1962 Pontiac Catalina

It was almost candy apple red. Only candy apple red paint is labeled candy apple. If you hear candy apple blue, that is wrong.

Yes, I am a filler freak! You know in the newspapers years ago they needed a small topic to take up space when there was a small space to fill up. They would yell, two inch filler needed. Yes that kind of stuff I can remember, something important I forget.

The top looked like a pleated soft top,  and the top was painted white. When I blew by it was easy to mistake for a soft roof.

The junk yard in Sunny Side was set up with help from Lloyd. The one partner was a good friend of my dad,lLoyd. Anything I wanted I got for close to nothing. After a couple months of a red vinyl seats and door panels Lloyd said check the junk yard for a leather interior. I'd been there two weeks earlier. On top of a pile of wrecks was a real Shelby Cobra body. Just the back half.

When I pulled up to the office, guess what was across from me. A 1962 Pontiac Bonneville. My Catalina was the cheap version of the Bonneville. I asked Groffy how much. He looked at it and said $25.00. Your dad help set us up, I told him anything you guys want less than half price.

The whole interior was mine. I asked what should I do with my red interior. He looked at my car & said, it's in good shape just lay it in the Bonneville. A factory black leather interior complete for 25 bucks.

It took about 3 hours to strip the red seats, door and back panels and install the black ones. The only part I wanted but was ruined was the kick panels. The piece under the dash you kick getting in and out. No problem, Hessie worked at local upholstery shop, he always gave me a discount. New Black carpet and kick panels.

Davey installed my new Hurst shifter. I got a Hurst chrome plate and rubber accordion to cover the hole for the shift lever. I had never drilled carpet before. Yes, the drill bit grabbed a piece of carpet, I had a runner from cover to door. Luckily the rubber floor mat covered the thin bald slot.

I drove home proud of the new interior. I saved up for new black carpet and kick panels. The dash was black, just red paint on bottom of dash face. I sanded and painted the bottom black. Now there was no red in my interior.

I kept the stock hubcaps, I liked having a sleeper. When I hit the gas pedal, and blew their doors off, their mouths hung open as I passed them by!

The glass packed mufflers got me a $35.00 fine. The officer wanted to hear when I revved the gas. He stood in back with his head close to the exhaust pipe. I did not know I was BI-POLAR then, but I knew I was different. Like the shrink I went to when I had my stomach stapled said, You have a Strange sense of humor. The cop said "Floor it".

I put the pedal to the metal, and all 3 carburetors kicked in. The exhaust coming out blew his hat off. I held 6,000RPMs about 3 seconds! I knew I was getting a fine! Got to see that's worth $35.00, for me YES.

I put stock mufflers on, too quiet and restrictive. They were cast iron free flow headers. Where the headers hooked up the exhaust pipe was a copper o-ring. I just kept the pipe bolts loose so when I hit the gas, the exhaust would leak out relieving the pressure. To get gas in faster, more power, you must get the spent exhaust out quicker. Back then racing tube headers were illegal. So were belt driven super-chargers. They force more gas and oxygen under pressure.

Lloyd knew how I was, and let me buy the car anyway. I did the same for Jeffery Lloyd. I helped him buy a Z-28 4 speed Camaro. We put headers, dual mufflers, new 2 1/2 exhaust exiting by back tires. I cleaned the undercarriage, and sealed it. More later.