Pontiac TransAm fans unite

[djflyer]

This came out of at the New York auto show, supposedly being built with approval from GM. Design is by Bo Zolland from Sweden. Over 1000hp and 1046lbs-ft from an LT1 enlarged to 7.4 liters with a Magnuson blower. Can you say conversion kit - please - someone !!!!

 

[oldcarfan]

Looks cool. A little out of my price range though!

[martinfan5]

This isnt anything new, they have been doing these for awhile, Top Gear Magazine played Smokey And The Bandit in of their cars

Trans AM World owns the name Trans Am now, they bought it from GM.

http://transamworldwide.com/.

http://transamdepot.com/

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/tg-plays-smokey-and-bandit-717bhp-trans-am#1

Edited April 29, 2017 by martinfan5

[iBorg]

This is the new Camaro body vs. the old new Camaro body. I saw drawings of that car and thought, I like that. Then I saw the actual conversions and thought, close but not right. 

This one is right. I never liked the originals enough to want, but I'd really like to own this one.

[Can-Con]

Ya know, I've been thinking about these conversions. They definitely have it all over mine for power and technology. Superior in every way,, but,, and this might be the couple "adult beverages" I've just consumed but I think I'll keep my 

100% genuine Pontiac TransAm. 

[Sport Suburban]

This isnt anything new, they have been doing these for awhile, Top Gear Magazine played Smokey And The Bandit in of their cars

Trans AM World owns the name Trans Am now, they bought it from GM.

http://transamworldwide.com/.

http://transamdepot.com/

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/tg-plays-smokey-and-bandit-717bhp-trans-am#1

Actually GM never owned the name. SCCA did or does and GM paid them for fee for every Trans Am they made. 

[Can-Con]

Actually GM never owned the name. SCCA did or does and GM paid them for fee for every Trans Am they made. 

That's true. 

It's why MPC/AMT and Revell/Monogram kept switching between calling thier TransAm kits "Trans Ams" or "Firebirds" depending on who had the licencing at the time.

Also why Pontiac was going to call the Trans Am just "T/A" at the start of the 3rd gen run. To avoid the licencing issues.

[MrObsessive]

Without a true Pontiac division among GM's lineup, it just wouldn't be the same though.

Perhaps if we get a booming economy particularly with the likes of GM, maybe they can be brought back? GM's original plans was to have Pontiac become a very low volume, strictly high performance niche division. That is before the government stepped in back in '08 and bullied them into shutting Pontiac down. 

Sad..........

[om617]

Cool project. For the price i assume it cost i`d rather have one nice 70-73 Formula 400 and a 70-73 Trans Am.

[bbowser]

A grill separator, shaker hood scoop, and screaming chicken decal.  I'm not a fan of the new Camaro and this just doesn't do it either.  They are so BIG and heavy looking!  They were originally pony cars, what happened?

[disabled modeler]

Id be happy with a kit..model..promo of the 75 so I can build a replica of my old 75 TA I owned once...had to sell her off to pay on the bills after my accident...liked to killed me to miss that car everyday still.

[Dodge Driver]

Ya know, I've been thinking about these conversions. They definitely have it all over mine for power and technology. Superior in every way,, but,, and this might be the couple "adult beverages" I've just consumed but I think I'll keep my 

100% genuine Pontiac TransAm. 

I'm completely sober and I agree with you Steve. I'm just totally stuck on third-gen Birds and have been for ages.

[dieseldawg142]

....

Edited May 10, 2018 by dieseldawg142

[Mark]

Without a true Pontiac division among GM's lineup, it just wouldn't be the same though.

Perhaps if we get a booming economy particularly with the likes of GM, maybe they can be brought back? GM's original plans was to have Pontiac become a very low volume, strictly high performance niche division. That is before the government stepped in back in '08 and bullied them into shutting Pontiac down. 

Sad..........

I think GM was going to bring back Pontiac once they took control of themselves again, but they have since decided they can live without it.

Pontiac was usually on the chopping block every few years anyway.  GM really needed to axe a couple of divisions once they started sticking Chevy engines into everything.  Even now, they are selling the same trucks with two brand names slapped on...

[Jim N]

I think GM was going to bring back Pontiac once they took control of themselves again, but they have since decided they can live without it.

Pontiac was usually on the chopping block every few years anyway.  GM really needed to axe a couple of divisions once they started sticking Chevy engines into everything.  Even now, they are selling the same trucks with two brand names slapped on...

The reason why they have two truck brands is because contractors will not buy Chevrolet.  This was brought up by the government when they bailed GM out.  The government wanted GMC closed down as well.  GM provided the data to the Obama administration that while they are essentially the same truck, Chevrolet and GMC sell to very different audiences.

[Iroc crazy]

Monogram made a 1/8 1979 Pontiac trans am eBay is your best bet

 

[unclescott58]

The reason why they have two truck brands is because contractors will not buy Chevrolet.  This was brought up by the government when they bailed GM out.  The government wanted GMC closed down as well.  GM provided the data to the Obama administration that while they are essentially the same truck, Chevrolet and GMC sell to very different audiences.

??? Where did you get the above story come from? It makes no sense. Contractors not willing to Chevrolet trucks? Why did Chevrolet offer a special Work Truck edition of their pickup for several years? And GMC did not? I worked for a couple of GM dealers for many, many years over that time period. There was never any talk about closing down GMC that we ever heard of. Just before the bail out and recession of '07-'08, trucks, including GMC's were selling very well. Pontiacs were not. I still think killing off Pontiac was a big mistake in the long run. And I still question of killing off Oldsmobile too. I think with the right vehicles both brands could have been saved. GM has been very badly run for about thirty years now. My favorite brand, Buick, doesn't even hold much interest for me now. The only thing I still like from GM are some of the Chevrolet cars, and the trucks, from both Chevrolet and GMC.

It is interesting how GM destroyed Oldsmobile. In the early 1980's Oldsmobile was one hottest brands going. Cutlass was one of the best selling cars there was at the time. Less than 25 years later you could barely give Oldsmobiles away. How do you destroy a respected brand like Oldsmobile that quickly? Or Pontiac for that matter? And if it wasn't for the Chinese market we would not have Buick. This company has been F***ed up for a long time now. The bean counters started taking over sometime in the 1970's. And it's been down hill ever since.

Scott

 

[Mark]

It is interesting how GM destroyed Oldsmobile. In the early 1980's Oldsmobile was one hottest brands going. Cutlass was one of the best selling cars there was at the time. Less than 25 years later you could barely give Oldsmobiles away. How do you destroy a respected brand like Oldsmobile that quickly? Or Pontiac for that matter? And if it wasn't for the Chinese market we would not have Buick. This company has been F***ed up for a long time now. The bean counters started taking over sometime in the 1970's. And it's been down hill ever since.

Scott

 

Oldsmobile going into the dumper started with the engine switching.  Cadillac brought out the Seville, but didn't make a 350 engine.  They wanted (and got) the Olds engine, leaving Oldsmobile with not enough V8 engines for all of the Cutlasses they wanted to build.  So some of them got Chevy engines.  People got mad when they found out; after all, they paid extra for an Oldsmobile.  They knew the basic car was pretty much just a fancy Malibu, but expected an Oldsmobile engine as part of the deal.  Had Cadillac had their own small V8 engines (or used Chevy engines; the Seville was a heavily modified Nova) then Oldsmobile would have been left alone.  Funny, when GM was switching engines, they always had enough Chevy V8 engines to go around.  They never ran out of Chevy engines and had to substitute Olds, Buick, or Cadillac units.

GM has been poorly managed since the late Sixties IMO.  After the Toronado, they didn't seem to be able to roll out anything really different without a lot of problems.  The junk Vega engine (why didn't they just use the existing Nova four?), the pieced-together Chevette, the recall-loaded X-cars, the midsize cars that all looked alike (remember that Forbes magazine cover?), and so on.   

[unclescott58]

Oldsmobile going into the dumper started with the engine switching.  Cadillac brought out the Seville, but didn't make a 350 engine.  They wanted (and got) the Olds engine, leaving Oldsmobile with not enough V8 engines for all of the Cutlasses they wanted to build.  So some of them got Chevy engines.  People got mad when they found out; after all, they paid extra for an Oldsmobile.  They knew the basic car was pretty much just a fancy Malibu, but expected an Oldsmobile engine as part of the deal.  Had Cadillac had their own small V8 engines (or used Chevy engines; the Seville was a heavily modified Nova) then Oldsmobile would have been left alone.  Funny, when GM was switching engines, they always had enough Chevy V8 engines to go around.  They never ran out of Chevy engines and had to substitute Olds, Buick, or Cadillac units.

GM has been poorly managed since the late Sixties IMO.  After the Toronado, they didn't seem to be able to roll out anything really different without a lot of problems.  The junk Vega engine (why didn't they just use the existing Nova four?), the pieced-together Chevette, the recall-loaded X-cars, the midsize cars that all looked alike (remember that Forbes magazine cover?), and so on.   

I can't disagree with anything you've said Mark. You've basically hit the nail on the head. The Olds 350 fiasco was probably a bigger mistake than the development and execution of the Chevy Vega. Eventually trying to save money by taking away each of General Motors divisions autonomy is in my opinion what killed General Motors. Back before the mid-70's, when you bought a V8 Oldsmobile, you got a V8 built and designed by Oldsmobile. An Oldsmobile 350 V8 was not the same engine as the Buick, Chevrolet, or Pontiac 350. They were all different engines. Just having the same displacement. An Oldsmobile was not a Buick or Chevrolet. It was an Oldsmobile.

GM's 1980 X-body, '81 J-body, and new '82 front-wheel drive A-body, what is the difference between those cars? Not much. Why buy one over the other? Only old brand loyalty at best. And that brand loyalty will only last so long selling the same vehicles. I believe this is part of the reason we don't have Mercury or Plymouth anymore too. Why pay more for a Mercury over the same basic Ford? Plymouths's case is a little different than Mercury's. In that case you could get a slightly better version of the same car, for not that much more money in a Chrysler on the same showfloor. The Chrysler name had more clout than Plymouth. Mercury did not have the same over Ford.

Anyhow, I guess this all has little to nothing to do with the main theme of this thread. Other than, setting things up in a way that I doubt we'll see another Firebird Trans Am or Plymouth Barracuda, which I'd both like to see, in my life time. I hope I'm wrong. But, I'm not going to be holding my breath wait for them. 

Scott

 

Edited June 14, 2017 by unclescott58

[dieseldawg142]

...

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by dieseldawg142

[Mark]

To steer things back to the original topic, some of these conversions look great, but without a real Pontiac Division behind them, they are what they are, what-ifs.  How much are these going to go for?  If I had a hundred grand burning a hole in my pocket, I'd step up for one of those Demon Challengers regardless...

[iamsuperdan]

The reason why they have two truck brands is because contractors will not buy Chevrolet.  This was brought up by the government when they bailed GM out.  The government wanted GMC closed down as well.  GM provided the data to the Obama administration that while they are essentially the same truck, Chevrolet and GMC sell to very different audiences.

It goes both ways. I run the leasing division for one of Canada's larger vehicle suppliers. We have clients that run Chevrolet and will not run GMC trucks for any reason. And we have GMC customers that will never run a Chev. I have Chev guys that insist the GMC trucks are junk and not as reliable as their Chevs, and vice versa.

Now, there are significant differences between the two, in terms of standard equipment, packages, and how these things can be equipped and priced. But at the end of the day, they're basically identical. I still don't understand why GM bothers with two truck divisions.

 

[signguy2108]

Lingenfelter was preparing the molds for these years ago, but this is the only finished pic i've seen

[GMCMAN52]

now that's kool  looking ,I put a 70 nose on a 77 body with a 75 rear bumper set up that I'm working on all in 1/25 of coarse.

 

Edited June 14, 2017 by GMCMAN52
spelling

[Jim N]

??? Where did you get the above story come from? It makes no sense. Contractors not willing to Chevrolet trucks? Why did Chevrolet offer a special Work Truck edition of their pickup for several years? And GMC did not? I worked for a couple of GM dealers for many, many years over that time period. There was never any talk about closing down GMC that we ever heard of. Just before the bail out and recession of '07-'08, trucks, including GMC's were selling very well. Pontiacs were not. I still think killing off Pontiac was a big mistake in the long run. And I still question of killing off Oldsmobile too. I think with the right vehicles both brands could have been saved. GM has been very badly run for about thirty years now. My favorite brand, Buick, doesn't even hold much interest for me now. The only thing I still like from GM are some of the Chevrolet cars, and the trucks, from both Chevrolet and GMC.

It is interesting how GM destroyed Oldsmobile. In the early 1980's Oldsmobile was one hottest brands going. Cutlass was one of the best selling cars there was at the time. Less than 25 years later you could barely give Oldsmobiles away. How do you destroy a respected brand like Oldsmobile that quickly? Or Pontiac for that matter? And if it wasn't for the Chinese market we would not have Buick. This company has been F***ed up for a long time now. The bean counters started taking over sometime in the 1970's. And it's been down hill ever since.

Scott

 

I got my information through news articles.  Shortly after the Obama administration took office, they set up the Auto Industry Task Force, which was to work with GM and Chrysler to get them through the reorganization / bankruptcy process.

GM gave this task force its first proposal and it largely kept the company intact.  The task force was not impressed and at the end of March 2009 sent the company back to the drawing board.  At the next meeting, GM had to justify the existence of the divisions it intended to keep.  Buick and GMC were specifically questioned by the task force.  GM argued successfully that while Buick did not sell particularly well domestically, it was one of the company’s most popular brands internationally.  Many foreigners in the emerging markets look at American brands as luxury items and Buick fills this role in GM’s car lineup.  

GMC was also questioned as the task force made the same comment as the poster I responded to.  GMC trucks are essentially the same as Chevrolet, so why keep two divisions that make the same vehicles.  GM as I pointed out provided the task force with sales data that, while the vehicles are essentially the same, people who buy GMC will for the most part not consider Chevrolet.  GMC is looked at as more of a premium vehicle and Chevrolet does not necessarily have this reputation.  Contractors were specifically mentioned in the article as individuals who as a group prefer GMC over Chevrolet.

I do not know how aggressively the task force pursued the matter of closing GMC with GM, but it was a matter that they broached at least according to a couple of news articles I read.

You are correct that GM was mismanaged for a long time.  This was noted by members of the task force.  They were surprised at how poor the talent was in GM’s accounting and finance divisions.