Where did the native Firebird on trans am become Chicken?

That seems a bit odd. I know studying the Pontiac "Bibles" that Pontiac Developed the RAV 303 for this car. I can't imagine that the engineering department would ever consider putting a THM 400 behind that motor. Something smells here....

Introducing KITT

4:50 "my step mother got off of her broom" no love loss there 😅

Pontiac was always cutting edge , even in 1973-74 with the 455SD. They kept the T/A alive during the lean years. I own a 1972 455HO, engine only , I would love to find the chassis. Right now it lives in a 1975 Esprit with a 1973 front clip and a ram air hood. M-21 4 speed and soon to be a 3.08 posi rear gear. Been a Pontiac fan ever since I bought a 1968 400 4 speed in 1977 for 400 bucks from my uncle. I didn't realize what I had. I flipped her end over end and rolled a few times. I real goal is to find another 68 bird someday. Pontiac all the way. Cool video.👍👍🏁🏁

The GOAT of time machines 👌

A 1st gen prototype sold on ebay wow. I wonder if they painted over the fire hydrant repair or if they put clear over it to show the scar. my vote is to show the scar.

What a superb story, of Automotive History. As a 1970 GTO Convertible owner, I read a story many years ago, about Supercar Specialties, and Scott's absolutely brilliant Resto work. If I could have *ANY* automotive dream, it would be to have him and his team, restore my GTO, and take my Son & Daughter for a drive. One can hope...some day.

i've had a 67 firebird, 72 firebird, 78 Trans am, 80 Trans am....69 TA is the absolute favorite car...maybe one day....

I don't like the heavy metal guitar soundtrack playing while the dude talks. Just let him talk.

Whitewall tires? What the...???

I have a 1979 trans am iam the owner bought it brand new its blue love it

Could you imagine being in the room when Gene Winfield and John DeLorean were talking about the car. They not only developed cars they made automotive history that is still talked about.

What an incredible story that was but also what an incredible car to see one in silver really brings out the body lines I always liked the ‘69 but wasn’t a fan of the white/blue paint scheme but to see one in silver INCREDIBLE!!

I had the 2nd prototype & there were some dishonest Pontiac restorers such as Mike noun along with a few other py forum members that try to scam me out of the car. The entire py forums and those control build sheets have fraudulently rebodied and replated trim tags to profit they are scam artists .

If you don't believe the following statement, put a dollar in a jar every time one of these camera hogs say either "I" "me" "we" or "my." I clicked here to see a car and learn about it, not spend 22 minutes watching selfies of self-congratulatory dorks spending more time in front of the camera bragging about themselves than actually > showing the car.< ...and when the car was actually briefly on camera, usually one of them was standing in front of it because it was obviously more important to see him than the car. thumbs down 👎👎👎

Great story!

To say I love the 77-79 Trans Ams is an understatement. My dad bought me a 79 black Trans am for my high school graduation present in 1981. It had gold velour interior. It was loaded with everything but t-tops with the olds 403 6.6 liter automatic. I sold it in 1982 for a 78 Silver Trans am, with black velour but had the T/ A 6.6 400/ 4spd, that car would smoke the 79 Trans am with the 403 automatic. My dad liked mine so well, he bought a 79 tenth anniversary limited edition, with the two tone silver, and silver interior. It also has red dash lights. For some reason though, my all time favorite was the 77 SE Trans Am Y88 with the t/a 6.6 but with the automatic. I loved the bandit edition, loaded with t-tops. I would love to find one of those today. I currently drive a FBO 2014 RT Charger Max that is fast as a Skat Pak. Always liked fast nice looking cars, but now I modify them. I still have never seen a 7T7 Trans Am on the road from Trans Am depot. Those things are beasts with almost 1000 hp, they say that's what the TA would look like today. For 100K though, I would have to pass though...

Why I love older cars! Look at that and tell me you see anything with that much character and style out today! New cars are just rolling computers. Love my GTA.

Montgomery,MN them two vehicles.

I own a 1980 Chevrolet Scottsdale 10 4x4 pick-up. And a 1975 Ford Thunderbird.

Nothing more than a 69 Camero body/ suspension subframe ... With a Pontiac engine ! and bells & whistles ...

The SCCA owned the rights to the name Trans AM. Pontiac had to make a deal, so for every Trans AM Firebird they made, the SCCA recieved $5.00

Pontiac seemed to have a lot of bad luck in certain ways. This story reminds me of Jim Wangers' book where he said one of the help at a race, who had some time earlier asked to take it for a drive and was refused, in spite of warnings not to take these cars out on the street, took a full tilt early 60's drag race Pontiac out for a joy rode with a few buddies anyway, lost control, and flipped it over, landing in a ditch, wrecking the car. If I was the owner, I would have been more than upset, and if none of them 'fessed up as to who the jackass was, I would have fired them all. And of course, Jerry Titus later on got killed in a Firebird at a test track.

Had a ttop 2000 model it's been my favorite car I ever had and I've had alotta fn cars drive a 05 gto and a 06 daytona charger now trans am was way better car than either and less issues

I thought Richard Rawlings, found the Prototype? Am I mistaken? Maybe it was the first Firebirds??

Made me wanna say rc bep

Cheers pop!

The real true American story of our ambitions...

I love the the story of this totally rare beauty, very honorable...

My Dad had one of the first 69 Trans Ams sold to a private individual. It was a ram air IV.

Never knew Gene Winfield had a hand in the development of the T/A till this vid thanks. Makes it that much more special!!!

Wow. Thank for finding and restoring this piece of history! And for telling the story with the original people and their family who were there!

Owned my 74 SD since new and my 77 also

Awesome! And the wheel rolls on!

Great stuff loved the Firebird Trans am especially the late 70's though the early 80's models. Never owned one but loved them to bits

I had several 70's Trans Ams, mostly 400 and 455 4-speed cars that were modified and I absolutely loved all of them - Even my 1981 Formula turbo that everyone put down. What a gorgeous car - Silver and charcoal with red, orange and yellow Formula stripes. Silver interior, mirrored T-tops, Red guages, 4 wheel disc, turbo lights in the hood scoop. My favorite has to be my 1978 medium blue 4-speed with modified 400 and 4.11 gears. Such a blast to drive. I can still feel the Hurst 4-speed shifter and see the shaker scoop moving when I accellerated - The raw power pushing you back in the seat. No other car has given me that feeling since - Seeing the car that started it all is truly awesome!

I love that she was restored right and brought back home to Michigan before she was destroyed completely the start of my favorite car deserves respect

I was a sophomore in high school at the age of 17 when this car was built. I can remember that terrible day when I heard Jerry Titus had passed. My world crashed. His name is one I will never forget. Pontiac is in my blood.

Finding the car, researching the build, restoring it with care, and then the guy is leaning on it. Grrr.

Gene Winfield is a fucking genius

Richard Rawlings has the first 2 firebirds

Great story!, it's just a shame it will never get driven again unless it's on and off a trailer, Scott Tieman is the best out there if I had the cash, that's who I would hire to restore my car

Could you imagine finding out the old bird in your barn was Pontiac Trans Am #1st prototype? I'd never get rid of it. I bleed Pontiac red.

keep them alive and attainable by the average man,having 3 million dollar muscle-cars goes against the original idea of what a muscle car is. fuck barrett jackson,bring back the real muscle car to the masses.

And I just bout a 2002 CETA. The last of the trans ams.

Really nice story. Thank you!

Well done documentary on the prototype. Sorry Firebird fans but I always thought of the Firebird -except the first year 67 - as just an overweight Camaro. I never was into gigantic ugly graphics on any car either and that huge gold thunder chicken on the hood was just way over the top for my taste. The funniest thing though is Pontiac named the Trans Am after one of the most popular SCCA racing series ever, yet the car never won a TA race and even then it was a rare sight in the series. On top of that, Pontiac did not have permission from SCCA to use that name and they settled it all by forcing Pontiac to pay $5.00 per car to the SCCA.

So so few people realize or know this heritage like this. i am new to the Pontiac line, having acquired a 49K 69 HO 4sp SURVIVOR unit w stack of documentation back to 1969. And am now - have acquired a 1968 Firebird 400HO Convertible , "supposedly pre owned by Nancy Sinatra + once was Pink " , 30 optioned fully loaded car, and is post recent rotisserie. Investigation ownership will tell! It's turned into a literal obsession knowing the the history, of all I am learning on these 1st gen cars! When I see this information it makes me very glad to be in it!

Have #299 and #1397 of the 89 ttas love them