Top Cat
I have always had a thing about old cars. I come from an automotive family where my Dad, uncles, grandfathers, cousins and even an Aunt put in 415 years of service at General Motors. Of course growing up with a brother who was car nuts ( and owned some awesome rides ) made me even more a car enthusiast. Because of my background with cars I have always wanted to own a classic to play around with and finally decided to take the plunge and pick one up. They are a great investment and the price on classic cars continues to go skyward. The whole key to buying is buying one that will appreciate in value. So while driving down the road the other day I spotted this 1963 Aqua Marine colored car sitting there. I stopped and talked with the owner, an older retiree and looked the car over. It was a 1963 Pontiac Catalina in very good condition, solid as a rock with only a couple small rust spots. I checked the car over and came back and did some research then went back and negotiated with him. I made him an offer, which was lower then what he quoted me and and we came to an agreement.
The car was owned by the old guy I bought it from for the last 10 years. He bought it from another guy who owned it for a year and he purchased the car from the original owner. So I am the 4th owner in 44 years. One of the reasons this car has remained in such good condition is that the original owner was a career Navy man. The car was always garaged and when he was out to sea for long periods of time then the car was stored under cover.
Top Cat ( the name of this new classic car - named after an old cartoon character ) is a dream come true for me and I have finally fulfilled my need to be the owner of a 60's classic. No it's not a muscle car, no it's not an exotic sports car, but it is an awesome looking old cruiser that we can have fun with attending classic car shows in and just out driving the roads around Florida in. I am sure my Dad is looking down smiling since I bought a GM car. :) The other bonus to owning this car is that the value will continue to go upward during our ownership, making it a good investment. Consider the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner I owned in 1981. I sold the car for fair market value at $ 1,000 back then. If I would have held on to it that car would be worth $ 75 - 100,000 dollars. These cars are a great investment. If you think I am wrong, get onto e-bay and check out some of the prices of these classic cars. You will be astounded. :)
I am going to be doing a before and after pictures / storybook on Top Cat as I go through the restoration process. Be sure to check back and see how the project is going. Until then, wish me luck as I embark on a new project that hopefully will keep me busy and out of trouble. :)
Enjoy,
Chris
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| In 1963 Pontiac went to the stacked headlights for many of its models. The Catalina and Bonneville are almost identical. | The nice thing about this car is that its all original, hasn't been cut up or robbed of parts. Its all there. |
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| This shows the classic tail lights of the cars from this era. The rear fins which started in the 50's carried through into the 60's. | The body is rock solid. A couple tiny rust bubbles and that is it. No dents, dings and the stainless trim is in great shape |
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| Anyone remember these big huge interiors ? The large steering wheels and the big horn button ? This car also has factory air con. | Nice big roomy back seat. No further comments here. :) |
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| The rocker panels are rust free and the trim in great shape | A view of the passenger side rocker panel. All four are like this. |
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| The underside of this car looks just like this. Just a little surface rust. The underbody is in amazing condition. | The engine compartment is very clean for a car that is 44 years old. |
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| Specifications for this Catalina | As most of you know we always name our vehicles and motorcycles. So Ally came up with the name " Top Cat " which is an old cartoon character. |