1973 Pontiac Catalina Safari

1973 Pontiac Catalina Wagon | eBay

 

Its a nice survivor. After the repaint, they put the pontiac emblem too high on the gate and not level.

 

It is definitely a nicely presentable example. It's hardly what I'd consider "highly optioned" - although the AC and gauges are nice - as it has the manual tailgate, base interior, and base seat belts.

It may have been repainted but there's a lot of areas that would make me want to give it a good close up in-person inspection. Lots going on under the hood too that indicate someone has been monkeying with it over the years. The weatherstripping on the doors is all rotten and broken out in chunks in the photos you can see, which means the car likely retains water in the rain.

It could very well be in great shape, likely is. But for the asking price of almost $25k, someone would *really* have to be wanting *THIS* particular model and option package, and there's more '73s out there to choose from for sale than the other years I seem to notice.

 

Agreed that it is not high option even for a Catalina.

 

Not only that, but the "Safari" script on the upper right is also out of alignment, and shouldn't the tailgate also have those eight vertical bar thingies on either side of the Pontiac lettering?

The seller needs to add the following: "Any resemblance between this car and a 1973 Pontiac Catalina station wagon is purely coincidental."

 

The car is not high-optioned. However, it is optioned very typically for a family vacation vehicle of that time period. Power steering and brakes, which are standard, third seat, air-conditioning (probably most important), luggage rack, AM-FM radio, and rear window defroster. I would guess that a significant majority of '73 Catalina wagons were equipped similarly. Things like power tailgate (nice to have, but the manual one works ok, there is no risk of a tailgate motor failure), power windows, power seat, power locks, and even cruise control (again, nice, but adult car buyers of the early '70s likely grew up without it and thus didn't consider it essential) were still often considered "luxury" items, and many buyers would leave them off to save money.

 

Yes and there is something “off” about the tailgate. Upon close inspection it appears sort of wavy…like is full of mud or something. And it looks like someone put tape over or tried to repair the tailgate weather strips. Not a bad car but could use some work…priced like 10k too high

 

Agree about the tailgate. It looks wavy, like the entire thing is now bondo. Also, the "AC" at the end of PONTIAC is pulling away from the surface.

Agree, too, about the price. $25K is too much for this car, but the seller is a dealer, and that's what dealers do. He does have a "make offer" option.

 

He wouldn’t like my offer…

 

The selling dealer included the original sales documents with the photos. The original buyer of this Pontiac listed his occupation on the loan app as a waiter with home address 1575 74 street, Brooklyn NY. Looked up this address on Trulli and house is still there and it looks, to my eye, like a nice working class house. Trulli values the property at $1,255,900. Good grief.

 

I wonder if that Louis Billotti is this Louis Billotti, who died just this past May at the age of 75. This Louis Billotti was born in Brooklyn, and that's where the car was purchased and where he lived when he bought it. He was born in 1946, which would have made him 27 years old when he bought this car. Seems the right age for a waiter, but he must have made pretty good money to be able to afford a nearly $5000 car.

Apparently his main career was as the owner of a dry cleaner in Toms River, New Jersey, which is south of New York City.












The invoice gives the name and address of the Pontiac dealer. A google street view image shows the dealership to apparently be long gone with a large office/apartment building there now.








Ain't armchair urban archaeology fun?

 

This is fun. The Louis Billotti in the obituary and the original buyer of thr Catalina must be the same. An obituary memory book entry said they will miss Louis talking about his GTO. Pontiac guy thru and thru.

 

Interestingly enough, from his obituary, his dad was also named Louis Billotti, so it could have easily been his dad's car too. I almost never listen to or believe "one owner from new!!" stories unless I'm talking to the dude who bought it brand new who is selling it to me.

But yeah, $145/mo for a car in 1973 is like a $950/mo now. While I know waiting tables in a fancy restaurant can pay well, it's definitely not a reliable enough to essentially pay $1000 today after other expenses.

 

Certainly the wagon could have been the father's but senior would have been in his late 40s by then with his children already adults and presumably on their own. Seems like the window had closed on seniors need for a family hauler. We need Columbo.

 

Eh, guy who bought my '74 was 62 when he did it. It was his last "new" car and his wife drove it after he died 15 years later and I ended up with it after she died in 2010. Never underestimate what folks will buy!