1977 PONTIAC TRANS AM - Car Of The Week #14 6/16/16

[urbandefault]

The second-generation Firebird and Camaro were beautiful cars when they debuted in 1970. But that hideous cowcatcher front (dictated by Federal bumper requirements) and bolted-on ducktail ruined the car's original clean, sleek lines.

And I hated those stupid redneck action movies.

BOO! REDNECKS RULE!

 

[arch101]

I had a '79 when I was in high school in the early '80s. Great kids car with the t-roof. All show and no go. Big, heavy, slow auto shifter, bad build quality and couldn't turn or stop worth a damn. In nearly every way my old 2004 Elantra GT was a vastly superior car. But the Hyundai didn't have 1/10 the presence or audacity of the Firebird.

 

[urbandefault]

In a related story, a company called Trans Am Depot is producing 77 "Bandit" T/As, complete with T-tops, based on the 2016 Camaro.

http://www.topspeed.com/cars/chevrolet/2016-trans-am-se-bandit-edition-ar172916.html

 

[J.T.B.]

Those were, surprisingly, front wheel drive cars.

Is it surprising? That was their thing, it was heavily advertised. Unlike later transverse-mount engines, they had a clever arrangement with the torque converter on the back of the traditional fore-aft aligned engine, with the transmission squeezed in on one side, coupled with a chain drive. And it actually proved pretty reliable.

Mannix drove a George Barris heavily customized Toronado "roadster" in his first season. It actually turned out pretty unattractive, IMO.

Another thing that was huge on those cars were the long doors. It was like they combined the size and weight of the four doors of a sedan into just two. When I was a kid I had to swing the door of my grandparent's Monte Carlo back and forth a couple of times to get up enough momentum to close solidly. God help you if you got a finger in the way!

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I was a little young in the actual 70's to know better. I always thought of the 80's as the FWD era.

Big, lumbering things like the Toronado seemed like they would've been RWD, from the perspective of the 80's.

Did their Monte Carlo have the swiveling front seat(s)? A super cool option that should have been on way more cars.

 

[J.T.B.]

Did their Monte Carlo have the swiveling front seat(s)? A super cool option that should have been on way more cars.

No, but! My aunt and uncle had a Grand Prix that had those. A '75, the last year with the round headlights, black with red interior. I loved that car. I think the swivel seats were a fairly expensive option, but they had some money.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

After our towns Fourth of July parade, we walked over to the Firehouse where they were having all kinds of activities. Along the way, ran into this bad boy. This is the exact car I used to own and it was for sale. The wife said no without me even asking. The person selling was out of their mind anyway, wanted $17,000 for it.

Aaron for scale

 

[Saul]

This and KnightRider. The stuff of wet dreams.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Your first mistake was going anywhere near you wife....unless she had the checkbook at the time