One Bad Cruiser: 1971 Pontiac Catalina Police Freeway Enforcer (with a Special 455 V8)!

[@jeffreimus2373]

Wow there seems to be alot of interest in our car, Thanks for all the kind words. The plan is to try and restore it as close as possible to its in service condition. And hopefully Drive it in the lights and Siren Parade that kicks off the Woodward Dream Cruise.

[@bélalugrisi]

Enjoy that awesome vehicle, Jeff! We'd love to see it when it's finished!

[@RareClassicCars]

Awesome. Good luck to you!

[@jeffreimus2373]

@@bélalugrisi Thanks, I plan on enjoying it as much as I can. Not bad for a car I did not expect to win on Ebay, with 3 or 4 days left on the auction I put a max bid about $200 higher than the then current bid, fully expecting to get outbid in the remaining days of the auction. To my and my wife's rolled eyes no one out bid me! So off to Ohio I went to pick up another odd high performance Pontiac that I did not have room for. Probably should have sold it shortly after, but I was afraid someone would part it out for the engine. I wish I could have started the restoration a few years ago, time has not been kind to it the last 2 years.

[@jeffreimus2373]

@@RareClassicCars Thanks

[@dansmusic5749]

Thank you for helping to preserve this obscure but important piece of history.

[@johnz8210]

It's got a cop motor, a 455 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.

[@collinrust2641]

Needs a new lighter 😂

[@hattree]

That was a 440, Chrysler all the way.

[@alantrimble2881]

@@hattreeyes it was. But there was an El Dorado police car in the movie.

[@hattree]

@@alantrimble2881 Are you talking about the previous bluesmobile? I don't believe it was shone. I just remember the Monaco and a bunch of Royal Monacos.

[@RetroCaptain]

Those years, the heads had Soft valve seats which were designed to burn Leaded fuel and wear out faster when burning Unleaded fuel.

[@Troy_nov1965]

Jake and Elwood approved .

[@starkparker16]

It'll run good on regular gas

[@Troy_nov1965]

@@starkparker16 Fix the lighter

[@MichaelBradley1967]

"car's got a lotta pickup"

[@andyZ3500s]

The suitcase on the passenger floor is for the harmonica.

[@Troy_nov1965]

@@andyZ3500s LOL🤣

[@ghester07]

The 455 , even the standard engine was unbelievable, people had no idea they were driving hot rods disguised as family cars!

[@AlexanderCrump]

I've always wanted a comparison of the Chevy 454 and the Buick, Olds and Pontiac 455s. How did performance compare? What were the strengths and weaknesses of each?

[@royale7620]

​@@AlexanderCrumpAsk ChatGPT 😉

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

I owned one in the mid 1970s. I took the air filter off to increase the power. It was magnificent.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

My Dad was a Meteorologist....what does that have to do with a Catalina with the police package? In 1973, there was a tornado outbreak in the midwest. Dad would get a variety of weather magazines that would do feature articles on the year's major weather events...including a feature on one of the larger, more powerful tornado families in that outbreak....that included a picture of a wrecked Catalina police cruiser. Apparently, an officer was on patrol and was tracking the tornado and got too close to its track. The car was picked up and tossed into a field. The police officer hunched over and held onto the seatbelts. He was not severely injured. The car was recognizable as a Catalina...the trunk was intact but the roof structure was crushed. For some reason, I always remember that picture and article.

[@LeoLeBoeuf]

I bought a 455 Catalina with 4bbl carb from NH State Police in 76 or 77. I believe it was a 72 or 73. Fantastic car. Very comfortable and stable at higher highway speeds. It would pass anything but a gas station. If I remember it had a good rear end ratio, so actually was in the 18 mpg range on the highway. With the limited slip it was good in snow. Mine was painted in the NHSP dark green color. NO A/C but a good heater. Had over 100k miles when I bought it. I never had to do any maintenance except for oil changes.

[@ralphl7643]

The '73 had giant bumpers and more emission controls, which made the engine run roughly after a cold start. You'd remember that.

[@Strathobbiesandknickknacks]

"It would pass anything but a gas station." Haha 😂😂, Amen! Those old 455's were lucky to give you 10mpg.

[@vintagemotelguest]

My best friend growing up found one of the 1973 Ford full-sized (Galaxie?) former Massachusetts State Police cruisers sitting with some others at a Ford dealer. Only in 1973 was there a built 460 pursuit engine that was all special for the final time - heads, intake -even an electric fuel pump (sort of Ford’s Super-Duty), and though it was very heavy and geared tall it could break the tires loose in second gear. He later replaced it with one the “last” 1977 Plymouth Fury 440 real-dual-exhaust detective cars which also had incredible mid-range acceleration. What a great era that was.

[@eyerollthereforeiam1709]

That must be a huge engine bay, to make a 455 look small!

[@oldsguy354]

To be fair, all Pontiac V8's have the same external dimensions. A 326 was just as big as a 455, on the outside. I think the same is true for BuiHogs, and If I'm not mistaken, even Cadillac 368 through 500 were all the same outside dimensions as well. The exterior differences between Oldsmobile big and small blocks are pretty subtle, mainly deck height (at least late 60's and up). I can tell them apart at a glance (I'm the OldsGuy after all), but the Chevrolet big block is an unmistakably big engine. The large dimensional differences between big and small blocks (at GM) is pretty much a Chevrolet and GMC thing, and GMC spent the 1960's building big block V6's that were ginormous.

[@RedBud315]

@@oldsguy354 My friend and I learned about that back in the early 80's when he had a '69 Firebird with a 350 that had spun a bearing. Another friend who had a '67 Bird that he raced said he had a 326 he would sell for $500 so he bought and swapped. Later on someone who my friend let drive his car over revved and spun a bearing in that motor as well. That 5500 number for Pontiac motors is no joke. Anyway my buddy and I remove the engine and he brings it to a machine shop to have it rebuilt and the shop called him back to tell him his 326 was really a 455 SD which made a lot of sense to us as we were blowing away most cars on the street before the motor went. Always look at the numbers on a Pontiac motor to know what it really is.

[@adamtrombino106]

We had a 70 executive. 400. Dad could sit on the rad and replace the points etc, with both legs stretched out in the engine bay.

[@nlpnt]

Vinyl top was likely put on to cover the holes in the roof that had been drilled for the lights and siren.

[@RareClassicCars]

Good call

[@mikelouis9389]

I was dead lucky to get the 71 Catalina light duty cruiser back in 74 from an uncle who repoed it from an ex Texas cop up in Pittsburgh. $400⁰⁰ bought me the most fun Imaginable. My friend with a Vette clocked me at 145 and she was steady as a rock. Beautiful comfortable and powerful. It pulled a boat like it was towing a toy scooter

[@blueline308]

I really wish you would do a series on classic law enforcement cars. !!!

[@Drew-bc7zj]

And firetrucks and ambulances, oh my!

[@9ZERO6]

The box laying on the passenger floor is actually the center console the sat on the center of the seat. It was sold at least once on Ebay 10 years ago. Cool car.

[@budprepper3811]

Years ago I had a 73 Pontiac Granville convertible 455, 4 barrel and fender skirts. It was a great cruiser and lots of power

[@andoletube]

As a registered idiot, I would like to express my gratitude to you Adam, for pointing out which cars have the dash-lights that are suitable for me.

[@michaeldelio1870]

Your funny 😂

[@thomasrhinehart6084]

Comedy Gold

[@coreyjones1518]

Wonderful example of early 1970's technology. Very worthy of restoration! Back in the day, where I live, the Highway Patrol drove these for 1974, 5 and 6. The state put them up for auction and a local cab company purchased what they wanted. Now, I wish I would of bought one when I had the chance as I have always loved the full size GM, Ford and Chrysler police sedans not only for the powerful engines but also for the various heavy duty equipment and parts. Adam, I really enjoy the Chevrolet Impala ex police unit that you have. Thank you for the video.

[@RareClassicCars]

Thanks!

[@coreyjones1518]

@RareClassicCars I saw your article about the car just reviewed and the red 73 Grand Ville. You should reconsider the Grand Ville. See if the owners will consider a price reduction. I think you'll regret not getting it and there aren't very many left around to get. Good luck.

[@mikeholland1031]

Toronto had 2 door impala or biscayne 427 cop cars in 67.

[@dansmusic5749]

I’m so glad that they are going to save this rare baby. FYI: I spent my teenage years riding in and driving a ’73 Catalina with 400 2bbl. One of the first things I did is load up the car with 6 of my friends and took off down the freeway. I promptly and easily pegged the speedometer, no problem at all. It was very smooth and steady, the feeling was like going 60. The car was a ton of fun to drive even with the emission controls chocking the hell out of that engine. The car was no speed demon but neither was there any lack of power. Very quick and smooth. I like the dash on the ’73 much better than the other years, especially the Catalina. The extra padded seats were a recommended option as this was one area that Pontiac skimped on a bit, I found. They don’t make em like they used to. lol

[@ChaseClassicMotors]

Another great video, Adam! Thank you for plugging our workshop in your commentary. It's always fun to hear what the expert has to say about such a remarkable Pontiac. We definitely received a boost in traffic from your outstanding automotive channel!

[@esayay]

My grandpa had a 71 Catalina 4dr hardtop with the 400. I remember driving it in the late eighties down on the twisty ozark roads where he lived as a teenager. It was such a boat!

[@danielthomas3057]

My favorite videos of yours are the ones about full size pontiacs❤

[@ChadQuick270W]

What a rare and wonderful vehicle. I’d love to open it up on the freeway. As you said I’m sure it would pass that 120mph mark. Classic police cruiser here.

[@ghester07]

I was in a 74 Grand Ville with the stock 455, if the speedometer was correct, (it was only 120 mph speedometer) we were doing 140, and the a/c was on and we had to slow down, the road was too curvy

[@oldsguy354]

I looked it up...that configuration was theoretically capable of 127 mph. (3rd gear on a TH400 is 1:1, with a final drive ratio of 3.08:1 meant the crankshaft had to spin 3.08 times to get the axle to spin one complete revolution. Add in the tire and wheel height, run the engine to red line and you get a mathematically capable, theoretical top speed of 127. That 455 was still throwing around quite a bit of torque, so I'll bet it could push that less than aerodynamic machine through the air at pretty close to that speed. If it had the optional 2.56:1 final drive ratio, it would have been slower getting there, but I'll bet that 455 had the torque to overcome the higher ratio and push that car even faster through the air.

[@piercehawke8021]

@@oldsguy354 I'm guessing the old Mopar 440 Magnum had a higher red line; since they've been documented to hit at least 130 mph, driving 3:21 gears.

[@adamtrombino106]

@@piercehawke8021 Even the last yr 78 440 U code HP was good for better than 130 in a B body police car and that was with the std 3.21. You could get 2.94 or 2.71s instead, all 9 1/4 diffs. Those cop cars did not have ELB, but rather the '75 emissions package which included true duals and dual cats. Same with C cars. Oddly enough, Chrysler was pushing the 360 L code and 400 P code engines more for 77-78 for police duty, though the 440s made a lot more real world power despite ratings.

[@MrLuckytrucker21]

Perfect sleeper!

[@rayshaw5256]

This was cool to learn about. Thanks again for being the guy who shows us these American cars from our time.

[@RichardMichel-m3g]

I had a 71 Bonneville 4dr sedan with the 455 2bbl. It was a great car. So comfortable and handled great for a big boat. Love your channel Adam.

[@johns6816]

I had the same motor in a 71 Granville, nice car but I would not call it fast, mine was the hardtop.

[@ghester07]

​@@johns6816what do you call fast lol?

[@charmcitytoe]

AWESOME! Good luck on your endeavor Chase Classic Motors! And I admire the lucky person who gets to drive this old classic. These are the types of cars I grew up around and planted the seed for me to an eventual career in law enforcement. ((The Plymouth Fury drove me over the edge. lol).

[@robertratliff6030]

Back in 1985 we bought a 1977 Catalina for $600.00.We bought it because the city decided to rebuild our entire street in the winter. We had just bought two new cars and didn't want to damage them. The old Catalina had a 400 V8 and the AC was so cold that I swear that you can hang meat inside of it. Our street became such a mess that even a fire truck was stuck in the mud., but not the Cat as we called it. It would float or just power its way through the mud. A year later when the street was fixed, we sold it to a lady for $600.00. that was cheaper, she said, than repairing the AC on her car. She owned the car for 10 years and called me the day she sold it to tell me it had been a really good car. I guess I should have kept it.

[@anthonym.cardali1875]

77 the downsized model

[@PK75J]

I had a 1972 Buick Riviera; I would bury the speedometer at 120, then I would put the pedal to the floor and open the other two barrels of the carb and off we went!

[@glennmanchester5696]

Yes lol the front primaries were good for about that and many other vehicles were at the end of their run at that point and like you I'd stand on it and start walking away well more like at least jogging away I had a dude I went to trade school w who had a firebird well one night on the highway he came up along side so we started moving faster and faster come to find out he had it floored ha ha I was only in the primaries well once I saw he wasn't going anywhere I stood in it opened up that q jet and was go baby go lol he the next school night Said wtf you got in that thing I said a 455 poncho he was like oh well that makes sense I had mine floored the MIn I pulled up to you I laughed and said I was just playing w you if I had stood into it right away I'd a been gone gone gone lol fun times

[@davehad-enough2369]

Hey thanks for the video. What a great car. Freeway Enforcer !!! Love to see it again once she's restored.

[@ronstucker3550]

My neighbor had a 1977 Pontiac Former NJSP turnpike interceptor painted light blue. It had a 400ci engine, big brakes and electrical system, H/D turbo 400 trans, posi, and highway gearing (The thing Flew) and the sway bars were huge, I remember seeing these cars on the Turnpike (and the white ones on the GSP)

[@joseph.689]

Th 1977 Pontiacs were reduced in size quite a bit, so this car must of been super fast,.. giving the base was the new 301. We had the 1978 base.

[@ronstucker3550]

@@joseph.689 Yes it was the 1st year of the smaller body.(same size of the mid size LeMans) and Yes it was fast that's why PDs all over bought them. It was faster than my other friends 74 former Md. State police interceptor. I drove it up to Watkins Glen in 1977 with him a snooper radar detector on the dash (looked like a radar unit) people thought we were cops. With the L60x15 Goodrich tires all around on Mesh alum. wheels. we made a 4.5 hr trip in just over 3 hrs. The Catalina was FASTER.

[@ronstucker3550]

@@joseph.689 The 1974 was a Ford Interceptor.

[@michaelbrown5601]

What a find! And a vintage pic of it in service as well. Reminds me of your early Impala police car with similar documentation

[@kenheaney4803]

This is a very special car. Very cool.

[@lawnboy8401]

I always chuckle when someone says they own a big block Pontiac. I say to myself you dont know your Pontiacs.

[@maxr4448]

Cool Car, I was 13 in '71. I always liked the looks of those Pontiacs.

[@douglasb.1203]

How a 455 can look so freaking puny. And easy to service. Great!

[@coreyjones1518]

The reason why it looks small is because Pontiac used the same block in their V8's from the 265 to the 455. I think the code for the displacement was stamped below the head on the front right side of the block.

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

The car was a tank. It was very heavy and the engine was massive. It had bench seats in the front and back. You could seat four people in the front and up to six in the back seat. Nobody used seat belts back then. Good times.

[@Carstuff111]

You just made me want a rare car I did not know existed.....

[@robertlee9395]

A one of twenty 455 Catalina Cruisers. She's a special car that deserves a special home.

[@Napier363]

In 1973, Chevrolet had a highway patrol package for the Bel Air & Impala. HO 454 4bbl, heavy duty cooling & alternator, heavy duty frame & F41 suspension. My brother’s friend had a retired one it was badass!

[@MetalTeamster]

Cool vid, it's funny, at 9:30 ish , the GTO on the lift... I had a 72 GTO in 1986, I was in my early 20s . It had the 400-4bbl , everything was original , ohh , it had the Turbo 400, I do not know the actual axle ratio, but it maxed out at about 130 mph. I think it was wound out ...

[@49commander]

Patrol Police prefered the simplicity of 2BBL carbs since they did a lot of idling and occasional quick pursuit. Nothing worse than needing to do a quick chase and the car falls on its face when the seldom used secondaries were gummed up. Most Plymouth patrol cars were 2BBL but California Highway Patrol wanted max acceleration and top speed all had 4bbl, special cam etc.

[@scottmiller8791]

My father was a police officer from 1976- 2011. I remember him telling me in the late 70s they had a couple 77 Pontiac patrol cars.

[@ghester07]

I grew up in GA, our county had 77 Lemans brown police cars. Probably the 400 engine. Same as Smokey and the Bandit

[@Kizzle001]

Adam cranking out the hits for the Poncho fans!

[@SoonerDan77]

Man I bet that 455 sounds amazing when the secondaries open up.

[@bigfig1966]

Great daily content. I don't know how Adam does it.

[@mrmopar70]

Adam, thanks for sharing such a unique and very cool car!

[@ernestbuchanan5305]

I had a similar car, a 1969 Pontiac Safari wagon. It had the "economy" 400 V8 and a two barrel carburetor. Also, due to being a wagon it had the full box reinforced frame. There was a brand new stretch of highway nearby and without noticing it the car was going over 100 MPH. It felt like 40, and none of my passengers noticed the speed. Riding like it was on glass.

[@raymondebert180]

I love it as a Pontiac fanboy and a previous owner of few Pontiacs and a owner of a 1970 455

[@XCELERATIONRULES]

GM 68-72,finest vehicles ever created. Every model from every brand was fantastic. Brings tears to my eyes. Thanks.

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

Holy mackerel. My first car was a 1971 Pontiac Catalina, 4-door with sub-zero air conditioning. It was quite literally built like a tank, but it would bottom out over the smallest bumps. I must have replaced the muffler 12 times.

[@robemslie5248]

That fuel gauge with the needle that arcs in a different direction from the curve of the bezel is making my eyeballs twitch.

[@jeffreimus2373]

I agree I find it a bit distracting myself

[@paulwindisch1423]

I live in Clinton Township! Had some items powder coated across the street from Chase. I will keep my eyes peeled for that car, looks interesting!

[@kevinkoepke8311]

One of twenty, wow! Thanks Adam

[@louf7178]

I thought Buford T. Justice's Pontiac was just Hollywood, but this brings more credibility even if it wasn't planned.

[@mikecrawford6284]

My dad had a 74 Catalina 4door and I love seeing photos like this. Reminds me of my dad..keep up the good work Mike

[@danaglass5394]

Very cool! I've got a buddy who has collected quite an inventory of early '70s big Pontiac parts.

[@jeffreimus2373]

I may need some of them, we will see what Chase discovers in the near future.

[@jeffreimus2373]

@danaglass5394 Does your buddy have a battery tray or Gas Tank straps for this car? It would be a great help if he did! Thanks

[@michaelkehm3663]

Thank you so much Adam for sharing this informative video. Having started my career in a Pontiac dealership 52 years ago, I was unaware of this special production Catalina.

[@anthony221956]

Great find! I would love to have a chance to drive it.. My parents had a 71 Catalina with the 350 for 20 years. Bought it brand new in the Fall of 71 after our 64 Impala was totaled. I loved driving that car. I can just imagine how it would be with the power of that 455!

[@nickolaslewis1560]

Good looking car.

[@machpodfan]

Freeway Enforcer...the name alone is gold❤❤

[@joehumenansky8225]

A rare find for certain! I've always liked Pontiacs. A true sleeper.

[@sidewinder666666]

Nice to hear the tangential reference to the GTO. I had a (new to me) '71 400 4bbl 4-speed back in the latter half of the 70's. Loved that old beast, and wish I still had it.

[@vintagemotelguest]

I just read Hot Rod magazine’s test of a 1971 Tempest with the optional 400 4 barrel and 4 speed trans. The stock Pontoac 400s had power up through 1974 or so and despite the low compression it was pulling 14.4 seconds on the quarter mile - amazing for a low compression motor.

[@madmike2624]

Leave it to Adam to find a unicorn!!!!~~

[@ryanrau6714]

Certified Speedo is always a good indication.

[@donk499]

One of twenty, that's really something. Sure hope they do a frame off complete restoration, surely worth it

[@roberteshaw9520]

I like it. The power train and reinforced frame are good cop features.

[@harrycallahan9518]

What a cool project. I hope you get a chance to document and share its future. Nice work mate.

[@ronniejaye1]

In Canada my mom drove us to school in her 71 pontiac Laurentian. It had a 400 4bbl and posi trac and she really loved putting it down lol

[@douglasrizzo9210]

Terrific work, as always. The speedometer is what gets me. Chevrolet had a 140 "Certified Speedometer" on their Bel Air Police car, and Ford and Chrysler had always done so on theirs. Yet Pontiac was stubborn in this department, even tho the Catalina was most likely able to bury the 120 unit. Pontiacs/Olds/Buick are RARE in police use, as GM usually pushed Chevrolet for that role. The file photo from the newspaper shows the car wearing its proper "speed rated" black wall tires, while the car now is shorn with white wall tires that are most likely not rated as such. That lock box on the passenger side floor was most likely for ordnance such as tear gas, stun grenades, extra ammunition, etc, and was common in police cars in the turbulent 60s and 70s. New police cars are similarly equipped.

[@vintageflatulence150]

Love the old Pontiacs. This one is unique for sure. I had a 1970 Catalina (I know, you don't like that one) that I thought was beautiful. I was disappointed when the '71s came out.

[@ChrisHurley-gh3qm]

Hope to see that chasing the Bandit one day!

[@jeffreimus2373]

That is one of the events I hope to attend with it. Hopefully in 2026, I am hoping it is ready for Woodward in 2025

[@DavidPayne-j5z]

I've always been a huge fan of the pillared 2 door cars

[@erickucharski4127]

It brings back memories of my 72 Impala that was a police interceptor. And yes they did come with 400 cube engines and two barrel carbs. I love that car

[@atribecalledcookies4]

I had a 74 Pontiac Grandville hearse with a 455 and after a cam replacement it ran really well, very strong. Should have kept that one.

[@johntamlyn6383]

I’d much prefer one of these to a modern car full of ‘tech’!

[@dougw3436]

Pretty cool. Thanks for bringing this to us

[@gettcouped]

Love this!!! Unbelievable how this thing will be. Great car!

[@stormythelowcountrykitty7147]

Another great video

[@deanothedinosaur9069]

I had a 71 green catalina. Best car I've owned

[@staudtj1]

In 1970, Mom got a Pontiac Executive Station Wagon. (Cream colored/woody sides) 400 cid 2bbl. In 1972, Dad got a Pontiac Bonneville 4-dr. Sedan 455 v8 4bbl. Both cars could run 85 mph all day . . .

[@stuartstephens]

Neat car. I had a '71 Catalina two door hardtop for many years in the same color combination. It was a 400 / 2 barrel but it still had plenty of power, it would loaf down the highway all day like nothing. I had a factory brochure and remember wondering if they ever actually built any police cars. One other rare option I've never seen is they were available with a three speed manual transmission for the first few months of the model year, only a handful of those were built. It was the last year for a manual trans in a big Pontiac. edit: The front bumper was actually pretty stout. I was in a multi car pileup one snowy winter day, the car I hit had to be towed away but there was barely a scratch on my bumper.

[@Primus54]

I notice the cruiser in the photo had the classic large single red emergency light on the roof reminiscent of Michigan State Police cruisers, so it’s fitting the car made its way to Michigan.

[@JK_Chapman]

at the time in Pennsylvania the PA Code statute for emergency lighting on authorized vehicles required at least one red flashing, oscillating, or revolving light that met a 360 degree visibility standard.. other lights like blue and white were OK as long as there was at least one red and no more than two white.. for many years until relatively recently even unmarked police cars were required to put their red 'Kojak' light on the roof rather than merely on the dashboard in order to meet the 360 degree visibility requirement

[@jamesthompson8008]

AWESOME FIND & video!! I think it may be the only one left out of those 21, when you consider how they were used & the life expectancy, post police service. Really cool it still has its duty service box still in the interior. Could you imagine the Seven Ups chase if Bill Hickman had been behind the wheel of this??!

[@a62dave]

I, too, love the late 60s to early 70s GM products, especially the 1976 giant-bumper Caprice Classic and its corporate twins.

[@jdel2315]

My mom and dad both had a catalina at the same time...one navy blue, one cream colored 400 ci 😊

[@Brooklyn_Powers]

❤️ That front end!

[@stephengoodwin6403]

dream car

[@mykec.selene8302]

Yeah I was thinking that too!

[@josephnash3015]

My dad’s friend was a LAPD officer assigned to highway patrol in the late 60’s. He said they had Catalina’s with 3 two bbl carburetors.

[@77hodag]

“Cahp shocks, cahp motor, cahp brakes . . . “ (Chicago accent)😂👮‍♀️🚨

[@johnsheetz6639]

If I didn't see it I wouldn't believe somebody actually didn't order air conditioning on that land yacht. Very cool car

[@MarinCipollina]

Thanks for this one, Adam !.. Lack of AC would be a deal killer for me, but I'm sure there's no shortage of would be buyers that would take it as is.

[@JohnnyAloha69]

I read the whole page. Some interesting tidbits: …Calibrated Speedo was not standard on any of the 3 packages. It was a separate option on each. …optional on the first two police packages was a 400 4bbl rated at 300 gross hp. This engine was not available on fullsized Pontiacs that year. It was basically the standard GTO engine. …dual exhaust was included with the top police package (along with the 325 horse 455 4bbl) but was optional on the 400 2bbl of the two lighter police packages …the above mentioned 400 4bbl and 455 4bbl engines were optional on the two lighter duty police packages but duals were not included but were mandatory at extra cost in either of those engine options. …oddly they show the auto trans as a separate option after pointing out that the HD version of the auto trans was standard in all three packages. Note that in 71 all Pontiacs had a three speed manual as the basic transmission (until mid year when the hydramatic became standard on some models).

[@WIED66]

AWESOME CAR!

[@billiebobbienorton2556]

Hi - can you please do a segment on the Cadillac Catera. I doubt many people know of or remember GMs Opel import no one bought, thanks ! Love your channel ! ! !

[@vintagemotelguest]

!

[@JohnnyAloha69]

Here’s the breakdown on the three police packages: 1…light duty (4dr sedan & wagon): …400 2bbl - 265 gross/200net hp. (standard Catalina engine was a 350 2bbl - 250 gross/160 net hp), …HD hydramatic transmission (standard trans in Catalina was a 3 speed manual on the tree). …Firm shocks &springs plus bigger front sway bar (basically the firm ride option) …5 blade flex fan instead of 4 blade no n flex …3.08 axle (instead of 2.73) …HD wheels on sedan (standard on wagons anyhow) and one size up tires …HD front seat springs, rubber flooring instead of carpet …special radio interference provision (ground straps and capacitors for FM radio are mentioned but this was standard on all cars with FM radios) …special plugs (likely one temp grade lower than standard (They also mention power disc brakes with 12” drums but this was standard on all 71 fullsized Pontiacs) 2… Highway Patrol Package: Same as above plus… …HD frame on sedan (the boxed frame from the convertible… optional without a police packages) …high rate HD springs and shocks (basically the firm ride option but with the high load F40 springs) …HD radiator 3…Freeway enforcer (4dr sedan only) Same as above plus: …455 4bbl - 325 gross/260 net hp engine with dual snorkel air cleaner …Dual exhaust …higher speed rated tires

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, Is this the model of cruiser Sheriff Buford T. Justice drove before he moved on to a LeMans? 🤩

[@DanEBoyd]

You bet that jar of sweet molasses!😁

[@Eric-kn4yn]

​​@@DanEBoyd hauling arse thru his parish is a big NO NO

[@DSP1968]

This is one unusual Pontiac! Glad you found it (or it found you?) to feature, Adam. I'm not sure that the 400 (2V) engine option was that unusual -- full-sized Ford police packages offered a real variety of engine choices, including this one.

[@Jay70chevelle]

Cool car, thanks for sharing

[@OLDS98]

Thank you Adam. This video was interesting. I do not know why I was thinking about Buford T Justice watching this video. He may have caught The Bandit with this Pontiac. As we all know he had a LaMans and two Bonnevilles a 1980 and a 1983.

[@steverichdrummr]

I think that the light duty police packages were (unspoken) intended for police chiefs, detectives, and higher level municipal employees. Great video sir, I love this car.

[@jeffreimus2373]

This was actually purchased for the Police Chief's use

[@shawnmcculley2995]

I would LOVE to have one of these!!

[@baitwaitfishing7625]

My Father was the service manager at coggin Pontiac in Durham NC when this car came out my adoptive uncle Bill was the county sheriff at the time and purchased one for the Department and same color no vynal top and it had three on tree baby! And it topped out at 135 mph! By radar of the day.

[@raffaelenegroni5888]

Just awesome!

[@keithbarron3654]

Flipping air cleaner lid was awesome, quadrajet opening up rumble. Most snorklels tuned for noise. Exhaust was restriction north Carolina hp used to put 300 lbs lead in rear foot wells for traction.