I’m writing to share this story of my amazing husband Stefos Laberis and his love for his Trans Am. When he was a boy, he used to dream of someday owning the ’77 Trans Am from
Smokey and the Bandit, later followed by the third-generation Trans Am from
Knight Rider. When he first laid eyes on an LT1-powered ’93 Trans Am at the Detroit Auto Show, he had to have that, too. That’s where this story turns from fantasy to fact.
Our local dealer, Gary McArthur Pontiac Buick, managed to get a new ’93 Trans Am in, but it sat unsold as its sticker price was around $46,000 Canadian dollars. Stefos used to drive by the dealership after it was closed for the day so he could take his time and stare in at the Trans Am sitting on the showroom floor. He’d think to himself, Someday I will have one!
In 1999, Stefos found a ’94 Trans Am GT with a black exterior, T-tops, and a Graphite leather interior, which was offered for sale to conclude a divorce. It took five phone calls and three trips to see it, but he finally hammered out a deal and became its second owner.
Stefos, with the help of his father, Gus, upgraded his T/A extensively. The process allowed this father/son team to enjoy great bonding moments together. The first week he owned it, they affixed a decal of Greece’s flag on the rear window to proudly show their heritage.
The list of other mods is long, so I’ll only mention some of them: an upper-rear-window air spoiler; stainless-steel-plated badging on the doors, trunk, and rear bumper; an aftermarket WS6-style hood; a polished and ported Granatelli mass airflow sensor, Holley twin 58mm throttle-body and Edelbrock LT4 intake; BBK headers and Borla exhaust; a race-prepped TCI 4L60E trans; a Strange differential stuffed with a 3.73 gearset; Brembo brakes; and Hotchkis springs, struts, shocks, subframe connectors, sway bars, and rear lower control arms.
His dad didn’t approve of a Zex 50-150hp dry-shot nitrous system, but Stefos installed it anyway. It’s mounted in the T/A’s hatch. For fun, he activates a Zex dual-purge kit, which sends juice pluming 3- to 4-feet up into the air.
I shouldn’t forget the T/A’s Ruff Racing R944 triple chrome-plated wheels. It took three months for them to be built. They’re wrapped in Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 275/35Z19 high-performance rubber.
In naturally aspirated form, my husband’s Trans Am dyno’d at 373 rwhp and has a best e.t. of 11.73 at 123 mph, which was recorded at Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario.
Without his dad and all of his help, Stefos would not have been able make his fantasy into his dream come true! Our boy, Kosta, is only 10 days old as I write this, but I can’t wait to watch Stefos teach our little ones (yes, there will be more) the correct way to layer Zaino polish over wax. Stefos says he will pass his sweet-riding, Fourth-Gen Trans Am down to them, and teach them not to be afraid to drive the car—but also to respect its power!
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