Trans Am

HISTORY OF THE PONTIAC TRANS-AM

In the Beginning
In 1967 Pontiac, a division of General Motors, began building the Firebird, a sports/muscle car built to compete in the “pony car” market, which included the Mercury Cougar and the Ford Mustang.

Birth of a Legend
In 1969 the Firebird offered a $725 optional handling package called the "Trans Am Performance and Appearance Package", which included a rear spoiler, was introduced. Named after the Trans-Am Series, the name was used without permission and the SCCA threatened to sue. But GM settled the deal by paying $5 to the SCCA for every car sold.

These were the very first generation "Trans Ams", and only 689 hardtops and 8 convertibles were made. There was an additional Ram Air IV option for the 400 in³ engine during that year, complementing the Ram Air II; these generated 345 and 335 hp respectively.

Although not apparent at the time, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, along with (ironically) the Chevrolet Corvette, would become the only American high-performance cars that would remain in continuous production since their inception.

1970 New Body Style Introduced
On February 26, 1970 the second generation Trans Am was introduced. These second generation “Trans Ams” replaced the "coke bottle" styling of the first generation with a more "swoopy" body style, with the top of the rear window line going almost straight down to the lip of the trunk lid. The new design was initially characterized with a large C-pillar, until 1975 when the rear window was enlarged. There were two Ram Air 400 engines for 1970: the Ram Air III 335 hp and the Ram Air IV 345 hp, which were carried over from 1969.

1971 The Most Powerful Pontiac Engine Ever
The 455 engine, available in the Second Generation Firebird Trans Am was arguably the last high-performance engine of the original muscle car generation. This 455 engine first made its appearance in 1971 as the 455-HO. In 1973 and 1974, a special version of the 455, called the SD-455, was offered. The SD-455 utilized leftover components from Pontiac's 366 NASCAR engine, and was built as a full-bore racing engine that produced over 540 hp; the engine was subsequently "toned down" to appease the EPA and to meet GM's own strict power policy, which at the time required that no GM vehicle exceed 300 hp. As a result, the PMD engineers listed the SD-455 at 290 hp, but in reality it was producing, in final form, 371 hp SAE NET (or approximately 440 gross horsepower).

What made the SD-455 even more appealing was that it could easily be returned to its 500+ horsepower form. The SD-455 is often considered to be the last of the true muscle car engines and, by many, considered to be the most powerful factory Pontiac engine ever produced. Pontiac offered the 455 for a few more years, but tightening restrictions on vehicle emissions guaranteed its demise.

1976 The Last of the Big Cube Birds
Due to tightening restrictions on vehicle emissions, the 1976 Trans Am was the last of the "Big Cube Birds," with only 7,100 units produced with the 455 engine. In 1976, Pontiac celebrated their 50th Anniversary, and a special edition of the Trans Am was released. Painted in black with gold accents, this was the first anniversary Trans Am package and the first production Black and Gold special edition.

1977 Smokey and the Bandit
In 1977 the second highest grossing movie of that year, “Smokey and the Bandit”, featured the 1977 Trans Am. The film used five modified versions of 1977 Pontiac Trans Ams that were each built according to the required stunt work. All were damaged during the rigors of filming the stunts. The particular car used to jump over the river towards the middle of the movie was reportedly totaled doing the stunt.

A distinctive, slant-nose facelift occurred in 1977, redone somewhat in 1979. From 1977 to 1981, the Trans Am used four square headlamps.

In 1977, Pontiac offered the T/A 6.6 Litre 400 (option W72) rated at 200 hp, as opposed to the regular 6.6 Litre 400 (option L78) rated at 180 hp. California and high altitude cars received the Olds 403 engine, which offered a slightly higher compression ratio and a more usable torque band than the Pontiac engines of 1977.

1978 Increased Power
Beginning in 1978, Pontiac engineers reversed years of declining power by raising the compression ratio in the Pontiac 400 through the installation of different cylinder heads with smaller combustions chambers (taken from the Pontiac 350). This increased power by 10% for a total of 220 during the 1978-79 model years. The 400/403 options remained available until 1979, when the 400 in³ engines were only available in the 4-speed transmission Trans Ams (the engines had actually been stockpiled from 1978, when PMD had cut production of the engine).

1979 Record Year
1979 marked the 10th Anniversary of the Trans Am, and a special anniversary package was made available: silver paint with a silver leather interior. The 10th Anniversary cars also featured a special Firebird hood decal, which extended off of the hood and onto the front fenders. In 1979 Pontiac sold 116,535 Trans Ams, which still holds the record to this day.

1980 New Smaller Engine
In 1980, due to ever-increasing emissions restrictions, Pontiac dropped all of its large displacement engines. 1980 therefore saw the biggest engine changes for the Trans Am. The 301, offered in 1979 as a credit option, was now the standard engine. Options included a turbocharged 301 or the Chevrolet 305 small block.

1981 The End of a Generation
1981 was the final year of the Second Generation Firebird Trans Ams. The 1981 Trans Ams still used the same engines as it had in the previous model year, with the only change being the addition of a new electronic carburetion system.

Movie Clip 2 | Movie Clip 3 | Movie Clip 4 | Movie Clip 5 Pontiac 455 |

1982 Night Rider a New Beginning
In 1982 the Third Generation Trans Am took flight with a bang! The hit TV series Night Rider featured the 1982 “talking” Trans Am with the red scanner light on the nose. Although the actual production model could not talk, these Third Generation Trans Ams were much more technologically advanced than their predecessor.

The new F-body weighed in quite a bit lighter and offered sleek, aerodynamic styling. GM's CCC (Computer Command Control) engine control system also continued to evolve, simultaneously increasing engine performance, raising fuel economy, and lowering emissions. This combination of factors helped the Third Generation Trans Am to re-energize its fading pony car image.

The Trans Am had been completely restyled, with the windshield slope set at 60 degrees (about 3 degrees steeper than anything GM had ever tried before) and for the first time, a large, glass-dominated rear hatchback. Two pop-up headlights were the primary distinguishing characteristic of the Trans Am.

In addition to being 500 lb lighter, the Third Generation Trans Am was the most aerodynamic production Trans Am to date. Wind tunnels were used to form the body shape, and the aerodynamic developments extended to the finned aluminum wheels with smooth caps and a functional spoiler. The Trans Am received a "Turbo Bulge" hood, styled loosely after the earlier Turbo Trans Am. In fact, plans had originally been made to use the Pontiac 4.9 Turbo, but it was scrapped at the last minute. However, the hood bulge remained and was made functional for the Crossfire-injected 305. While the standard Firebird could have every option the Trans Am had, it didn't use the bulged hood. Leather seating was also available. 14-inch aluminum and 15-inch aluminum wheels were available on the Trans Am models.

Pontiac had also hoped to drop all the "Trans Am" badges from the new cars to save royalties paid to the SCCA for use of the name. Early promotional cars were marked "T/A" as an alternative, however the production cars came marked as "Trans Am" regardless. The WS6 option, available on the Trans Ams, included 4-wheel disc brakes, P215/65R15 Goodyear Eagle GT radials with 15-inch cast aluminum wheels, stiffer springs, thicker front and rear sway bars, a high ratio 12.7:1 steering box, and limited slip rear differential.

The Trans Am came standard with one of the two 305 Chevy V8's, as Pontiac V8's were no longer being produced. The four-speed manual transmission came mated to the four-barrel-carbureted version that put out a milquetoast 145 hp, while the Crossfire-injected 305, rated at 165 hp, came with the automatic transmission. But with either drive train, the newest Trans Am was still no match for the 5.0L Mustang GT that took the performance car revival by stampede that year thanks to its 157 hp High Output 302 (the Mustang was much lighter than the Trans Am, and the 302 engine had a much better assortment of high performance parts than the Chevy small block forced on Pontiac).

Still, with its dimensions reduced, wheelbase shortened, and weight reduced, the Third Generation Trans Am was also the closest yet in size to the original 1969 model. Road & Track selected the 1982 Firebird Trans Am as one of the "12 Best Cars" in the world. It won "Best Sports GT" category in the $11,000 to $14,000 range.

Movie Clip 2 | Movie Clip 3 | Movie Clip 4 | Movie Clip 5 Pontiac 455 |

1983 Daytona 500 Pace Car
In midyear, the L69 high output 305 was introduced. This was a carbureted 190 hp V8 engine. In its second year, the Third Generation Trans Am was selected as the Daytona 500 Pace Car, and Pontiac offered a total of 500 Daytona Pace Car replicas through their dealerships. The limited-edition cars featured full body ground effect skirts that extended around the entire car. The front bumper grills were replaced with molded plastic panels, with the "Trans Am" script on the right-hand panel. Also included were Recaro leather/suede seats, special 15-inch "AERO" wheels with smooth covers, red gauge lighting, leather appointments, "Daytona 500" graphics, and a unique white and charcoal paint scheme. The pace cars were only available with the LU5 Crossfire-injected 305 with an automatic, or the LG4 carbureted 305 mated to a 5-speed manual. Other special packages were also available such as the Recaro trim package, which included the Recaro seats, and black paint with gold highlights.

1984 15th Anniversary Limited-Edition 16-inch Wheels
The Trans Am was now available with the same ground effects package used on the 1983 Daytona Pace Car replica; the grill inserts in the front fascia were replaced with solid pieces, and new 20-slot, 15-inch aluminum wheels were also available. For the fifteenth anniversary of the Trans Am, Pontiac released another special, limited-edition Trans Am: using the same body as the 1983 Pace Car replicas, but with new 16-inch, 20-slot, convex aluminum wheels and Goodyear P245/50VR16 unidirectional tires (the new wheel/tire combo being very similar to the Corvette's P255/50ZR16 arrangement); it marked the first appearance of 16-inch wheels on the Third Generation F-body, and was also the first Pontiac to come with 16-inch wheels. The 1,500 15th Anniversary Trans Ams also included an upgraded WS6 suspension, with a new 25 mm rear sway bar (as opposed to the ordinary WS6's 23 mm bar). Other features included: gray multitone and white leather Recaro interior; a special steering wheel and shifter, and parking brake handle; white-striped taillight lenses; white wheels; special blue stripes and blue hood decal; 4-wheel disc brakes; and T-tops. The only available V8 engines were the LG4 and L69.

Movie Clip 2 | Movie Clip 3 | Movie Clip 4 | Movie Clip 5 Pontiac 455 |

1985 Return of the Full Hood Bird
The Trans Am underwent redevelopment to boost sales as a number of power train improvements were introduced. The LB9 Tuned Port Injection (TPI) 305 was released, replacing the 305 H.O. as the high-output engine: using a tuned runner design, the LB9 produced 215 hp, which brought it suitable attention from buyers despite being unavailable with a manual transmission.

The Trans Am also included the return of the full hood Bird. The 1985 Firebird Trans Am receive a unique wheel pattern that would be used until the early '90s on many other models as well.

The interior evolved with the addition of new, Recaro-styled seats; a new dash with redesigned gauges that used an embossed graph patterned background; new door panels; a new T-handle shifter for automatics; a new, more ergonomic console; an updated stereo; a dash-mounted map pocket; and a new, more ergonomic steering wheel, a new digital dash and a new overhead console. The console included two manually adjusted reminder wheels, an adjustable map light, a removable "Firebird" flashlight, and a small pocket for a garage door opener or sunglasses. The T-tops were also redesigned to use a pin-mounting arrangement rather than the earlier latch-based setup.

The Trans Am drag coefficient was measured at 0.32 but was as low as 0.29 with the standard Aero wheels instead of the High-Tech turbo aluminum rims. At the time, it was the most aerodynamically efficient car GM ever produced.

The Trans Am "Turbo Bulge" hood was discontinued in favor of a new flat hood with twin louvered "nostrils" that were non-functional. Trans Am also received a restyled nose with integral fog lights and newly redesigned ground effects now standard, and its new "low density" taillight lenses have a grid-style pattern rather than the now familiar "slit" or "louvered" pattern. The Trans Am now received the 15th Anniversary WS6 suspension as standard, which had been upgraded with the new, larger sway bars, and aluminum 16-inch, 20-slot wheels were made available on all Trans Ams. The Recaro option package was no longer available, but Recaro seats still were.

1986 Three Convertibles Built
A new, optional rubber/vinyl wrap-around rear spoiler was introduced on the Trans Am (available only in black; in later years, these spoilers would suffer from cracking and splitting problems). Mid year, Pontiac introduced a new lightweight, cross-lace wheel rim, available for the Trans Am.

Only 26 Trans Ams with the 305 H.O L69 were built in 1986; it was discontinued. The 305 TPI engine output was decreased from 215 hp to 190 hp, however, the L98 TPI 350, rated at 225 hp, made its mid-year appearance in the Trans Am. Paint RPO's were changed to reflect the new base-coat/clear-coat paint process. American Sunroof (ASC) built 3 1986 Trans Am convertibles as a "design exercise."

Movie Clip 2 | Movie Clip 3 | Movie Clip 4 | Movie Clip 5 Pontiac 455 |

1987 Trans Am GTA
All center, high-mounted stop lamps were relocated to a new position between the spoilers and the rear deck lid, and the large Firebird hood emblem disappeared forever. All V8's now received factory roller camshafts, and faced with consumer demands for more power, GM officially released the new 5.7L with tuned port fuel injection. Available only with an automatic transmission, it produced 225 hp and takes the top performance seat from the 5.0L TPI. L69 production is stopped, leaving the LG4 as the only remaining carbureted V8 used in the F-body. Trans Am GTA (Gran Turismo Americano) was introduced, available with the LB9 305 TPI engine (which was returned to 215 hp) or the L98 350 TPI. Gold 16-inch, flat-mesh, diamond-spoke wheels were standard on GTA, with 16-inch, 20-slot wheels standard on Trans Am. The wrap-around spoiler was updated and now standard on the Trans Am. The Trans Am was also offered with an optional 140 mph speedometer.

The Trans Am GTA was Pontiac's pride and joy with a standard 5.7L 350 Tuned Port Injection (TPI). The engine itself was pulled directly out of the C4 Corvette, which itself began using the engine in 1985, and gave the GTA performance numbers comparable to GM's flagship performance platform from whence it came. The GTA came with a standard TH-700R4 (4L60) automatic transmission, A/C, new seats with inflatable lumbar and side bolsters, special door panels, epoxy-filled emblems, body-colored ground effects, a special GTA horn button, and the legendary WS6 performance handling package. All of these options were packaged into the Trans Am under the RPO code Y84, and the model was produced until the end of Third Generation F-body production in 1992.

Finally, Pontiac offered a Trans Am convertible, built after-market by ASC (of ASC McLaren fame).

History of the Porsche 968 | Special Interests