1978 Pontiac Trans Am - Flight Of Fantasy

Ron Schultz may be 53 years old now, but his fondest memories of this W72 400 ’78 T/A reach back to when he was just 18. Why? Because he bought it new from Kole Pontiac in his hometown of Oak Lawn, Illinois, in December of 1977.

“I paid for it with graduation money, grass-cutting money, and yard work I did for people in the neighborhood,” he remembers. Once he had the T/A, his bi-weekly paycheck from the local McDonalds was earmarked for modifications. He’s made many visual and mechanical mods over the last 35 years, but you may be surprised to learn that its most striking feature—the custom paint—was applied during the Reagan administration!

“I have won so many of them that I’m now putting them up in the eves so I can still see them,” he told HPP. “My T/A has won at various events from local shows to World of Wheels. It just earned Concours Gold at the POCI Convention in St. Charles, Illinois, in 2012, and 1st place in Heavy Custom at a recent Trans Am Nationals.”

Custom Paint

In 1984 Ray Paseka, then of Rainbow Autobody in Bridgeview, Illinois, did the paintwork freehand using custom candies and pearls in whites, yellows, oranges, and reds. They were applied over the factory Mayan Red paint after it was scuffed. Ron proudly notes that there has never been any other bodywork done to his T/A.

Regarding the graphics he recalls, “Though I love the hood bird, I soon wanted something more dramatic. Fantasy art was big back then, and I found the winged woman in a magazine and asked Ray to replicate it. We did the project in three stages. First it was just the hood art and a little black under the side mirrors. Later I had him apply black on sides and, finally, I asked him to incorporate all candies and pearls down the sides.”

After 29 years, the finish still looks pristine. Credit for that goes to Ray for using high-quality materials, Ron for his meticulous care over the years, and to Bill Ritter at Metal Masters Carstar in Chicago Ridge. Ron says, “Bill has matched and touched up some complex areas that no one would ever think possible when they look at my paint, but he always says to me ‘anything can be fixed.’ I believe he’s a genius. He keeps my car in ‘like-new’ condition, along with me polishing it for all these years.”

Suspension

For improved handling and a more aggressive stance, part of the post- storage modernization program for the T/A was to deliver it to Hypercision in Orland Park, Illinois, where Moog 1-inch lowering coil springs and custom leaf springs were installed to set the desired ride height. Cornering is enhanced with a Hotchkis 1.375-inch, hollow front swaybar and a 0.875-inch rear bar. Polyurethane bushings throughout the suspension reduce deflection. Adding a modern Pro-Touring appearance and more stick are new YearOne 18x9-inch Snowflake billet aluminum wheels with matching caps and gold inserts, and BFG KDW 285/40ZR18 tires.

Engine

A Comp Cams hydraulic roller with 224/230 degrees duration at 0.050 provides 0.502/0.510 lift, has a 110- degree LSA, and was installed 2-degrees advanced. A set of round-port E-heads feature 2.11/1.66 valves and 87cc chambers. Crane 1.50-ratio aluminum roller rockers, Manley pushrods, and Edelbrock valvesprings with 10-degree retainers and locks make up the valvetrain.

A 750 Holley carb and Edelbrock Performer RPM intake deliver the air and fuel to the cylinders, and an MSD Pro-Billet distributor, 6AL ignition control, coil, and wire set send the spark to Champion Copper Plus plugs. Custom 1.875-inch headers and a full ceramic-coated exhaust with a 2.5-inch H-pipe, Flowmaster 40-series mufflers, and OE-style tailpipes and tips provide a throaty tone.

Since Ron doesn’t take extended highway trips with the T/A, he decided to forgo an overdrive transmission and simply beef up the original Turbo 350. TCI provided the shift kit, flexplate, and 2,800-rpm stall converter. The GM 10-bolt, housing 3.23 gears and Safe-T-Track, remains out back.

Ron says, “With the new upgrades, I feel it handles as nice as any new sports car out there and the acceleration is breathtaking, seemingly even when the car is standing still.”

Conclusion

Ron has masterfully blended two car- building themes—Pro-Touring with contemporary suspension, brake, wheel/tire, and engine upgrades, and ’80s fantasy-based custom body art—thus furthering his T/A’s trophy-winning ways. Most importantly he enjoys his Bird as much today as he did in the ’70s.

“Each time I drive it and people give me the thumbs up and shoot photos, it takes me back to when I was 18.” I wonder if the kid in the 1981 photo realized that three decades later, he and his Trans Am would still be cruising the streets of Oak Lawn and cleaning up on the show circuit.

Ron would like to thank his mom, his “Gram,” his great friend Matt, and Bill Ritter for all of their support, and “Punkin’, for putting up with the last 13 years of a hobby gone mad!”

Evolution Of A Show Car