1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 - 400hp Crate Engine Muscle Car (POV Binaural Audio)
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2021
- Finally a Muscle car! This is the 1981 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 with a Chevy 350ci Crate engine modified with Aluminum heads and intake. Mated to a 4 speed manual gearbox this thing is ready to lay rubber and secure your place as coolest guy in high school.
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Older cars feel fast due to the lack of refinement found in modern cars. I find it a much more satisfying experience driving cars like this TA then newer vehicles. They got soul.
Oohh baby they have soul.... my dad had like an 86 iRocZ and mom had a lowered blacked out trans am. Never got to see either.
1st and 2nd gen only. 3rd gen has no soul
A friend of mine called a TAs soul "Tribal Spirit"
the older cars feel much faster because you have to put all your senses in driving the car... all your reflexes must be faster, your arms and legs stronger, and you really have to feel the car and where it's going and at what speed and power... makes driving much more fun... they also had designs that looked far more menacing and powerful
70 feels like 100+ on the freeway
There’s a 40 year old out there somewhere that was made in this car. You know damn well a car like that landed some lovin’
I'm sure it got some loving in it , it just didn't WIN any races!
Burt Reynolds banged Sally Field and all sorts of other broads in the backseat.
More like 55 year old man…
@@alfonso87ful a 55-year old man would’ve been created 13 years before this car was created.
@@ronaldhellengreen7063 someone had to finish first!
It’s everything with these cars
It’s the dashboard the view of the hood the interior was just a dream the Sound the smell
I miss this era
My dream car! One day I’ll own a 77-81 trans am.
@@yamahaguy1732 I hope you do !
For me its a 05 WRX STI
Whoever built that car did an awesome job. Engine install looks like it could have been done by the factory. Sounds incredible and looks like it drives great.
as a european I really dont see american V8s around, and this is just gorgeous, that sound, oh my god
as one of my favorite europeans jeremy clarkson would say PPPPPOOOOWWWWWEERR!!
You should see an average car cruise on a Saturday afternoon in any town in the USA before you die. Sometimes thousands of cars.
Vote all of those idiots out of office who tax your gas at $15 a gallon and you too can enjoy these cars over there without going broke. 😁
Same here in Argentina. The only V8s you hear around here are the 400HP Hemi Rams and 90's Grand Cherokees lol.
@@serfcityherewecome8069 here in italy there is 1.6 euro/liter... Dio cane
"It feels fast and its an entertaining experience." Pretty much described my thoughts about muscle cars. I call it theater. The v8 sound, the tires squeeling, the car squating. Love em or hate them they will get you in touch with your inner 8 year old.
Well said. Couldn't agree more!
My 77 felt kind of floaty too at low speed, but once you got past 70 it got better. I don't know why.
@@russgould707 could be aero? My 300zx TT would stiffen and felt like the car squated closer to the road over 70mph.
I don't think anyone hates them. I've been looking at auctions, some of these TA's go for 6 digit$. My keyword, is look, I sure would love to have the $ for a big $ auction, the Mopars and TA's are the hottest at auction, big $$ cars
@@Chinese_Chicken You have a really nice car, I'm not sure what year you have, but I remember in the 80's they had 300HP which was unheard of in the 80's
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, fun driving is about engagement and whilst this beast really is fast you don’t need to thrash it to feel great and bask in the aural delight
Well said! 👏 The key is engagement which many newer vehicles are lacking.
@@wadebuff4465 You both nail it. Remember this is not a stock car. I had forgotten about the Ing. key thing. Funny when you look back and this was performance as it was when modified. Not the stock engine. Most folks would have taken a nap had it been. It was hard to get away with mods in Calif. unless you knew someone. Own a 74 trans am 445. best handling on the street I had ever had, better than a lot of cars back then. Newer cars seem to have to many nannies, some good, some lame. Traction control being a good thing. Artificial exhaust sounds a joke! and yes, lack of any steering feel. This car shown was just cool as can be. The review is also A+.
@@tonysteppan8495 no, traction control CAN be a good thing, although not necessarily a good thing if it is un-adjustable. Many a modern car with the whip effect out of control handling response built in that is difficult to dial out.
Cars drive themselves today. I miss the older cars.
Wow this took me back 30+ years! I had a 76T/A with a 455/400THM. That car was a beast! I really miss the sounds those cars made. Even a trip to the grocery store was a driving experience!
sure, sure........
I had 78 Trans Am that I put a 72 455 HO with a Turbo 400.
When I was in high school my best friend's dad bought him a 1967 with a 400 in it. I am amazed I survived those years. No seatbelts 70 mph on back roads at night because you could hug the inside of a turn if you didn't see lights coming from the other way.
“Oh please don’t let me die in this car” proceeds to smash the peddle and slam through gears like a G😂😂 love this channel!
WHEEZEEE LOL
If im dying in a car crash, im dying in a Trans Am.
Watching this video is such a blessing Thank you for putting it together, I might not get to drive a car like this again but it's you brought back some good memories! I'm watching our video on the viper now man that's so cool!!
The steering input looks like more of a suggestion
Its a little like follow the leader 😆
As a trans am owner it is indeed a suggestion, fbody boxes get so much slop in them after alot of beating or years of sitting. But damn is it fun doing 130 and your like, which tree we hittin today 😅
I think it's time for some new front end parts. My 74 was never that sloppy in the steering.
YOu must be used to Rack and Pinion steering....it looks about average for that car.
@@gt-37guy6 E90 and a Cayman, never drove old muscle!
My dad had a pearl white Trans Am with a 350 chev with 2nd stage can 8 into one pipe and 750 holey double pumper carb here in South Africa. Wasn't a lot of them here. Loved that car. Nice seeing this car. Brings back plenty memories
In my youth, I had the pleasure of going on road trips in a 1964 Pontiac Tempest with a very stout 326 and A 4 speed manual, a 1969 GTO convertible, a 1970 Olds Cutlass Vista Cruiser, a 1971 Olds Cutlass convertible, a 1972 Olds Cutlass “S” (mine) and a 1972 Datsun 240z. My friend’s mom had a white 1970 Mustang Sports Roof with a very spunky 302. That was such an iconic body style with perhaps the best proportions of all the Mustangs. None of them were fast by today’s standards, but they all had such great character. They remain imprinted on my mind to this day.
Nothing like the sound of the American muscle car, sweet
The 1981 Trans am from the factory not what you would consider a “muscle car” by “muscle car” standards. The biggest engine option in 1981 was 301 cubic inches and it was turbocharged producing a measly 200 hp. It was single exhaust as dual exhaust was illegal during that time and strangled with federally mandated catalytic converter. The car in this video obviously a modified after market project car that would be illegal to register and drive on public streets in some if not most states.
@@jogmas12 it would be perfectly legal to drive in my state. They only check to see if it has catalytic converters, that's it. You can run headers and many types of exhaust.
They don't check the emissions and you can put any size motor in them you can fit under the hood.
@@duaneadkins1261 Love states like that...it really should be about what’s coming out the tailpipe anyway...if it still clean air at the exhaust exit, who cares what’s in front of it?
@@jogmas12 wow thanks for that info never would of known
@@jogmas12 lmao wtf are you on? couldnt be more wrong the last part of your paragraph
I had a 78 with 400, 4 speed. centerlines, t-tops, and good times
Had an 81 anniversary edition ws6 package myself. We took a 350 and built it up to a 383 stroker. She'd lift front tires all day long. Till one day the rear axle came apart while the front tires were in said air... that was the end of that car. Luckily I walked away from that. One day I'll have another one.
@@somewhereinagalaxyfarfaraway I bet it could do the quarter mile in 8 seconds too right?
@@yukonjack. no idea I never timed it just raced it. Did well until I totalled it.
@@hessdefense If you want a real challenge, try it with a pre-'75 bird and its 160 speedo. 😁
@@hessdefense hell yea
I had a 79 T/A 6.6, 4 speed with the WS6 suspension and it was nothing like this car. The steering was soft but tight and definitely point and shoot. I removed all the smog crap and ran longtubes with straight pipes and a tune, it really woke up the 400. I miss the car a lot and you're right about how driving these cars is a full body experience.
Comepletely new to how cars work, how do you think he got it to 400hp? Got a better engine? Can you put vtec engines on pontiacs?
@@davidfabian5237 its a 350 crate motor with a mild cam... thats a 5.7 with a cam so 400hp was easy.
Back in 79 I used to love guys like you. I had a 68 Camaro 396 12:1 L88 solid lifter cam, 4 speed, 5.13 gears. Stop light, little rev, TA guy says ok. 2nd gear, line lock, heat the tires at 5000, clear it out, TA guy says nevermind. Or trys me and he only sees my black Camaro taillights running away from him. C ya!
Had one of those 220hp 79 W72 Trans Ams myself.
@@davidkeeton6716cool you can go fast in a straight line. Award winning right here. I hope you remembered it’s leg day today.
I had a 79 Firebird with a 301. Yes it was a total dog off the line with that engine and super high highway gears. I think the rear was like 2.73, this was right after the 70's gas crisis. But that car could cruse at 90 mph on the highway with ease. It was also one of the best handling cars of that era, I used to ripe around circles and jug handles. The steering never felt loose when the car was new.
301 BASHING SUCKS! 301s RULE!
Miss My '73 With 2 bbl. Pontiac 350! STOLEN!!
This was "The dream car" when I was a kid. This is what Pontiac need to bring back!
Same here!
I have some bad news, regarding Pontiac...
@@Ice2441 Maybe I should've said GM should bring back this Trans Am so Pontiac could stay alive just like what Ford did with the Mustang.
I agree with you.
@@xpl0d1n I have seen those custom modernized ones before, and they are fabulous.
My dad used to have a firebird T/A and loveddddd it. Quite the lady magnet cause my mom always talks about the car but hates my dad 😂😂
Lol that's funny!
Lots can relate
Awesome comment. Mad me laugh out loud.
Awesome comment. It made me laugh out loud.
Yeah, my dad used to own an ‘86 turbo that was also quite a lady magnet
That was my first car at 16 in 1983, understeer was crazy and how I made it without one dent was amazing.
Best sounding car I’ve ever heard on your channel! Would love to see more of this type of content.
As someone who remembers back then, those cars were handlers.
I was in college in 86 and a girl I knew had a 74 TA, and that car was great to drive.
The driver involvement is what's missing in most modern cars.
Which is why so many of us love old cars.
The Trans Am was the last Musclecar Standing.
Indeed, many cars are plain boring. I will say, though, that new cars that are fun to drive are very confidence inspiring. My ‘18 Mustang is a lot of fun and solid feeling, like you know it isn’t going to do anything crazy. My ‘93 Dakota, however, sometimes will surprise you: it doesn’t wander or anything but it will bounce in weird ways and can spook you.
I've had cars from the 60s, 70s, 80's with engines up to 455cid, and although this TA sounds awesome I find a modern VW GTI with a 6-speed is vastly more fun to drive
Your rose colored glasses don't tell the truth. They handled like shit: bad ply tires were the main culprit, but suspensions were also pretty crappy.
@don julio Ha! You've got me there...my brother-in-law had and 80's Monte SS and you could put your life in danger at just about any speed with that 😆
One of the best handling cars I have ever driven. Sort of scary in a good way!!!🤣
I love watching the wheel move while the car continues straight.
Takes some effort 😆
Some of the older cars you could move the wheel about 8 or 10 inches before the car would change direction at all..! lol...
Keeps you on your toes hahaha
The owner didn't even put in the correct motor👎 he's looking for a quick sale. I'm sure he didn't bother to replace bushings, tie rod ends, ball joints, steering box ect bet the cars pushing a 100,000 miles no wonder its slopped out.😏🎯
@@yukonjack. correct or not a built 350 chev is a straight upgrade from any pontiac motor lol
3:33 i have never heard a firebird sound so heavenly in my life (i’ve only heard 3 including this one) they are honestly the best cars in my opinion
I’d have loved to had this baby back in school wow
I had a 78 Trans-Am in an automatic with a Pontiac 400. You describe the car so well and very accurately. I installed a full Rancho Suspension and it still handled OK. The wheel and tire package was the weakness; too much sidewall. My 2016 Chevy Impala with its 305 HP 4 cam V6 and 18 inch wheels will out accelerate and handle my old Trans-am, even with the Rancho Suspension. But the interior shape of that era Trans-Am lends itself very well to great car stereo sound. I miss that car. Thanks for posting.
That was my high school dream car. I wanted to have a TA 6.6, listening to Boston on the 8 track, t-tops off! I went the way of motorcycles and never looked back. Thanks for the nostalgic look back!
I had a 78 with the TA 400 in it, thing was a dog, I mean a dog. Pontiac engines will run but you got to spend some money on them. Mine was stock. Got outrun regularly by z28's and 302 Mustangs. It was cool though. T-Tops Gold Edition model. The TA's with the Olds 403 were faster.
Same I wanted one so badly in triple silver with a 4 speed ... I got a forest green and tan 94 explorer with like 300k miles for 400$ but I loved it and it did burnouts so it was a fun truck
@@jamesprice2163 as long as we got some wheels rollin' we good to go man! 94 Olds Ciera here.
@@robjones8733 hell yeah I was trying to buy a ciera wagon for my second car cause I've always loved those cars but the one I wanted over any is either a g-body elcamino or a 82-84 Oldsmobile Delta 88 sedan with a rocket 350 and swapped to a manual (probably a nv3500 and a 5.7 from a Chevy truck)
@@jamesprice2163 IKR? Ciera and Century wagons are disappearing, is very sad, always wanted a white one with the Woody vinyl on the side. they're going to pull a part, and then to the scrap folks. An 88 or Deuce and a quarter would be awsome with a stick shift!
That blue on blue is drop dead gorgeous! And that paint matched shaker hood... I don't know much about these cars, but that is an awesome touch
All the Trans Am's had that hood from 1970 - 1981(or 82?). With the exception of early 70's models including the 455 SD in '74, they were completely fake with the rearward facing scoops closed off... just a big piece of fiberglass that sat on the aircleaner and carb. The functional ones open and closed with the throttle position which was really cool.
@@chrisjohnson3912 You know your T/A's Chris, of coarse one of the common mods on the later car's was to cut out the blocker plate & making the scoop functional
@@chrisjohnson3912 I like the dual scoop Formula a little more but still awesome to see that shaker rock to the side when ya stomp it down!
@@tuckersautter1832 I liked watching it "shake" during a cold start and letting run up to temp. I think there was testing done that proved the T/A scoop did very little, and the active Formula scoops were much more effective... at least until it rained.
@@chrisjohnson3912 Actually the 70-76s and 77-81s had slightly different hoods...also, all but one of mine came with the shaker cut open in back...always fun to mash the throttle with the tops off and hear it sounding like Darth Vader having a monster asthma attack.
I had a '73 Esprit and I loved that car. The windows leaked, the trunk leaked, the steering was heavy and the mileage was abysmal but man, I loved that car!
When you started it up I "felt" the vibration. Beautiful car.
I was born in 72, these TA's were truly BA, because of the movie smokey and the bandit. I always wanted to buy one, never got the chance. The sound of a true muscle car when you first start it can not be achieved with the cars of today. When you drive it and open it up on a back road just puts me to tears. They were the cars of my youth, they will always hold a soft spot in my heart. Thanks for the video.
I was an adult buying cars like this new in 1972.
V8 POWER!!! She gets up and goes well don't she!
@Ste 45 Hell yeah
@Ste 45 except for FI
@Ste 45
Yea there is, it's called CFM of flow.
A Japanese motorcycle engine that's ⅓ smaller than an 80 ci Harley flows 1½ times as much CFM of air/fuel, ergo it makes 1½ times the power.
There's no replacement for CFM.
@@dukecraig2402 Harleys really aren't a fair comparison though...I was always a Buy-American freak but there's no denying that unmodified Harleys come from the factory converting nearly ALL of the fuel's energy to NOISE and almost none of it to actual POWER...i e., appallingly LOUD and SLOW!
Ida stuck a 400 in it again
Regarding 4:31, if there's suspension play then the car needs new shocks and/or new bushings including in the steering pieces. Trans Ams in good shape corner flat and are very tight.
Front suspension definitely needed some work or tires were old as the front was jumping too much.
I had the 79” T/A in 1984. It was a WS6 with 400 4 speed. The car was a dog on power but it handled like a dream. It did have new Koni shocks at the time.
I used to own a 1941 chevy p'up street rod with 60 profile tires and the original I-beam front suspension. The guy I bought from had put a pair of bucket seats in the tiny cab which necessitated the steering wheel to be about 13 inches in diameter. It was around 300 horse with no brakes and handled like a tractor,...god I miss that beast.
Good lord that sound when you mash the throttle never gets old
Those downshifts gave me chills
Rev match downshifts go :
BRRRRRRRUMMMMM.
Love this car, back when cars had character, this looks absolutely amazing. Desperately needed a real engine, and this one has it, fantastic!
Ive always wanted one after watching Smokey and the Bandit countess times. I found a clean 79 with a 400 4 speed that needed a rear main seal. After buying it I gave it to my mechanic to change the rear main seal in it. I get a phone call from him and he says "man I dont remember these cars being that fast". Im like yeah me either.. Its a fun car to drive for sure! Thanks for the ride!
I also remember in the old Pontiac commercials they would "we build excitement" then pop up a firebird at the end after saying that.
Ok, now I want one more than ever.
i bought my for $1,500 and it runs good😂😂😂
@@colemurphy3646 Wow! I can't find one under 8k near me that isn't rusted through.
@@keon5779 same here. Where I'm at, maybe you could get a frame for $1,500! And it would be rusted to shit
And this ladies and gents is how appreciation works.
@@TheOhsemix true they never appreciated these cars and now they're paying the price lol
Great Video….Brought back so many memories… In the summer of 1987 I bought this exact car from my neighbor. He was leaving for the military and sold it to me. I had 1/2 the money form saving since the time I was 15 and had a little part time job. My parents gave me the other half. I started my senior year in HS driving into the parking lot w this thing. I needed up selling it in 1992 to buy a jeep wrangler.. What a mistake I made
JUST one more thing.. I drove a ‘78 to my Prom and was the talk of the school up to and beyond Graduation. At our reunions “everybody” remembers me rolling up in that T/A. This brought back some great memories, and the best sound orgasm in a lonnnnng time..😜
I am a pure Ford guy, but always had a soft spot for the Fiirebird/ Trans Am. I would drive this all the damn time.
My 79 TA was WS6 with Pontiac 400 and 4 speed. Thing was awesome. Plenty fast and nothing cooler.
I grew up in the very area you were driving this car around. I would drive through Crosby corner twice a day for many years. Just after high school I inherited my brothers 79 silver T/A with an automatic and a 403 Olds engine O-E equipped. He ordered it without T tops and without the screaming chicken on the hood. He wanted to get a 4 speed but he couldn't get it with the 6.6 Litre. I wish I still had that car. Thanks for bringing back some old memories.
My next door neighbor got one of these for his 16th birthday (the spoiled brat!), his dad was the sales manager of the local Pontiac dealer. Traded it in for the new 1982, which to me was a much less beautiful car. It had new lines but head to head with the ‘81, it was a dog. I drove both and definitely liked the ‘81 a lot more. Thanks for sharing this, the sound it made brought me right back to driving one.
Great sound! My brother-in-law lent me his ‘80 Z28 when he went on his honeymoon, and I had just finished high school. It was a great week!
Was it a manuel. My favorite year of the Z28, because of the functional air induction vents. Loved to see those flappers opening and closing, while running it thru the gears...lolz
@@thebacdoc6464 yup - the black plastic flap would open up when you floored it. He had a nice T-handle Hurst shifter on it as well. It was a metallic grey car with a white interior.
I hear freedom coming from those tailpipes! 🇺🇲
Yes!!!!
American muscle.
Freedom and plenty of Co2, So2, co and Nox....freedom isn't free.
@@donjohnston4215 I had a '69 Bird. My favorite body style. Camaro too.
@@michaellombard894 why are you watching a video about an American muscle car, if you're such a world saviour?
Aw man !!!! Watching this was so fun !!! I feel like I just got out of it and I’m still amped !!!!! I had a ‘79 6.6 ( midnight blue- same interior) when I first got back from Army in Germany in 91…… I got back in April and spent the ENTIRE SUMMER at the New Orleans lake front & the point- when I was “entertaining” ……. best summer of my life , and the biggest single reason for that is because of my T/A …. TY for this video!!!!’ and Thank you PONTIAC !!! For the summer of ‘91 !!!!!
I had a 1980 trans am that very color and I loved it. It had the underpowered 4.9 V8 engine, but it was a beautiful car and fun to drive. My car had t tops and I loved it and wish I still had it today
Take a look at the interior and the dash with instrument panel and this awesome design and details. In my opinion the look and attitude is much better than todays cars and will always be some of the nicest designs ever made on a car through all time. - Absolte awesome love it, - and these awesome Trans Am from 1970 to 1981 : )
Prefer to the 94-02 cars. Hate the gauges and trim gap, and is the only thing that's kept me from buying a 98-02 ws6
Today's cars/trucks.... Just slap a touchscreen on the dash. No knobs...boring. With the car turned off today's cars dash look like a blank wall. 😂
@@douglasboon3587 its a lot harder to fix it too. A button or knob probably costs pretty cheap to replace. But a broken touchscreen, that will cost a bit to replace.
@@Chinese_Chicken Gen 4's came out in '93.
Dwight Schrute would be proud…
Dwight's was a third gen though
Not his car
Dwight’s was an ‘87 Trans Am :)
@@gabrielulibarri9950 n
Wrong car dude
I like that it has a foot operated E-Brake and is also a manual. Hill starts must be fun
I have never used a hand brake for a hill start. Just get off the clutch quick and no issues
a real classic. amazing that the new mustangs and camaros run circles around this. you can tell how fast a car is by how fast the rpm's pick up when its wide open.
Pretty clean car. I like the headlights on the '77-'78 models the best though.
@@nulle.k
A friend of mine bought a '73 a long time ago. It was a metallic orange color, and if that's all it was it would've been fine, lol. But the hood and trunk both had large murals painted on them of a unicorn on a purple background that faded into black, then gold along the outside edges. It was just so funny. Another restoration project that never got off the ground.
@@nulle.k
It was pretty ridiculous. We got a lot of mileage out of that paint job!
Me too!
I am loving that this video is heading for a million views. ❤
It went to a million views
Still more votes than Biden got in 2020.
This is really fun to watch :-) That 4 speed is really a must have too. It gives it so much more fun.
I'm the same. I like a lot of cars from around the world. I'm from Australia and remember growing up as a kid watching American shows with muscle car chases, etc. It did make me a fan.
My best friend in highschool had one of these, it literally cost 5$ to go from one side of town to the other (18 miles) and this was back in 2001. I remember the distinct sound of the exhaust, and the power was intense.
The raw power of a V8 as well as the unrefined of an American Muscle car cannot be beat.
It can....The Z car was better.
I truly miss the manual transmission experience. My first two vehicles were manual transmissions and I loved learning to drive on one and just the experience of throwing your own gears. First car was my high school vehicle which was a 1984 Subaru GL sedan five speed. No guts but plenty of glory. My second was a 2000 Tacoma 3.4L V6 five speed that was incredibly fun to drive.
Once my kiddos graduate high school and my youngest it out of the house I'm definitely going to get a C6 or C7 Corvette as my mid-life-crysis car. The C8 isn't a Corvette to me but something else, so a manual transmission Corvette has always been my dream car.
Go back. Learned in stick myself. Fell in love. Never owned an auto, have zero interest in EVs. Have one child, have taught them the same thing and they have the same passion.
Stick for life. I'd rather be able to have control over my car and drive my car. Auto assistance, no thanks, EV car drive you, keep it.
Manual for life. Hope you go back to your roots. 😉👍
I also Lived in NYC. Didn't stop me. Stuck with manual. having a child and living in one of the most condensed cities in USA, never made me switch.
Very special muscle car. What a 'clank' when shutting the door.
That's bringing back some memories. In 2001 I built an 81 camaro, 383 stroker, 4 speed super t10. Had a big 294s solid cam. I ran 12.33 @117mph at woodburn dragstrip with 89 octane on a 95 degree day, with a poor launch. I delivered pizza in it for awhile..lmao. It actually handled fairly well with stock suspension, and shifted smooth. Drive a 98-2002 ws6 with some mods, I've owned a few, they are a LOT of fun.
Lol........"I delivered pizza in it for a while"..........damn. That's hilarious because I had a buddy who did the same in his Satellite. His car was a rocket and a half after a month in the shop. Those were such fun times.
This is a pontiac bot a chev
How funny, I broke out my race car and brought it to work "just once" while delivering pizzas back in the 80's! I had a 68 Firebird with a 70 Trans Am 455 SD Block with Ram Air IV Heads, Turbo400, 12 Bolt 5:13 rear. 10 sec car that pulled the wheels...... After a few delivery's my boss told me he was getting complaints about all the cheese was off the pizza and mushed to the side of the box!!!!!! LOL Yeah, been there... good old times, great memories and great thanks to all the pizza delivering guys who drive fast cars during delivery's!
@@halkoch2672 That is fucking awesome!! lmao
Those old school 4 speeds pull amazingly
Hell yes! Not sure which this one is, but I had a Muncie 4 speed rock crusher, phenomenal trans!
Had a 81 camaro 4 speed i put a 383” sbc and it would shred! Later added a 125 nos power shot with slicks beat alot of cars with that setup!
I had a brand new 81' silver firebird trans am w/ eagle emblem, I remember back in the day, I pulled over to offer 2 gal hitch hikers a ride, the two would not get in my car because of the sulfate smell coming from the exhaust! I tried to re-assure them that it was the exhaust but it wasn't good enough, I absolutely loved the car, rotten eggs and all!
What an awesome car!!!!! Bought an ‘81 Firebird Formula with T-Tops in ‘87 at age 19 ($3,600 with 55,000 miles - payment $133.28 a month for 3 1/2 years 😂) off of a lady who was recently divorced. It only had a 301 CI motor with a 2 barrel carb but was plenty fast enough at around 120-125 mph, in which is the only car I’d ever set cruise control at 115 mph, for about 25 miles. Drove it 5 years and of course the motor gave out, lol. Wanted to hold on to it and stick a 400 in it but had no place to store it at the time and unfortunately had to sell (fixed up now worth well over 20k). What is hard to explain to people, in which no one hardly does, is that these cars were “comfortable” to drive. The Radial Tuned Suspension advertised by Pontiac actually worked and these cars actually drove and handled well IMO. This car was also good on long trips practically driving itself! In ‘98 I bought a ‘92 Corvette Convertible and kept for about 10 years. With the big tires it was a handful to drive and very uncomfortable on 3+ hour trips. I always tell people that I miss the ‘81 Firebird more, even to this day… and could have only imagined it with a “fixed” up 400 along with a 4 speed tranny!!!!
If you have a car with any iteration of an LS, then you're experiencing power with refinement.
This Trans Am is a symphony of raw, brute force, and it cannot be matched.
As Jeremy Clarkson would say:
7 Liter V8 Mowdurr
POWERRRRR!
It’s just a little 5.7 but just a couple years earlier a 6.6 was making like 220 horse lol
@@theeoddments960 it's crazy my 3.3 sc v6 01 frontier makes near 230 but these 6.6 v8 potential monster engines had to be choked and get outran by my slow pickup
@@theeoddments960 the turbo 231 v6 made 210hp inn 1981.
@@theeoddments960 Don't blame the engineers on the constrained budgets for those numbers, blame the smog nazis. A decade earlier that same 400ci of displacement was making over twice that, and actually had to be underrated all the way down to 370hp (gross) to make it street-legal and (barely) insurable....and btw, when even the '79 400's performance is analyzed, it too was substantially underrated, making around 265 actual net hp, with the 1/4 times near 14 flat and trap speeds a hair short of a buck...one of the very "fastest" production cars available new during the smog era.
had a 77 formula 403 olds blue on blue 31 years ago. i got really good at gettin it sideways in the rain lol ... loved that car still my favorite after all these years
what a car!!!! love it, you dont see things like this today... so sad
I have a 1978 Trans Am Y88 Gold Special Edition. I love these cars so much lol
I have also a 1978 trans am, with the original 400ci Pontiac engine. For me a Pontiac has to have a Pontiac engine😉. Mines is funny to drive. It isn't fast, but what a sound and pleasure to cruise. Cheers from France mate 👍
As do I! 4 spd, WS6, W72. It's currently bogged down in a restoration, but 80% complete.
@@dandearborn727 Any update on the progress?
That was hands down the most incredible real world TA demo video I have ever seen! I had a '76 454 4 speed TA that pulled low 12's in the quarter mile in my Hawaiian Army days and currently restoring my '79 10th Anniversary edition 403 olds K block that I've had since '89. This should be the go to motivational video for anyone restoring or thinking of adding a TA to there family. That's exactly how you drive one and what to expect from the ride. Even noticed the usual end of the world 6.6 earthquake when you hit a bump or pothole and everything in the glove box, center console and door pockets rearrange themselves lol. I welded support columns in my trunk over the frame to minimize that. I did something on the carb to get rid of that secondary bog down, but its been ages. I think I ran a choke cable from the dash to the carb linkage as a limiter. Don't quote me on that. :-) Cars been in storage for the past 14 years (Heater core sprung a leak) and being a 54yr old disabled retired combat veteran, this is exactly the kinda motivational video I was looking for to re-ignite that ole love for the fiery phoenix. Thank you so much for the amazing upload and all your work and effort :-) Breaker Breaker, How about that Bandit!
Thank you John!
@@TedwardDrives Welcome and thank you for one great stroll down memory lane :-) Only thing missing was the gas station break every few miles lol I swear, even the scenery and roads you were driving on reminded me of quite a few areas around Rhode Island. One of which I flew by two parked cruisers at 100, got pulled over and the officer said... Only reason I chased you down was because that was my supervisor in the other car. ;-) He was nice though, ticket was only for 10 over instead of 45, which is an instant court date I think. Oh god I miss those days ;-)
@@TedwardDrives Second viewing just brought a tear to my eye... Sorry but this video is going right on my desktop background! And now time to go paint the carpet and seats :-D Have a safe and awesome day! Cause you just made my whole day :)
I didn’t even know Hawaii had an army…
@@BillLaBrie lol They might have at one time, but I meant my days in the regular army stationrd in Hawaii. Lol good catch.
I love this guy. His enthusiasm is infectious b
I keep watching this video over and over not only can I see it and hear it but I caN feel it!
That’s so satisfying. Damn. The last of the Mohicans right there. Perfect.
Ton of fun. There is just nothing like that sound of a muscle car.
I can feel the charisma of this car through the screen. I think I smelled the interior and exhaust. My God, there was life and soul in the cars of those years. Thank you very much for the video.
I'm 56 and back in the day owned a 1978 350 4 bbl 4 speed Camaro. That car felt quick. In 1989 a co-worker took me for a ride in his new Firebird Formula 350 which had the same corvette motor but detuned a few HP mostly for marketing reasons and I was shocked at how quick it was from a stand still so I bought one. The progression from the 70's F body to the 1989 car felt light years ahead in handling. I remember with less than 1k on the odometer racing a friend in his 69 homage 442 and 0-100 my 1989 Firebird continually beat it. We were both scratching our heads at how this could be.
Some 442 came with only a 350 442 was just appearance package except for rear antiroll bar
the 350 looks fun to drive
One of the best pov videos I’ve watched. The Audio of the engine is 🔥
I’ve been saving for last two years, I’m having a crate LS3 cammed ,headers installed in my C5 clean Corvette! It will be a sleeper! I’m gonna sell my great running LS1 motor after works been done!
Oh the memories this video brings back! Had possession of a '79 TA for a weekend back in the day. Good times.
I feel his description of what it’s like to drive that car. I daily drive a 2002 Mustang GT w/ pro charger. It’s only around 420rwhp but the 4.6 2V lives above 3k rpm and driving the car shifting gears you become one with the car. It’s also a handful to drive fast lol 💨
420 is a solid number to stick(y) with.
Had a '77 in the mid 90's with the garbage ripped off. No flares, chicken, or spoiler, all tinted and done in a nice metallic grey with a 400 and a Holley 4B. Really beautiful.....then the frame rotted out and I stopped caring, traded it for an insanely undriveable Mustang, who's 1st to 2nd left-turn gear change would leave you facing the opposite direction if you weren't _really_ careful with the gas, and then had to sell it all due to the mistake of putting a ring on it. Lesson learned my friends, lesson learned.
I had nothing but a big smile watching you go from 1st to 3rd, and yeah, old cars are a 'full body experience' due to their suspension, weight, and 50 year old design. Newer, off the lot cars are faster, but you lack that 'seat of the pants' grunt that comes with the 'kickdown' and the nice connection you have with your seat when the secondarys open up and the car really starts to develop its power. I love all cars, new, old, gas, electric,.....they're all part of the fun, but the roar of a V8 will be very hard to top, as was the 2 wheel ricer part of my driving life.
When I was 16 years old, I test drove a 1978 Trans Am with a 454 I think it was a four speed but I’ll never forget they let me do that and I was only 16 years old and I was by myself during the test drive crazy nice car
Out of all of the 2nd gen firebird/trans am I have watched, this is one of the best setups I have ever seen. Yes even though it’s Chevy powered I would rather have a SD- engine from Pontiac, backed up with a 5-speed. Otherwise it’s a mean machine. Cheers!
Agree, prefer Pontiac sound! But, not knocking, to each his own. Very nice job.
I'm a big GM fan overall, so I prefer Chevy engines in these later T/A's that came from the factory with 305's. But a big block will also fit right in there, and of course I would still paint it pontiac blue. Love Chevy engines though, the Chevy big block is a legit race engine, pontiac 455 is great but no big block can really compete with a hi-po 454 on equal terms, not even a 426 hemi. 455 is probably better for a street car though, it has plenty of torque low down.
Thank you so much for this wonderful experience. Oldschool muscle cars do have very particular charm.
The older cars give you more satisfaction when you're driving them because they make you feel alot more connected to the machine and the road ....because you are. It's what i grew up on.
I can not tell, how many times I watched this video! This engine sounds so georgous, it it like listening to Eddie Van Halen playing the guitar! You could enjoy it the entire day! Please more Muscle cars!🤘 Greetings from germany!👍
Great video of a classic muscle car.
You made it feel like we were in the passengers seat.
Thank you.
That seems like the sweet spot for moving the HP into something more modern and befitting this vehicle. Hellcat numbers would be overkill.
600+ would be quite a handful in this thing
A high school friend of mine had a white Trans Am with a 400 and auto transmission in 1978. Not sure the year, but guessing 1977. It was a great car. Very impractical for everyday driving, but a lot of fun.
I’ve had my Solar Gold ‘79 Trans-Am for three years now…it is BY FAR the best car I have EVER owned! The second day I had it I saw a car show at a school here in town,so I pulled in with my T/A (it wasn’t washed or waxed…or detailed) and I took 3rd place! 🤣
I love this video; thank you very much for making it. Having 400+ horse on this car really rectifies the issue of those underpowered engines of that time. It looks like it's a ton of fun to row through the gears and grab that thin wheel. The dash looks really nice too.
On the Dino that thing would do 240 hp at best
@@montanaplease it has a 350 crate engine you dummy did you even watch the video
Even though that's an '81 it's a 1970 design. The 2nd Gen Camaros and Firebirds were produced from '70-'81 and were the same basic platform all through. Although several suspension variations along the years. And some of the early models of this platform had beasts for engines. Check out the '73 and '74 Super Duty 455 cars. They're truly badass.
Nice to see a person that knows how to use a manual gearbox. Brilliant down changes.
Thanks for the memories. I had an 81 Z28 with a 4 speed about 10 years ago.
One of the best cars I've ever driven. The first real drift car.
Q jets are not a "mechanical" secondary carb, they have a mechanical linkage to the throttle blades but they have an air valve above them that has to be pulled open by vacuum, they do have a spring adjustment to open sooner or later and the quadrabog thing comes from incorrectly adjusted air valves, if there adjusted correctly the secondarys will not open until the engine can take the extra air. Also most think a "bog" is to much fuel when actually it's the opposite... When you whack the throttle if the engine is at low rpms the massive drop in vacuum thus not being able to pull fuel so there's a alot of air and no fuel.... That is the purpose of the accelerator pump adding extra fuel but if not tuned right it may not be enough to counteract the massive vacuum drop.
You're absolutely correct 👏
I had a 1974 trans-am with a 455 in it, and it handled pretty darn good as far as I was concerned. You could let go of the wheel on a straight away, and there was no wander. If that thing is wandering there must be something out of alignment.
Great video. Love the POV video. It's like I'M in the driver's seat. Reminds me of when my uncle let me drive my dream car at the time: His brand new '76 400cid Trans Am. As a 16 year old boy, I was briefly "in heaven".
I'm Australian and I love these since i was 8yrs old I'm 45 now one day I hope I get to own one.👍👍