My brother Vincent ordered this '76 Trans Am 455 four-speed on May 8, 1976, and he picked it up on July 27. (From what I've been told, there was a delay at the factory due to a tire manufacturer's strike.) The day of its delivery, he spotted a tractor-trailer with new Pontiacs driving through our hometown of Bayshore, New York, and knew that it was most likely headed toward our local dealer. On the transporter was a Sterling Silver Trans Am, and my brother stopped what he was doing and drove to the dealer to see if it was his special-order T/A.
It was! Just a couple days later, our dad drove the brand-new T/A home, because Vincent hadn't learned how to drive a stick yet. He knew he would have to learn on the Trans Am.
Arguably, Vincent could have ordered a 400 with an automatic and saved himself the lesson in clutch-and-shift, but the 455 was the main reason he purchased the car. Since my family was into cars already, he jumped at the chance to get a new vehicle with that motor, especially since Pontiac had the edge on all other manufacturers with its 455. To get the most performance out of it while still retaining an upscale look, he ordered it without A/C, but with a deluxe interior, chrome trim, and Honeycomb wheels.
Though I was less than a year old when the Trans Am was brought home (I was born in August 1975), I grew up with the car, and all my memories were involved in some way or another with it, especially since it was the "big dog" of the neighborhood. As a kid, I remember it wearing Keystone wheels wrapped in N50-15 Pro Trac tires, its Lakewood traction bars, and the 455 decal on the scoop. I've been hooked on Pontiacs ever since.
I took ownership of it in 1994. Four years later, I removed the original motor, stored it, and replaced it with a '70 0.030-over 455 with 6X heads, a Ram Air IV cam, Rhoads lifters, an Edelbrock Performer intake, an MSD 6AL ignition, Hooker headers, and a Flowmaster Super 44 exhaust. I even sent the original Q-jet to The Carb Shop, had it jetted to the cam specs, and replaced the 3.23 rear gears with a set of Richmond 3.73s, since I ran the T/A on occasion at Lebanon Valley Dragway. True to its high-performance promise, it ran consistent 13.20s at 106 mph on street tires.
As time went by, I decided I wanted it to look as original as possible, so I put the Honeycombs back on. I always like to see some rubber out back, so I mounted 295/50R15 Radial TAs in the rear and 235/60R15s up front. I recently spent time cleaning up the engine compartment for a more-original appearance. It still has some obvious mods, such as the 455 H.O. callouts on the scoop from a '75 1/2 Trans Am, the same Lakewood J bolt traction bars my brother installed in the early '80s, and an upgraded exhaust.
As of now, it has just over 92,000 original miles. I like the look as it sits, but I can still return it to fully stock if the urge ever sets in. It has been stored through the years, and wears its original paint and interior.
Speaking of its interior, I removed the console and saved it, as I always liked the clean, muscular look of just the seats and a Hurst stick on the floor. The only other interior mods are the column-mounted shift light, a Hurst emblem placed on the console bracket, an Auto Meter water-temperature gauge, and a chrome extinguisher between the seats. The Hurst T-handle was an add-on, but I still keep the original ball in the glovebox in case I decide to throw it on for a show.
I still take the Trans Am drag racing. I really enjoy the mix of the sound and smell of the tire smoke. To me, it's second to none.
After 33-plus years in our family, this Trans Am is a testament to Pontiac at its best-when Trans Ams ruled the streets and kids dreamed of growing up and owning one. If I have my way, our '76 Trans Am 455 will stay in our family forever.
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