Lot S152 1962 Pontiac Super Duty 421 405 HP 4 Speed

As Stock drag racing heated up at the dawn of the Sixties, the factories were serving up a constant stream of engines, transmissions and lightweight body parts. In response, the sanctioning bodies started dedicated classes to separate the special lightweight factory racers from the amateur weekend sportsmen running real showroom stockers.

Pontiac answered the competition in 1962 by offering an expanding range of performance parts and special option packages, the most potent being the Catalina Super Stock package. At its heart was the 421 CI Super Duty engine featuring four-bolt mains, a forged steel crank, McKellar solid lifter cam and dual Carter four-barrel carbs on an aluminum intake. A 4-speed manual transmission was optional. The Catalina Super Stock saved considerable weight through the application of aluminum bumpers, hood, fenders and other alloy components, including, late in the season, an aluminum-case 4-speed.

Owned and raced by Howard Maseles in 1962, the "Packer Pontiac" was number 84 of the run of approximately 180 SS Catalinas. An NHRA C Stock record holder, the "Packer Pontiac" was lightning quick in Maseles' hands, posting an 11.73 at the 1962 Indy Nationals, at a time when many of his competitors were still running in the low-to-mid 12s.

The restoration of this vintage Super Duty Pontiac was done by owner Bill Blair, High Point, NC and the car is still being campaigned by Bill across the country at drag strips and car shows.

- PHS documented
- Aluminum front end components including bumper
- 1962 record holder at Indy 11.73 in quarter mile
- Restoration supervised by original owner & campaigner Howard Maseles
- This was the first year that a factory built race car could be purchased right off the assembly line
- 4.33 posi-traction
- Super Duty brakes, motor, & exhaust
- Original cloth interior

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Mecum
• Lot
• S152
• 1962
• Pontiac
• Super
• Duty
• 421
• 405
• HP
• Speed

[peter355camaro]

low 11's from the factory..are you kidding mee?? maan that car was the fastest production car on the planet that year!! respect those super duty pontiacs..

[Dummerd]

421 with two four barrels, solid lifter camshaft and 12 to 1 compression. P O W E R.

Pontiac wasn't messing around in those days. Heater delete, factory headsers, tunnel rams, aluminum body parts and bumpers, over 400 hp and 3500 lbs.

Yes, all go and very little whoa.

[cathleen127]

My brother has the 1963 October issue of Motor Trend magazine which tested this 421 405 HP engine out at over 500 HP. This was one of the hairiest engines ever made bar none.

[raconter1]

Amazing car! :) Jack

[magicman4321able]

interesting car and driver magazine issue 65 catalina 2-2 o-60 in 3.2 seconds never been approched by any one else for production gm or chrysler or ford or?

[SuperFamousSeamus]

Actually they made both cast iron and aluminum headers, one set for NASCAR and one for SS Drags. No tunnel rams from the factory but the manifold runner design was recast in the new manifold for later engines beginning with the 400. The solid lifter cam was a McKeller #10 later made as a hydraulic version in the Ram Air IV engines. Super Duty began it's life in 1957 with over the counter parts that NHRA required to come on the vehicle in 1962. '56 dual qual Isky E2 engine not called Super Duty

[JusticeYouWant2010]

1962 Pontiac Catalina 421 Super Duty ran 1/4 mile in 12.38 seconds, by Jim Wangers.

[thwack32]

That Engine Compartment is a Thing of Beauty! No Power Accessories anywhere. It took a Man to Stop it! And the 405hp Rating Was Way Conservative, for the Insurance Underwriters, More Like 500hp! The 421 Fully Decked weighed Less Than Its Little Brother, the 389. I Feel Lucky to have Lived Thru that Era, It will Never Happen Again!

[Sarcasticscum]

@bobyoung53

You're both right and wrong. Some 5 where actually built in late '62, none of which now exist, but the other 8 Swiss-Chesse cars were finished up for the summer of 1963 season.

[Sarcasticscum]

@Dummerd

Yea, but the cons of this car where:

1) If used for a prolonged amount of time, the aluminum "long-branch" header were famous for melting down under extreme heat.

2) Hardly any original "Swiss-Cheese" frames exist due to the fact that when they drilled holes through the frame, they not only lightened that car, but they also made several hundred fracture points in the frame!!!

[peak199]

@Dummerd also,these engines were drastically underated as far as''405'' horse.more like 460 to 480.