This T/A was ordered without...
This T/A was ordered without the screaming chicken hood decal, (giving its owner a $52 credit), and the only deviation from stock outside, is the substitution of the original T/A 6.6 shaker for a contrasting (and functional) Cameo white scoop incorporating 455 H.O. lettering.
As the cliché goes, every cloud has a silver lining and Barry Simpson's '78 Trans Am is mobile proof. Way back in 1972, Barry drove a '71 Formula 400 and was looking to trade up. He dropped in at Russell Pontiac in Orillia, Ontario, and ordered a '72 Trans Am finished in luscious Lucerne Blue. A few weeks later, the dealer called Simpson and explained that because of the strike at Norwood, they would be unable to get his Pontiac.
Disappointed, Barry decided to trade his Formula in on a discounted new GTO instead, but as nice as the Goat was, it still wasn't a substitute for a 455 H.O. powered F-body in his mind. Fast-forward a few years and Simpson, now piloting a '75 Formula 400 still yearns for his Trans Am that never was. Realizing that by this time no factory 455 H.O. powered T/As are available, he decided to do the next best thing.
On a cold, snowy day (February 9, 1978, to be precise), he drove back up to Russell Pontiac and ordered a brand new '78 Trans Am. Making up for lost time, he went to town on the options sheet and ordered everything he wanted. The final touch was a Martinique Blue Exterior, with contrasting white interior-a belated nod to his '72 that never got built.
Delivered just over 2 months, some $10,094.20 later and in time for spring, Barry made the most of the opportunity to cruise in his shiny new Trans Am. With 220 horses on tap from the W72 400 backed by a Turbo 350 and 3.23 gears, the T/A made for spirited motoring for its day. For nearly two decades since, Barry's Poncho has been a regular at shows, cruises and the local strip. Plus he takes the Pontiac to the Trans Am Nationals in Dayton, Ohio, and the Ames Performance Pontiac Nats at Norwalk, Ohio.
The immaculate white interior...
The immaculate white interior is unblemished and still smells new. Inside, this heavily optioned T/A features amongst other things, tilt steering (code N33), automatic trans (MX1), tinted glass, (A01), cruise control (K30) power windows, (A31) factory AM/FM with 8-track (code UN2), lamp group (Y92), and custom trim (Y92), along with (C60) air conditioning, and the (CC1) Fisher roof hatches.
As the years passed, the T/A gained a few performance improvements, including replacement mufflers, headers, an Edelbrock Performer intake and a higher stall speed converter for the Turbo 350. At the track, with these mods, plus a set of M/T stickies and bumped timing, the Bird ran anywhere from 14.2 to 13.9 second e.t.'s, quite respectable all things considered.
In 1997, nearly 20 years after he bought the Pontiac, Simpson decided that he would like to have his triple chocolate performance gateau and eat it too, so the T/A underwent some major surgery in the quest for serious power gains. Barry removed the original W72 400 and Turbo 350 transmission and put them away for safe keeping (and future reinstallation).
He managed to get his hands on a '71 455 H.O. mill and a beefy Turbo 400 tranny. Why? "I wanted a lot more performance whilst maintaining a factory appearance so I decided to go with the H.O. block," Simpson recalled. "Once I had it, I began to search for a reputable engine builder. In Canada, good Pontiac engine builders are exceedingly difficult to find and after contacting several shops, which left me feeling somewhat uneasy, I came across Killer Racing (London, Ontario, 519/451-0527).
From glancing at this '78...
From glancing at this '78 you would never think it was a low 12-second street machine. Martinique Blue paint and decals are factory original and still in much the same condition as when the car rolled out of the Norwood plant.
"Owner Larry Kilpatrick had gained a reputation for precision motor work over the years and was a frequent participant at the drags. Although he specialized mainly in big-block Chevys, several people I spoke to highly recommended Larry, so I decided to get in touch." A few weeks later, armed with two Pete McCarthy books and the HO Racing Blueprint Assembly Manual, our intrepid hero trekked down to London to meet Larry Kilpatrick. "What amazed me was the amount of time Larry spent going over the manuals," Barry relates.
The mandate to Larry was that the T/A had to be capable of consistent low 12s whilst retaining full streetability. Thus the project began with the '71 455 H.O block getting sonic tested and then bored .060-over for 468.60 cubes when used with a stock stroke 455 crank. Said stock 455 crank was cross-drilled for better lubing and the stock rods were magnafluxed, deburred, shot peened, and polished. Pinned to the small end of the rods is a set of eight forged TRW slugs outfitted with Speed-Pro rings. Oiling is supplied by a Mellings pump drawing from the stock W72 baffled oil pan. Barry modified a full-length 455 windage tray not only with larger drain back holes but also to fit the engine with the baffled pan to save some power with the tray and to keep the oil at the pick up during spirited cornering with the baffle.