1951 Pontiac Chieftain Catalina Super Deluxe: Former Marine’s Classic Car Discovered After 55 Years

The 1951 Pontiac Super Deluxe Catalina was a two-door hardtop coupe produced by Pontiac from 1950 to 1952. It was part of the Chieftain line of cars, which was Pontiac’s top-of-the-line model at the time. The Super Deluxe Catalina featured a sleek and stylish design with a low roofline and a wraparound rear window, which was a new design feature at the time.

Under the hood, the 1951 Pontiac Super Deluxe Catalina was powered by a 239 cubic inch straight-eight engine that produced 115 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. The engine was mated to a three-speed manual transmission as standard, but a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission was also available as an option.

The interior of the Super Deluxe Catalina was well-appointed for its time, with plush seats and door panels, a fully upholstered headliner, and a dashboard with a full complement of gauges and controls.

This car had been sitting in this barn since 1968, and it was clear that it had been neglected for many years. The paint was faded and peeling, the tires were flat, and the interior was in rough shape. But despite its poor condition, I knew that this car had a story to tell.

”I did some research and found out that the car was purchased brand new from Goodwin Pontiac in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1951. The original owner was a young marine named Dominic, who was a part of the landing at Incheon in the push to Seoul during the Korean War. He drove this car from 1951 until 1968 when he parked it in Williamston Michigan” said the guy who made the video.

After purchasing the car, I knew that it was going to take a lot of work to restore it to its former glory. But I was up for the challenge, and I knew that the end result would be worth it. I started by giving the car a thorough cleaning and assessing the damage. The engine was seized, so I had to remove it and rebuild it from the ground up.

The body of the car was in decent shape, but there were a lot of dents and dings that needed to be repaired. I enlisted the help of a skilled body shop to do the work, and they were able to restore the car to its original condition. One of the most exciting parts of this restoration project was discovering all of the original parts and features that were still intact.

‘‘Today, the car is still in the process of being restored. It’s been a labor of love, but I’m excited to be able to bring this piece of automotive history back to life. And once it’s finished, I know that I’ll have a classic car that I can be proud of and that will be a joy to drive for years to come.”

Watch and enjoy this beautiful rescue: