1960 Pontiac Catalina - LAPD Freeway Interceptor

[tomsheehy]

Finally!  This has been a long stalled project, lets call it 10 years on and off...last work was 3 years ago, but I brought it back out this week and finished it off.  I'm really glad to have it done.

1960 Pontiac, started with the Trumpeter kit, then grafted on a Promolite 2000 (Tom Coolidge) resin 59/60 GM sedan roof.  This required lengthening the interior opening towards the rear, shortening the rear deck a bit.  The body was converted to a 4 door by scribing new door lines.  New interior door panels were constructed, and Catalina trim was added.

This is where a little bit of history is due...

In the late 50s, the LAPD began experimenting with high performance sedans for use on their growing freeway system.  In 1960, that unit officially became the Freeway Interceptor division.  The cars purchased were large sedans, with the largest engines available and lots of heavy duty equipment.  For the first couple of years, they purchased Pontiacs, then from 63 to 68 they purchased Oldsmobiles.  I believe there were about 8 or 10 cars purchased each year.  The interiors were outfitted similarly to race cars of the time, with roll bars, racing style harnesses and high back headrests or seats.  Additional police equipment included a certified speedometer, radios and obligatory warning device controls.

I used actual vintage photos to replicate the interior by adding a 3-point roll bar, fashioned from modifying a kit roll bar.  Seat belts were added using aftermarket and kit parts.  The headrests were scratch built and painted a different shade of tan than the rest of the interior to represent what would have been aftermarket parts. The rest of the interior was detailed with photo etch pieces from the MCG chromed fret, including window cranks and dash parts.

On the body, I had a pretty tough time getting the vacuum formed windows to sit right, but got it "close enough".  I added black 'crepe' tape around the window frames to help hide the not so perfect fit of the windows.

The paint is Tamiya gloss black and white.  Interior was painted with varying shades of flat tans.    The roof lights and siren are from the Johan Plymouth police car kit.  The rest of the exterior detail consists of more MCG photo etch pieces, including the grill, emblems and lettering.

Here's a few photos, more are in my work bench posts, and here the entire album on fotki...  http://public.fotki.com/tsheehy/scale_models/1960-pontiac-catali/  

[Harry P.]

That is ultra-cool!

[Kustom Rodder]

Very nice and clean!

[cobraman]

Love it !

[bbowser]

A cop car with a roll bar!  That would make you pucker if you saw it in the rear view .  Nice conversion.

[BIGTRUCK]

Good job Tom, interior work is awesome

[MrObsessive]

Excellent conversion Tom on what can be a very cantankerous kit! That interior is super nice and that's the first I've seen a cop car with a roll bar like that.

 

[Ron Hamilton]

Very Nice work Tom!!!!!

[Sixties Sam]

Very nice conversion - lots of character! Great work!

Sam

[Dragline]

Floored, Nailed..... That is what model cars are actually about. Not the tripe I spit out.

 

 

Bob

[High octane]

Very nice, as my first car was a '60 Pontiac Ventura 4-dr. with the "vista" roof.

[Kenny B]

Very cool for sure.

[NYNS Franky]

Awesome work Tom and thank you for the background which I found very interesting.

[Danno]

Outstanding, Tom!!

[charlie8575]

Nice to see that together, Tom. The end results are outstanding, as is usual for your work.

Charlie Larkin

[ChrisR]

Great build!

[V8 Trucker]

your design as a police car like it very much

[GTJUNIOR]

Looks great. 

[Helix]

Nice build Tom, like the old school Police vehicles 

[GLMFAA1]

Nice job, I noticed the 'protect and serve' isn't on the door, Do you know when that slogan was adapted?

'they paint my car like a target' Neil Young

I like the fast target

greg

 

[tomsheehy]

Thanks for the comments...

Greg, the "to protect and serve" was first used by LAPD sometime during 1963.  Most cars still in service were retro-fitted with the slogan as well. 

[Daddyfink]

This is just too cool! Great build and history lesson! 

[peekay]

Very very nice!! I would love to have a 4-door Pontiac on my shelf.

[Ramfins59]

Great job Tom.

[afx]

Great project.