Quick, how long is a '60 Pontiac Catalina?

Cool^10.

stuart in mn wrote: The 400 engine and powerglide certainly aren't original (I suspect it's actually a Turbine 300 transmission, Pontiacs never came with powerglides.) I'd doubt very much that it's truly an original NASCAR from back in the day, but it's still pretty cool.

I'm definitely interested in learning more about how this thing would have been setup back in the day. If you can provide any resources, you'd certainly have my gratitude.

Oh, come to Sebring with that thing. Scare the bejeejus out of every thing on the track. Take the wide line, watch the other cars part like the Red Sea to make room for you, break eardrums on your way past. Oh, I want to be there. Need a really good pit cook?

Here's a few more pictures of Marvin Panch's car: http://highperformancepontiac.automotive.com/20979/hppp-0801-marvin-panch-1960-pontiac-catalina/index.html

Some more were posted here a couple years ago: http://forums.performanceyears.com/forums/showthread.php?t=507047 The Performance Years Pontiac forum would be a good place to join, there's a pretty active section for older cars like yours, with some guys who know a lot more about vintage race cars than I do.

Back then, stock cars really were stock cars - they beefed things up, but they were really pretty close to what you could buy off the showroom floor. The aftermarket suspension and brakes on your car are really a big improvement if you're going to track the car, and the roll cage is million times safer than what they had in 1960. A Pontiac race car in 1960 would have most likely had a three speed manual transmission with a shifter on the column - they didn't offer a four speed transmission until the middle of 1960, and then only as a special order. If it were mine I'd still go with a four speed on the floor just because it would be cool.

There's a huge picture thread on the HAMB board with photos of vintage stock cars (it's like 100 pages). The pictures tend towards cars newer than yours but there are some from the 1960 era. http://forums.performanceyears.com/forums/showthread.php?t=507047

My uncle had a '62 Catalina convertible. He showed me how to do a proper burn out in it. The hook was set. I was 11.

You gotta do this!

Oh man, fortunately I'm not in the US yet 'cos otherwise your old man would've been bidding against me. This thing is Cool with a capital C.

I'd second the second seat, four on the floor suggestion. Then call up the local autocross club and ask if they mind if you bring your new classic racer to their next do.

I'd also be tempted to fit rear glass again (polycarbonate of course) as that'll probably help with the aerodynamics. And check if Smokey's put some interesting features into his build that could do with duplicating.

We can officially turn this into a Suggestion/Info thread. I need to start reading up on period-appropriate setups so we can decide if that's a route worth taking with this thing.

Some inspiration: http://www.highperformancepontiac.com/features/hppp_0801_marvin_panch_1960_pontiac_catalina/index.html

That Panch Cat certainly set the bar as far as I can tell. That's a very cool car, and there's a lot of good information in that article.

Keep 'em coming!

See if you can replace the wheels with ten inch wide steel wheels like these, and peel all those stickers of the fenders. ebay usually has period correct ones fairly cheap or you could try here http://www.nostalgicracingdecals.com/programs/shop/browse.cgi?sortparam=st&sortasc=asc&lst=1&lnd=9&category=Race_Parts_01

Holee CRAP!!

I can only do ebay during lunch time at work, I thought it was just a '60 Pontiac!

Oh yeah, you gotta go sideways inside a Sprite just to see how big you can make his eyes get.

Dan

If you do race this, remember a Dash Cam.

How much for rides?

I think multiple cams are called for- see the passengers terror, the expressions on the other drivers faces, the road ahead and behind.

how about a cam aimed up at the driver's face too? We want to see that smile

Five grand? Y'all stole it. Man, that's gonna be fun!

HO-LEE COW!!! That's cool as HELL.

If my existing trailer wasn't long enough that ride warrants the procurement of a longer trailer. And, I wouldn't change a damned thing.

Leslie needs to fire up her Etch a Sketch for a picture of that, with Daytona walls in the background.

Oh man that is some kind of cool. I agree, stick in a second seat, lose the slushbox for a Muncie and go vintage track dayin'.

Well, we got the thing delivered last weekend. My buddy Noah owns Classic Car Studio here in town, and he has it proudly displayed in his showroom, along with a 2-season-old NASCAR COT; Labonte's, I think. He says everybody glances at the shiny stuff he has for sale, and then says 'what is THAT?!' and makes a beeline for the Cat.

Upon closer inspection, it's a track rat, for sure, but it's quite solid - mainly thanks to a very impressive cage and front subframe assembly. Doors are welded shut, so I'm going to have to learn a few slinky moves to make ingress/egress a little more casual-looking.

So, the question now is: where the hell do we use this thing? As it sits, it has a non-original drivetrain, modern-ish suspension (a-arms in front on a subframe), but a very serious looking cage. At the moment, we'd like to just find some casual track days for shake down runs, just to figure out what it needs. Eventually, if we keep it, we're talking about a 421 Super Duty backed with a Muncie rock crusher, but that's a ways down the road.

So, I'm looking for two sets of advice: where to run it now just to see what it does, and where to think about running it if/when it gets returned to a more 'appropriate' state. Bonus points will be awarded for any situation in which the ratty backwoods nature of the Cat makes purists uncomfortable.

OHC Sprint Motor 4 spd set up 4bbl - $850. I wish I had a reason to want this badly enough to foot the bill.

RossD wrote: OHC Sprint Motor 4 spd set up 4bbl - $850. I wish I had a reason to want this badly enough to foot the bill.

Good thing it's too far away and I don't have a 68 Firebird or other older smallish Pancho. Always wanted that setup.

In reply to alex:

"..if we keep it..", he sez. Heh.

And your buddy Noah's place looks like Dreamland. 1941 Cadillac, BMW 2002, NASCAR, muscle cars, Porsche Turbo...is there anything they won't work on? (I hope with every fiber of my being the answer is "no". Just cool cars with no prejudice!)