A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing - The 1962 Super Duty 421 Pontiac Catalina

👉 Try AutoTempest.com - All the cars. One search.
www.autotempest.com/?...
👉 Or get the AutoTempest app:
www.autotempest.com/mobile-ap...
In this Rare Cars documentary, we are jumping into the history of one of the most insane American muscle cars that you have NEVER heard of. The Pontiac Super Duty Catalina from 1962. This factory built racer was an absolute animal on the track in NHRA and in NASCAR. With its signature 421 Pontiac V8 and host of weight reduction, the Super Duty Catalinas were a DOMINANT force on and off the track.
Learn all there is to know about the Pontiac Catalina Super Duty in episode 50 of our Rare Cars Documentary series!
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:01 Sponsor Message
2:23 The Super Duty
*Note, we are not historians. If you see an error in our research then please mention it in the comments!
For business inquiries or other inquiries, reach out to: [e-mail]
NOTICE: Clips used from other videos are fair use and fall under U.S. copyright law because this work is transformative in nature, and has no negative effect on the market for the original work. It is against the law to fraudulently claim a copyright on a video you do not own under the DMCA or to abuse KZbin’s copyright claim tool. Copyright concerns and takedown requests can be submitted to: [e-mail]

[@MarinCipollina]

PONTIAC was s 'different league / next level player' during 1960s, especially the early 1960s. Truly special cars that had it all; Looks, performance, style and street presence were total wins for PONTIAC. Thanks for capturing that moment in history.

[@robertchristie9434]

I remember these bad boys well. A buddy of mine had an uncle that was the chief mechanic at Packer Pontiac in Detroit. One night he stopped by my buddy's home with a '62 Dark metallic blue with light blue interior 421 4-speed posi-rear end Catalina with the 8-lug wheels. Oh mama, what a gorgeous beast. I still remember the "brag sheet" that the factory had listing all the goodies posted inside the driver's side rear quarter window. It was over $5,000 & to compare my Dad just bought a new '62 Ford Wagon for $2,800. Pontiac could do no wrong back then with some awesome cars. My buddy's brother mustered out of the Marines in early '64 & bought a new maroon 389 tri-power 4-speed '64 GTO. Another beast. Thanks for some great memories.

[@classified70]

Hands down, the 62 Catalina SD is one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. The body lines on this car are amazing and while many people still don't know about this car today, it still remains one of the best sleeper cars ever sold.

[@edsyphan3425]

Way back when, I had a 62 and a 63, loved those old sleds

[@JohnCompton1]

So I wonder why the 64 GTO is widely considered the first muscle car when this beast obviously predated it? BTW those Catalina tail lights are epic! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@MarinCipollina]

GTO was little brother to the big brother 421 Super Duty big Catalina 2 + 2.

[@GunsmithSid]

Muscle Cars used to be intermediate-size cars with large engines. Not large cars or pony cars…

[@karltonmiller4697]

The GTO's big brother 2+2 had several 421 versions available, but none were the Super Duty 421.

[@bryanguthrie-ej1fb]

The cat was a full size and the tempest was mid size.

[@katana258]

i saw them at indy in 1962 ..and they were so good so fast so quick it was like going to heaven for a 18 year old kid ...

[@earlrichardson385]

I’ve wondered for a long time what might have been if the other divisions of GM might have been like if they truly had the kid gloves taken off and were told build the meanest thing you can.

[@MarinCipollina]

Pontiac appeared to be the only division that era with a division general manager that was accustomed to getting his way on everything. That was John Z DeLorean. He was really one of a kind. He had an innate feel for Pontiac and the soul of the brand. Youth was a very big part of the appeal of PONTIAC. Young people liked them a lot. PONTIAC was a NOW kind of a car.

[@bryanguthrie-ej1fb]

The 303 and the 366 Pontiac engines. The RA V.

[@AtZero138]

Grew up with Pontiac... I will always love and want a 62 Tempest..

[@rogergoodman8665]

If the hood scoop on the Super Duty Catalina looks familiar, its because Pontiac bought them from Ford! They were mainly intended for large Super Duty trucks, although Ford installed them with the vent opening facing the driver. It's cool that one scoop design was successful on two completely different Super Duties!!!

[@jimmyhamm6041]

Back when you were safely wrapped un elegance and much beauty in a vehile of this statuer and such character. We've devolved beauty, I love sculptors of these years , great job .

[@mytvtx22]

I had two 62 Catalinas & one 62 Grand Prix super duty cars until 1990s

[@Electriceye1984bySam]

This is a great channel👍🏻

[@mrho4speed]

Those 1962 Catalina's look good from every angle!!! Thanks for the video!!!

[@michaelcabral2174]

There was also a 421 tri power in 62 you could get there were less than 17 Grand Prix equipped with them i’ve seen one in real life and heard the story about it. Catalina had more of them it’s a bucket list car for me to get my hands on one of those or a Catalina with one

[@MarinCipollina]

1962 Grand Prix with Tri Power 421 would be epic. Especially if it had all the luxury items like AC, power windows and doorlocks, full console with real wood surfaces, wood also on door panels and dashboard. They made quite a statement when new.

[@michaelcabral2174]

@@MarinCipollina they exist. There are just very few of them. They were all custom ordered cars. I know somebody that owned one of them. How do you think I heard of the story it was a four speed car aqua exterior aqua, and white interior no air-conditioning center console tachometer, eight lug wheels, power steering power brakes. It was a gorgeous car. Eventually it had to be sold because the owner was a friend of my parents ended up passing away and his wife had to sell it at the time. If I had the money I would’ve bought it because of knowing how rare the car was. Car was never restored. It was a Texas car. The only bit of touching up it needed was up under the hood with the carburetors valve covers intake, etc. because the paint was beyond worn out and chipped off just to clean up the engine bay. It just needed it badly but after the engine bay got cleaned up, it was near perfect

[@mry82]

Channel is getting some momentum!

[@darrencucinella7815]

So cool!

[@daless3526]

Finally someone says foot-pounds like we used to do.

[@MachineintheMonkey]

👍🇦🇺

[@kellynestegard5208]

The 421 was not really a stroked 389. It had beefed up lifter bores.

[@bryanguthrie-ej1fb]

Love Pontiac

[@rarecars3336]

The INFAMOUS Catalina - Pontiac Fans check in 👇

[@alanblanes2876]

More like "famous".

[@gearmeister]

421 S.D. all the way! I've never met one I didn't like!

[@karrkraft893]

@@alanblanes2876, Exactly!!!!

[@karrkraft893]

@@gearmeister, more like didn’t LOVE. 😂

[@pughoneycutt1986]

My next door neighbor had a 62 Catalina super duty in the 60s

[@classicstangbrn8964]

My mom had one but in a Grand Prix, that's what happens when you buy off the show room floor. Really fast but my dad had it in the shop to much and traded in on a Olds 98 in '65.

[@ilikequiet6474]

IMO the 1962 Pontiac had the best styling. Clean and straight, the 63 and up got to bloated.

[@kellynestegard5208]

I prefer the '63 GP. Cleaner, straighter, and no fake convertible roof line. Also love the taillights and rear window.

[@kylepope-tryon8140]

They made another drag car, a bit more extreme the following year.

[@sambeamer6851]

The good lord drove a 62 super duty when visiting

[@AgeCobra]

GM pulled out of racing from 1963 to 1973 .

[@mikram2613]

You can't tell me mikey tompson did not add modifications, closer to 3,000 lb on the car, and 550 hp

[@pierredecine1936]

High Performance "DogDish" Hubcaps - lol

[@ronaldmoravec2692]

I wish the days were still here when I could chose the car body, engine, trans, trans gear ratio, differential gear ratio . Ford chevy did this . Chrysler ??. I am not a mopar guy.

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

😀

[@ilikepushrodv8s210]

Swiss cheese catalina

[@henrymiley1318]

Super heavy 💩

[@GarageSpaceship]

3,325 lbs really isn’t that heavy

[@michaelcabral2174]

@@GarageSpaceshipexactly, for its size it’s very light… for prospective a C4 corvette weighs 3400 lb and look at how small it is and all the lightweight materials used to make it

[@MarinCipollina]

You're thinking about the Heavy Chevy.