1978 Pontiac Trans Am FAST EZ EFI Fuel Injection Overdrive Engine Upgrades V8TV V8 Speed & Resto

[@V8TV]

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop if you'd like upgrades like these on your Muscle Car project! www.v8speedshop.com/contact 314.783.8325

[@allenmorgan1007]

Words of warning/advise: I owned and upgraded a '78 TA back in the day. The frame directly in front of the rear wheels is insufficient to handle the stress applied once you surpass 400hp, and will eventually begin to stretch and twist under the strain. Reinforce that area, the owners will appreciate not having to spend to repair a damaged frame.

[@pal54321]

great work.

[@camarossdriver]

My wife and I drove 3 hours south two days ago to look at a BEAUTIFUL low mileage 1977 Black and Gold Trans-Am…well…it’s being delivered to me this week!!!! I can’t WAIT!!!!

[@williamrc8242]

By the way my dream of 42 years came true in December when my 78 Bandit T/A was delivered to my home! All original!! You guys did a great job on this one! She's beautiful. Love that clean engine!!

[@Hector-gk1co]

I'm glad for you ! Enjoy it and try to never sell . missing her isn't easy !

[@randsonic]

Great video. As a 70s motorhead I appreciate someone "fixing" the garbage detuning of the 70s to make a car more streetable and fun without installing a LS. Most mid to late 70s cars had 2.73:1 or worse gears with a 3 speed auto, a strangling Cat Converter, no advance in timing because we had crap gas. You made a video that shows what anyone can do to make one of these old F Body cars a lot more fun to drive...thanks.

[@BadApe351]

These guys are specialists. I was fascinated at the attention to detail. If you drive your car into their workshop you know it's in the hands of true car enthusiasts.

[@V8TV]

Thanks so much for the kind words! Our team appreciates it, and you're correct, they all really enjoy doing this work with care. Thanks again!

[@chrisdavis7883]

glad you kept the pontiac engine in it

[@Nostradamus_Order33]

Chris Davis Yeah. The Rochester should have been modified and left on also. That EFI looks like a tumor.

[@dennyramsey8774]

These guys proved that you dont have to go crazy or be rich to put some pep in youre old car

[@retiredammo4617]

My dream car! Great job making this T/A faster! That’s the way it should’ve been when it was new!

[@V8TV]

+AMMO 461 Thanks!

[@dennyramsey8774]

I wish this stuff existed back when i got my license mom and dad bought me a 79 trans am,, it had the same stuff this one has and needed everything this one needed aswell..sure would have brought mine to life had this stuff been around then....nice car and nice job guys.

[@jimmypatterson9854]

If you had really know what was up you would have sought out a recked judge with circle port exhaust Chambers.

[@dennyramsey8774]

@@jimmypatterson9854 the things we didnt know then.

[@repairman2540]

I worked on Muscle Cars for 40 years and you Guys do some nice work! This Trans Am is a 10 point Car out of 10 Points... hands-down. I'm a Big-Block Chevy Guy but this could be my next Muscle Car.

[@martinhenri9432]

Wow ! What a beautiful car. I had one when I was in high school . Wish I still had it with the technology's we have today.

[@rickybobby5950]

Exactly what I would do to one! I would call that "Resto-Upgraded" and love that it still looks completely stock! Glad to see folks that give them some modern love under the hood and stay true to the spirit of the car. Great job!

[@V8TV]

Thank you!

[@pgtmr2713]

It's nice not seeing something over done or the same old thing.

[@Alolan.Vulpix.Getting.Railed]

yah mean an LS swap.

[@pmscalisi]

@@Alolan.Vulpix.Getting.Railed yes it’s gotten boring but can’t beat the LS for an upgrade

[@brianbevans6804]

​@@pmscalisiin a Pontiac you can! Never put an ls in a classic Pontiac! Bad enough the 3rd & 4th gen have chevy engines. I think people should Pontiac 400/455 swap all 3rd & 4th gen firebird & Trans Ams. These 400 are very capable motors, no reason to swap.

[@ladamyre1]

You guys at V8 Speed and Resto are good. I retired an ASE Master Tech and specialist in automatic transmission. I was trained at the GM Training Center in Atlanta back in the 1990's, and I agree with your choices 100% in this project. However I would have added one thing: a Torsen T2 differential. I bought a 2004 Mercury Marauder after I retired and now positively HATE any kind of lockup differential in a car that's supposed to be about good handling on the street. When I converted "Quicksilver" and replaced her 28 spline axles with 31's and installed the Torsen the handling improvement was *dramatic!* No more losing my line when kicking down 1 or 2 gears coming out of curves. I highly recommend the Torsen to anybody who enjoys a bit of aggressive cornering, as I'm sure this young man would have.

[@V8TV]

Thanks for the kind words! We'll check out the T2, thanks for the tip!

[@ladamyre1]

Yeah. Think about it. When you kick it coming out of a curve in a Traction-Loc or Positraction car, the rear wheels turn at the same speed and the inside tire will lose most of it's traction. The T2 keeps on differentiating and you can kick it earlier and come out with a lot more speed. I routinely outrun modern two seater BMW's and Mercedes with a lot more horsepower than me in the twisty's because of that and of course the 14" front rotors that let me wait until the last microsecond before I brake for the turn. For me your choices were no brainers. Many guys think that the 200-4R wasn't all that strong but it served the Turbo Grand National quite well. When you mentioned the gear ratio as to why you chose it I went - "Of course. Yeah, these guys know what they're doing alright." An insignificant tip you may use someday since you work on some older stuff. There were a bunch of 700-4R trannys back in the early 90's coming in under warranty that had this complaint. *"Hard 1-2 shift; only in the morning when cold, happens only one time, after that it's fine for the rest of the day."* I was the one who identified the cause and came up with a correction that you can do in 15 minutes. Hydramatic found out what was causing it from me. Until then they were saying, "We don't know what it is exactly. Just replace the valve body." I waited until the next day to verify the condition and it was exactly as described, and it wasn't just a hard 1-2, it was a rip-tearing bang you worried would beat out the U-joints. So at the end of the day I got the car up to operating temperature and left it up on the rack. The next morning I removed the valve body and found the 1-2 accumulator valve was stuck tight. Upon removal I discovered the little window that the roll pin went through was a lot wider than I remembered it to be, the tooling at Hydromatic had worn out a bit. There's a plug the pin holds in place there and it is what is designed to stop the valve when there's no pressure in the circuit. Anyways this larger window allowed the valve to bottom further in the bushing bore and at the bottom of that bushing was a chamfer that the valve was now bottoming on. Being hot when the car was shut down, *that bushing was a little bit bigger* and the valve would stop with it's last land firmly in that chamfer. Then overnight as the bushing cooled off *it shrank and grabbed the valve tight!* You can fix this problem with a 1/2" long piece of coat hanger without even removing the valve body. Just fold it into a small V shape and slip it in between the roll pin and that plug. lol! That's just one: I got a million of 'em.

[@shawnhunt2332]

another in-expensive add on : sub frame connectors.

[@BPBomber]

Lol a GM man driving a Ford product?!

[@jeodee]

Incredible job guys, thanks for sharing. I’m retiring within a few years and I’m hoping one of these babies will be a gift to myself. I had a ‘78 when I was a kid. I babied it but eventually sold it. If I only knew back then what I know now. I promised myself that when I retire and move, one of these will be in my garage. The only place I know of right now that restores them is a place in Florida. If anyone else has information, please let me know. I didn’t read any description. I came straight to the comment section so forgive me if I missed the obvious. Thanks!

[@V8TV]

We at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop are happy to assist you with everything from performance upgrades like we showed in the video to complete restoration services. You can learn more about our shop at www.v8speedshop.com or by calling 314.783.8325. Thanks!

[@kennybohey5906]

OWNED 2 OF THEM...1977 & 1978..."MISS THEM BOTH VERY MUCH"...!!! 1ST Car I Bought After I Sold my 1970 OLDS 442

[@richardkralick3062]

Jesus... that sounds like my father. He had a '69 Olds 442, which got t-boned, got a Plymouth Duster, hated that, then got a '78 Trans Am. I learned how to drive on that, and took my date to the prom in that.

[@wjnahuy]

You have no idea how happy I am to know there are actual real people that really do know more about cars than me rather than fast talkers. Because they all talk but few of them know.

[@V8TV]

+wayne nahuy ha, thanks Wayne!

[@NewtonWashinton]

My friend and i bought 2 Trans AM's in 1978 mine was red his was white both 4 speed cars with 3.42 gears. We also both ordered the TA 6.6 Pontiac motor rated at 220 HP, The cars were just over $6000.00 new, I believe our only option was the motor. Driving home with our new cars we knew we needed to get these cars breathing better so on went headers, we opened up the shaker hood scoop, we re jetted the Rochester Quadrajet carburetor, added 1.6 ratio rockers, removed the catalytic converters, we also removed the Pontiac cast iron intake manifold and added the Edelbrock Performer intake manifold. we also added booster springs to the rear shocks to raise the rear 1 inch we both thought a little better look. We did not want to beat our cars so we both went to Milan drag way in Michigan and decided to do 3 runs each to see what our cars would do, We both being amateurs at this, out of six runs my friend did the best time i think because he was skinny hehehe anyways, factory tires, 13.9 at 101 mph was our best.

[@V8TV]

Great numbers for a basically stock car, these are pretty heavy as you know. Thanks for sharing the story!

[@jeffreynolds3848]

Newton - Yep! Thanks for sharing your story. I really admire you dedication at the time to releasing so much more power from the engine and performance from the car from what was the best spec you could possibly get stock from the dealer. I suppose you're going to make us even more envious & tell us the $6,000 incl. WS6 suspension package with 8" rims & Fischer T-tops...?!

[@NewtonWashinton]

Hi jeff, hehehe,.... later i was sad i did not order the WS6, The 8" rims i did like. i did not want the T tops back then there was leaking problems. my friend did find a set of the 8" rims and we sand blasted them to match his white car and anodized them. I worked in Aviation and we had free use of a sand blasting cabinet and anodizing tank.

[@NewtonWashinton]

V8TV Thank You! Also thanks for the video of fine build on this TA,....

[@V8TV]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ruger9617]

Smokie and the Bandit along with Convoy really started the CB radio craze in the UK back in the late 70s it seemed like everyone had a CB eather in there car or house.

[@V8TV]

It was a worldwide craze for sure!

[@1967250s]

Excellent! At last, some guys who don't do any drama, know their stuff, and get it done!

[@V8TV]

Thank you, that's what we're all about.

[@allantaylor3288]

Great work guys.I had a 77 T/A back in the day, changed the cam which helped a lot but with all that technology out there today the sky’s the limit, one of only a few cars I wish I still had and probably my favourite

[@athousandtinycobras4349]

I loved these when I was a little kid! Swore I'd always have one, but then I "grew up" and became attracted to cars like the Porsche 911. I would LOVE one of these OG Trans Ams with a 6-speed, a modern fuel-injected engine (~400hp), a top-notch brake and handling package (Wilwood or Brembo and coil-overs), and a custom leather interior. Something that looks like a Trans Am, but is as luxurious and quiet as a Rolls to cruise across country in, and handles the twisties like a Porsche. Is that too much to ask?!

[@CarguyEd5150]

I called this shop after seeing this video and while the guy who spoke to me was professional and easy to speak to, he was hard to pin down on the pricing. He said they charge 40 hours labor at $75 dollars an hour, plus almost 3 grand for the system. 40 hours labor for the install is a lot and the price for everything is in the 7K range. Not including me shipping the car down there and back, which add around another $1200 to the bill. I don't know many car guys who can swing almost 10K for this and they make sound so easy on the video.

[@aa5181]

Do yourself a big favor and use the Holley Sniper EFI.

[@ckryses3962]

Saw this baby and Challenger in ""Upgrade"" movie...superloved it.. I love these guys honest and humble suggestions and recommendations..guys like these are rare.

[@AmericanConstellation]

I'm really glad to have owned one of them when they came out...Fun car...At the time. Man how things have changed!

[@catfishcorner7116]

Great job on the Trans Am! I love all of the slight mods that y’all did to make the car more driveable!🐟

[@V8TV]

Thanks Catfish!

[@GlassTopRX7]

I think you hit a winner here V8TV, while not a classic muscle car (64-71). It's still a classic and obtainable. You guys do great work.

[@V8TV]

Thank you so much! Our team enjoys the work, and we're lucky to have great customers who like these kinds of projects. This formula can be applied to all kinds of cars, and it is reversible should one want to make it 100% original again. Thanks for your positive feedback!

[@phnx4life]

Very knowledgeable guys..really admire this model. If I ever had the money, I'd drive the 1st generation to your shop ASAP to make it a 2nd generation- would love to observe the transition-fun part as well ... I'm grateful that you're keeping the beautiful TA alive and well. Thank you sincerely..

[@keithnoneya]

I had a 74 400 4sp w3:23 in the rear end. It got 15mpg at highway speeds and ran 13:70's @ 101mph in the quarter. I had a lot of fun in that car. Sold it to a friends brother. He had it two weeks and a guy in a pickup truck nailed him in the rear at 40mph and totaled it. :O(... I still have my 69 GTO 400 with a Turbo 400 Auto in it. I watched this because I would like to do something similar to make it more of a highway cruiser yet still have some get up and go. Thanks for sharing your great insight guys, you gave me some good ideas. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya

[@charlessanders1342]

Very Impressed. I have always loved the 77/78 Trans Am. These guys done the perfect upgrade to this car. Well done 👍👍.

[@V8TV]

Thank you sir!

[@richardpalladino9169]

As a kid I saw a new 1977 and I have never forgot that .

[@atomicorang]

You all did great on this classic T/A!!!!

[@V8TV]

Thank you!

[@brent440]

rare to find three guys that all know how to properly convey what they are trying to. Good build, but my 77 Formula is getting a twin turbo LS

[@lolober2495]

Magnificent legendary Trans Am, with Burt Reynolds in the film The Bandit. I love this Pontiac Camaro, a dream of youth.

[@miketess4272]

I had a 74’ TA and put 3.73 gears in and kept the turbo 350 trans. The car accelerated sooo much better but it was brutal on the highway. I think it got about 8 or 9 mpg cruising 65mph.

[@bigbodawg77]

Rip Burt Reynolds we lost an icon today Sept 6 2018 the reason why Trans-Am is my favorite car great show guys

[@stinanordin9553]

dream car right there, when i sell my house maybe ill contact these guys!

[@snoopy5736]

What a beauty, my dads friend had 1 when I was a kid

[@midsouth2strokes185]

Thank u for not doing an ls swap! I love ls series engines Pontiac power is my first true love. While they may not haul a$$ like an ls there is just something awesome about Pontiac power. That is not to say a 400 or 455 is slow by any means

[@johnfrese4851]

when I rebuilt my brothers t/a built the engine and made sure to port and polish the heads toped it off with summits efi system which woke the engine and have a 200r4 with a shift kit in it as well as a better posi in the rear

[@jessemas27]

Did you have to modify the factory crossmember? I'm looking at doing the same thing for my Mother's 79 TA and trying to figure out the odds and ends that I'll need.

[@jjs777fzr]

I was waiting to hear the solution for the lock up torque converter control and you nailed it! Thank you

[@Hector-gk1co]

Manual control will not be bad ! or a combined command from O/D pressure switch in tranny and speed sensor like speed meter buzzer and brake lights pedal switch.

[@len-zeplin480]

Great Video of a Great Car in under 20 Minutes. You Spanned the Gamut without over elaborate Details of The Modifications.

[@robyarrow9690]

I too had a Y88 Trans Am. That was my favorite car I ever owned. I kept it looking all stock from the exterior dnd as stock under the hood, but she made about 860hp at the crank out of a 455ho. It had BME aluminum rods, 10.5:1 pistons, solid lifter cam (I can’t remember the specs), Port and polished ram air 4 heads. The best run was 10.42 @ 138 mph.

[@V8TV]

That's moving! Cool car!

[@jeremybrewer38]

Haha a 3 speed to OD transmission and carb to fuel injection an even flat crappet to roller cam....these guys get it 👏

[@V8TV]

+Jeremy Brewer right on Jeremy! Thanks!

[@dadofmine9957]

You guys did a superb job on this beautiful TA 😍

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

EXACTLY the way I’d want it! Maybe someday if my book series goes viral I’ll have you guys build me one!

[@V8TV]

We'd be honored! What's your book series about?

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

@@V8TV I’ll send you the link.

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

@@V8TV I’m a retired mechanic and assembly line (fire trucks) worker myself!

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

@@V8TV it seems KZbin keeps removing the link. It’s called “All in a DAZE work” (The decline and fall of the American work ethic) by Shepperd November (yes, that is my real name) Go to Amazon and spell my name correctly and it should come up.

[@V8TV]

@@recoveringnewyorker2243 Right on Mr. November, we'll check it out! Thanks!

[@jershaus]

These cars look so much better with a set of centerlines and no stupid graphics.

[@JohnnyAnderson1]

got my 72 in the works right now.... cant wait ! love the video

[@V8TV]

Good luck with it!

[@SuperAngelles]

You guys do wonderful work this Bird looks great. Awesome job and kudos to the owner for listening to And deploying your upgrade ideas. Great video.

[@V8TV]

Thank you sir!

[@ChristopherGaul]

Nice car. Nicely done project. I especially liked that you made the shaker hood functional. That it wasn't from the factory has always been a real sin. I was shocked to see someone putting a 200-4R in something on purpose, but then I suppose if they're good enough for a Grand National, they're fine behind a 78 Pontiac 400. Nice upsell on the roller cam. There's just no good excuse for using flat tappets these days. Roller cams do everything they can do, better. Including high ramp acceleration leaving you with more time under the curve for the vales to be open. Plus they're nearly bulletproof. Now all it needs are subframe connectors, a brake upgrade, and some mild suspension work.

[@jimmypatterson9854]

Alot of people race them too

[@micahap1559]

Nice... I put a 200 4r in my 78 also over 20 years ago. Huge difference. I have to say I like the 3.23 ratio better though. You had to know how to take it off the line without smoking up the tires even with 10" wide tires. No power breaking touch the throttle to quick and light em up sitting still. 😆 I may have had a bit more power but the rear is light and the torque would break the traction every time if your not careful.

[@JohnsRSCamaro]

Mean looking cars. I had an all black ‘77 TA. It handled like a dream. Poor 400 motor got tired. Sold it for $500 in ‘91. We traded and sold hot rods like baseball cards. Good ‘ol days.

[@TransAm1977]

Hey guys, I watched the video hoping you’d go into a little more detail about the shaker hood fitment. Care to share what you did, I’m planning the same thing this spring.

[@midwest4416]

That was a superb tour and fantastic results.

[@ronaldarchibald2506]

The only issue I have with this is the loss of the big quadrajet kick down. When you whomped the gas to the floor those big secondaries would open with a bawaaahhh sound that really was nice with the rear facing scoop. Not the same with fuel injection. Definitely an improvement for operation but not as cool of sound when you drive it

[@V8TV]

Know the sound well... but the crisp response is nice, too!

[@daves_craft_bbq_n_grill]

I love everything about the LS and modern EFI but I do miss the kick and moan of a quadrajet

[@byronmcelfresh2380]

I'd argue with you on the efficiency of the efi vs. A Qjet done right

[@JacksonRazor]

@@byronmcelfresh2380 You'll lose that argument unless you constantly tune a carb due to changes in air temp, humidity, etc. An EFI will tune much, much faster without even opening the hood. This is why we don't build new cars with carburetors anymore.

[@Ballenxj]

Nice to see it has been kept powered by Poncho. Thumb up just for that.

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

I love Second gens!

[@learei4642]

me too, i just bought one a little bit ago (80) and i just put in efi as well

[@b.jlovett]

Thanks for an awesome video......Some fresh muscle in a old classic........Gorgeous car

[@BillyWilliams-d2e]

This is how Pontiac, needs to build trans Am.

[@raymondfb]

Cool video. Learned a lot. Thank you

[@mattm9619]

Trans am's of this era were so cool looking but truly lacked any muscle especially with the automatic. Nice upgrades to bring this car up to muscle car caliber.

[@V8TV]

Thanks Matt!

[@randsonic]

The w72 Trans Ams were the only performers of the era.

[@glidershower]

This was like turning Frankenstein's monster into a fast, hungry machine. Nice!

[@natfunk71]

2:10 God damn, it jumped to 30,000 rpm and didn't even throw a rod. Impressive.

[@toddclark332]

Love the car and love to set up guys thanks for sharing with me

[@fabiodasilva2497]

My dream machine!

[@markgrunenwald2670]

Nice video! Very informative. Like the camera work too. Thanks for the work. Your guys are great! As a former 78 TA owner (Gold Edition), these cars are a blast to drive. They get looks and turn heads wherever you go. Plus, their handling in their day was ahead of their time, so nowadays, they still drive and handle quite well even compared to modern cars. I can almost imagine how it must have transformed the driving experience of that car. That's the reason to do a mod like this. Classic cars generally don't get driven all that much, so yer going to spend way more on the upgrades than you'll ever save in fuel costs, but if the modern 'driveability' inspires the owner to drive it more, enjoy it more, than it's achieved something great right there. Also, from an environmental standpoint, I'm sure it burns much more efficiently than a 40 year old de-tuned engine. Good idea to have it rebuilt. I'd like to know more about the transmission swap and the controls. Here's a funny story: back in the 80's when the 200-4R were in use just about every mechanic and parts store guy would tell you they were 'Junk'! "You want to put in a TH700-R4!". I heard that from almost everyone. The old-school guys would say, rip it out and put in a TH350. Yet the Caprice I had had 250k miles on a 200 4R and it ran great and so did a couple other cars with the same tranny. Now they're all the rage. Funny how things go! Oh, younger readers have to remember that one of the reasons these cars run high RPM's down the road are because the speed limit was 55 back then ....even on the interstates. And the engines were detuned to about 200 hp (depending on which engine you had) because it was only 4-5 years from the super high gas prices of the Arab Oil Embargo. Those were the highest relative fuel prices ever many say. Higher fuel economy cars were the trend in the late 70's (as well as better emissions), so the ways to achieve that were to go with smaller engines, de-tune an existing engine (with more emissions equipment), and lower gearing. None of those were great for performance. Fortunately modern technology has provided a lot more options. Gee wiz, my pickup has over 400hp with a smaller engine!! Ultimately, if yer a 'Purist' you'd probably gain a lot of driveability by spending money on a good comprehensive carb rebuild and making sure your car's engine and emissions are in good condition and live with the gearing and high RPMs (knowing you still have a numbers-matching 'original' car). Those old carb engines 'could' run idle down to 500 rpm or lower and just sit there and purr if properly set up. There's something fun, unique and charming about driving a classic car as it was in the day. Most guys are lucky to put on 2,000 mi per year going to shows and the occasional joy-ride. When's the last time anyone took a TA on a cross-country drive?! For one thing they're not nearly as safe as newer cars ....and T-top cars are so squeaky, water-leaky, and flex like you can't imagine going into an out of gas station driveways (but they still kick 'butt'!). But that charming feeling does get kind of old pretty quick, so if you're looking for smoother, snappier performance, and a much better driving experience than the only way you're going to get it is by doing some modern upgrades like this owner did. I was really thrilled you kept the engine compartment so it look stock. Nice work!

[@V8TV]

Thanks for the kind words! You touched on a lot of the points that were considered for this build. And that's a good description of t-tops... "queaky, water-leaky, and flex like you can't imagine going into an out of gas station driveways (but they still kick 'butt'!). " Great stuff!

[@stanjelinek62]

I hope I need you guys one day👍

[@number1pappy]

Very nice!!..my hats off to yall!

[@V8TV]

Thanks John!

[@dbvetter7485]

I had an a 1976 455 I bought in 1986 and took off the cat. and put duel exhaust. As soon as I let out the clutch I could tell the difference. It was so much faster and more responsive.

[@XXTROB]

Fantastic as always and one of my all time favorite cars!

[@V8TV]

Thank you Sir!

[@petemedina8446]

Love them Trans Am"s great job kevin and the V8 speed and resto shop

[@V8TV]

Thank you Pete!

[@nigelplantin6477]

I'm big fan 2nd Gens of the Trans Am with the Overdrive transmission plus with 6.6l 400 series

[@chamness964]

I wish I could my truck into y'alls shop. That would be a one thing off the bucket list.

[@Craigstern73]

Never forget my girlfriends blue 78 TA back in 1990.. Good Times!

[@ryancang3627]

One of the few cars to get before i die

[@JohnDoe-ml8ru]

Nice job! Thank you for not going the LS swap route and ruining this car!

[@alexmeboy]

Thanks for the clear concise video !

[@kennethhedden1846]

Haven't read the comments yet,but how bout that LTD Classic in the dash?Best radio I've ever had. And use everyday.

[@fireballrobbie1744]

I would love to do the same but with a 455 72cc aluminum heads & intake with ram air four exhaust manifold. A good MSD ignition.

[@3613jeremy]

Damn that thing is stupid clean

[@grumpee8432]

Amazing work all around 👌

[@V8TV]

Thanks Grump!

[@norton2757]

One the most iconic cars of all time……it needs to be resurrected.

[@Brian.8272]

great episode!!

[@henrywashington3732]

Hurts my feelings that I had 3 1979 Trans Ams in the 90's! I could get them for like $500 back then. My last one had the rear wheel disc brakes.

[@patientmental875]

Best looking slow car of all time

[@pmscalisi]

It wasn’t when it was new.

[@jeffreynolds3848]

Kevin - I totally enjoyed and have been inspired by this vid. here in UK, having subbed & enjoyed your MCotW vids for some months now. I had a 79 Olds auto T/A here in UK from '84-89 & at the same time hired a 3rd gen Firebird in US with lock-up converter when in the US one time. I'm now starting to build a head of steam to acquire a 78/79 Formula/TA & introduce some contemporary features along your lines. I think the production totals of 78/79 Trans Ams coupled with what history has proved one of the best all-round cars of that era makes the 78 & 79 Trans Am a good choice. Thanks again for the presentation & content of this vid - well done! Just little background, best friend & me more chanced on our '77 & '79 Trans Am's having graduated from '73/'74 Ford Capri GXL's (3L V6 138hp/128mph). I'm afraid we were more influenced by Smokey & the Bandit than by Bullitt and paid more attention at first the the sound system to belt out Madonna & Cyndi Laupa until our ears bled... We did get to clean up the exhaust by restoring a full custom dual system, tho'... And whatever the reason we chose Trans Am, most enjoyed driving these cars either on our own or together year round as our only daily driver or in a wider group of UK/European car enthusiasts during the summer for a few years.

[@V8TV]

Great story Jeffery, these cars are wildly popular and so many of us have fond memories of them. We didn't play much Cyndi Lauper, but we cranked up tunes in my buddies '79 all the time. Thanks for the kind words, please let us know if we can be of assistance with your project with parts or anything else. Thanks again, best of luck on yours! Thanks for watching!

[@jeffreynolds3848]

V8TV - thanks for quick response & your thoughts. I'm starting from a long way back & haven't yet got a clear plan. When I have do, I will run it by you! I can't be taking too long; I'm 63 y/o & ATM without enough resources (cash, premises, etc), but I'm beginning to 'see' the steps required. Subbing to MCotW and the manner you present this has been very instructive and inspirational. Just to add a little to my story/memories; one other piece of 'luck' was friend and me held junior management roles in railroad track maintenance vehicle manufacturer in the 80's where we made the fullest use of railcar exhaust tube bender & raw material to yield 2 sets of dual exhaust systems built around Thrush boxes. We settled on 2 1/4" 14 gauge seamless steel tube off the original cast iron headers, which made the most beautiful, deepest sound...!

[@V8TV]

That probably sounded fantastic. You can't have a cool car without a great exhaust note! Interesting source of materials, glad you were able to take advantage of it!

[@jeffreynolds3848]

V8TV - it sounded even cooler when I decided to try it for one day with just the front section(s) up to where the Thrush boxes should be... I had to get a move on fitting the boxes and rear sections which fortunately were finished, before I upset the neighbours/got fired/locked up...

[@limowreck2612]

Nice Build! This is along the lines of what I would have done for my step dad's old '77 Camaro if I had the chance. The 200-4R is a great choice because you get the THM350 gears with that nice overdrive fourth instead of the goofy 700R4 gear set. I would have loved to see before and after 1/4 mile times because I think the combo of cam/fuel tuning/final gear is exactly what most older American cars need for the biggest bang-for-the-buck go-fast upgrade. For my trouble, I probably would have added a set of aluminum heads, modern intake manifold, 1.6:1 rockers, and a 3500 stall converter and cooler, but then everyone would know the car wasn't stock and you'd a real tire and probably some rod bolts and pistons too. As is, it's a great warmed up head turner that cruises nice and can masquerade as stock anywhere anytime. If it was your own car would you guys have gone with the in-tank pump route, or maybe a external pump and AN based fuel system?

[@jimmypatterson9854]

Some of these 75 and up blocks we're thin castings and crack over 400 hp. Not worth beefing up unless you change the block. If it was me I would just send the heads off to cnc ported and rebuilt. Then increase the compression with a stroker crankshaft. Which is what I will do for my 69 firebird. These intake manifold almost all flow identically. Except the ra ones from 69-70

[@anthonynavarrette9605]

This is badass Im glad you guys rebuilt it my uncle had a 1980 firebird formula platinum silver with the black bottom and red lettering, he had a 400 from a 74 trans am he had it rebuilt and put headers a 4 barrel edelbrock and a edelbrock intake manifold and a cam and intake. One of the fastest cars I've ever drove easy and I'd bet this car would beat his how much horsepower and pound feet of torque did this have when you guys got it right?

[@thomaskapsalis2313]

one day I'll get a trans am and of course bring it to you guys coz you know the rules :)

[@WardyLion]

I'm always happy to see a classic muscle-car get a new lease of life! They're not very common over this side of The Pond, which is a shame.

[@V8TV]

Glad you dig it, this was a cool project!

[@WardyLion]

One of these days I will be able to afford one of the "Drive a Muscle Car" experience days so I can finally find out for myself what it's like to open up the taps on a proper American V8!

[@V8TV]

Maybe you just need to meet some new friends with cool cars to ride in... any American car clubs in the area? In which country do you live?

[@WardyLion]

I live in the UK, more specifically England...pretty much right in the middle! I see one or two sweet muscle cars and other classics around here but not nearly as many as when I visit the USA. I see a very clean-looking 65' (I think) Mustang in cherry red in my local area now and again, which always rattles the windows! I also saw a 59' Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz leaning it's way round a roundabout in the summer, too! Last year I was stuck in traffic next to a 1969 440ci Dodge Charger with glasspacks...oh, woe is me...I ended up speaking through my window with the driver about his car seeing as we were next to each other and going nowhere! I think the only time I've ever been in an American muscle car was at least 10 years ago when someone I knew was restoring a '71 Mustang with a 427ci and once gave me a very loud ride home from work!

[@PepeRoldan1961]

WardyLion: If you come to South Carolina you can drive my Trans Am 455.

[@willmills1370]

Watching this at work with the sound off really sucks. I work with a bunch with e car people and when I told them know my Expedition with an SCT tune is now getting worse gas mileage at 13.6, they cringed. I have a code 19 '79 T/A 4 speed with T Tops and a :( 4.9 in my garage getting new bushings, ball joints and Hotchkis front coil springs this winter by me. Great video, thanks, you guys rock. One day I'll ditch that wimpy 301 for a monster 400 with some hp. Take care, happy new year.

[@justinsanders2705]

My favorite car of all time the Pontiac Trans Am. I plan on getting one sooner than later. I haven't decided on a classic or a late model LT1 or LS1 car.

[@JoeHynes284]

I love the torque and sound of my LT1, but LSs are soooooo much easier and have more potential :)

[@brianbevans6804]

​@JoeHynes284 NO!! You don't put an ls in a classic pontiac! You can make over 400whp & 450-500ft lbs of torque cheap on the stock motor by raising compression either through different pistons, longer rods, or milling the head; then porting the stock iron heads, throw a cam, intake manifold, carb, & headers on it & your over 400hp cheap. Or you can build the stock motor into a 650hp+ stroker on pump gas with a stroker crank & rods, high compression pistons, & aluminum heads, you can run carb or efi but it has to stay a Pontiac engine!

[@brianbevans6804]

If you plan on putting a gm motor in it don't get 1! Ruin a great car! The factory 400 is a great engine and there's no reason to put an ls in it, you can make just as much power with a Pontiac engine. You can make over 400hp with stock iron block & porting the stock iron heads. You can make 650+hp n/a on that block with just a stroker crank & rods and some aluminum heads. That's plenty of hp & no reason to go ls. If you have a classic Pontiac, you want to see that Pontiac blue paint on the engine when you pop the hood, not a red or black ls! If you want more than 650hp you can boost it, some or these 400s came with 4bolt mains. Butler even makes custom all aluminum pontiac blocks for really custom builds.

[@Rockin_Ross]

Great work, guys!! Kudos for keeping it as original in look as possible!

[@abdalazizify]

The best car I used I had three 1981, 1979 and 1977

[@jarronellis5801]

You guys do good work

[@vassa1972]

Very cool I always loved and wanted one of those cars totally awesome

[@OYisit]

Nice job correcting what was missing, now all that show has some go... 😮

[@MrGTO-ze7vb]

Nice work..!! I have put T-56 and ZF 6 speeds in 2 of my GTOs and enjoy the cruisablilty ..Almost 30 mpg at 70 Mph with a 3:55 rear end.. Next I want to try the newer 8 speed or even the 10 speed automatic. One of my GTOs is a 500 CI with over 650 HP at the crank.

[@V8TV]

Those 8 speed are big units, but it would be cool to run one!

[@MrGTO-ze7vb]

@@V8TV Yes, are they big... are they to big?? lots of weight?? Can the electronics be retrofitted for old A bodys?

[@V8TV]

Th400s are also heavy, so I don't know if the weight is the issue, but the body of the transmission does not taper as much as a 4-speed. It stays wide further back, requiring the tunnel to be modified for proper driveline angle. As for electronics, that's a whole different story. We'll do a little homework before we say something that's incorrect in a comment.

[@MrGTO-ze7vb]

@@V8TV Thank you..!! I would like to have paddle shifters on my steering wheel on my road/ track GTO . Another project is a 1971 Trans Am track car for Laguna Seca, Sears Point, etc..

[@WisdomOverWicked777Rules]

@@MrGTO-ze7vb How you Get 500CI??? Out of a 74Cadillac???

[@markusgarvey]

Nice job. I have a 68 LeMans/GTO clone w/406 Pontiac, Edelbrock 600 , Pontiac Performer Intake, 068 Tri Power Cam , and 6X heads. It currently has 3.23 gears and I think the engine makes enough power to go to 2.72 gears. It has a turbo 400 and 1st gear is useless unless you want to show off. I'm running 5000 at like 35 mph and as you know that cam and engine are all done at around 4500 and I'm a road racer and not so much drag racing. I did install Disk Brakes as well. It seems slow to me but i have only lost 1 stoplight race and that was to Tesla S and I beat him up to around 35 mph! It's a big car and you don't feel the speed and it will go like hell up to about 100 mph. I also own a 500hp 6 sp manuel C5, but thats a whole different animal. I did the math and 2.73 will put me right where i want to be up to around topping out 140 (you dont need to go faster than that in that car.) I don't have a shop and I'm not a young buck anymore and don't want to shell out $2200 for a 2004r conversion. Do y'all think I would gain much going to the EZ EFI? The car has great manners with the carb. Seems to be a good match to the cam and i think i should get 15 to 17 on the hwy with 2.72's cruising at 2600 @75 mph I get 10 to 12 mpg no but turning 3200@75.I will be doing some hwy miles. mostly. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ip3VppRprbh0hpY (jump to .40 sec) kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6PapIl5qJ6on6M Here

[@snowdollybloom]

Beautiful car !

[@V8TV]

Thank you!