1963 Pontiac
The Most Popular 1963 Pontiac Cars
1963 Pontiac Grand Prix
1963 Pontiac Grand Prix
1963 Pontiac Grand Prix was basically a Catalina hardtop coupe with styling touches and engine options that gave it a sportier appearance and performance. Front bucket seats and a center console, coupled with the clean new body styling and a hardtop roofline — which didn’t try to resemble a convertible with the top up — gave the car a sporty appearance even though it was a full-size Pontiac.
Featuring a new design that would influence other domestic automakers, sales for the 2-door coupe practically doubled over the year before. The 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix was considered a luxury personal performance car with V8 heft and simple, yet classic styling.
The 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix also sported a special grille treatment with radical stacked headlights and a tail panel with a special full width molding that covered the rear of the decklid and also concealed the taillights. Gone were the ’62′s side cove and chrome fender wind-splits. To help differentiate it from the Catalina, the Grand Prix featured round signal lights set off with a single horizontal chrome strip within the grille cavity.
The standard engine of the 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix was the 389 V8 hitting either 230-hp or 303-hp with a 2-barrel or 4-barrel carb, or 318-hp with a TriPower. The 425 Trophy V8s were replaced with various 421 engines. A 4-barrel carb rated 353-hp and a High Output TriPower didn’t disappoint with 370-hp. A rare three Super Duty 421s were produced at 390 and 405-hp.
The 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix’s exterior dimensions are 211.9 inches length, 78.7 inches width, 54.1 inches height, 120 inches wheelbase, 62.5 inches front track, and 64 inches rear track.
1963 Pontiac Catalina
- 1963 Pontiac Catalina
The 1963 Pontiac Catalina 2-door sports sedan pictured here showcases the 421 H.O. street engine. It has 10.75:1 compression, with induction through three Rochester 2-barrel carbs, Pontiac’s well-known “Tri-Power” setup. It also sports the 4-speed manual, limited-slip diff, aluminum wheels, and raised front end.
The base engine for 1963 Pontiac Catalina was the 389 V8 producing nearly 290 horsepower. A High Output 421 cubic-inch engine complete with triple Rochester 2-barrel carburetors producing 370 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 460 pounds-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm.
A limited production run of 1963 Pontiac Catalina’s were offered in ‘Super Stock Lightweight’ trim which featured aluminum used throughout the chassis, bumpers, and body. The vehicle had a ‘Swiss-cheese’ frame which menat holes had been drilled into the chassis rails, thus eliminating weight but also weaking the structure.
The 1963 Pontiac Catalina’s exterior dimensions are 212.1 inches length, 78.7 inches width, 55.7 inches height, 120 inches wheelbase, 60.5 inches front track, and 64 inches rear track.
You maybe interested in reading this too : 1966 Pontiac and 1965 Pontiac.