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79 Trans Am - Special Edition (Bandit Edition)

UPDATE: Vortech V-7 YS trim supercharger and fuel injection project is in the works. Click HERE for some pictures!

Best 1/4 mile: 12.633 @ 106.35 MPH

Engine: 455 Pontiac

Intake: Edelbrock Torker II

Carb: 850 cfm Holley double pumper

Cam: .485 intake .507 exhaust. Click HERE to see the rest of the cam specs

Heads: 4x Pontiac 114cc heads with 2.11"/1.66" valves

Exhaust: Headers and 2 1/4" dual exhaust with turbo mufflers

Transmission: Turbo 400

Rear end: Disk brake 3.23 Limited slip

Rear Tires: BF Goodrich Drag Radials 275 50 r15

Weight: approximately 3508 lbs empty (3720 lbs with me and some fuel)

Wish List:

(1)Edelbrock Aluminum Heads(87 cc): http://www.pontiacpower.com/catalog/cylheadsalum1.htm

(2)Multiport Fuel Injection conversion Kit: http://force-efi.com/machefi.htm or http://www.rancefi.com/

(3)Gold Decal kit for special edition TA. (Hood bird and other decals)

Project photos

This is what it looked like when I brought it home back in 1994.  The car had been hit from the side of the front clip and had been parked since 1987.  As you can see the previous owner had begun to disassemble the car and most of the front clip was missing.  The sub-frame was tweaked in the wreck. I bought the car for for $300 and planned to use the body for my Chevv 350 powered 80 Firebird. The owner had removed the interior, and he gave that too me as well. It is in fairly good shape. I got the original wheels from the owner for an additional $50. I don't know exactly how or why the plan changed but I decided to sell the 80 Firebird and rebuild this car.  I found the build sheet and found out it was a Special Edition (Bandit Edition).  I think that may have helped change the plan.

When I found the car I had just rebuilt a 455 Pontiac engine to replace the Chevy 350 in my 80 Firebird because everyone (mainly my Dad) kept making fun of my Chevy powered Pontiac. I also wanted some more power and Torque.  I actually had the 455 in the 80 firebird when I bought the 79 TA. I put the Chevy engine back in the Firebird and sold the car to fund the 79 TA project.  Most of the parts on this engine were from my Dad.  He had upgraded most of the parts on his 455 in his 65 GTO.  He upgraded so many parts (including the block, crank, and heads) that I found enough leftover parts to build almost a complete engine. I bought the rest of the parts new.  

Here are some pictures of the progress on the work I did on the car.  I searched newspaper adds and salvage yards to find all the front end parts that I needed including a front sub-frame and suspension. I stripped the car down to bare metal. I tried to do all the body work myself, but my Dad had to step in and help get some of it right.  I did paint the car myself.  It helped that I had access to a paint booth at the time. After a lot of time and effort the work finally paid off

Here is the finished car. OK, maybe I am not finished yet.  There is always more I can do!