Top Dead Center's Blog

There seems to be a misunderstanding about what a muscle car is. Technically a car with a modified engine COULD be thought of as a muscle car. The actual start of the true muscle car was the Pontiac GTO. Hot rods back then were built by the cars owner. Drag racing was really catching on, and were cars that required tools, engine knowledge, and money. The GTO was the first 'affordable' car anyone could go to the dealership and buy right off the showroom floor, spend $100 on better tires, and go racing. The rest of the cars out there, were more expensive (Corvette, Thunderbird, etc), or built by mechanics and people that knew something about engines. The GTO was originally a Pontiac Tempest with the engine from the Bonneville. So, its a very small economy car with the engine from a heavy luxury car. The engines had to be huge to get those huge luxury cars moving. Once this happened and sales went through the roof, other cars followed, and the 'pony' car movement began. A pony car is an economy two door car with a big engine, starting with the Mustang. Then followed by the Firebird, Camaro, etc. The GTO was an idea thought up by a GM engineer named John Delorean. You know, 'Back To The Future' Delorean. Anyway, these cars were really attractive because they offered huge horsepower for cheap cheap cheap. These cars made the manufacturers a LOT of money, so, it was a win win for everyone. Yes, I know I didn't mention any Mopars at all. Well, Mopar was too busy winning at the drag strip and the race track, everyone else had to play catch up. The early 1970's were the last years of the monster engines in these cars. Special thanks to the EPA & OPEC, horsepower took a nose dive, and the price went up. More to come...

My first blog posting.

I would like start off by thanking Adam for the idea of multimedia enclosures in rss.   I would also like to again thank Adam, and Ron for Podshow & the PMN.   You are truly doing something bigger than any of us have yet to comprehend.

I guess I should start off by saying hello to those that are subscribed to my show “Top Dead Center”.   HELLO! J   I now have an official show sponsor: Trans Am Specialties.   I’ve been researching for the past 4 years the best of the best for Trans Am restoration and it is Trans Am Specialties.


What’s all this talk about Trans Ams?   Well, when I was 7yrs old two things happened that affected my life, and are still with me to this day.   Star Wars, and then two days later, Smokey & The Bandit


Now, contrary to what I believed then, we all know that none of us will be flying around in anything seen in Star Wars.   However, the cars in Smokey & The Bandit, well that’s a different story all together.


I was talking to Brett last night, and I told him that when people ask me why I’m so interested in Trans Ams’, I ask them these questions.

 
Q: On a sunny Saturday or Sunday do you see old Mustangs?
A: Yes


Q: Do you see 1967- 1969 Camaros'?
A: Yes


Q: Do you see and old MOPARs’ (Cudas’, Roadrunners, Chargers, etc)
A: Yes


Q: Do you see any Trans Ams?
A: No


Q: Do you see Trans Am’s on the road period, and what years?
A: Nothing older than the early 90’s


About that time, they realize just how little people see these cars.   I’ve been to a car show here in STL just recently, there was one 67 Firebird, and one 70 Firebird Formula.   That’s it.   That was the most of the older Firebirds I’ve seen in one place, at one time.


When I first started talking to Brett, it was through email.   I was searching for that Smokey & The Bandit car, what is it?   Well, there’s more of a story behind it than it just being “that cool car”.


The car is a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition.   The special edition was originally developed as a concept vehicle that first appeared at the 1974 Chicago Auto Show as a ‘Limited Edition’.   Now before this, and not for 2 more years, you could not buy a black Firebird or Trans Am.   So this car in black with the metallic gold accents and trim was quite the eye-catcher.


I was very happy to read here , that instead Pontiac crushing this car, it went to a Pontiac employee.


Two years later, the 1976 Trans Am Special Edition went on sale.   Although this was a very important car that also started the “T-Top” craze, I wasn’t a fan of the nosepiece.


Brett and I both agree that the best-looking Trans Am’s were 1977 & 1978.   We also agreed that the last couple of years of the “Ram Air” Trans Am were easy on the eyes as well.

I personally felt that the anything before 1977 and after 1978 looked like a GTO and a Camaro had a love child, which wasn’t all that handsome.   Pontiac, there was no excuse for the 1979-1981 TA.   That was just plain UGLY.   Shame!

More to come…