She’s a genuine red head with a fiery personality to match; she’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind but chances are you’ll be laughing right along with her once she’s told you; and she’s the epitome of a girl with a passion for muscle cars. Of course, we’re talking about Katie Poletti of Beauty’s Got Muscle.

Images: Kevin Heitczman/ Beauty’s Got Muscle

We first introduced you to Katie back in 2012. Not only was she a thrill to talk to about the automotive world and her favorite muscle car- a ’78 Nova by the name of Ned- she was also an inspiration to all of us. Nearly a year and a half later, nothing has changed, except for Ned, who’s gotten quite the overhaul since we last spoke to his owner.

Check out Ned’s transformation and Katie’s undying passion for it all in the latest video from Beauty’s Got Muscle above.

Katie’s Nova Ned is not what most people would consider the quintessential American muscle car. A little too new and factory-equipped with a few too many horsepower busters, Ned is a unique brand of muscle car- one that Katie never got caught up about except for falling in love. But it wasn’t until 2010 that Katie and Ned found their true purpose together- to go around the country looking for other females that were in love with their rides as much as Katie was in love with Ned.

Inspiring the journey was Theresa Durso, Katie’s friends who at just the young age of 21, died of brain cancer. She was the same age as Katie and her passing gave Poletti the wake-up call she needed to truly live her life. With the help of Ned, Durso’s mom Carolyn, Steve & Pete of S/P Classics, the Beauty’s Got Muscle crew and a few friends she met along the way, Katie has done just that.

As the heart and soul of Katie’s journey, Ned was bound to get an upgrade to what Katie describes as “a real muscle car” at some point.

Of course, Katie didn’t see this happening until she was a bit older and had a bit more money to throw around. But thanks to S/P Classics, and the men behind the madness, Ned is now freshly overhauled and sporting one heck of a muscular power house.

Originally equipped with an inline 6 and an automatic transmission, Ned now features a Chevy 350 with a 4-bolt main. Adding to Ned’s already significant power improvement is a COMP Cams camshaft, Edelbrock intake manifold, Holley 650cfm carburetor, Mallory distributor, Hedman Hedders attached to a 2 ½-inch exhaust and MSD wires. Giving Katie the control over this beast is a M-20 4-speed with a Borg Warner clutch and a Hurst Competition Plus shifter.

Since Ned was getting the performance upgrade Katie always wanted, it was only right that he also got the facelift he deserved. Inside, you’ll find fresh carpet, a newly stained back seat and freshly painted interior panels. Buckets have now made their way into the front along with a classic review mirror accessory.

Outside, Ned features some new sheet metal, a new bumper, fresh coat of paint and the classic center stripes Katie always dreamed of. But more beautiful than Ned’s new look and added horsepower is Katie’s undying love for her car- something that can only be fully explained by her reaction to Ned’s fresh look on life, Steve and Pete’s incredibly generous gift and what this means for the future of Beauty’s Got Muscle. We are so happy for Katie and where this life has taken her so far.

This has all been a beautiful journey and we’re proud to have touched even a small part of it, but it’s only just starting and we can’t wait to see where Katie and Ned find themselves in the future. Because after all, Katie doesn’t have a beast or a prince- this beauty’s got muscle instead!