66 Pontiac Catalina Ventura ?

[Stevie Fierce]

help me guys and gals. im a newbie. actually a vw guy (stop laughing). i've got the itch for an old classic american car. i've located a 1966 pontiac. here is my question. it says "ventura" on the side, but i cant locate this car anywhere on the internet! the only useful information i have found says that the ventura was actually a trim upgrade for the catalina! whats the deal? the current owner of the car doesnt even know the deal!! the car is clean. orig 389. solid car, no rust nice interior. what are these cars worth? are they rare or just unpopular? thanks alot everyone for any info!
Steve

[Oldcar_Mechanic]

Ventura was a trim and upholstery up-grade package from the standard Catalina. Rare is a relative word. I would guess that a lot of these cars may have been used to restore the more desireable Bonnevilles or the Catalina 2+2's.
247,927 Catalinas were built. You may be able to contact the Pontiac Historical Society to get the "deal" on this car.

What are the particulars of this car, i.e. 2 or 4 dr., hardtop or sedan.

Do you have a the style number of the car?

There are so many things that govern the price, it's almost impossible to say what it's worth. Most cars are worth what someone is willing to pay for them.

I worked for a Pontiac dealer back then and was going to buy a Catalina convertible, new, but ended up buying a Tempest convertible instead.

Let us know what you are going to do with the car as far as buying it. Put up some pictures and most of all, have fun with it.

Good luck
Ron

[Stevie Fierce]

thanks for the tips. the car is a black 2 dr hardtop. the owner is going away until next week, when i will be test driving the car and having a closer look. when i saw it, the owner wasnt at home but did speak to him on the phone. i will bring the camera with me of course. he's asking $3500. sounds like a deal to me for a classic pontiac in relatively good shape. wouldnt you say?

[Oldcar_Mechanic]

$3500 for a driving car does not seem unreasonable, but, that too is dependent on what the condition of the car is.

Good luck with the purchase and be sure to show us pictutures.
Ron

[catalinagirl]

Howdy, that price sounds about right if the car is in decent shape. Parts are easy to get (autozone for pretty much everything) or your local grandpa shop. not like a vw .... but easy to work on, decent amount of power. the pontiacs are rare in terms of you won't see many around - i've seen maybe 5 tops for the decade around. they weren't a high-end car like a lincoln, and the lines are simple ( i like them that way), so they're not a super-hot item. They just didn't make tons and they just weren't babied like some of the hotter rides at the time. still, i love 'em. i can definitely recommend the car if it turns out to be decent - and without the rust is a huge plus! good luck! and have fun!!