Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Trans Am at a glance

The Trans Am is part of the Pontiac Firebird story, which covers all Firebird versions from 1967 to 2002.

Timeline

1969: a handling package with a racing name

Pontiac introduced the Trans Am in March 1969 as an option for the Firebird, code WS4, at US$1,083. Only 689 hardtops and eight convertibles were built, 697 cars in all. The standard engine was the Ram Air 400 with 250 kW (335 hp); above it was the Ram Air IV, rated at 257 kW (345 hp) at 5,000 rpm and 583 Nm (430 lb-ft) at 3,400 rpm. These were gross ratings; GM moved to net figures at the start of the 1970s.

Second generation (1970–1981): from Ram Air to the Bandit

The new Firebird of 1970 gave the Trans Am its classic shape. The Ram Air III 400 had 250 kW (335 hp), and the Ram Air IV, still 257 kW (345 hp), was now exclusive to the Trans Am. For 1971 the 455 HO became standard, again with 250 kW (335 hp) gross.

From 1972 GM quoted SAE net figures. Pontiac advertised the 455 HO at 224 kW (300 hp), although the engine was unchanged from 1971; the lower number came from the new rating method, not from less power.

The Super Duty 455 arrived for 1973. Rated at 216 kW (290 hp, net) and 536 Nm (395 lb-ft), it cost US$550 extra. Only 252 Trans Ams received it in 1973, 180 with an automatic and 72 with a manual gearbox, while 4,550 had the regular L75 455 with 186 kW (250 hp); by our calculation the Super Duty went into just over 5 % of the 455 cars. High Performance Pontiac measured 189 kW (253 hp) at the wheels of a stock 1974 SD-455 on a chassis dyno; that car weighed 1,746 kg (3,850 lb).

After that came the lean years. The 455 returned briefly in 1975 with 149 kW (200 hp) and was dropped after 1976, the year of the black and gold 50th Anniversary edition; 110 of those cars with the 455 received Hurst T-tops. For 1977 the standard 400 had 134 kW (180 hp), the optional T/A 6.6 had 149 kW (200 hp) and 441 Nm, and an Oldsmobile 403 with 138 kW (185 hp) was also fitted.

A film then lifted sales. A black Special Edition Trans Am starred in Smokey and the Bandit in 1977, and Wikipedia credits it with a large rise in sales. The T/A 6.6 grew to 164 kW (220 hp) for 1978, when 28,239 cars, 23.1 %, had the new WS6 handling package. In 1979 Pontiac sold 116,535 Trans Ams, the highest figure for any Firebird model year; NHRA tests suggested the 164 kW (220 hp) engine really delivered 194–209 kW (260–280 hp, net). The 10th Anniversary model of that year was limited to 7,500 cars, 1,817 of them with the T/A 6.6 and a four-speed.

For 1980 and 1981 the 301 Turbo, with a Garrett TB305 turbocharger, replaced the big engines. Pontiac built 5,700 Indianapolis 500 pace car replicas in 1980 and 2,000 Daytona 500 pace cars with Recaro seats in 1981, the last year of the second generation.

Third generation (1982–1992): fuel injection and the turbo

The third generation arrived for 1982. From 1987 the GTA package offered the L98 5.7 or a 5.0 tuned-port V8, and it avoided the US gas-guzzler tax. A notchback roof option cost US$800 in 1988; 718 were built before it was cancelled.

The high point was the 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am of 1989. Its Buick-derived 3.8 turbo V6 was officially rated at 186 kW (250 hp) and 461 Nm (340 lb-ft), and dyno tests regularly recorded more than 224 kW (300 hp). Compared with the Buick GNX it ran a lower compression ratio of 8:1 against 9:1 and more boost, 16 psi against 14. Pontiac built 1,555, and one paced the 1989 Indianapolis 500. Hagerty found it 0.1 seconds quicker than the GNX to 60 mph and over the quarter mile.

Fourth generation (1993–2002): LT1, LS1 and WS6

The last Trans Am used the 5.7-litre LT1 from 1993 to 1997, rated at 213 kW (285 hp) by 1996. That year's WS6 Ram Air package raised it to 227 kW (305 hp) and 454 Nm (335 lb-ft); 463 WS6 Trans Am convertibles were built in 1996–1997. From 1998 the aluminium LS1 took over. In 2002 the WS6 Trans Am had 231 kW (310 hp) at 5,200 rpm and 461 Nm (340 lb-ft) at 4,000 rpm.

The 1999 30th Anniversary car was white with twin dark blue stripes. The final 2002 Collector's Edition came in yellow with black stripes, as a WS6 convertible or T-top coupé, and closed the Firebird line.

Engines by generation

Trans Am buying guide

Pontiac built many special editions, and the production figures in this article help to check a car's claims:

• 1969: with 697 built, every car should be traceable; a 1969 convertible is one of eight.
• Super Duty 455: only 252 cars in 1973; a matching SD-455 should be supported by build documents.
• Smokey and the Bandit cars: the black and gold Special Edition is easy to copy; the 10th Anniversary of 1979 (7,500) and the 1980 Turbo pace car (5,700) have their own equipment.
• 1989 Turbo Trans Am: 1,555 built, all with the 3.8 turbo V6 and Indianapolis pace car equipment.
• WS6 convertibles: 463 in 1996–1997, a rare body for the fourth generation.

The sources used for this article do not give current market values.

Photo gallery