #5  
Old 03-03-2021, 11:14 AM
Mwieczorek Mwieczorek is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Imlay City, MI
Posts: 59
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 389 View Post
Look at the frame at the rear wheels.

Check the rear window area..

Don't let a bad convertible pump motor stop you. Those tops come up and go down very easily by hand.. I used to take the motors off my convertibles..

Check the frame under the engine...

The 66 is a very nice car!
Thanks. The owner did admit that the power top is not working. He claims he has all the parts to fix it and they go with the car.

I'm getting pretty stoked about this.

  #6  
Old 04-12-2021, 11:49 AM
Mwieczorek Mwieczorek is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Imlay City, MI
Posts: 59
Default

I finally have an update! (LOL)

I went to look at the first car and it was a bust. The guy insisted it was a straight car with no real rust issues... The core support was toast, the rear body mount behind the wheel on one side was GONE. The quarters were full of bondo and had more waves than Lake Michigan. The guy kept insisting that he didn't care if I bought it or not, and "with just a little work this will be a fifty five thousand dollar car". He also didn't believe that quarters and other parts for these cars are not reproduced. I was kinda peeved because I ASKED him about all of this stuff before making the drive to Indiana to see the car. When I called him out on it he got kinda nasty with me and said it was all minor stuff that could be fixed and that it was a "fifty five thousand dollar car all day long". Sigh... I didn't even make an offer. It was funny, I had a friend along as a 2nd set of eyes and he was behind the guy making faces gestures indicating that we should get the heck out of there.

But, when it rains it pours I guess. A 66 Bonneville hardtop came up local to me. It's a barn find out of North Carolina. It has some surface rust, but the quarters are straight and have minimal rust, and what is there I can patch. the frame is solid, the body mounts areas are solid, the core support is decent, etc. It runs, but it needs a master cylinder, wheel cylinders/brake job, a radiator, and the carb needs to be refreshed. It's a 389/4bbl car and from what I can tell so far everything seems to be original. The guy was selling it on Facebook and had a crazy number of people after him, but I was local and had cash and was easy to deal with so he sold it to me. I trailered it home Friday night.

I had been after another 66 Catalina convertible in Ohio. The guy was cool, but it sounded like he didn't really want to sell, and had a ton of people after it so I had sorta given up. He called me Saturday and said he wanted me to come look at it. We took a little road trip on Sunday and I drove it home. This car is really straight too. It needs a paint job because its in primer, but it has a new top, new top hydraulics and pump, the 8 bolt wheels and brakes were refreshed and work great. It's a 2 barrel, the guy said its a 1967 400, but its wearing 092 heads which belong on a 389, I gotta do some digging on this one to see what it really is.

I need to figure out how to post pics...

  #7  
Old 04-12-2021, 01:29 PM
camerjeff's Avatar
camerjeff camerjeff is offline
Ultimate Warrior
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Belleville , Mi
Posts: 1,982
Default

Congrat's! as you know we will need pictures soon!

__________________
Jeff R
60 Jaguar Mark 2, 3.8L Automatic
67 Sprint Firebird 230 OHC-6 4-Speed A/C
78 Catlina Safari, Pontiac 400 powered
77 Astre Formula, 215 Buick V-8 T-5
73 Lemans Safari, 400 4bbl 4-speed
71 Catalina Enforcer, 455 4bbl
06 Mallet Solstice #024 LS2, Now with a Tremec 6060 6-speed!
2012 F-150 Echo Boost (My local Ford Dealer SUX!!!)
2020 Dodge Charger Scat pack (recovered)
  #8  
Old 04-12-2021, 02:36 PM
Ragtop Man's Avatar
Ragtop Man Ragtop Man is offline
Ultimate Warrior
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,239
Default

No need to deal with abusive pricks, the guy will die with the bondo buggy.

Sorry to hear about the wasted trip, but sounds like a win on the other side!

BTW Brad may still have his very nice '66 convert...

  #9  
Old 04-12-2021, 03:16 PM
Mwieczorek Mwieczorek is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Imlay City, MI
Posts: 59
Default

Here are a couple pics I snapped last night after we got home.

I'll try to get more later.





The Catalina is safely in the garage. Unfortunately I can't push the Bonneville into the barn and without brakes I can't safely drive it there, so it will sit until I get the brakes re-worked.

I could see big leaks at the master cylinder and both front wheels, so at lunch time I hopped online and ordered a master cylinder, brake shoes, front wheel cylinders, a hardware kit, points, condenser, thermostat, and gaskets. The Bonneville came with a new radiator, heater core, and cap and rotor kit. Hopefully the install goes easy, then we find out if the back brakes work!

Gonna be fun showing up at the SOS (DMV to you non-Michiganders) office to title and register 2 of these old gals at once!

  #10  
Old 04-12-2021, 03:24 PM
Mwieczorek Mwieczorek is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Imlay City, MI
Posts: 59
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragtop Man View Post
No need to deal with abusive pricks, the guy will die with the bondo buggy.

Sorry to hear about the wasted trip, but sounds like a win on the other side!

BTW Brad may still have his very nice '66 convert...
I dunno man, his facebook post changed to sold, so apparently somebody thought it was worth $10k or he marked it sold and put it back in the garage.

Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:45 AM.

 

About Us

The PY Online Forums is the largest online gathering of Pontiac enthusiasts anywhere in the world. Founded in 1991, it was also the first online forum for people to gather and talk about their Pontiacs. Since then, it has become the mecca of Pontiac technical data and knowledge that no other place can surpass.

 




Copyright © 2017