OT: A Car/Racing section?

[1 CAT FAN]

In Mid 1969, Pontiac introduced the Muscle Car to end all Muscle Cars, The Firebird Trans Am. Factory equipped with a 400 CI 345 HP engine pushing a Muncie 4 speed transmission and 3:90 rear end gears. 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds. Fully functional Ram Air hood scoops and an iconic custom Polar White with Blue Stripes paint job. 8000 RPM Hood mounted tach and a 160 MPH speedometer. Add the revolutionary rear spoiler and wham, you have the full monty! And the Trans Am had one thing that no Camaro would ever match, PONY POWER.

Cool car, did/do you own one of these rare Firebirds? I haven't seen one other than photos, imagine one would be very costly today. I always like the the late 70's models, even though the government limited the automakers horsepower output.

The 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is a rare find and sought after by Pontiac collectors.

Just 697 of these Cameo White, Tyrol Blue-striped 'Birds were built for 1969, a mere eight of which were convertibles. Despite kicking off 34 years of continuous Trans Am production, the '69 model stands out for its unique design coupled with extremely low production numbers, making these cars among the most sought-after examples of the breed today. Should you be fortunate enough to ever shop for one to buy, we've compiled some information to help in your search. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/articl ... trans-am-2

[Penguin]

The first car that I ever bought was a 1976 Trans Am, Red-on-White. It had a Pontiac 402CI (TA 6.6L) motor pushing a Muncie 4 speed Trans. That was 1 model year before the iconic Smokey and the Bandit movie. GM had a major flaw in that body style though. The frame was not solid, and when you really got on it, the car flexed so much that it would destroy the throw-out-bearing. I had to have mine replaced 5 times before I finally traded it in.

I was working in St. Louis in the late 1980s, and I bought a 1969 Firebird Convertible. It was a 350 CI model. A friend of mine helped me, and we made it into a TA. I had to go to Chicago to get the fiberglass front end as they only make replicas for those parts now. We restored the interior to blue leather and I kept it garaged most of the time. I had about 10K in it, and I sold it for 20K in the 1990s. Even with only having a 350 CI motor and automatic transmission, that thing would scat. Nothing like my 76 would, but it was an eye catcher for sure. It looked just like the picture that you posted. I learned a lot about Pontiacs while restoring it.

The 69 TA was a step up from the GTO intended for racing in the then SCCA Trans-Am series. The GTO Judge was built for straight line drag racing while the TA was built for road racing. The body styles were the same, built on the same chassis with major modifications on the TA for handling. I had a teacher when I was in High School who had a 66 GTO. That car looked like a big ole' box, but it was the baddest thing that I had ever seen up to then. That was the early 70s, and the Chevelle SS was the big thing for Chevy, while Old had the Hurst Olds 442, Mopar sported the Cuda, Dodge had the Charger and Challenger, and Ford had the Boss Mustangs and the Torinos. Those Ford Torinos are a car that seldom gets mentioned when talking about Muscle cars. But those things were bad to the bone with their sleek body styles and that unbeatable 429 Cobra Jet motor. Those were the hey days for fast, factory made, street cars.

[Penguin]

This was what my first automobile purchase looked like. I ordered it through our local GM dealer. Straight off the truck, I paid $5300.00 for it in December 1975.

That car would literally "suck" to the ground when you hit a hundo. You could just flick it left and right. I drove that up and down I-26 while I was at Wofford. I put some good road miles on it because my then girlfriend, was at C Of C, and I was back to town every weekend. Yes, I was at Wofford before girls were on campus. But those Converse chicks were always hanging around. Those were the days.......I had a couple of Monday through Friday girlfriends, and a weekend girlfriend..........who later became my wife and the mother of our daughter. Never could get enough fluid to stay in my body back then......LOL That car helped a lot.

[1 CAT FAN]

This looks like my first car in high school that my mom gave me, 71' Nova 250 inline six cylinder. What a beast.

Wish I still had that car.

[CITYSLICKER]

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THIS IS HOW WE ROLL IN SLICKERS CORNER

[Penguin]

This was my first car. 1968 Old Cutlas S. A gift from my grandfather. Rocket 350 V8.

[CITYSLICKER]

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PINKY, MY FIRST CAR, A 1958 MERCEDES AND YES THAT IS ME

[Penguin]

Nice ride, and a great picture. I have never owned a black automobile of any make or model.

[SF Band dad]

My first car was a red & black 1972 Grand Prix. I bought it in 1985 when I was stationed at Naval Air Station Norfolk.

"We finance E-1 and up!! No credit check. Buy here, pay here!!"

[CITYSLICKER]

loved pontiac, should have canned buick and kept the pontiac brand