1978 Pontiac Catalina Safari

Totally





350 V8. Totally loaded up for a Catalina Safari to include all power options including dual power seats (and the rare factory gauge cluster). The weird? No A/C (ad copy to the contrary) given pics of the engine bay and dash controls.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-Pontia...00-Miles-/181584578027?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

I'm liking this one, a not common colour, the tan interior is not cloth (looks dirty almost instantly), still wearing it's hubcaps..... maybe a better brand name to the lettered tires but all in all I like this one, no wood but optioned

 

There's a lot to like, Tedy, but would you agree that, despite the ad copy, it looks like based on photos it does not have factory A/C? That's a big drawback to me.

 

There's a nice, big A/C compressor sitting under the hood.......


This Catalina has more equipment than my Bonneville. Ad text says they didn't want the 'wood' that came on the Bonneville, so they ordered a loaded Catalina. As far as I know, you could still get a 'Grand' Safari and delete the wood. The '78 full-line brochure doesn't have that info, though.

(In '78, they called the Bonneville Safari the 'Grand Safari')

 

Ok, but please what does the dash control of only "Off-Heater - Defrost" mean? :confused:

 

Got me there...... but that is an A/C compressor under the hood.

 

That's aftermarket a/c. Not a GM compressor. I ran an a/c shop here in Texas back in the 90's and saw lots of old conversions/aftermarket a/c setups like this. Some worked well...some didn't.

This car is a bit of Frankenstein. Someone has done a lot of work on it. The door panels and seats are from a Bonneville or Grand Safari, not a Catalina. The Catalina door panels were solid vinyl with less trim, and no door straps/pulls. Easy to do if you found a good doner car in a salvage yard. Looks factory, but it's not. Even the steering wheel is Bonneville. It's possible they could have had a dealer do this when the car was new I guess, like the listing says, but I'd be surprised if GM would have taken an order for a Catalina with Bonny seats and door panels. It was the 70's though, who knows right?

-Mike

 

Even if this is a Frankenstein, makes you wonder why the factory HVAC dash control unit was not switched out as well. :confused:

 

And if special ordered from the factory like this with full power options and upgrade interior, why not go ahead with factory A/C rather than aftermarket? This wagon raises many questions.

 

I like it if the mileage is correct, but who knows. I would have to check the available interiors in a Catalina Wagon. The brake controller tells me it was probably hauling a Travel Trailer, I would have preferred a Pontiac 400 in place of the Buick 350, but that was the 350 option in a 78 Pontiac. Better than the standard 301 Pontiac that I am surprised it doesn't have.

Looking at the 78 online Bochure it looks like the Split Bench was optional, and the Grand Safari's with Power Windows seen to have the extension on the armrests with the switches mounted on the extensions, not on the door panel itself. This may be the optional upgraded interior. As for the aftermarket A/C who knows, my Grandfather would not pay for the Factory A/C if it was 1 cent more expensive than what he could get the aftermarket system installed for. Or maybe they figured out they needed A/C when pulling the travel trailer into warmer states?

Not overpriced if solid. If it were closer to me I would have to go look at it. As much as I do Like my Impala Wagon. It is my only Chevy, and kinda looks out of place. Sent the link to my wife, it is in her colors, and she has been bitching some lately about the manual windows and locks on the Impala.

Who Knows. I actually have more Buick engine spare parts than Chevy.

 

I asked the seller for more info on this one, most questions I think I already know, Buick 350, 2 seat Wagon, but I am interested to know what the 2 switched in the center of the dash are for, Rear window control & Defrost? And why is it missing the drivers side wheel well trim?

Who knows my trusty 78 Impala may be for sale soon.

 

Well pending my payment clearing the sellers bank I have bought this one, should have it home this weekend.

Special thanks to jwdtenn for posting it!!!! I would have missed it as I wasn't actually looking to replace my 78 Impala wagon, but this one is more my style.

 

Congrats on the purchase!!!

Maybe when you get it home a decoding of the VIN will provide info as to how this Catalina wagon originally left the factory in 1978.

The pull straps on the doors and Bonneville seats were, in fact, available on the Catalina wagon optionally. Here's a 1979 Catalina wagon from the forum.



Grand Safari also got the flush door-panel window cranks if power windows were not ordered. (I.E. -factory power windows on the Catalina did not get the same armrest extension controls as on Bonneville/Grand Safari.)

 

Did you get this one home, Cammerjef?

eBay says auction over and still unavailable.

 

Yes I did get it home (with a slight misshap) the car is almost exactly as advertised, The Pontiac Historical Services Paperwork was waiting when I got home. The car does not have a towing package, but does have all the componates of the towing package ordered separately it has 25 options from the Factory

(1) Body Side Molding
(2) 5.7 Litre (350) 4BBL V-8 Engine
(3) Tires, HR75X15 WSW STL
(4) Battery, Heavy Duty
(5) Cruise Control
(6) Defroster, Electric Rear Window
(7) Gages, Instrument Panel & Fuel Econ IND
(8) Glass: All Window Soft Ray
(9) Insulation, Additional Acoustical
(10) Lamp Group
(11) Luggage Carrier
(12) Mirrors, LH R/Cont Sport. RH Man Adj
(13) Moldings Window Sill
(14) Power Door Locks + Tailgate Release
(15) Power 60/40 Seat, Driver & Passenger
(16) Power Windows
(17) Steering Wheel, Luxury Cushion
(18) Steering Wheel Tilt
(19) Step Pad, Rear Bumper
(20) Wheel Covers, Deluxe
(21) Windshield Wipers, Controlled Cycle
(22) Alternator, Heavy Duty 80 Amps
(23) Firm Ride Option
(24) Radiator, Super Cooling
(25) Custom Trim Group (VINYL)

In addition it has aftermarket A/C installed (A-R-A Brand) and an Aftermarket AM Radio with external fender mounted antenna. The best class III hitch with integrated 7-pin wiring connector. So the interior and the steering wheel are Factory. The only thing I can think of is the original owner did not like external wood.

I do like the clean look of the car. If I could order it today the only things I would have changed besides adding factory A/C would have been a Pontiac 400 4bbl, and a higher rear gear ratio. I haven't crawled under it yet to get the axle code, but from everything I have read it should be a 2.56 open. I would have gone for a gear in the 2.90 to 3.23 range with a Posi. Heck I even like the color!!!! I must be getting old as I would have considered it an Old Mans Color back then!!!!!