Description

As a general rule in life, for just about anything, if you are going to do a thing, do it the best you can. When it comes to the things we are passionate about, that ideology is exponentially magnified. Car restoration is a passion and, at times, a painstaking one that can tempt us to take shortcuts or lower our expectations due to budgetary or time constraints. We have a vision of the end result, but occasionally, life gets in the way, and we adjust. That is exactly why when we come across a car like this 1952 Pontiac Chieftain Super Deluxe Catalina 2-Door Hardtop, every enthusiast in our company stops what they're doing to appreciate just how special it is.

The previous 40-year owner of Belfast Green over Sea Mist Green hardtop spent more than 30 years collecting and restoring this post-war beauty, with almost every part being either New Old Stock (NOS) or a rebuilt original. Spending more than $120,000 to make this car as exactingly correct as the day it rolled off the Pontiac assembly line, it's no wonder this car was chosen for a feature piece in Crankshaft Magazine.

The pillarless Catalina design is the hallmark of the Chieftain's top-tier trim introduced in 1950. The body panel fit and finish on this car far exceed its original tolerances, while its flashy chrome trim is 90% NOS parts that have been replated to show-level chrome finishes, and the stainless steel pieces have been professionally polished to reflect that Joker-level grin you're sure to have walking around this stout unicorn. It is also worth noting that the flying head Native American hood ornament even lights up as it should.

Inside, you won't immediately notice that the cabin has been fully insulated with Dynamat, nor the roof insulated with aluminum-reinforced aircraft insulation. Still, after a five-minute drive down the road, you'll realize that what you're not noticing is precisely the point. No rattles or squeaks to distract you from the Kelleen Leather interior that has been fabricated to the correct factory original thickness (yes, really). The seat springs have been bagged in burlap as per the original factory process, while 154 hand-cut cardboard squares were used to recreate the lower door panel's original look. An original tube radio powers two speakers, one in the front and a rare NOS speaker in the rear, while even the trunk sports the correct fabric and materials that would have been found in this car more than seven decades ago.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Excellent Factory Restoration
• No Expense Spared w/ Over 120K Invested
• Over 30 Years Invested Using Only NOS Or Rebuilt Parts
• 1,158 Miles Since Rebuillt
• Top Notch Fit And Finish
• Show Quality Chrome
• NOS Rubber Throughout
• Dynamat Insulation
• Original Tube Radio w/ NOS Rear Speaker
• Fully Rebuilt 268 CID I8
• Two Barrel Rochester
• Dual Range Hydra-Matic (4 Speed Automatic)
• Crankshaft Magazine Feature Car

Although it isn't a DeLorean powered by a Flux Capacitor, this 1952 Pontiac Chieftain Super Deluxe Catalina 2-Door Hardtop will time-warp you to the past with its fully-rebuilt 268 cubic-inch straight-eight cylinder engine that is fed by a correct single two-barrel Rochester carburetor and exhales via a factory replacement muffler. Power is routed through a rarely seen Dual-Range Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission introduced for the 1952 model year. Made to provide greater flexibility for drivers who had to traverse various road elevations and conditions, the DRHM offered better control in changing road circumstances and still performs admirably 73 years later.

In life, it is always good to try and succeed at everything and anything you involve yourself in. So, if you have been searching for a car that is the epitome of restoration perfection, you can accomplish two incredible things at once with one phone call. First, you can inspire more green flashes than this car was made within the eyes of jealous onlookers everywhere you go, and two, you can commend yourself as a resounding success because you have found one of the absolute finest factory resurrections we have ever seen, and it's hard to do any better than that. Call today!