[Ben M.]

It was in the driveway and off of the lift and back on, but another 1975 Trans Am lives again.

Link for those interested....

Long time coming to get here! Just need to do a few more things and I should be ready to drive it for real!

[72blackbird]

Ben,
Congrats on getting your T/A running again- I wish I had gone with a '75 instead of a '76 so I wouldn't have to bust my balls trying to find a 76 455 block as well as all of those little engine parts. Mine also needs a whole interior (not impossible but still a PITA)- but I think getting the car up and running is a better way to go before restoring it.

I'm curious why you're keeping the smog gear when you're exempt- any plans to build it up?

Geno

[Ben M.]

The engine's built decently enough right now. 6X-4 heads, RAIII cam, and tuning in the carb & distributor so it should scoot along pretty nicely with a decent idle and road manners, but I'm not naive enough to believe I'll be smog exempt forever. A 1973 EGR intake doesn't flow noticeably any worse than a 1968-1972 intake. California's gas might as well be cat pee, so any compression higher than allowing for 87 is pushing it as far as I am concerned. Most of the smog equipment is for appearances than anything else - if I suddenly have to start smogging it, I really don't want to have to track down parts that most people throw away ;-) The suspension could use some attention, as well as the body and interior (seriously, the car was one step away from the scrap yard when I picked it up for $100) but a runner and a driver is a much easier prospect to deal with than a 4000lb paperweight that I can't drive and get bored or frustrated with.

[GREATGTO]

You should leave California and come to the USA, at least whats left of the USA

[72blackbird]

Ben,
It's always better to start off with a project car that has a motor, but since you know how it is to start on a car w/o one you know where I'm at- to make matters worse I need a correct year block to rebuild for smog.

I had a couple of leads on a 76 400 long block, but with that no. 500557 block I'm not too thrilled about rebuilding that. I found out that from CAR that I could use a 455 as a replacement motor, but it would have to be a 76 block to pass smog. So my hunt begins for a 76 455 block, probably harder to find than a SD455.

I already picked up a set of 6x-8's and dropped them off at the machine shop- if those check out they should make 8.5-8.7:1 on a 455, ideal for 87-89 octane CA cat pee. I also have a 455 crank already in the shop for turning- tempted to use my '71 455 block but with my luck they would check the block and tell me to start over. I think in my case I'm better off starting w/ the '76 455 block and going from there- I've had some people tell me the CA smog refs don't even check, but rolling the dice on that gamble and loosing is a chance I can't afford.

Geno

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by 72blackbird

I've had some people tell me the CA smog refs don't even check, but rolling the dice on that gamble and loosing is a chance I can't afford.

They don't check, they have no way of knowing what the engine came out of or what it is besides obviously being wrong (fuel injection, no EGR, etc). But I do understand where you are coming from though. I had to do the same thing when I brought my '72 to California (an original California car). They made me send it to CHP and get it inspected by an officer and he asked a ton of questions on what the engine was and what I had done to it - I was honest the entire way about it being a '73 455 vs. a '72 350. In the end he didn't care though, so it worked out.

While I think you can likely use any 70-76 block with all of the correct '76 pieces and whatnot, better safe than sorry. It will be fun once you get it all together and the smog tech doesn't even care ;-)

[72blackbird]

I was planning to build the '71 455 shortblock for my '72 Firebird (why I bought the 455 block, crank, and set of 6x-4 heads), but since the '76 T/A needs a motor and the '72 already has a rebuilt 406 I'd say the 455 needs to go there.

I guess in a worse case scenario I could get a smog tech who actually knew pontiacs well enough to know it wasn't a 76 455 block and reject the engine for failing visual inspection, but then I could just use the shortblock on my '72. I'm planning to build the 455 with forged KB's and Tomahawk 4340 I-beams, but those won't affect emissions other than letting the motor rev alot faster than the stock parts- I'll get a replacement-style cam which should keep the emissions down. The motor will also have the stock carb, air cleaner, vacuum lines and all required emissions on it, so visually it will be as close to stock as possible. But I heard they check block codes, part nos. on manifolds, head numbers- is that true?

Geno

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by 72blackbird

But I heard they check block codes, part nos. on manifolds, head numbers- is that true?

You will be lucky if the smog tech can even tell you it's a Pontiac v8 instead of a Chevy. They will randomly latch on to strange things and ask about them, but casting numbers and parts, etc will not be looked at or inspected much at all. If it's *obviously* not stock like headers or shiny chrome parts, they will question or fail. But factory manifolds with EFE valve intact, y-pipe with a cat, all vacuum lines hooked up to something, they don't dig any deeper than that. Initial timing MUST match the sticker on the core support as well as the idle speed screw and fast idle setting (doubtful they will check that too much, but it's a requirement). Then you get to pass the tailpipe test at idle and on the rollers.

Find a shop that will work with you to pass. Not a *wink wink* *nudge nudge* shop, but one that genuinely will work with you to diagnose problems and help you fix them without simply stamping it a gross polluter and sending you to CHP's inner circle of hell reserved for cars they want to see crushed.

[72blackbird]

Ben,
Thanks for all of your insight on this- sorry to jack your post BTW. Funny thing is that the car is a 49-state car and still has the original exhaust with y-pipe, no cat w/ single exhaust, crossflow muffler and dual tailpipes w/ OEM splitter tips. Do you think the smog referee would make me put a cat and smog pump on a T/A that wasn't originally a CA car?

Geno

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by 72blackbird

no cat w/ single exhaust...

All 1975 and later model year cars as far as I know came with catalytic converters. What does the emissions sticker on the core support say? If it says Catalyst anywhere on it, it's supposed to have a converter (naturally mine doesn't, but it still has one). And chances are, even if for some odd reason it didn't come with one, the info in their computers will say it needs one and you will have to put one on. Not too much of a big deal, modern ones aren't the giant flow restrictors they used to be.

[72blackbird]

Yep, I looked at the tag on the core support and it says 'catalyst' on it- a previous owner must have removed it. I would consider putting a better y-pipe, cat, and cat-back exhaust system if I knew it would still be legal. I think I will definitely need to find a shop that will help me to get the right parts to make the car pass smog and not choke the motor.

Geno

[se428bandit]

Can't you put a dual cat system on there.The Pellet type convertor kills horsepower.I remember when i took my off,what a difference it made.

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by se428bandit

Can't you put a dual cat system on there.

No. It has to be a factory original style system (y-pipe, single cat, single muffler). Doesn't matter if it is more efficient or cleaner than what the factory in 1976 put on, it still will get a fail from California's smog police.

[72blackbird]

I did some research into buying a cat- CARB requires all replacement cats to be a newer, more efficient model. Not a big deal to me, since it will reduce emissions even better than the original cat and help me pass. I'm going to the smog shop I normally get my other cars done at and have the owner recommend which smog parts he wants to see so I can pass visual inspection with the T/A.

Geno

[Rack776]

Good Job on saving another one from the parts bin dude!
Hope you find all the little bits & parts to complete it.

Re-putting together someone elses mechanical mistakes
can be like building a Big 3-D puzzle, sometimes its worse than
finding a "Barn Car" that was all together, at least then you
might have something original to compare to.
Good Luck With It!


On a seperate note,
I have a 1975 455 T/A and tracking down all the emissions crap
that guys threw out is no easier for a 75 than for a 76.

For the time being its smog exempt in PA and loaded with smog-illegal parts like headders.
I do rember my Hedman Hedders, Accel Coil, MSD ignition Box, ect coming with decals
that needed to be placed on the car by the emissions lable to certify the parts were
50 state legal, not sure if it still applies in CA though, Edelbrock used to make a Pontiac
EGR intake with a emissions legal decal but i never bought one.

I searched for some time for the correct parts "just to have" to keep with the car
and "just incase I need them some day" Rare & hard to find dont begin to describe
1970s emission parts.