It’s been a while since we have laid eyes on a massive cruiser the likes of this 1973 Pontiac Catalina Safari station wagon and it’s really been a second since we have seen one that has the quirks that this one does. For starters, it’s pretty clean. Yeah, there is some rash here and there but there does not appear to be any real rot and structurally it’s a sound car.
There’s been a set of wheels installed with larger tires, the interior is super clean and the car actually has a console and bucket seats. No, there’s no four speed, but it’s still cool to see a wagon with buckets. Under the hood and under the floor is where the interesting things really live.
The engine is a 454ci Chevy that has been painted blue in an effort to throw Pontiac lovers off. That’s not the weird part. The fact that it is supposedly a pretty mild engine and it wears a GM Ram Jet intake and EFI is kind go a twist. There’s AC, haters, and finned valve covers attached to the engine as well. Now, looking under the car reveals the most quizzical part of the whole car. The single exhaust.
Who puts a header equipped big block into a car and makes it breathe through a single pipe with some truck looking muffler program? The rear axle still has the factory 2.93 gear ratio as well. So we dig the big block, we dig the EFI, we’re just not sure why it has the one pipe exhaust and why the rear axle gear ratio was not tweaked.
Easy stuff to tweak for the new owner. Interesting car!
eBay: 1973 Pontiac Catalina Safari wagon for sale with fuel injected 454 and single exhaust
Wouldn’t buy this without an onsite inspection…bring a handkerchief and strong magnet.
Ran out of money when it came to the exhaust I guess…
It’s to ease the process of the next owner’s remote turbocharger install.
The point of doing a Chevy swap is for ease of performance mods , but he stopped halfway so the thing is pointless . A healthy blueprinted 455 with matching gears and exhaust would do better .
How much for this old gal. Neat car
Cool car. Needs the other half of the exhaust installed