Original price: $6,233.00 (455 SD package – $522.00)
On loan from: Phil Mitchell, Sumner, WA
Number made: 212 with the Super Duty 455 engine
Engine, etc.: 455 cu. in. (7.5 L); 310 h.p.; 0 – 60 m.p.h. in 5.4 seconds; 4-speed transmission
These were one of the fastest cars build in the Muscle Car era.
This car has the original paint and under 30K miles. Four speed transmission cars were not available with air conditioning but other options, including a rear console like this car has, were available.
It will be left original and is waiting to be dry ice blasted and otherwise preserved by Level One Restoration in Arvada, CO.
The Pontiac Firebird was first made in 1967 as an answer to the Ford Mustang. Its looks with a “coke bottle” style were thought to be more modern than the Mustang. The Trans Am performance package became available in 1969 and was named after the nationwide Trans Am race series. Second generation Firebird was introduced in 1970 and came with the 6.6-liter RAM Air engine with 370 h.p.
By 1974 the American V-8 performance car was almost extinct. Chevrolet no longer made its Z/28 but the Firebird lived on mainly due to its powerful engine, bold style, and outstanding handling.
The Firebird Trans Am Super Duty 455 was one of the true iconic American muscle cars. It was among the last of the true over-the-top muscle cars of the 1970s when political correctness, gas prices, and emission standards began to overtake sheer power.
Its visibility rose when Jim Garner drove one in the opening of the Rockford Files TV series.
The hand-assembled SD 455 under the shaker hood had heavy-duty connecting rods and an entirely new block with revised crankshaft and heads. Other improvements included thicker internal-block bracing, four-bolt main bearing caps for better crankshaft support, and a better oil pump for better lubrication at higher speeds.
The 455 was available only for two model years: 1973 and 1974 and as an option on the Trans Am and Formula models.
Sources: https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z1625/pontiac-firebird-trans-am.aspx