1973 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty - Brewster Green Machine

Steve sent the body to Bob Chalek of Musclecar Memories Restoration in Bellevue, Nebraska, for paintwork. Since the original underside and jamb finishes remained in excellent condition, Bob masked off those areas and stripped the rest of the exterior to bare metal. "The body was rust free and it only had a couple of small dings," recalls Bob. "We applied three coats of DuPont primer and then block-sanded it. Sealer was applied over the primer, and then three coats of DuPont Brewster Green base and three coats of DuPont clear followed. The topcoat was wet-sanded with 1,200-, 1,500-, and 3,000-grit paper before it was machine buffed."

While the body was being refinished, Steve cleaned and repainted the front suspension and subframe assembly, documenting with pictures any paint markings he happened upon during the process. "We repainted the Super-Duty engine in the correct shade of blue, but it wasn't taken apart. Because of leaks, we did install new gaskets in the transmission, though," he adds.

Reassembly began as soon as the freshly painted body was returned. "I wanted the car to be as original as possible and re-used everything I could, including the weatherstrip, but anything that was affected by the Texas heat or age, like hoses and wiring harnesses, were replaced. The headlight, parking light, and taillight bezels, grilles, and rear bumper are the un-restored originals. The original wheel flares were repainted, but we did install new welting because the originals were so badly cracked. We also tried to repair the cracks in the original plastic front valance several times, but finally replaced it and the lower spoiler with reproductions."

The Radial Tires
As the project neared completion, Steve had a choice to make before putting the Super-Duty Trans Am back on the road. A new option, which was eventually available on all models that year (besides the Ventura) was steel-belted radial tires and, in the instance of the Trans Am (or Firebird Formulas with the optional Y99 Handling Package), buyers could opt for GM-tread design GR70-15 radial tires over the standard F60-15 bias-belted units at extra cost.

"The original owner added radial tires when he ordered the car, thinking that they'd be white-lettered. When it showed up with white lines, he wasn't happy at all," says Steve. "They didn't stay on very long, and when I bought the car, three of them came with it. Since I'm such a stickler for originality, I found a fourth and put the white lines on the car, but I can't say they'll stay. Like the original owner, I like it better with white-lettered tires too."

Conclusion
Since its completion in 2000, Steve has added no more than 100 miles each year to the Trans Am attending local area events, but he also had it at the POCI Nationals near St. Louis, Missouri, in 2005. "Wherever it goes, it seems to draw attention," he says. The rare combination of the Super-Duty engine, Brewster Green exterior with beige cloth interior, and its overall originality-all of which make this car so special to Steve-certainly contribute to that.

Beyond normal maintenance, Steve says the Super-Duty's future doesn't include much beyond local shows and nearby national-type gatherings. That will likely give him time to focus on his future projects-an Adriatic Blue '72 Trans Am (no, that's not a misprint), and an Admiralty Blue '74 Super-Duty Trans Am with a manual transmission. These two cars are in need of full restorations, and you can bet that this Brewster Green beauty will be the benchmark!