Production versions of the...
Production versions of the Hurst Concept T/A are called Hurst Edition T/As, and can be purchased turnkey from Trans Am Depot and Hurst Performance Vehicle dealers. The Hurst T/A logo was designed by Kevin Morgan (www.kevinmorgandesigns.com).
The Hurst name embodies a legacy of speed and beauty that goes far beyond the legendary shifter line it produces. There was also Hurst Performance Research that built the Hurst Olds, Hurst Hemi ’Cudas and Darts, and, of course, the Hurst SSJ Grand Prixs among others. Currently Hurst Performance Vehicles is producing its own versions of the Challenger, Mustang, Camaro, and Viper.
When Tod Warmack of Trans Am Depot closely examined the T-tops he and Kevin Morgan helped develop with Convertible Builders of High Springs, Florida, for the Kevin Morgan-designed T/As, he realized how much they resembled the Hurst Hatches, which were installed in ’76 to mid-’78 Birds. The visual connection sparked the idea of a Trans Am Depot-built Hurst T/A.
In August of 2010, Tod approached Hurst Chairman Nate Shelton with the idea, and he green-lighted the project. Fortunately, since Trans Am Depot has exclusive rights from the SCCA to use the Trans Am name, there would be no legal wrangling to stall the program.
With a P-1SC-1 ProCharger,...
With a P-1SC-1 ProCharger, Pypes stainless headers and exhaust, and a dyno tune by South Georgia Corvettes in Thomasville, 540 rwhp was extracted from the 6.2-liter LS3 engine.
About a month later, Paul Teutul Sr. of Orange County Choppers contacted Trans Am Depot regarding the company’s offerings. By the end of the conversation, Tod and Kevin had committed to building Paul a T/A, and Paul was planning to build three choppers to provide two-wheeled custom representations of the three models that Trans Am Depot sells—a ’69-style “6T9” Goat, a ’69-style “6T9” Trans Am, and a ’77-’78–style “7T7” Trans Am, all of which you first saw in the last issue (Tribal News). A two-part American Choppers episode on the Discovery Channel would cover the bike builds, as well as the T/A build and presentation to Paul.
Planning progressed on both projects, and in January of 2011 it dawned on Tod that if Trans Am Depot actually built the Hurst Concept T/A for Paul, there could be a three-way tie-in between Trans Am Depot, Hurst, and Orange County Choppers. Nate was soon onboard with the idea and Paul needed no convincing. He asked Tod, “Are you talking about Hurst, as in the shifter? I don’t even have to think about that…that’s a no-brainer.”
“The Hurst concept car we built for Paul Sr. is the result of months of planning, designing, and consulting with Nate and Hurst Performance Vehicles President Don Swanson,” Tod says. The idea was to build a new T/A that had many design and style elements of a ’78 Trans Am.
Blevins Upholstery wrapped...
Blevins Upholstery wrapped the entire interior in optional two-tone leather. Tod says of the complementary camel-tan French stitching, “It gives the interior a definite modern-day throwback look.”
Bodywise that goal was already accomplished, as the functional Shaker scoop, fender air extractors, front and rear fascias, rear spoiler, side ground effects, rerouted exhaust with side-exit splitter tips, Xenon HID headlamps, and LED custom turn signals used on the 7T7 T/As were already patterned after that body style. A custom Hurst graphics package designed by Kevin was added to differentiate it as the Hurst T/A as opposed to the 7T7.
Adding the optional T-tops required additional bracing under the car and in the roof channel to maintain body integrity. The latest wheels, machined faced Snowflakes, were designed by Kevin and are manufactured by Evod Industries. They measure 20x10 in front, 20x11 in the rear, and are shod with Pirelli PZero 275/40/ZR20s and 315/35/ZR20s respectively. Hurst style wheels will be optional on production models.
To make the most of all that rubber, an Eibach Antiroll Sway Bar Kit was installed and augmented with an optional Pro-Street-S Eibach Coil-Over Kit, which allows the T/A a 2-inch drop in ride height for a more aggressive appearance and to improve handling.
The LS3 now features an optional P-1SC-1 ProCharger, running a 3.8-inch pulley to provide 8 psi of boost, and Pypes stainless headers and 2.5-inch exhaust. A Hurst Billet/Plus II shifter ensures the power is transferred smoothly through the Tremec TR 6060 six-speed trans to the 3.45-geared rear.
Inside, Kevin and Tod collaborated with Chance Blevin’s of Blevins Upholstery in Brooksville, Florida, to create the new optional interior. Desiring a plusher look and feel, the engine-turned panels of Morgan’s 7T7 T/A have given way to two-tone camel-tan and black leather covering all the surfaces. Tod and Kevin agreed that the pattern of the ’78 seat upholstery was the most appealing to their eyes, so they went with it.