[New kid in town]

hello ..im thinking about purchasing a 1965 catalina..Its an automatic on the column convertible. I believe it has a 389 motor in it and thats about all i know. IM a chevy buff so im new to the pontiac scene. My question is what kind of transmission comes in them..and also where can i find aftermarket items for it ..ie headers stuff like that..looks like there is only one place that makes the..mad dogg..i really dont want the stock upgraded ones i have seen..any help with info on the car would be appreciated..

[New kid in town]

hello ..im thinking about purchasing a 1965 catalina..Its an automatic on the column convertible. I believe it has a 389 motor in it and thats about all i know. IM a chevy buff so im new to the pontiac scene. My question is what kind of transmission comes in them..and also where can i find aftermarket items for it ..ie headers stuff like that..looks like there is only one place that makes the..mad dogg..i really dont want the stock upgraded ones i have seen..any help with info on the car would be appreciated..

[Stuart]

1965 was the first year for the TH400 trans in big Pontiacs, so you're golden there.

The host of this forum, Performance Years, sells a lot of resto parts for full size Pontiacs. Another source is Ames Performance.

There are any number of high performance parts for the engine, do some reading here. There are several Pontiac engine specialist shops who post regularly.

Nunzi's, at http://www.nunzi-pontiac-expert.com/headers.htm sells headers for '61-'64 big Pontiacs, don't know if they'll fit a '65. Again, do some searching around on this site, I believe some people have used certain GTO or Firebird headers on big cars with some success.

Good luck. I've always likes '65s, I used to have a '65 Grand Prix.

[66bonne]

Welcome to the Darkside and to the forum. Our host, Performance Years and Ames are the two leading souces I've used for Big Car parts. I believe Year One also has some stuff. Would suggest that you consider joining the Pontiac-Oakland Club International [you can find them on the web]. Dues are only $25 per year and they put out an excellent club magazine [monthly] that is worth the dues alone. About half of the magazine is devoted to classifieds selling parts and cars. It is also an excellent source for vendors. Aftermarket parts for Big Car Pontiacs are not as commonly available as for Chevies but they are out there if you know where to look. You mention headers specifically, Doug's Headers now make tube headers for the 65/66 big cars. I just put a set on my 65 Catalina 2 door sedan [455 motor] and am very pleased with the fit, finish and ease of installation. Have fun, Jim

[New kid in town]

thanks for the reply..I have been doing a lot of reading and havent really found anything on the catalina. I see alot on th gto and firebirds but not a lot on the bigger cars..Does this car have the potential to be a nice street cruiser with power or will it involve a whole lot. All and all im just really curious about the car, like i said i have always been into chevys...but pontiac looks pretty inviting..

[bonneville Joe]

Honestly, if you are looking for headers I would just install a set of reproduction Long Branch manifolds instead. They were a factory option on them originally, they flow almost as good as a header, they don't leak and they fit with no modification besides an oil filter adapter. That is a somewhat big car but it could be a Bonneville. Im assuming that it has a 2bbl carb on it. The first thing to do to make power with it is go to a 4bbl intake and it wouldn't hurt to step up the cam a little. Intake, Cam duration, Exhaust, and rear end gear are the weak points that slow the car down. Once you fix those it will be a stout car. That is one awesome car if you ask me. Welcome to the world of Pontiac.

[66bonne]

Being a 65/66 Big Car PontiManiac I have to chime in again. These cars make excellent, eye-catching cruisers with power to spare. You are right in that you will not find as much written about the Big Cars as you will the GTOs and Firebirds. For me, part of the appeal of the big cars is just that, there aren't that many around. If you go to a Pontiac show you are likely to see at least a dozen GTOs for each Big Car. As far as performance goes it is easy to do anything from mild to wild with a Pontiac motor. As a side note, one of the nice things about Pontiacs is that you can put virtually any Pontiac motor in any Pontiac model [there are some caveats though]. For example, i have a 1973 455 in my 65 Catalina, a 69 GTO 400 in my 66 Bonneville and a 74 400 from a Firebird] in my 65 Grand Prix. Another side note: Bonneville Joe makes an excellent point about the factory Long Branch headers. I have them on two of my cars and love them. If you go with tube headers you would have to install a floor shift as the column linkage will not clear the tube headers. Can you tell us any more about the car ? Is it running now? The Darkside is calling you, resistance is foolish. Have fun, Jim

[meanolgoat]

Welcome to the Darkside. I just purchased a 65 Cat Convertible last year. I love the car, I rebuilt the steering and suspension, and it handles like a dream. A 60's full-size pontiac is one of the best looking cars on the road, and will get more looks and attention then you can believe.

For more info, I would also recommend the following websites:
www.fullsizepontiacs.com
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/pontiacdarkside
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/pontiacbigguns

I too would recommend the Long Branch Manifolds, you can check them out at www.ramairrestoration.com

Just one more thing, Don't believe that it will be easier to drop a chevy motor in and make more power. The Pontiac motor is a monster with the right parts, and a full size pontiac will want alot of torque.

[bonneville Joe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 2BadCat:
Being a 65/66 Big Car PontiManiac I have to chime in again. These cars make excellent, eye-catching cruisers with power to spare. You are right in that you will not find as much written about the Big Cars as you will the GTOs and Firebirds. For me, part of the appeal of the big cars is just that, there aren't that many around. If you go to a Pontiac show you are likely to see at least a dozen GTOs for each Big Car. As far as performance goes it is easy to do anything from mild to wild with a Pontiac motor. As a side note, one of the nice things about Pontiacs is that you can put virtually any Pontiac motor in any Pontiac model [there are some caveats though]. For example, i have a 1973 455 in my 65 Catalina, a 69 GTO 400 in my 66 Bonneville and a 74 400 from a Firebird] in my 65 Grand Prix. Another side note: Bonneville Joe makes an excellent point about the factory Long Branch headers. I have them on two of my cars and love them. If you go with tube headers you would have to install a floor shift as the column linkage will not clear the tube headers. Can you tell us any more about the car ? Is it running now? The Darkside is calling you, resistance is foolish. Have fun, Jim <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Jim, is that you that has the '67 Bonneville 'vert for sale in the Auto Trader?

[66bonne]

Bonneville Joe - You have mail. 2badcat

[Deadhead]

Another nice feature is that when they are immobile due to massive upgrade/restoration projects you can enjoy hours of just gazing upon their beauty. Seen anything like that at the dealerships lately?

[Deadhead]

Hah!

I thought I was bad sitting in there at night listening to the '63 am/fm sepraphonic.

What a great idea. I'm putting a cheap cordless in the barrage (barn/garage)

[New kid in town]

thanks for all the help fellas...looks like im leaning toward taking it of my friends hands..The car starts right up..it has 85,000 original miles on it and the trans was recently rebuilt...someone on here mentioned that i shouldent go with the edelbrock aftermarket intake, can anyone explain why?

[Deadhead]

I don't have the 3rd seat option, so there is room for a REALLY BIG magazine of CDs. Not sure what it would sound like over the 10 ohm speakers though.

[bonneville Joe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by New_kid_in_town:
thanks for all the help fellas...looks like im leaning toward taking it of my friends hands..The car starts right up..it has 85,000 original miles on it and the trans was recently rebuilt...someone on here mentioned that i shouldent go with the edelbrock aftermarket intake, can anyone explain why? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think they were refering to the carb and not the actual intake. I have Edelbrock carbs on both of my cars and they work great. Edelbrock performer intakes flow no better than a stock cast iron intake so there really is no advantage to using one unless you can find one real cheap instead of a cast iron one. I like the Edelbrocks and would recommend them.

[New kid in town]

how do you guys feel about demon carbs...i have a edelbrock set up on my el camino and its great..but i would like to try something different.

[bonneville Joe]

They are great but expensive and probably too much for that motor. Stick with a Carter or Edelbrock and make it easy on yourself.

[bonneville Joe]

What is the difference?

[Deadhead]

Yes, check the frame behind the front wheels a problem area for F/S '65-'66. Reach up in there on top & all around, & jab it with a screwdriver or whatever you can fit up in there. Don't forget to check the trunk floor and floor pans. Pinholes you can live with & fix but no more.

[61-63]

If you want to save yourself lots of time and money forget the Poncho and buy a Chebby. You can buy parts at Walmart. Of course you'll be driving a 2nd class car. IMHO.