1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am - Electricity In The Air

To build a bulletproof drivetrain, Speed Inc. had to address four main issues on the Trans Am in addition to the engine-fuel delivery, the transmission, the rear end and computer programming.

Hamilton told HPP that a 700 hp package requires dual fuel pumps to prevent fuel starvation. Speed Inc. replaced the T/A's in-tank fuel pump with an inline dual Walbro 255 lph/hr OE pump system. The first pump handles fuel delivery up to 5 psi of boost. Then the second pump activates and increases the fuel flow up to the supercharger's set limit of 16 psi of boost.

Remainder Of The Drivetrain
The Trans Am's stock trans and rear would expire at this extreme horsepower level. To upgrade the factory component limits, Speed Inc. installed a TCI SFI-approved flexplate, bolted a Yank 3,800-rpm stall converter to it, and installed a Finish Line Level 5 4L60E automatic transmission rated to 900 hp. It is mated to an aftermarket, 3-inch diameter steel driveshaft, which inputs to a Moser 12-bolt rear end featuring a 3.42 gear ratio, 1350 yoke, 33-spline axles and an Eaton posi unit. The shifter is stock.

Tuning
Speed Inc.'s final goal was to set 16-17 psi of boost into the computer programming of the '98 Trans Am. This proved quite a challenge. Hamilton told us the solution was to replace the factory wiring harness with one from a '99 T/A and to remap the engine parameters with HPTuner software. He said the '98 wiring harness is limited to a two-bar map sensor, but that the '99 harness allows a three-bar map sensor and custom tuning up to 30 psi boost. "It allows us to safely use massive amounts of boost with this Trans Am," Hamilton said.

Chassis Upgrades
The suspension is upgraded with a BMR panhard bar and torque arm, subframe connectors, and tubular upper and lower control arms. QA1 shocks are installed at all four corners. The brakes feature slotted/drilled rotors, but retain stock calipers.

Body And Paint
Geffert wanted his Trans Am to stop people in their tracks, so he turned to Mike Krug of Krug's Kustom Painting in St. Beloit, Ohio, for a custom spray. "We wanted to make the T/A look as good as it performed," said Krug. To do so, he logged 178 man-hours in transforming the F-body into a custom-paint show-stopper, starting with the factory color red and adding five separate graphics. "I did all of the design and paintwork, from the drawings to the final product," said Krug. "I wanted to make this Trans Am an incredible show car."

First, he added a custom Ram Air hood and a Mecham spoiler. Then he went to work on the graphics. To accomplish the look without using vinyl graphics, Krug told HPP he "masked off the first graphic, sprayed the colors, and then sprayed airbrush effects." Then he sprayed the painted graphics with clear, unmasked the completed graphic, and repeated the procedure a total of five times. "I used six House of Color paints on the base graphics: Orion Silver, Tangelo Pearl, Limetime Green Pearl, Black, White and miscellaneous candies and pearls for artworks," Krug said. A two-step BC/CC paint was used.

For the highly polished final result, Krug wet-sanded the entire car before any paintwork began. He also wet-sanded each of the graphics, and he sanded in between the applications of clear. Finally, he wet-sanded before the final polish on the car. "I was very pleased, considering the budget and time restraints," Krug recalled.

Conclusion
Is this 700 hp Trans Am street-friendly? "It is streetable, although it is not a car to be driven any great distance," Rochelle said. "It does not like pump gas and requires 104-octane fuel. This means that in the small town that I live in, I have to buy 110-octane in a 55 drum and mix it with 91-octane to get to 104. That being said, it does drive well and is not totally unruly on the street. It does not run hot or get difficult to drive."

Rochelle told HPP he has big plans for his Trans Am. "The car has been on ESPN, and it is my desire to work hard to bring it to an even higher level of quality. Since I have not owned it that long and with my busy schedule, I have not had it in any major shows yet. One of the first will be the Trans Am Nationals in Dayton, Ohio, in August 2007."

Rochelle's Trans Am combines the promise of electrifying performance with stunning looks. "I am sure that the intention was for my car to stand out at the shows. It was designed to get attention and I do believe it does that well."