By Grant Cox – Photography By the Author
Mike Hancho’s father got a 1959 Pontiac Catalina in Candy Apple Red when he was 16. Like many teenagers, he soon wrecked it. He dreamed of owning another one ever since, but it never worked out. That is, until one day when Mike was about 8 or 9. Mike vividly remembers the day his dad pulled in with a trailer and sat a copper-colored 1959 Pontiac Catalina on it. His dad shared the story behind it and promised that one day he would fix it like the one he had when he was 16. Mike didn’t know much about cars back then, but he loved the sound and feel of rumbling down the road in that Catalina.
Years passed, and his dad tinkered with the car to improve its performance. One day, satisfied with his work, he sent it off to be painted Candy Apple Red. It hardly looked like the same car! The family would take rides in it, with his dad “tromping” down on the gas while his mom yelled at him to slow down. His dad just laughed and said he had to clean the “soot” out of the pipes.
Eventually, Mike’s dad passed the car onto his older brother, who made further modifications, including adding Tri-power. After his brother died, Mike and his dad received the car back. His dad told Mike to take the car and do a full restoration. Mike wanted to keep everything original on the body while giving it extra power under the hood and painting it black, a color his dad always said was the prettiest but hardest to keep clean.
This was when Mike was introduced to Gary Hagar at H.A.C.K. Shack. Hagar and his team took on the challenge of bringing the “Black Mamba,” as Mike called it, to life. They completely tore the car down, replacing the stock chassis with a custom Art Morrison Enterprises chassis. They installed a Strange Engineering 9-inch S-Series rearend with 31-spline custom axles and Strange Engineering custom coilovers for improved ride quality. Wilwood brakes were added for ample stopping power. The car was fitted with 19-inch Schott Modsport d.concave wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport 255/40-19 tires in the front and 20×12 Schott Concave wheels wrapped in meaty 335/30-20 tires in the rear.
To power this massive machine, Hagar contacted Butler Performance for a custom-built Pontiac 467ci engine assembly. The FAST EFI system was tuned to deliver 575 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque. Hedman headers and a 3-inch custom MagnaFlow exhaust were installed to let this big-block breathe properly. A Hughes 4L80E-built transmission completed the powertrain.
With the chassis, suspension, and powerplant completed, H.A.C.K. Shack worked their magic on the body. They shaved, tucked, and welded the bumpers for a clean look, and shaved the door handles for a smooth appearance. Rust spots in the floorboards were cut out and replaced with new metal.
The interior received a luxurious makeover at OZ Custom Upholstery. They treated the upholstery with black leather, German weave black carpet, and a suede headliner. Classic Instruments were installed to provide a vintage look with modern touches. The car originally came with front and rear A/C, so the stock units were replaced with Vintage Air systems to keep everyone cool.
He was overjoyed when Mike saw his dad’s restored old Catalina. He couldn’t have done it without the hard work of Gary Hager, Mike Jones, Matt Bigelow, and Ken Barr at H.A.C.K. Shack. Thanks to them, his dad’s dream car was brought back to life, better than ever.
-MR
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