We get all kinds of vehicle donations at Rolling Start, but some are a little more unusual than others.
This week, we welcomed a 1972 Pontiac Catalina to the Rolling Start garage. After more than 50 years on the road—and what appears to have been quite a while since its last good cleaning—the old Pontiac still has some life left in it.
Naturally, the first question was: Will it run?
It didn’t take long to get an answer. We stuck in a battery, bypassed the old gas in the tank with a little pump and can and then Cliff got behind the wheel, turned the key, and the Catalina fired right up.
Getting it started turned out to be easier than seeing where he was going. As Cliff prepared to move the car away from the garage, you can hear him announce one of the Catalina’s more obvious maintenance issues:
“I can’t see out the window.”
The years of dirt on the glass may have made visibility a challenge, but the Pontiac was ready to move. Cliff eased it down the hill away from the garage while the rest of the crew watched. Someone even pointed out that all of the tail lights were working—not a bad discovery on a 54-year-old car.
The best moment may have come at the bottom of the hill. Cliff gave the Catalina’s horn a honk. At the same time, Lillian was moving our Volkswagen Routan into the garage so we could change its transmission fluid. She answered with a honk of her own.
Just a normal evening at Rolling Start.
A Different Kind of Vehicle Donation
The Catalina probably won’t become one of the vehicles we give directly to a family. Instead, we’re planning to clean it up, evaluate what we have, and most likely offer it for sale.
That’s still a valuable donation to Rolling Start.
The money raised from selling a vehicle like this can help us buy parts, tires, batteries, fluids, and other supplies for the vehicles that we do prepare for local individuals and families who need reliable transportation.
In fact, the Routan you see briefly in the video is a good example of exactly that work. While Cliff was taking the Catalina down the hill, Lillian was bringing the Routan into the shop so we could change its transmission fluid and continue preparing it for a family in need.
One donated vehicle can help make another vehicle possible.
Watch the Catalina Come Back to Life
There’s plenty more to do before this old Pontiac is ready for whatever comes next. A good wash is definitely near the top of the list.
We’ll share more as we learn about the Catalina and get it cleaned up.
Have an Old Vehicle? It Could Help Someone Else.
You don’t have to donate a perfect car to make a difference.
Whether a donated vehicle can be repaired and given directly to someone who needs it, used to support our work in another way, or sold to help fund repairs on other vehicles, vehicle donations are what make Rolling Start possible.
You can also support us by making a financial contribution or volunteering your time. And if you’d like to see what Rolling Start is all about, come visit us at the shop on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. at 244 Weldon Hall Road in Sylva, NC. Meet our volunteers, see what we’re working on, and maybe even get your hands a little dirty.
Together, we’re turning donated vehicles into reliable transportation and stronger communities.
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