Posted on 03/01/2018 6:00:17 AM PST by ConservativeStatement
How did Kevin and his business partner (and cousin) Don Emery score this very special Trans Am? It all started with an ad that is featured in every Ames catalog and on its website: "Wanted: Low Mileage Low Production Cars." One day Kevin received a call from a Don Larsen of Victorville, California. Don mentioned that he had a car that Ames might be interested in and said it was possibly the first production 1969 Trans Am ever built. "Don was thinking retirement and figured it was time to sell the TA," says Kevin.
That's a pretty bold claim to make, but Don had the necessary paperwork to back it up. The documents showed that it was the first TA produced at the Van Nuys plant, but Kevin wanted to see if it was actually the first Trans Am produced overall. Knowing that Norwood also produced 1969 TAs, it became a matter of finding out which plant built theirs first. He was still very interested in purchasing the car, as long as it was the first TA produced overall by Pontiac.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I think my favorite Trans-Am from an appearance stand-point is the 1977.
Unfortunately, 1977 was also the first year for smog-pumps and some other useless power-robbing “pollution-control” devices, so the 400 CID V-8 in the ‘77 was all but neutered.
Great looking car. Love the blue on white.
I remember them well. One of the guys at my high school had a green one...it was a real sweet ride in the day.
Used to have a Firebird Esprite. Great car!
Woodie....
Oh if only I was rich. Like Jay Leno :-) I am happy with my challenger but I would love to drive some vintage.
I worked at Red Lobster all through HS saving up to by a car. The day after I graduated I paid cash for a brand new 1976 Trans Am. Cost me $5,800.
I had trouble opening the pix. I wasn’t sure if it was internet protected, thus opted not to take that chance.
I like the body style of the 1970 a lot more. The single headlights do it for me. Never owned a Firebird but a cousin had a ‘67 with 326 and 4 speed. I put a fair number of mile on it and, although not a fire-breather, a nicely balanced car. In Long Beach in 1969, had a fellow sailor friend who had a 1968 Firebird 400 with 4 speed. Now that one was a fire-breather. It was sort of tough to get off the line since he had stock size tires but being able to get axle tramp hitting third gear full out was loads of fun.
Fortune favors the bold ;)
I always “open image in a new window” but some browsers don’t like that.
I’m playing “Highway Star” by Deep Purple and imagining right now. :-)
((whistle)).... that’s a beaut!!
A friend had a basic Firebird with the OHC 6 and a stick. Not a bad runner and odd enough to possibly be collectable.
Sort of a combination of Camaro, GTO, and Tempest, all in one. I like it much better than what it got in future model design changes.
Not to rain on everyone’s parade, but the Trans-am was not environmentally friendly. The engine weighed as much as a Prius.
Drool. What a car.
I owned a ‘69 Firebird. After I put it up a tree I bought a ‘vette.
Burt Reynolds/Smokey and the Bandit’s 1977 T/A went for approx. $1/2 million. At auction. Great cars. Great chapter in American History.
Never a fan of the Pontiacs, sans the 69 Judge GTO, which was mostly show and some go. In that year I would take a 302 Z28 Camaro, 429 Boss Mustang,428 Cobra Jet Mach 1 Mustang, or a Hemi car(Challenger, Roadrunner,GTX). Just to show you how far technology has come, this TransAm “Muscle Car” has 335 HP, a Ford Fusion Sport Grocery getter with a 4 cylinder has 320HP and can do the 1/4 or 0-60 in less time than the Pontiac and get 28MPG on the highway in leather and air conditioned comfort. The 2018 Dodge Demon on race gas has 820HP, can out of the factory pull the front wheels off the ground and do sub 10 second 1/4 miles.
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