Anyone familiar with today's musclecar market knows the effects major collector-car auctions have had upon the hobby in recent years. Not only are low-production, numbers-matching Pontiacs drawing prices that could otherwise buy the average family a luxurious dwelling, we've also seen instances of total rebodying or restamping of mechanical components to achieve maximum dollar on the auction block.
Loren Sheffer of Delray Beach, Florida, however, wasn't driven by monetary profit when building his Pontiac. The 52-year old professional investor's '70 1/2 Trans Am was built purely for enjoyment.
This '70 1/2 Trans Am is doing...
This '70 1/2 Trans Am is doing what it does best. Art Philipp Jr. (the driver in this photo) built it for owner Loren Sheffer after Loren saw Philipp's own car featured in HPP (April '04). Conceived for maximum cruising enjoyment, Loren says the Trans Am is a blast to drive, and he does so as often as possible.
Loren's love affair with Trans Ams dates back to the spring of 1970 when the then-15-year-old Glenview, Illinois, high school student spotted a new Polar White '70 1/2 Trans Am while riding in a school bus. Of the experience, he says, "The sound, the Shaker hood, the vented front fenders, and the blue racing stripe were just too much for a 15-year-old not to love." Then, a few years later, while attending the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire and working as a waiter, a senior coworker of his had a white '73 Super Duty Trans Am that he drove daily. "He was the envy of every waiter there. The car was cool, and he knew how to work it," recalls Loren. "I knew that I wanted a Trans Am some day."
It took 30 years before Loren's dream would be realized. "I've been fortunate," he says. "I've owned three automobile dealerships, sold each successfully, and was able to retire sooner than I ever thought possible. I then decided it was time to build the Trans Am I always wanted." He found the Polar White '70 1/2 Trans Am at an auto auction in Portland, Oregon, in 2001 and purchased it for $12,500. "It was sold new in Stockton, California, and looked pretty good from 30 feet away, but this old Bird had a tough life. The original R/A-III ran poorly, the car had been hit and repaired improperly, and rust began popping through the body in a few places."
A Richmond five-speed manual...
A Richmond five-speed manual transmission with a 3.27:1-First-gear ratio replaces the original Muncie four-speed. An 11-inch-diameter Centerforce 2 clutch-disc and pressure-plate assembly and Hays steel flywheel are encased in a Lakewood blow-proof bellhousing, and the clutch linkage is from WFO Performance Works. Tubular subframe connectors from Global West help stiffen the chassis, and the entire underside was treated to an application of undercoating, then painted black like the engine compartment.
Not totally content with his latest acquisition, Loren pondered selling the Trans Am, but ultimately settled on a restification. As he set out in search of the right person to entrust his project, "Fate stepped in and solved my problem," he says. "My daughter and I were shopping at a local Barnes and Noble bookstore, and there on the cover of the April '04 issue of HPP was a '70 1/2 Trans Am owned and built by Art Philipp Jr. After reading the article, I thought Artie might be the person to glorify my Trans Am.
"It wasn't easy tracking him down. After a few calls to Scranton, Pennsylvania, I was able to contact Artie's mom, and she put me in touch with her son."
"Once Artie and I started talking, I knew we were going somewhere," says Loren. "His level of enthusiasm was only outweighed by his expertise. He arranged for me to see a Brewster Green '73 Super Duty he had just finished. Having been in the car business for three decades, I can tell you that no Trans Am ever came off the assembly line that perfect. I was impressed and knew then that Artie was my guy."