1978 Pontiac Trans Am
The cinema has made many cars famous – the Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Corvette, and even imports like the Toyota Supra have achieved iconic status, due to no small part, to the movies they’ve starred in. Among these is the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am and it was “Smokey and the Bandit” that inspired this 1978 Pontiac Trans Am resto-mod, built by “Ryan’s Rod & Kustom”.
Being inspired by “Smokey and the Bandit” the 1978 Trans Am was originally supposed to be black and gold. Things obviously took a different turn, but it’s probably for the best, as the car stands out, amongst all the movie car replicas. Nothing on this Trans Am has been left untouched. Chris wanted the car to stand out and that’s exactly what he did. Best of all, it still has the awesome T-top. As Tommy Boshers says, Chris Ryan “knocked it out of the park” and we couldn’t agree more.
As for the engine, it’s an LS-based unit with 6.6 liters of displacement and 600 horsepower. The engine not only sounds epic, but looks amazing, being finished in an interior-matching bright red color. Chris explains that “all the ugly stuff”, like the battery, radiator, and overflow tank, hide under a cover, in front of the engine. The car sits on a new, Ridetech chassis and features “fat, sticky, rubber” with 325 mm rear width.
Features factory air conditioning, power disc brakes and power steering. Upgraded 4-core aluminum radiator and Kenwood AM/FM radio. Great-looking and great-running T/A.
This Pontiac Trans Am suspension needed only minor tweaking to satisfy handling expectations. To that end, the stock diameter 1.25-inch-front and 0.625-inch-rear stabilizer bars were retained, but Competition Engineering subframe connectors were added to improve body rigidity. Hotchkis Performance front coil springs dropped ride height by 2 inches, and polyurethane bushings were used where possible. And also replaced the T/A’s original 15×7-inch aluminum Snowflake wheels with a set of 15×8-inch units from a WS6-optioned car and complemented them with 235/60 and 275/60 BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires on the front and rear, respectively.
Before you purchase any Trans Am, make sure to inspect it for rust. And look everywhere, especially on T-Top cars. The roof panels are notorious for leaking.
Don’t be afraid to buy a car with a few needs. Parts for these cars are easy to come by. There are several parts companies that sell Trans Am restoration parts, offering everything from new body panels to carpets and decals. Essentially every part of these cars is still available.
However, if you’re thinking about a more involved restoration, consider working with a shop or restorer that knows and understands these cars inside and out. Shops like Restore a Muscle Car in the Nebraska and Trans Am Specialties in Florida, for example, specialize in these Trans Ams and do great work.
Any classic car enthusiast can have fun owning a second generation Pontiac Trans Am. They’re easy to drive, they’re reliable, and they’re simple to fix and upgrade as you pack on the miles. Plus, most were built with air conditioning, so they’re comfortable. These Trans Ams are also fun to be seen in, and they’re popular at car shows. Mine is always a hit at the local cars and coffee.
