Colorful Catalina: A Low-Mileage 1960 Pontiac Packs a Vivid Visual Punch
After owning a Chevy Nomad for more than 20 years, along with a history of other cool cruisers like a ’60 Oldsmobile, Jim Ross found himself looking for one more vintage ride. At 80 years old, it was time for something different, but it had to be a smooth, reliable, and comfortable cruiser. His friend Dusty wanted him to look at a Studebaker, but Jim was hesitant on that one, so they went to look at a low-mile 1960 Pontiac Catalina instead.
“As soon as we came around the corner and saw the Catalina just glowing in the sunlight, I knew it was the one,” Jim said. The Pontiac two-door sedan had already been repainted in Dupont’s brilliant Harvest Gold hue, which comes to life in the sun. It had been placed in a heated storage area in New Jersey for 27 years before someone rolled it out and started a frame-off restoration.
All the chrome and stainless had been restored and installed while down below the chassis was coated in metallic gray and the floor panels were all coated in the same Harvest Gold color as above. An air-controlled suspension was in place (though not up to par with Jim’s expectations) and the original Morrokide vinyl interior needed a complete update. Jim tried to stay cool as they looked the Pontiac over and eventually a deal was struck and Jim hauled his gold Catalina home to Lakewood, Colorado.
The first thing on the list was to upgrade the interior, which was entrusted to Auto Weave Interiors in nearby Wheat Ridge, just outside Denver. The factory seats were recovered along with the custom door panels and even the padded dash. The factory instrument cluster and horizontal-sweep speedometer were detailed while the steering column and wheel were both painted. A small console fitted below the dash holds the RideTech air controller and FiTech touch screen. Jim left the factory heater controls and Super Deluxe radio in place. Square weave carpet and a new headliner finish the comfortable and spacious cabin.
With such low miles, there was no reason for an LS or any other engine swap, as the original 1960 Pontiac 389c.i. V8 was running just fine and provides plenty of Pontiac torque to get up and rolling. Jim did opt for an aluminum Edelbrock intake topped with a FiTech EFI system to help ease cold starts and accommodate the high altitude and elevation changes of the Rocky Mountain state. To ease the breathing, a 2.5-inch dual exhaust with glass pack mufflers for the right tone were added and a three-speed automatic was installed in place of the sluggish original auto.
Jim wanted the air suspension to be more reliable and easier to control, so a fresh Ridetech system was installed both front and rear. The Wide Track Pontiac suspension rides nice at driving height, and while parked Jim can drop the Catalina way down for a perfect look over the 20-inch Colorado Custom wheels.
As for the body, a 1960 Pontiac two-door sedan looks downright distinctive right out of the factory and Jim’s remains 100-percent stock except for the paint. Note the tucked in rear bumper and formed body line, the horizontal round taillights framed in chrome trim above the peaked back-up lenses.
The fins of the late ’50s were flattened and the sharp body line extends to the front where four horizonal headlamps are placed with round turn signals on the outside edges of the full-width one-piece grille. (The familiar Pontiac split grille design was used in ’59, skipped the ’60 models, but returned in ’61 and pretty much every year forward.) Jim did add some small hot rod pinstripe details on the hood and decklid for fun.
Jim’s 1960 Pontiac Catalina is everything he wanted in a cruiser. It’s different than the common Chevys and Fords you see at shows, the paint brilliantly pops in the sun and glows at dusk, the interior is comfy, and the 389 has a nice rumble and plenty of get-up and go. The odometer just clicked over 30,000 miles and once the snow melts, Jim, now 82, is ready to add a few more miles to his latest vintage ride.
Photos by Todd Ryden