11 Reasons Why The 1970-1981 Pontiac Trans Am Is So Awesome

there is not a performance car more popular from the 1970s error than the 1970 to 1981 Trans Am or as many today refer to it as the second generation Trans Am it began the decade in 1970 as a low production 2+2 performance car and ended the decade as its most beloved performance car when the EPA stepped in and tried to spoil the party with stringent mandates and regulations which spell the end to most large displacement performance engines Pontiac didn't flinch it just kept churning out its Trans Am with large displacement performance-oriented v8 engines sales of the Trans Am continue to skyrocket when the 1970s decade began Pontiac produced 3196 Trans Ann's for the 1970 model year when the 1970s ended for the 1979 model year production shot up to a hundred and sixteen thousand five hundred and thirty five units a total of three hundred and seventy four thousand two hundred and thirty three Trans ands were produced during the 1970s decade if you include the last two model years of the second generation Trans Am 1980 and 1981 four hundred and fifty-eight thousand four hundred and sixty two second generation Trans Am were produced that's almost a half a million Trans Am the 1960s decade was a golden era for cars fun cars like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette flourished even many boring midsize cars were transformed into hip muscle cars there were also a lot of big cars that had high-performance motors and were full of excitement by the 1970s high insurance premiums new government regulations and soaring fuel costs killed most of the fun performance cars the Trans Am was the loan performance wolf when compared to the few performance cars that remained it did just survive in the 1970s it thrived in the 1970s this is the list of eleven reasons why the second generation Trans Am is such a unique and awesome car number one large displacement v8 engines the Trans Am began the 1970s decade with a Pontiac 400 cubic inch v8 as standard equipment for 1970 in 1979 the Trans Am had as an option a Pontiac 400 v8 the Pontiac 400 would be the engine that would provide power to most Trans Am during the 1970s a Pontiac 455 cubic-inch v8 was available in the Trans Am from 1971 to 1976 the only reason Pontiac dropped the 455 v8 option was because GM cancelled its production at the end of the 1976 model year GM did the same to the Pontiac 400 v8 during the 1978 model year Pontiac was smart enough to save a large stash of 1978 RPO code w72 400 v8 for the 1979 Trans Am and Firebird formula a total of eight thousand three hundred and 26 1979 Trans ends would be equipped with a 220 horsepower w72 400 v8 Pontiac underrated its true output NHRA rated this motor in stock form at 260 horsepower back in 1979 no other American car could touch its performance though performance was decimated in most American cars as the 1970s progressed the Trans Am did all right back in 1970 Hot Rod Magazine tested a 1970 Trans Am equipped with the optional ram air 4 400 v8 and obtained a quarter mile time a 13-point nine seconds at a hundred and two miles per hour in 1979 hot rod magazine tested aw 72 400 v8 equipped 1979 Trans Am and attained a quarter mile time of fourteen point six seconds at ninety six point six seven miles per hour this performance time would have been very respectable in the original golden error of the muscle car in 1979 it was downright outstanding even when Pontiac starting in 1977 couldn't use the Pontiac 400 in the California market due to California Air Resources Board regulations it used instead Oldsmobile small-block 403 cubic inch v8 the 403 v8 would later become the 1979 Trans Am standard engine for 1979 w72 400 v8 was optional along with the Pontiac 301 cubic inch v8 which was an engine delete option the 301 would become the Trans Am standard v8 for 1980 and 1981 it was available in a few variations including an optional turbo configuration Chevrolet small-block five litre 305 cubic inch v8 would be a Trans Am engine option for 1980 and 81 in case you're not convinced that the Trans Am was the only large cubic inch v8 game in town during most of the 1970s just remember Ford canceled a large displacement v8 option in the Mustang after the 1971 model year Chevrolet pull the plug on the Camaros large displacement v8 at the end of the 1972 model year for the Corvette it was the end of the 1974 model year Chrysler also dropped his large displacement v8 in its Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger at the end of the 1972 model year not only did the Trans Am by having the most cubic inches in its class during the 1970s ironically during this error it had the best performance motors Pontiac ever produced under its hood these engines were the 1969 to 1970 ram air 3 400 v8 the 1969 to 1970 ram air for 400 v8 the 1971 to 1972 455 h l v8 and 1973 to 1974 455 super duty v8 number two the shaker hood scoop the Trans Am wasn't the first muscle car to have a shaker hood scoop but it was the muscle car that made it famous the first Trans Am to get the shaker hood scoop was a 1970 model unlike its competitors shaker hood scoops it was mounted backwards where the air flat-faced not the front of the car but the front windshield this was very innovative since he gave the Trans Am a sleek streamlined look starting with the 1973 model year the air flap was closed for good but that didn't stop the shaker hood scoops popularity the way it bounces back and forth while the engine is idling is one of the alert of owning the Trans Am the farther down you push the accelerator the more the shaker dances back and forth the shaker hood scoop would be standard on all second generation Trans Am models except for the 1980 to 1981 turbo Trans Am which instead had a bulge hood scoop to provide clearance for the turbo inside the engine bay number three wheel flare spoilers starting in 1970 and going all the way through the 1981 model year the Trans Am had wild wield flare spoilers in all four corners they gave the Trans Am a much more muscular appearance over other Firebird models and just about any car of its error there was a stylish front chin spoiler which connected to the lower area the front wheel flares this gave the Trans Am a racer look did the fender flares improve aerodynamics who really knows or cares they just looked awesome and that was the point Chevrolet seeing a good thing started slapping real flares on its Camaro z/28 starting in the 1979 model year number four air extractors one of the items on a second-generation Trans Am that usually intrigues most onlookers are the front fender air extractors one per front quarter panel these are large vents that reside on all second generation Trans Am they add to its very sporty look however they were originally intended to add to the Trans Am looks they are really functional if you ever have the opportunity to stand next to one when a Trans Am engine is at normal operating temperature you'll quickly realize warm air is escaping these vents these air extractors were originally designed to keep temperatures down in the engine bay its job these are extractors do very well number five the big hood bird how can you talk about a second-generation Trans Am without mentioning the massive full length hood bird decal who in their right mind came up with this wild idea it was Bill Porter styling chief at Pontiac during its gold an error Porter got the idea from Norm James who was the designer of the 1959 Firebird 3 GM concept car James added a much smaller bird to the Firebird threes hood Porter wanted to debut a much larger and more refined version of James's hood bird on the 1970 Trans Am Bill Mitchell who at the time was in charge of all styling at GM would have no part in this nonsense and he overrode Porter's wishes John chanela who replaced Porter a few years later forged ahead with Porter's hood bird idea eventually convincing Mitchell it was worthy of production the compromise that was reached was the big hood bird decal would be a transient option and not standard so from 1973 to 1981 the big hood bird decal was a transient option buyers would have to pay extra for it proved to be so popular that today finding a Trans Am from these years without one is like finding a needle in a haystack fortunately this story had a happy ending the second generation Trans Am wouldn't be the same without its big hood bird it's an icon from the 1970s that proved to the world that the Trans Am was a bold and unique muscle car number six the duck tail rear spoiler spoilers have been used in rare cases by automakers on production cars before the second-generation Trans Am however they were wing style spoilers that look like they were slapped on as afterthoughts rather than part of the car with the introduction of the 1970 Trans Am that all changed the world saw a new ducktail spoiler that was foreign fitted around the rear body panels it started a craze which continues today at the present there are many new cars with smooth form-fitting rear spoilers every second-generation Trans Am was equipped with a duck tail spoiler the design was so good Pontiac kept the same overall design during the entire 12-year production run there are two slight variations of the second-generation Trans Am tail spoiler one was used on the 1970 to 1978 Trans Am the other which had improved aerodynamics was found exclusively on the 1979 to 1981 Trans Am number 7 the engine turn - bezel all second-generation trans ends had an aluminum engine turn - bezel the bezel was a large aluminum trim piece that covered the whole entire gauge cluster of the - most Trans Am engine turned bezels were the shiny aluminum color however in a few special edition Trans Am models bezel was gold if the exterior had not convinced interior occupants they were in a muscle car the TransAm turn - bezel would give them the undeniable proof they were ironically this - design aged very well it still looked modern even during its final year of production in 1981 the trans Ann's engine turned - bezel design puts the shame most modern car dashboard designs number 8 chrome splitter exhaust tips by the 1970s automakers began hiding exhaust pipes the shiny chrome exhaust pipes that were available on many 1960s muscle cars had all but disappeared the 1970 to 1974 Trans Am had dual exhaust pipes which were visible but they didn't quite match the Trans Ann's character starting in 1975 that all changed pyat revived in 1964 to 1965 GTOs dual exhaust tip design for the Trans Am these chrome exhaust tips gave the TransAm a truely muscle-car look with a chrome splitter exhaust tips below the rear quarter panels behind each rear wheel the end result was another unique touch which added to the trans ends fantastic exterior design chrome splitter exhaust tips would be standard on all 1975 to 1981 Trans Am except for the 1982 81 Trans Am powered by Chevrolet small-block 5 litre v8 these rare cars use the 1980 to 1981 Camaro z28 dual outlet exhaust system number nine the formula steering wheel Pontiac released its now famous formula steering wheel for the 1969 model year as an option on some of its muscle cars it was a smaller diameter wheel with thick padding it fitted drivers hands like a glove it was the closest thing you were going to find to a racing car steering wheel during its error it was such a good design it was found in every single Trans Am from 1970 to 1981 number 10 outlandish elegant styling even if you remove from the second generation Trans Am all the exterior items previously mentioned the styling is still so very elegant but very bold these trans ends all have a long flat hood extremely short deck lid area curved door panels curvy fenders and a semi fastback roofline it's a lot of different design elements that were bunched together which ended up being a classic work of art add to that a low and wide stance and you have one macho looking car there is no doubt that the second-generation Trans Am was the best Trans Am design ever produced and perhaps may even be the best styling to ever grace a muscle car number eleven t-top removable roof panels I bet you thought I was going to forget to mention the item which was first introduced as an option on the 1976 Trans Am 50th anniversary special edition the t-top removable roof panels t-tops debuted on the 1968 Corvette it took almost a decade later to become a Trans Am option the first Trans Am t-tops were made by Hearst they were quickly replaced by GM's made in-house Fisher Body division t-tops by the 1978 model year T tops were a very popular option and remained so until the Trans Am finally ended production in 2002 by this time they were a standard Trans Am feature in an error when convertibles had been phased out the buying public like the idea of removable roof panels that gave the car the feel of a convertible when removed and we're not the feel and safety of a hardtop coupe the Trans Am t-tops were smoked glass so they gave the normal large roof area a nice contrast not to mention they gave interior occupants a see-through roof which allowed daylight to shine through to brighten up the interior cabin however this was a double-edged sword on those hot sunny summer days if the t-tops were left on the interior would really bake like a greenhouse if you didn't have air conditioning in closing when just about every automaker gave up on the performance car in the 1970s Pontiac made its oldest and most macho car the second generation Trans Am is a favorite among collectors and muscle car fans even the most harshest of critics upon viewing a Trans Am in person will admit there's something special about this car Pontiac may be long gone but the second generation Trans Am lives on with so many still on the road and in car collections today it's safe to say the love affair will continue for many generations to come long live the second generation Trans Am you

Channel: OldCarMemories.com

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Keywords: Pontiac, Trans Am, Firebird, Camaro, F-body, Van Nuys, Norwood, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, WS6, W72, LS5, LS4, L74, L75, 455, 400, 301, 305, 7.5 liter, 6.6 liter, 6.6 T/A, 5.0 liter, 4.9 liter, hood bird, spliter exhaust, large-displacement engines, big-block, small-block, formula steering wheel, T-Tops, aluminum engine turned dash bezel, Shaker Hood Scoop, air dam, fender flares, air extractors, John Schinella, Bill Porter, Bill Mitchell, L78

Id: 7lm5PDmG8jY

Length: 19min 24sec (1164 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 02 2017