From the Golden Age of the muscle car until today, the domestic car industry has seen several players come in and out of the game. Though the two giants, Ford and General Motors, have pretty much cornered the market, there is still room for smaller carmakers to generate some decent revenue. Even if they are controlled by one of the aforementioned conglomerates. However, not all of them are capable of staying in business.
Pontiac is one of these brands that ended up going extinct. Before the company was put out of its misery, it had time to manufacture some truly amazing vehicles. There are several things people need to know about the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. For example, the Trans Am is one of the coolest classic cars to modify and turn into a real head-turner.
10 Sober
It is often believed that the Trans Am is from the 1970s. However, the very first Trans Am was released in 1969. The car was originally fitted with a huge 6.6L Ram Air III V8 that develops anywhere from 335 hp to 500 hp. It is nothing to be taken lightly, even by today's standards.
The '69 Trans Am is among the Pontiac cars gearheads would buy right now. This particular Trans Am was customized by Tilden Motorsports, the original 400ci V8 was replaced by a more potent powerplant, a modified 376ci that's capable of producing 748hp and 985 lb-ft of torque thanks to a 2.4L Magnuson supercharger among other goodies.
9 Blacked-Out
The early 1970s were a great time for the muscle car. Drastically new designs were put on the market. Unlike the previous versions, the re-visited iconic muscle cars are a lot less boxy. They tend to have a more aerodynamic figure. However, this just is not cutting it. The car has enough potential into something truly respectable.
A car that looks as aggressive as this Trans Am must be packing a mean punch. Meaner than Muhamad Ali during his prime. Under the hood sits a twin-turbocharged 480ci engine that must produce enough power to put a Chevrolet Camaro SS to shame. The car was featured at the SEMA show before being sold.
8 Restomod?
There are times when the modifications are so subtle that it is hard to tell whether a car is restomodded or not. Some tuners truly are on the fence when it comes to bringing an oldie back to life. There might be some hesitation on which way to go about it. This Camaro is the living proof that a restomodded car can look just like the original.
This 1972 is far from your cool uncle's Trans Am. Though it looks like a bone stock vehicle, the car is fitted with a pro-built 455ci engine. The chassis was re-visited as well. All in all, this Trans Am is a pure beauty that hides a true beast under the hood. It is fair to say that this sort of restomodded projects are very likely to be seen more frequently.
7 Clean
Imagine having to drive a sports car equipped with a 4.9L V8 that produces barely 220 hp at 4,000 rpm and 320 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm. Even sadder, this is the best trim made for that car that year. Thankfully, technology drastically evolved. It is now possible to give a powerless icon the power it desperately needs.
When first looking at this Trans Am, it is fair to say that it looks bone stock. However, this 1978 535ci 725 hp Trans Am pro-touring is pure madness. The car is capable of producing more power than today's Hellcat-Series Dodge cars. The price was for sale a couple of months back. Needless to say, it must cost as much as a brand-new top-line European sports car.
6 Sinister
The Trans Am is a very impressive vehicle. The car is a true muscle car. There is no denying that. Sadly, the big-block 7.5L V8 cranks out only 310 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque at best. Though the Trans Am is a bit sluggish by today's standards, it can be transformed into something extremely powerful.
It is often assumed that sinister modded cars are rocking a blacked-out style. This '74 is the prime example that it is possible to be sinister even with a light-grey paint. This car would have never earned the sinister moniker if it was not for the modified LS3 V8 that cranks out 566 hp and 512 lb-ft of torque.
5 Sushi Burger
The American muscle car is nothing like any other sports cars. The cars are usually aggressive, loud, and fierce-looking. The American way. In the early 1970s, top-line muscle cars were sometimes packing as mean of a punch as today's mid-range muscle cars. Given their huge potential, they have been turned into insane race cars like this Trans Am.
This crazy modded Pontiac should be among the sickest Pontiac Trans Ams ever. This all-wheel-drive swapped supercharged 1971 Trans Am is an insane build. The modified 5.3L LSx V8 produces over 600 hp, and is mated to an R32 five-speed manual transmission, an R33 transfer case, Q45 differential in the front, and 300ZX differential in the back.
4 '80s Baby
The Malaise Era did not end in the 1970s. Throughout the 1970s, all the way into the early 2000s, muscle cars were in most cases extremely disappointing. Looking back, some of these cars were not as bad as they seemed upon their first release. In fact, they are great for restomodded projects.
It is well-known that muscle cars of the 1980s are as powerful as a 50-year-old lawnmower. The V8 found in the 1987 Trans Am produces barely 210 hp at 4,000 rpm and 315 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. This blown Trans Am must produce at least three times that amount, thus making it a true muscle car.
3 Cannon Ball
When looking at this beautiful Trans Am, some gearheads out there will remember when the car was first released. Though the car is moderately powered, it is a still a very cool all-American sports car that will turn heads wherever it goes. A tuner decided to give a Trans Am the power only someone experienced can truly handle.
Schwartz Performance looked at the Trans Am, and figured it was time to see if the car could compete against SpaceX rocket ships. With a power output of 1,300 hp, it is safe to assume this Trans Am will take down some of the coolest Hennessey Performance cars made over the last couple of years.
2 New School
It is really sad that Pontiac went out of business. The company did release a plethora of absolutely awful vehicles for an extended period of time. The company's muscle cars were turned into bland vehicles that were as exciting as a snail crossing a road. That being said, the company manufactured a very succinct amount of cars that were quite amazing.
The Trans Am WS6 is quite a decent car for its era. With a powerplant capable of producing 320 hp and 345 lb-ft of torque, the car was very impressive when it was first released. Given the car's potential, some demented petrol heads give it the same amount of power as a supercar. This ProCharged Trans Am WS6 produces 870 hp and 771 lb-ft of torque.
1 Pro Touring
Over the last couple of years, several classic muscle car owners have decided to adopt a more practical way of modifying cars. Instead of creating trailer princesses, they chose a more racing-oriented style. Pro touring, similarly to pro street, is a very interesting way of modifying classic cars.
The information relating to this blue race car is sadly unavailable. It is unclear whether the original engine was boosted to insane levels or not. Is the original even sitting in the engine bay? That is a good question. Car enthusiasts will appreciate the fact that the car is not completely disfigured. This is the sort of car that would be comfortable in any setting, and not hurt any eyes.