Here's why the T/A is so rare....
Here's why the T/A is so rare. Firethorn Red interior (either in vinyl or velour) mated with the Goldenrod Yellow body was not a Pontiac-recommended color combo in 1977. A special order and many hoops had to be jumped through to get it. This gorgeous interior is original, right down to the carpet. Steven changed the speedo to a 160mph dial early on, however, and transferred the correct mileage to it.
"Two days later, the order was kicked back by Pontiac. The dealer was informed that they don't build that color combo and the codes must have been entered in error. Puckett explained that it was correct and the way I wanted it and pushed the order through. Then the Norwood plant bounced the order back for the same reason. So once again, the salesman had to call and explain that it was what I wanted. Finally, it was stated plainly, 'Do you make Goldenrod Yellow Trans Ams?' 'Yes.' 'Do you make red velour interior?' 'Yes.' 'Then please put them together and build the car.'"
Jay Wolfe Pontiac got a bit nervous about the color combo after PMD kicked it out the first time, so they came back to Steven requiring a $1,000 deposit after he already secured the deal with a $100 down payment. They didn't want to get stuck with an unsellable color combo should he back out of the deal. Surprisingly, even with all the hassles, the T/A took six weeks to build just like any other Pontiac ordered at that time.
Though Steven got exactly what he asked for regarding color, interior, T-tops, and the hi-po engine, the automatic trans and A/C were not his ideas. He wanted the hottest T/A he could get, which meant a stick and no A/C. The four-speed was squashed when the insurance company realized that he was just 19 years old and had a few tickets at 16. It flat-out refused to insure the Bird with a four-speed. Then, during the ordering process, Steven's father insisted he get A/C for the resale value. I'm sure at the time he had no idea his son would keep the Trans Am for the next 23 years.
The Arrival
In June 1977, Steven's freshly-built Trans Am was on its way to Jay Wolfe Pontiac. "We actually saw it coming in on the car hauler," he recalls. "As soon as it came off the trailer, another customer said he wanted it." Since the paperwork didn't arrive with the Pontiac, Steven had to wait four days before it got there and he could take delivery. In that time, the T/A drew so much positive attention on the lot that it ended up in the showroom-not bad for a color combo that Pontiac didn't want to build.
The First Impression
If you're wondering whether or not they still build them like they used to, read this. "I was disappointed with the factory paint application when I first saw the T/A," Steven laments. "There were lots of runs on the rockers and you could see gray primer on the rear quarters at the pinch welds. The body side moldings that are on the car now, I didn't want. When the driver unloaded my T/A from the transporter, it already had two dings in the door. The dealer offered to fix them, but I was worried about paint match and durability problems associated with having them redo the doors, so I decided to cover the dings by installing the body side moldings."
Over The Year
"I certainly bought it at the right time. The car caught my wife Juli's eye, too. Six months after I got it, I met her because she noticed and liked the T/A. We've been married for 28 years. We enjoyed it a great deal, and took it on our honeymoon, to Florida and to California."
Soon after purchase, Steven dug into his Y6-code 400. He replaced the 274/298-degree, 0.364/0.364 lift, 549112 cam with an 068 stick featuring 288/302-degree duration and 0.414/0.413 lift and swapped in a 455 H.O. intake in place of the cast-iron stocker. Ram Air exhaust manifolds and a '73 dual system back to the crossflow muffler with stock tails and splitters enhanced the evacuation of spent combustion remains. Untouched were the Turbo 350 trans and 3.23 Safe-T-Track.
When the WS6 package came out in '78, Steven decided to upgrade his suspension as well. By 1979, he had installed a WS6 steering box, 15x8 Snowflake wheels and a larger 0.812-inch rear sway bar (WS6 was 0.75 inch).
The 200hp W72 400 engine has...
The 200hp W72 400 engine has yet to be rebuilt. It did, however, have an 068 cam and a 455 H.O. aluminum intake installed by Steven in 1978.
Just imagine the eight-track...
Just imagine the eight-track blaring vintage Rolling Stones. The Pontiac decal was installed by the original owner years after delivery. Two such decals were also affixed near the outside door handles. When an interim owner tried to remove them using paint thinner, it necessitated the aforementioned repaint of the upper doors.
Note the factory overspray...
Note the factory overspray on the lower portion of the Shaker.