2002 Pontiac WS6 Trans Am - Balance Point

Finding the right canvas on which to create your masterpiece can be nearly as challenging as the actual generative process. For 34-year-old Robbie Lewis of Leesburg, Georgia, said canvas came in the form of an '02 325-horse, LS1, six-speed, 3.42-geared WS6 Trans Am in a very special hue. He searched far and wide for a super-clean Sunset Orange Metallic Bird for 18 months before finding this one on eBay. "I have owned 19 F-bodies over the years, but this Sunset Orange WS6 is very special to me," he says.

From day one, Robbie had no intention of building the fastest Trans Am. "I wanted to build the cleanest and nicest T/A that I could," he says. Therefore, gaudy and over-the-top was out. Every move had to be made in good taste.

Under the hood the credo is form meets function. Most aftermarket intake lids for the LS1 F-bodies are made from a black ABS plastic. MTI's clear lid, however, gives onlookers an unobstructed view of the K&N panel filter, as well as a peek into the mouth of the beast. Air is drawn through the polished MBA MAF and the polished, 78mm FAST throttle body, then into a chromed Weiand Lingenfelter aluminum intake manifold, which has a greater flow capacity than the factory LS6 piece.

Stock 28-lb/hr injectors add the fuel, and the mixture then enters the chambers of the factory 241 heads through the intake ports and 2.00-inch valves, as directed by the stock 196/207-degree duration cam with 0.466/0.477 lift (with 1.70:1 rockers). MSD coils and wires augment the stock coil-near-plug ignition system and provide the spark to initiate combustion, as the stock hypereutectic pistons put the squeeze on to the tune of 10.1:1. Then the byproducts of the process are expelled through 1.55-inch exhaust valves, the exhaust ports, and stock manifolds.

Robbie currently runs exhaust manifolds because he's concerned with ground clearance. "I had an issue with a previous car scrapping badly when I removed it from the trailer, and I want to avoid that with this one," he says. Once he finds a suitable header system, it will be installed. Until then, he enjoys the Corsa Sport exhaust system with its gorgeous Pro-Series tips.

Although satisfied with the performance of his Pontiac, he wanted to add a little more functional flare. To that end, he installed a wet plate system from Nitrous Outlet, which is mounted directly behind the throttle body. It's currently set up for approximately 150 hp.

Taking a look under the Bird reveals another area where Robbie focused his efforts. This chassis is so clean you could eat off of it. BMR 32mm and 22mm sway bars replace the 30mm front and 19mm rear ones. These were powdercoated by Sand Trap of Doerun, Georgia. Energy Suspension red polyurethane bushings were installed and the factory springs and Bilstein struts and shocks were replaced with Strano Performance springs and KYB AGX eight-way adjustable struts and shocks. They give the T/A flexibility and a performance stance the factory parts just can't deliver.

Since the car is lowered at all four corners, the rearend is fitted with an adjustable BMR Panhard bar and relocation kit, which Robbie had chromed. Rounding out the suspension is a pair of chromed BMR lower control arms and relocation brackets to minimize wheelhop. To make sure the T/A doesn't just slide around on its new ultra-tight suspension, BFG KDW 275/30-19 and 295/35-19 tires provide stick in the corners.

Fortunately, the body required much less labor than the engine and suspension to satisfy Robbie. Since the previous owners meticulously maintained the finish, it was in immaculate condition; Robbie simply treats the paint to high-end polishes from Zaino. "Sal Zaino has been great to me. He has provided me with all the car care products that have helped me win shows. I use the company's Clay Bar Kit once every three months and apply three coats of Show Car Polish before every event. Once I'm there, I make any touch-ups with Zaino's Grand Finale Spray Seal and apply Perfect Tire Gloss."

Robbie performed all the work on his Sunset F-body, aside from the chrome, which was done by his buddies at S and H Chrome in Madison, Tennessee. And with all the right pieces in place, his masterpiece was complete.

This T/A has won many trophies since, and it has been recognized as one of the cleanest Fourth-Gens out there, as proven by its latest Best in Show award, which came at the '09 Wide Track Warriors Show at Old Town in Orlando, Florida. "It's pretty cool to win that against classic Pontiacs," Robbie says humbly.

The night before it was loaded onto the trailer for the trip, he and his buddy Steve Davis applied 30-percent window tint to the windshield to match the rest of the windows. This addition could have been just enough to send his T/A to the top. Thankfully, Robbie has managed to keep his Pontiac there without going over.