Pontiac Catalina Gen 5
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 1
Introduction
In
1977,
Pontiac and other GM divisions downsized their full-sized cars in an effort to lighten weight and improve gas mileage. The Catalina continued as Pontiac's entry-level full-size
automobile with a Buick-built 231 cubic-inch V6 now standard in sedans and coupes (Safari wagons came standard with V8 power) and optional V8s of 301 CID, 350 CID and 400 CID displacements, each Pontiac-built engines and offered in all states except California.
The Pontiac 350 was offered in
1977, but replaced by Buick and Olds 350 V8s from
1978 to
1980; and the Pontiac 400, offered through
1978, was replaced by an Oldsmobile 403 V8 in
1979 only. An Olds-built 350 Diesel V8 was optional for 1980 and 1981, along with another cut-down Pontiac V8 of 265 CID.
With the downsized
1977 model, the Catalina Safari got a new two-way tailgate that could be opened to the side as a door or lowered as a tailgate which replaced the more complicated
1971-
1976 clamshell tailgate design. The wagons also shared the same full-coil spring suspension as their sedan counterparts, rather than the multi-leaf springs found on
1971-
1976 Safaris.
As Pontiac V8s were completely banned from the State of California beginning in
1977 due to the inability to meet the state's more stringent emission control standards, Catalinas (and Bonnevilles) sold in California were equipped with engines from other GM divisions through
1981. Those included the Buick 231 V6 and an assortment of V8s including the Chevrolet 305, Oldsmobile 307, Buick and Olds 350s, and Olds 403 V8.
The Catalina was discontinued after the
1981 model year along with the more luxurious Bonneville as Pontiac sought to abandon the full-sized car market as part of GM's continued downsizing program. The
1982 Bonneville was introduced as a mid-size car. When production of the Catalina nameplate ended in
1981, over 3.8 million Catalinas had been sold since
1959.