- Joined
- Dec 15, 2018
- Messages
- 74
- Reaction score
- 367
- Points
- 53
- Location
- Butler, PA
- Website
- www.pontiactransam.com
Back in 1977, Dennis and Kyle Mecham built 26 performance-tweaked Trans Ams that they dubbed Macho T/As and initially sold through their family's Pontiac dealership, Mecham Motors, near Phoenix, Arizona. The modified Trans Ams were a hit and the fledgling company, DKM Design, Performance sold all they could build, so they ramped up production in 1978 and marketed the cars through other Pontiac dealers. Sales of the warmed-up Firebirds soared to 204 units.
The recipe for the Macho T/A was straightforward: DKM would purchase new Trans Ams, perform its modifications, and resell them as used cars to Pontiac dealers. Under the hood, DKM would richen the jetting of the stock Quadrajet and change the distributor's curve to bring in 36 degrees of advance at 2,500 rpm. DKM also opened up the sealed shaker hood scoop, increasing airflow to the stock airbox, and installed screen over the opening. A set of off-the-shelf Hooker Headers were bolted up and plumbed up with a 2.5-inch dual exhaust with a crossover tube and two catalytic converters eliminating the restrictive stock system.
DKM also dropped the front end by 1.5 inches, installed Koni adjustable shocks at all four corners, and put 60 series tires on the factory rims. Color combinations were left up to the customer's discretion and, while there were two dozen interior/exterior color combinations listed in the DKM brochure, an additional $150 allowed that customer to choose a special color. Add another $150 and the graphics would be applied using DuPont's Imron paint.
Here's a gallery of the '78 Machos: View gallery here
The recipe for the Macho T/A was straightforward: DKM would purchase new Trans Ams, perform its modifications, and resell them as used cars to Pontiac dealers. Under the hood, DKM would richen the jetting of the stock Quadrajet and change the distributor's curve to bring in 36 degrees of advance at 2,500 rpm. DKM also opened up the sealed shaker hood scoop, increasing airflow to the stock airbox, and installed screen over the opening. A set of off-the-shelf Hooker Headers were bolted up and plumbed up with a 2.5-inch dual exhaust with a crossover tube and two catalytic converters eliminating the restrictive stock system.
DKM also dropped the front end by 1.5 inches, installed Koni adjustable shocks at all four corners, and put 60 series tires on the factory rims. Color combinations were left up to the customer's discretion and, while there were two dozen interior/exterior color combinations listed in the DKM brochure, an additional $150 allowed that customer to choose a special color. Add another $150 and the graphics would be applied using DuPont's Imron paint.
Here's a gallery of the '78 Machos: View gallery here
