Has anyone ever seen one, even a US-based Catalina? I found a picture but I think it's from a movie, not even a real car.
In the US there was even a special speedometer with an oil pressure gauge (at least a part is listed in the catalog). In Canada the assembly manual talks about how to reverse the washers on the strut rods for police cars... though it doesn't say why!
Years ago in Vancouver, I saw an unmarked black 69 Strato-Chief with a 427. It has the flip up red light on the dash. This was in 69 or 70. I actually talked to the cop who was driving it and asked if it really was a 427. It sounded pretty good when he drove away.
I believe this car was actually a Parisienne as of all things GM Canada won the bid this year. Recall that that in the USA the Bonneville and Catalina were discontinued on B body platform and switched to A/G platform.
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
I had originally posted this back in 2014 but it has some great tidbits of RCMP facts that were really interesting so here it is again.
Hi guys I had the happy accident this morning to run into an acquaintance of mine who ws an RCMP Officer (retired staff sergeant) who started his career in about 1966 and is also a car guy.
He had wanted to buy a 1966 Grande Parisienne 427 4 speed car once he got his first posting but as he said to me, "Once i found out how much I actually got paid I had to go and cancel my order."
However he did enjoy driving the bag off the cop cars of the day and shared a few of his memories with me that i will pass on before I forget the details,
The Chevys and Pontiacs came with the 325 horse 396 TH400 with the handling package, heavy duty shocks and dual exhaust with the station wagon rims. Rear ratios were about 3.07's to 3.23's. Discs came in about 1968 and used the rally wheels with the cop caps. He said he saw his first radial tire equipped car in about 1971.
T3's were good enough for guy with sharp young eyes but the guys locally here used to add aircraft landing lights for those high speed runs in the dark.
He wasn't sure why they never went with the 427 cars except for cost I guess and that fact the 396's were very capable on their own.
He said the 396 cars would do a radar certified 130 mph every day. If fact if they wouldn't do it they would go in for a tuneup.
He also said the ones he used, he checked for mileage out of curiosity and would usually get an aggegrate of about 18 MPG.
The fastest one he ever saw was a 66 396 car with duals that clocked an honest 142 mph!
He said once the 396 wasn't available and they went to the 335 horse 427 in 69 they were a real dog. He said they used to blow the number 3 cylinder early on for some reason they never could figure out.
I am going to have to talk to him again and maybe get him to share some more of his adventures with those muscley old beasts.
Very cool guy!
For your infomation and to add to the legend...
-- Edited by 66 Grande guy on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 11:25:45 AM
What years was the 325hp 396 available in the B-Bodies? I only recall the 2bbl 265hp version which wouldn't be ideal for high speed runs (maybe towing though!)
If the 427/390 uses the same cam as the 396/350 then the 427/335 must use an even milder cam, so maybe that's the reason they didn't like the 335hp motor. Also it came with single exhaust if you didn't option it so was probably a 200hp motor in the field!
-- Edited by davepl on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 11:49:48 AM
I would go out on a limb and claim to be authoritative that the only 396 you could get in 1969 in the full-size was the 265hp two barrel. But 1969 is the only model year I know anything about!
If we didn't get the 396 in 1965 does that mean the 409 was available? I have a soft spot for the 1965 styling, it'd be cool if you could have gotten the 409 in Canada...
-- Edited by davepl on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 02:49:38 PM
I would go out on a limb and claim to be authoritative that the only 396 you could get in 1969 in the full-size was the 265hp two barrel. TRUE (RJW)
If we didn't get the 396 in 1965 does that mean the 409 was available? I have a soft spot for the 1965 styling, it'd be cool if you could have gotten the 409 in Canada... OF COURSE WE DID, 63,64 & 65.(RJW)
-- Edited by davepl on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 02:49:38 PM
CLICK HERE for the last known 409 car produced in Oshawa
-- Edited by 73SC on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 04:02:06 PM
I would go out on a limb and claim to be authoritative that the only 396 you could get in 1969 in the full-size was the 265hp two barrel. TRUE (RJW)
If we didn't get the 396 in 1965 does that mean the 409 was available? I have a soft spot for the 1965 styling, it'd be cool if you could have gotten the 409 in Canada... OF COURSE WE DID, 63,64 & 65.(RJW)
-- Edited by davepl on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 02:49:38 PM
CLICK HERE for the last known 409 car produced in Oshawa
-- Edited by 73SC on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 04:02:06 PM
In the registry that we have on the site, this is actually the last known 409 entry we have listed... although never featured. I had the pleasure of finding and taking photos of this one.
April 19th 196576637 409ci A (285 red) Saskatchewan link #761551 Custom Sport 2dr hrdtp M20 Tuxedo Black %% Oldsledguy
These are the others...
Nov. 26th 1964 76435 409ci 2D (563 blue) Alberta link #717636 Parisienne wagon M20 Mist Blue met. A33 65wagon
Jan. 13th 1965 76637 409ci Y (281 black ) Alberta no pic #723411 Custom Sport 2dr hrdtp M40 Crocus Yellow 65 wagon
Kens brothers car...
March23rd 1965 76637 409ci A (black int.) Alberta link Custom Sport2dr hrdtp M20 Tuxedo Black 66grandguy
April 1965 76437 409ci K (turquoise) Ontario link Parisienne 2dr hrdtp M20 Artesian Turquoise
-- Edited by 67Poncho on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 05:20:31 PM
If the 427/390 uses the same cam as the 396/350 then the 427/335 must use an even milder cam, so maybe that's the reason they didn't like the 335hp motor.
-- Edited by davepl on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 11:49:48 AM
I am going by memory and didn't get the parts book out to confirm but I believe 427/335 and 396/325 shared a cam, and 427/385 or 390 and 396/325 shared a cam.
__________________
1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
67 Poncho is totally right, he has found an even later 409 65 Canadian Pontiac than my bro's but what is really cool about the last two or three cars listed is that they would have been the last 409 cars built, period.
The Americans stopped production of them a few months before that.
So as to not completely derail this thread, i wonder what 1965 Canadian Pontiac cops cars would have had for drive trains?
-- Edited by 66 Grande guy on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 07:47:32 PM
Curious. Nosing around the internet suggests that the M40 THM400 first appeared in the full size Chevrolets in 1965, so I guess it is possible since the Canadian Poncho is a Chevrolet full size drive-line.
I would go out on a limb and claim to be authoritative that the only 396 you could get in 1969 in the full-size was the 265hp two barrel. TRUE (RJW)
If we didn't get the 396 in 1965 does that mean the 409 was available? I have a soft spot for the 1965 styling, it'd be cool if you could have gotten the 409 in Canada... OF COURSE WE DID, 63,64 & 65.(RJW)
-- Edited by davepl on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 02:49:38 PM
CLICK HERE for the last known 409 car produced in Oshawa
-- Edited by 73SC on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 04:02:06 PM
In the registry that we have on the site, this is actually the last known 409 entry we have listed... although never featured. I had the pleasure of finding and taking photos of this one.
April 19th 196576637 409ci A (285 red) Saskatchewan link #761551 Custom Sport 2dr hrdtp M20 Tuxedo Black %% Oldsledguy
These are the others...
Nov. 26th 1964 76435 409ci 2D (563 blue) Alberta link #717636 Parisienne wagon M20 Mist Blue met. A33 65wagon
Jan. 13th 1965 76637 409ci Y (281 black ) Alberta no pic #723411 Custom Sport 2dr hrdtp M40 Crocus Yellow 65 wagon
Kens brothers car...
March23rd 1965 76637 409ci A (black int.) Alberta link Custom Sport2dr hrdtp M20 Tuxedo Black 66grandguy
April 1965 76437 409ci K (turquoise) Ontario link Parisienne 2dr hrdtp M20 Artesian Turquoise
-- Edited by 67Poncho on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 05:20:31 PM
Thanks Vincent for bringing me up to date. I also notice the Tourquoise Georgetown car is an April build. that one has the dual quad setup that the owner had the dealer install on day 2. Last time I spoke to his brother was about 2006. That car has a few mods other than dual quad he's got Grand Prix parking lamps in the grille.
Curious. Nosing around the internet suggests that the M40 THM400 first appeared in the full size Chevrolets in 1965, so I guess it is possible since the Canadian Poncho is a Chevrolet full size drive-line.
But is that US info or Canadian?
My bets are on it being US. I will say there's no M40 option with a 409. The Canadian Pontiac parts book, the Canadian Impala parts book and the 1965 Canadian Pontiac assembly manual are completely void of any M40 mention.
__________________
1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
