LS3-Powered 1966 Pontiac Catalina Gets a Makeover from Roadster Shop: Track Time Tuesday
With a brand new chassis and an 850 hp LS3, this 1966 Pontiac Catalina looks fairly stock, but it definitely isn’t.
Roadster Shop is a well-known entity in the world of street and muscle cars, having offered chassis and suspension components for those types of vehicles for many years now. The shop also churns out entire turnkey builds, which are always sights to behold. That certainly applies to their latest creation – this 1966 Pontiac Catalina, which was already a pretty nice, original car when they got their hands on it. Now, however, the updated ride is a much nicer machine to cruise around in, thanks to the addition of the appropriate modern hardware.
The first job – as one might imagine from a place that makes its own custom chassis – was to ditch the original underpinnings and replace them with its own Fast Track independent chassis. That setup also includes adjustable RSV 4.0 shocks at all four corners, as well as massive 14-inch brakes. The big change makes this car far more pleasant to drive, as well as a much better performer than the big-bodied classic used to be.
Inside the cabin, this 1966 Pontiac Catalina has been treated to some updates as well, including a Vintage Air HVAC system, Roadster Shop’s own infotainment screen, Bluetooth audio, and a retro-looking Dakota Digital analog instrument cluster. On the outside, this vintage machine is pretty much stock, save for its lowered stance and custom 18×10 and 19×12-inch Greening Auto Company 8-lug style wheels.
The driver also has more far power at their disposal thanks to the installation of an LS3 V8 sporting a custom-machined Edelbrock supercharger, cranking out an estimated 850 horsepower, which flows to the wheels via a built T56 five-speed manual transmission from Bowler featuring a Tilton twin-disc clutch and hydraulic throw-out bearing.
In this video, our host provides some driving impressions, and as one might imagine, those are pretty stellar. It’s truly amazing what a chassis and powertrain swap can do for an old car like this, which is precisely why so many folks make those kind of changes and will continue to do so for perceivable future.
Photos: Roadster Shop
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