Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catalina

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Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catalina

Postby cammerjeff » Mon Nov 17, 2014 10:48 pm

Well this is turning out to be the year of the Catalina, in may I bought the 71 Catalina Freeway enforcer, and now I just picked up this very Low Mileage 78. Almost Perfect for me, if it only had a Pontiac 400 4bbl instead of the Buick 350 4bbl I think it would be perfect.
Highly optioned car with 2 exeptions, only has an AM 1 speaker radio with an external antenna, and is has what I think is dealer installed A/C? Has an aftermarket A/C Compressor, But no under dash unit, and uses the Factory A/C controls, and dash vents, weird.
But it has at least the following options, Pwr Brakes, steering, windows, locks, & seats, passenger and drivers side, Cruise, Tilt, full gauge package with economy meter, rear window defroster, remote driver and passenger sport mirrors, roof rack, towing package with aftermarket electric brake controller and class III hitch, Delux interior (but with standard Black seat belts) and Delay Wipers, and some type of high end exterior appearance package. The down side is that it is only a 2 seat wagon, but seeing as I have only had people in the 3rd seat of my 78 Impala 5 times in 10 years, I can probably make more use of the extra lower storage than the extra seat. Seeing as my Impala wagon is the primary Dog hauler, my wife has already come up with the personal plate she wants CAT4DGS
This car fits my mostly Pontiac Fleet better than the Impala, and it is the same color of Chesterfield Brown my 78 Sunbird Safari is! Should make a great looking tow rig for it! Paid $5000.00 for it so I think I got a good deal. Picking it up this weekend from Denver NC. So if anyone is in the area let me know and we can meet for Coffee or Beer!
What do you all think? If you know anyone looking for a clean 78 Impala wagon with 105,000 miles let me know. I will need to be selling it soon.
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Jeff R

1971 Catalina Freeway Enforcer
77 Astre Formula, some day soon powered by a 215 Buick V-8
1973 4-speed Lemans Safari STOCK!!!!! 1978 Catalina Safari
2006 Mallet Solstice, 6.0 LS2, 6-speed manual
2009 Solstice Coupe, 2.4, 5-speed Manual
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby zeke » Tue Nov 18, 2014 6:48 am

Looks like a great cruiser!

I always wanted a full size SW. Where r the pics of the Impala? :mrgreen:
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby hammerdown7 » Tue Nov 18, 2014 12:42 pm

Jeff, I guess that means you will be driving back. How good does the heater work?

Dick
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby cammerjeff » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:26 pm

Dick,

I will be driving both ways in my F-150!!!!!! LOL!!!! I am to old to go get an unknown 35+ year old car and try to drive it 10 plus hours!!!! 5 years ago maybee??????? But not after I turned 55.
As for the car, it is odder than I thought, according to what I can find on the web (not 100% true I know) a few of the options it has supposedly were not available on the Catalina Line, only the Bonneville or Grand Safari. I guess I will have to pony up the $65 and get the PHS on it to see how it left the factory.
Anouther odd thing is the external antenna, any car with even the radio accomidation package had a in windshield antenna, heck even my base model 78 Impala has it, and it only had an AM radio. The Pontiac guys are begining to think there are alot of dealer or PO added options on it. Either way it is very close to how I would have ordered it today. I would not have thought about it back in 1978, I was to still saving up for my 1st new car a 79 T/A, had to settle for a still on the lot 79 Formula when the time came.
Besides the Pontiac 400, about the only thing I wish it had was the optional Valoncia Interior, just so it screamed THE 70's!!!!!

A link to a 77 Bonneville with what I am talking about

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cra ... -interior/
Jeff R

1971 Catalina Freeway Enforcer
77 Astre Formula, some day soon powered by a 215 Buick V-8
1973 4-speed Lemans Safari STOCK!!!!! 1978 Catalina Safari
2006 Mallet Solstice, 6.0 LS2, 6-speed manual
2009 Solstice Coupe, 2.4, 5-speed Manual
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby cammerjeff » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:00 pm

zeke wrote:Looks like a great cruiser!

I always wanted a full size SW. Where r the pics of the Impala? :mrgreen:


Zeke, you asked. 1978 Impala Wagon, 104,000 miles. Goverment car, almost a police package car without the Certified Speedo. 170 hp 350 SBC, Automatic, Pwr Brakes & Steering. Factory options are A/C (working and converted to R134 with new compressor and dryer 2 years ago) Roof Rack, 3rd seat, AM Radio with front and rear speaker, roof rack. I have added Tilt Column, Split Power front Bench seat, rear in spring air bags. Aftermarket AM/FM Cassette. New parts the last 2 years, Radiator, water pump, fuel pump, smog pump, all 4 springs, rebuilt front end kit including control arm bushings, and headliner. If interested PM me and I can explain all the options I have for the car that I never installed, and spare parts including a ready to assemble 383 SBC. I have most of the original parts, steering wheel, hub caps, exept for the original plain bench seat, as its cover was sacrificed to put on the split bench to match the rest of the interior.
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Jeff R

1971 Catalina Freeway Enforcer
77 Astre Formula, some day soon powered by a 215 Buick V-8
1973 4-speed Lemans Safari STOCK!!!!! 1978 Catalina Safari
2006 Mallet Solstice, 6.0 LS2, 6-speed manual
2009 Solstice Coupe, 2.4, 5-speed Manual
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby HI WINDING MONZA » Tue Nov 18, 2014 5:11 pm

Wow Jeff, The 78 Impala wagon brings back memories! Had a 2 tone one the same color with brown. It all rusted out and bought it for $75 back in Syracuse for a winter car.( didnt start)It was just the starter wires were corroded!Oil pan leaked real bad, expoxyed it up the best I could and just kept adding used oil when some leaked out.

It never got stuck anywhere and sold it to a friend for the 350 motor and trans, he said when they lifted it up at the scrap yard , the body came off the frame. He put the motor and trans in a 80 Cutlass sedan and sold that combo to me to finish when he ran out of time.

The Cutlass was clean ( was a former rental car) and I drove it for a year or so till I sold to my son's friend. He built the motor a little later on and then sold the car to someone else. That guy put the motor in a 69 Chevelle and ran 12 seconds with it.


Wish I was closer, BTW the Catalina looks just as nice.......................... :th: ( just needs a 455 )

Doug in P.R. 8)
My Old Monza now lives in Arizona with its newest owner.

The 90's just keep rollin' along........
1990 Chevrolet Silverado Regular Cab Long Bed 350 TBI V8 700R4 118K miles
1992 Pontiac Sunbird Coupe 2.0 OHC MPFI I4 TH125C 157k miles
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby zeke » Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:48 pm

One of my favourite cars I owned was a 1980 Parisienne. I dunno what "radial tuned suspension" means but I could drive that car all day long! Plus it looked way cool with the fender skirts. 8) I miss the big ole boats.
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby cammerjeff » Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:15 pm

Thanks Doug,

I'm not sure the Island you live on now is Big enough for the Impala LOL!!!! But yes it is a Nice reliable car, but the Catalina is a Pontiac, and does have 60,000 less miles. Plus has all the options I planned on installing in the Impala already there, plus cruise, and a Power passenger seat. I really do wish it had a Pontiac 400 in it. But the Buick 350 will have to do at least for the 1st couple of years, I just have to many other progects to work on.

And for me personally these 77-90 Box wagons are dame near perfect, They ride very nice, stop well, can be made to handle suprizingly well, get around 20MPG on the highway, can pull a car trailer without an issue, are Dog friendly with the roll down rear window, nobody steals them, they are still reasonabley priced, if this Catalina was a 71-76 wagon it would go for at least $10,000, and if it were a 65-70 wagon double that! And while I like the looks of the Older wagons there sure Size and 8 to 12 MPG does not make the practical to daily drive, and the 1970 and older cars do not handle or stop as well.
Hopefully I will not have any nasty suprizes!!!!
Jeff R

1971 Catalina Freeway Enforcer
77 Astre Formula, some day soon powered by a 215 Buick V-8
1973 4-speed Lemans Safari STOCK!!!!! 1978 Catalina Safari
2006 Mallet Solstice, 6.0 LS2, 6-speed manual
2009 Solstice Coupe, 2.4, 5-speed Manual
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby bugdewde » Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:26 pm

cammerjeff wrote: Picking it up this weekend from Denver NC. So if anyone is in the area let me know and we can meet for Coffee or Beer!



Well, if you go down 75, instead of 77, I'm near Knoxville, TN.

If you go down 77, be VERY careful somewhere along the VA/NC state line area. That is one curvy mountain road. I was warned of it when I picked up my '73 parts car near Blacksburg, VA and wanted to visit my girlfriend down in Charlotte, NC. Man, is that some nice mountain road.... probably lost most of it's leaves by now but might still be fairly scenic. Higher elevations got about a foot of snow a couple weeks ago!
Also note, VA is one big speed trap.
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby cosvega76 » Wed Nov 19, 2014 8:52 am

bugdewde wrote:Also note, VA is one big speed trap.


I'll say!

http://jalopnik.com/never-speed-in-virg ... 1613604053


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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby zeke » Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:06 am

Good read Chuck! Jail for speeding seems over the top imo.
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby cjbiagi » Wed Nov 19, 2014 10:55 am

Nice looking Catalina, great find!!!!
Clyde.........75 Monza 2+2
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby cammerjeff » Wed Nov 19, 2014 8:55 pm

Thanks Clyde,

I will find out if it as nice as I am assured it is this weekend, sent away for the Pontiac Historical Service package on the car, as I am curious about a couple of things on it. I will Post some better quality Pic's next week.
Jeff R

1971 Catalina Freeway Enforcer
77 Astre Formula, some day soon powered by a 215 Buick V-8
1973 4-speed Lemans Safari STOCK!!!!! 1978 Catalina Safari
2006 Mallet Solstice, 6.0 LS2, 6-speed manual
2009 Solstice Coupe, 2.4, 5-speed Manual
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby rpoz-29 » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:19 pm

Weird about VA being a speed trap. It must be pretty localized, because I've been driving, (and speeding), here since 1971. My oldest son did get hammered for speeding on I-81 years back, and they made him go to court, (and pay the ticket), rather than just pay the ticket. He was in college at the time, and court was over 100 miles away.I once got a ticket in Colonial Heights VA, (a known speed trap), for 44 in a 35, and did not get one in Chesterfield for 78 in a 55. But that was years ago. Going to jail is way over the top in any event. Darn nice wagon!
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Re: Replacing my 78 Impala Wagon with a Low Mileage 78 Catal

Postby spencerforhire » Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:00 pm

Love them B-wagons! 20+ years ago I had an 85 Buick Electra Estate. White with woodgrain, my wife and I still refer to it as the "Great White Whale". At the time we had 3 little kids; they were banned from riding in the 3rd rear facing seat after 2 of them barfed back there. Mine unfortunately had the 307 Olds motor; it was sloooooow.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
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