It's an interesting throwback read—enjoy.
Last edited:
Car and Driver Edition June 1976 - The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
- Thread starter Seventy6er
- Start date
I have almost every Poncho test from '66 to '81 (and then all of the 4th-gen F-bodies, and there are a lot) but don't have this one -- Thank you for sharing .... It's interesting to see what a stock, pre-W-72/T/A, 455 4-speed is capable of, and as a comparison, the times are almost identical to Motor Trend pre-cat 1973 tests of a 250 horse 455 Grand Am (or GTO) or 454 Chevelle -- much heavier cars but still-torquey and uncorked V-8s. But that Trans Am is not a lightweight either -- it's is among the heaviest 2nd-gen f-bodies I've seen, with some edging into 3,800-plus.
My question is how many thousands above the costs of a GM (chevy) crate engine will a well-built (Edelbrock and Edelbrock, along with Edelbrock) Pontiac cost for those of us who actually earn our $ through salary for labor (i.e. hobbyists lucky to possess one or two cars), not that I would ever put a Chevy in a 'Bird beyond the one that the factory put in the one I have now (my '95, babied but still unable to hit 100,000 without blowing the head gasket). I'd love to have a healthy 428 or 455 (and 5-speed) or at least "tune" a 455 like that '76 for my '70s 'Bird, but then I'd like to have repairs done for less than $80 an hour or have my full hands and back functions return to do it on my own.
Not going to happen.
My question is how many thousands above the costs of a GM (chevy) crate engine will a well-built (Edelbrock and Edelbrock, along with Edelbrock) Pontiac cost for those of us who actually earn our $ through salary for labor (i.e. hobbyists lucky to possess one or two cars), not that I would ever put a Chevy in a 'Bird beyond the one that the factory put in the one I have now (my '95, babied but still unable to hit 100,000 without blowing the head gasket). I'd love to have a healthy 428 or 455 (and 5-speed) or at least "tune" a 455 like that '76 for my '70s 'Bird, but then I'd like to have repairs done for less than $80 an hour or have my full hands and back functions return to do it on my own.
Not going to happen.
Last edited:
Similar threads
