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Who influenced you to pontiacs, pontiac performance?
I'm 57, my dad was all Pontiac and myself and my brother had Gto's as first cars. so dad was the main influence.
But I remember always picking up performance magazines and Nunzi was always in there doing something performance wise with a Pontiac. from there a bit later it was pete McCarthy. |
My father was my inspiration, although not drag racing. My father despised drag racing and even though he never raced anything, he was an avid oval track fan, 99% dirt tracks. My mothers father was a mechanic at a Pontiac dealer and got my dad his job there in the service department, from where he transitioned from a time keeper to a line mechanic over time. There's where the hook on owning and driving Pontiacs almost 100% is instilled in my family.
Dad was a mechanic for most of his adult life and the one time that stands out in my mind was when he rebuilt the 4 BBl carb on his 57 Star Chief and took me and another neighborhood kid for a test drive after he was done. I bet my grin was from ear to ear after he took it on some dirt back roads kicking that Rochester 4BBl wide open...……………:D In the mid 60s there were plenty of late model GTO dirt track race cars, and even a few B body dirt cars running in and around my home town of Erie PA. I know that most everyone here thinks Pontiac was best known for drag racing, but truth is NASCAR participation as well as other venues earned Pontiac a lot of ink back in the 50s-60s some of the venues were land speed and closed courses. Later on the Gray Ghost and later the Fire Ams of Herb Adams Tom Nell and other select engineers at Pontiac through road racing and even into the 2005 era the 04-06 GTOs were getting ink on road courses. Even though I have tried drag racing, and sponsored a few drag racers, it just doesn't get my heart beating like running 25 laps on a dirt track. I know, I'm in a very small minority here. 65 YO and plan on driving 100% Pontiacs until they take my drivers license away, except for my trucks __________________ |
My first draw to Pontiac were the ads and posters for the '64 GTO. For the next few years I collected GTO ads & posters, and stuck 'em all over my walls, like GTO "wallpaper".
From '64 thru '68 I saw & heard several GTO's "makin the loop" in our little country town. A friend took me & 2 other friends for a ride in his brother's '65 4-speed GTO. Didn't get my own GTO til early '69. But I was already a Pontiac guy, before I had a Pontiac. :) |
I'm 65 and I remember my dad buying a new Pontiac (Bonneville, I believe) way back from the later 50's every few years. My mom likes the way she sat in them. Whatever mom, I just loved how they looked and smelled back them. Did'n get to own my first GTO ('69) until I was about 21 .
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I'm 52, but started reading Hot Rod before I was 12 (summer of '78). With Smokey and the Bandit being an influence, and Hot Rod talking about the end of the 400 & 403, I persuaded my dad to buy a '79 Trans Am the next year.
A few years later I was working in the parts department of the local Pontiac/Cadillac dealership. Around this time my cousin (like a brother to me) bought a '78 T/A, and he & I spent the next 8 years swapping a variety of cams, heads, intakes, carbs, etc... I also made friends with a group of guys who all had Trans Ams and Formulas. We'd get together for weekend thrash projects, to help each other. We did our first 455/6X built around '87 or so. I was amazed at the interchangeability of Pontiacs, and how the PMD engineers apparently left "easter eggs" for us to find and play with! I was amazed at how cheap and easy it was for us to build high-12 to mid-13 street cars with mostly junkyard parts (late-80's to early-90's). Undoubtedly, the person who inspired me to raise my goals and aim for higher performance is Jim Hand. Jim is the FIRST "guru" I had come across, who was not trying to sell ANYTHING - just spread the gospel and share knowledge. In chronological order, my influences have been: Burt Reynolds Hot Rod magazine My cousin & friends Jim Hand |
Friend of mine from junior high - his father worked at a dealership. They sold VW's but the owner had ties to Marsh Pontiac so there always a Poncho in the driveway. I remember his mom's '68 Bonnie. Rode like a cloud and had the best sounding AM/FM/8 track I ever heard. I rode in that one often and even got to drive it some few years later. Senior year he got a nearly new '69 GTO 4spd conv. which would be mine later. In between I had a '68 Firebird convertible 400/400. He was the one that got me started on Pontiacs, specifically convertible Pontiacs, and I'm still at it today.
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My first ride was a '77 1/2 with a 250 auto. The trans was bad and finished off the junk 250 on the way home. I was 15. Dad traded labor and some Chevy parts to a guy for a 220hp 79 400 out of a TA. We put that and a th400 in the truck with its 3.50 gear. I started looking at the firebirds because of the engine I had. Then I'd look through the Chiltons manuals looking at all the engine specs. I decided I wanted a '66 GTO. Wound up picking up a '71 Catalina 2 door for $150 and put my 400 in it with a Saginaw 4 speed. I then picked up a '70 GTO roller for $500 and built my first engine with the original 400 from the Catalina. Being 18 I made a few dumb parts choices and wound up with a .030 400 with 96 heads,a magnum 292 cam, 3 tube headers, performer rpm intake and a 750 Carter running through a 2500 stall and 2.79 gears in the GTO. I had fun but it liked to bend valves. I kept the drivetrain and traded the GTO for a '71 formula, and added a 3.73 posi. My engine did better in the formula, but I sold it to cover closing costs on our first house. And somewhere in there I bought my '66 Catalina from a car crusher for $400 when I was 18, replaced a lifter and drove it. It had a mid 70's 400 with 4x heads, auto, and craptastic 2.56 gears. I traded it, then spent 10 years looking for it. Found it again, gave $300 for it this time with no drivetrain, and have been putting it back together on a tiny budget. The fun part was delivering pizza in high school and college in all those pontiacs.
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My love started at like 14 years old. All the kids in my neighborhood were older than me most by 2 years.
I had been working on everything I could get my hands on! Bicycles, lawn mowers, mini bikes, anything. So it didn't take long before they started coming to me to help them with FM converters, headers, brake job's hell everything. 1 of the kids had a 69 GTO bench seat, auto, green with white interior nothing fancy. It was all stock it was still registered in his older brothers name which worked out good for us because he was a captain in the police dept. of your town, Hammond IN. Plus it had an official FOP large sticker in the middle of the back window. Anyway he almost NEVER got beat, new Mustangs, Corvettes we would drive around every night looking to street race someone new and most of the time drinking beer(1980) I cant even count how many friends that I helped trying to make their car faster to beat Tony's GTO but it just couldn't be done!!!!! Once I learned how easy it was to make more power with a Pontiac I Have been in love with them ever since. It took me 20 years to get a nice GTO had to pay a small fortune, but back in the day I never had the money even when they were cheap, had a son early and did my best to raise him right. In fact his first 3 cars were all Pontiac's! He still has the first new car the wife and I ever bought 1999 GP GT 4 door. At one point both of our boys were driving Pontiacs. |
It was Jimmy Carter. 55 MPH national speed limit, fuel lines, parked V8 cars.
So I bought a 68 LeMans down the street, when i was 14. My mom said "there's a nice car for $350 in the driveway" Oh, Maybe it was my mom. |
I was 16 year old, my father had a '65 GTO 4 speed, my Uncle had a '73 Lemans Sport Coupe with 400 ci , 4 bbl, dual exhaust manual transmission. We heard about a local shop in town that specializes in Pontiac performance called Purely PMD. Only have to hang out at their shop for a little while before it gets in your blood.
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When I was a kid I rode a minibike in some fields across from my house. At the end of the main path was an old closed up gas station that was being rented by a bunch of drag racers. In that garage was a '65 GTO and a '68 400 Firebird with Tri-Power on it. I immediately fell in love with the GTO. Later that year, a guy on my newspaper route was using a '65 GTO as a winter car while his '68 AMX was in the paint shop for some custom paint. When he was done with the GTO, I bought it for $150.00. It was suppose to be $175.00 but by the time I got it the snow tires were bald (go figure) and he knocked off $25.00. That was 1971. In 2006 I sold my entire '65 GTO cars and parts collection and that GTO went with it. Its still like a death in the family. Although, that 400 Firebird that was also in that garage, still lives on and in my avatar. 1972 custom lacquer paint and all.
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1970 I was 8 years old. I am the youngest of 6 kids. My older brother pulled into out driveway with a 68 Mayfair Maze convertible GTO. He had Corvettes and Chargers but the convertible GTO always stood out. When i turned 16 I bought a 67 Lemans for $550. Wrecked it and then bought a 71 Formula Firebird. I had it for 7 years then i got married. 2 years later 1991 I bought a 68 Convertible 400 4 spd Firebird. I still have it. 5 years ago I purchased a 69 CR Judge.
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When I was fourteen years old (1972-ish), my older brother Rick bought a Palmetto green 1965 GTO, tri-powered four speed car, with a 4.11 posi in it. I still remember my first ride in the car, being shoved back into the seat while he went through the gears. I was too young to drive at the time, but I was hooked on fast cars from then on, so I guess it was my brother Rick who got me into Pontiacs..
When I turned 16 and got my driver license, I went through a couple of cars before buying the GTO from Rick. It was my first Pontiac, and although it wasn't then nicest Pontiac I've ever owned, I was definitely one of the coolest. Here is a picture of my brother standing next to the GTO sometime around 1973. |
Unlike so many lucky people on the forums, my father was NOT a car guy in any way. A car was an appliance that needed constant attention and $ spent on it. As such, he had mostly AMC junk and a few marginal Fords. I had 5 sisters and no brothers, so no family Pontiac influence. However, I was a car nut and engine nut from the time I could walk.
Here is my top early influence. Mike Harper. A best friend. I had a 69 Chevy Camaro conv. My first really nice car. It had a highly modified SBC, big cam, ported heads, aluminim high rise manifold, modified manual valve body transmission, 3500 stall converter, some mods for better traction. Mike Harper comes over to my house and says "look what I just bought?" It was a 68 2dr. Bonneville, absolutely beautiful with only a 400 4bbl. and 29K miles on it. He says, "you won't believe how fast this car is". I said, "right" and out to the street we went for a race. We left from a standing start and I jumped out to a 1/2 car lead and that was all. By the time we were going 30-40MPH, that damn Bonneville was past me just pulling away smoothly. We ran 3-4 times, my car was running fine. Same result every time. 2 weeks later, the Camaro was sold and that was the last Chevy "performance" car I have ever owned. For the next 45 years, I have been enjoying Pontiac V-8 magic. |
I am 58. in 1982 I lost my girlfriend/Fiance to a drunk driver . I/We would often go to the cemetary to visit her ,sometimes at night .
Well at night we had to jump the fence in back and park on the side of the road in a housing developement. I drove a 1970 442 W-30 with 29,000 miles 4 speed and 433's ... there was a 68 GTO convert parked with a flat tire ,a couple houses down from where I would park and jump the fence.. one night on our way out we got busted by an old man ... he confronted us and made sure we wernt vandalizing ... but he was more interested in my Olds .... come to find out he owned the GTO ... we checked it out .. asked why it was just sittin with a flat tire .. the 4 piston discs were leaking on one side and it was parked .... bought it the next night for 550.00 ... bled the brakes on the side of his drive way and brought along a spare and drove it home 30 miles lost the brakes about half way home.... used the ebrake and compression from the 4 speed to slow it down ..... I still own it today ....put 225,000 miles on it in 15 years.....vedero green black black 4 speed ... I always like the GTO my uncle had a 66 tripower 4 speed car never got to ride in it my folks wouldnt let us and wrapped it around a telephone pole sideways in 71 with my mom and dad in the back seat on the way home from the bar and country dancing .. Scott |
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Who influenced you to pontiacs, pontiac performance? Answer: I don't know that I can answer that. I do recall my dad having a couple second gen Firebirds when I was younger (born 1977), but by the time I was thirteen, he moved eight hundred miles away, so any influence he may have had was kinda gone... I always kind of liked cars; As a kid, my favorite toys were often Hotwheels, and I clearly recall my favorites to be a '63 Splitwindow Corvette, and the 'Hotbird'... I recall my uncles on my dad's side always kind of liking cars, and one of my uncles in particular had a '78 Z28 for a short while... Another uncle had an '88 GTA, after suffering through driving a Chevette, and being gifted a V6 third gen Camaro... I loved that GTA. I had a friend in grade eleven, who was actually a weirdo, but at the time his dad was letting him drive their (then only ten year old!) 1983 Firebird SE, it was a V6, but it was enough to reignite my interest in cars. I come from a GM family, and since the Mustang didn't really interest me (stylistically) I naturally veered towards the Camaro & Firebird. I bought a couple of those readers digest books (does anyone recall the red padded cover Camaro book, or hte silver padded cover Firebird book?), then the odd magazine... Then I bought a 'Popular Hot Rodding' magazine which was a Firebird special - and I was hooked! Shortly there after I found HPP... I loved the looks of so many years of the Firebirds (I really do like them all), and through my interest in Firebirds, I became interested in GTO's and early 70's Grand Prix's... But I dreamed of a 70-73 Formula with a manual transmission (at hte time I had never driven stick, only heard of the merits of stick)... After high school, my dad and step-mom (through my step-mom's mother; step-grandmother??) gifted me my Formula; But it was my choice - within a reasonable price range, I could pick anything I wanted... Looking back, maybe that was the pivotal moment for me. If you have never taught a kid with zero experience to drive stick on a car with over 400 ft-lbs of torque, you should... just wear a neck brace! (my bad; I was so worried about blazing the tires and losing control!) Maybe it's a good thing that the GTO's still demanded a hefty premium over same year Firebirds back in 1995; I have never looked back. |
I suspect I was conceived New Years Eve 1967 in the back of a yellow tri power 1965 GTO my father had recently bought from his older sister,
Leading to the marriage of my parents. |
I don't know that anyone in my family had ever owned a Pontiac before I purchased mine. My dad was a Chevy man. a 67 Chevelle SS and a 72 short bed he had ordered brand new. Back in 1984 we didn't have internet and a myriad of options when it came to searching for cars. I remember seeing a 65 Buick Riviera for sale and liking that front end. The overall car just wasn't what I was looking for though. At 15 I didn't have a lot of cash to spend on a car. Who does at 15? At that time you searched classifieds in local papers. I ran across a 67 LeMans 2 door HT for $500. Ran. Drove. Was complete from front to back. Loved the car and drove it home.
Over the years, it was the cars and engines themselves that influenced me and kept one in the driveway. Though not typically a high revving engine, the torque and drivability was great. Engines were easier to work on IMHO. Other than headers! Though my dad knew Chevys, that was of little help when I stupidly pulled plugs, wires, etc for a tune up the first time without numbering anything. They really don't like to run when you set the firing order on the cap clockwise. It has always been, and shall always be the cars themselves that drive my passion for the Pontiac brand. |
We used to live outside of the city limits. No city water and septic tanks. We had to come up with $600 or so back then to connect to the new sewer lines they were running. We were poor. Daddy didn`t have the money. So, I lent him the money to get it done. He didn`t have the money to pay me back in enough time, I guess. So, he`s got this 1970 Pontiac Executive. Good shape. Gold with a white top. No vinyl. He says take the car for the $600. I did, and that was that. That old car was bullet proof with that 290hp 400.
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I guess I would say I always liked Pontiacs, especially after riding in a ‘66 Tri-Power GTO that belonged to a high school buddy.
I am a first generation car guy/hot rodder, taught myself how to work on them by doing and reading a couple repair manuals. My dad was an aerospace engineer who considered cars to be appliances and never understood why I was so motivated to work on and modify them in what most might consider impractical ways. Four cylinder air cooled VWs are where I started, as a teenager I was heavily into street racing as well as racing on 1/4 mile tracks. My first hot street bugs ran 14.30s (1756cc) and later 13.70s (1835cc) so they were plenty competitive while roaming the streets in the late ‘70s. I also had a dedicated 12:1 race gas only 1835cc race car that consistently ran in the 12.40s back in 1981. By 1989 I had acquired my first Pontiac and haven’t been able to stop ever since. It was a ‘64 GTO cloned from a Le Mans hardtop sometime back in the 1970s. My friend bought it in 1987 and it was clearly a street race warrior, it had a ‘69 RAIII WS engine complete with #48 heads ported by Mondello, clearly stamped above the exhaust crossover on the intake side of the heads. A Saginaw 4-speed and 4.88 gears in the 10-bolt rear let us know this was a purpose built performance car, it was also equipped with 14x7” Chevelle rally wheels of all things. The GTO came with the H-O Racing engine book and one by Pete McCarthy/John Angeles as well so they definitely were my gurus and influential in my understanding of how special Pontiacs were. Also Purely PMD played a role as well, I still have all of the little booklets that were also included in my GTO deal. Another big motivator was the pair of #197 455 HO heads that came in the trunk, my friend had recently purchased them from Purely PMD for the whopping sum of $850 which was big bucks at the time. It wasn’t long before I built a 455 to use those heads on, which I bracket raced for a decade of good times with my friends in the Pontiac Drag Days race series from 1993 to 2002. When I got into Pontiacs I took a 25 year break from VWs but always held onto one that I kept in my garage out of the elements. Have since resurrected that one (‘66 bus pickup) and acquired 2 more, so it’s 3 Pontiacs and 3 VWs now to play with in my retirement that’s not too far in the future. Pictured below are my old GTO bracket car (finally sold it in 2013), and the current fleet consisting of a Tempest, WS6 convertible and Le Mans convertible. |
my parents bought my 65 GTO in 83 or so, I got it from them around 91. Still stuck with the stupid thing even though everyone knows that Chevies are better.
:bolt: kidding ... :D |
The old man was always a chevy guy so I had to be different yet loyal to the fam.
Also went on an unforgettable road trip from Canada to Cali in my buddy's 76 FB right outta high school which sold me on the 2nd gen handling for life. |
Growing up in a Pontiac Dealership is what did it for me.
Mom and Dad sold evering and borrowed as much as they could to buy the dealership in 1960....and my twin brother and I were teenagers. Boy have I washed a lot of Pontiacs in my life. First car was a 61 Catalina convert...tri power and a stick. My Mom always liked the short deck cars and a stick too. Next car I actually owned was a 66 gto tri power with a stick And then a 69 ram air 3 Judge ...a Pontiac engineer was in the store the first week I owned it and told me to get rid of the 744 cam...he shipped me a box with a complete ram air 4 top end and I installed the cam and heads myself...still a teenager in high school This Pontiac engineer influenced me a lot. |
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We kept burning out the aluminum manifolds running them on the street. Once the patches had patches welded on them my dad threw them out and made a set of shorty tubular headers. Mac saw those and liked them and said "I'm going to grind you a cam for those." He did. Even stamped the production numbers on the end. Here's how that story ended up: https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...rs#post3809459 (post #81) K |
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http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 https://www.motortrend.com/features/...-still-family/ http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-b...=9990396621018 |
Yes Dad for sure
Passed recently at 98 and was still talking about early SD's 425A trophy and Ram Air. In 1962 we flew back to Pontiac and watched a 62 Bonneville convert be assembled and then drove it back to Utah just because you could do so at the time. It was a 425A trophy and a stick. Those were the best days. |
It’s really hard for me to write this. My dad passed away a few days ago and I don’t think I’ve fully come to grips with it. My dad was the one who even entertained the idea that I get into old cars to start. I remember being 14 and having stacks of Hot Rod, Car Craft, and High Performance Pontiac magazines. My dad was handy, but definitely not a car person or mechanic.
We were taking a ride, just he and I, to visit my grandmother that lived about 45 minutes away. I spotted a 68 Firebird at the back of a small used car lot. This was 1994. The car was pretty rough. I think my dad’s belief in me far outweighed my actual ability to fix this car. It was $1500. Looking back, and knowing what I know now about cars, it was probably about right, but for me it may as well been $15,000. We finished our trip and came home. The next day, the car was in my driveway. A surprise from my father to me. My mother was less than enthused. My mom was very well aware of my abilities and thought this whole thing was a terrible idea. That car was the one. The one that started my passion for cars, and especially for Pontiacs. By the time I was ready to drive, I had the Firebird looking pretty good. Lots of body work and paint, interior and a transmission rebuild and it was ready to go. It was my daily for years. I’ve owned around 50 cars since then but none as special as that car. I still have it. It’s crazy to find such comfort in a thing, but when I sit in that car I can still feel my dad next to me. We had some great times and built some wonderful memories together thanks to that car. His health had been declining for a while now and I know that he’s in a better place now. One of the last conversations I had with him was about the Firebird. I found a nice original 400 hood for it after looking for almost 20 years. He’s smiled when I told him about it. His eyes lit up when I told him it’s also got a factory hood tach. Thank you dad, for always being in my corner no matter what, and instilling good old common sense and strong values into me as we worked on this car together. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e89ae95312.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a8a7305a73.jpg |
I am truly sorry for your loss. Your Dad was a very special guy. It is obvious that he loved you very much. And that he supported and believed in you. You are a lucky man to have had such a wonderful Dad. I’m truly sorry for your loss.
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Sorry for your loss tinindian68. My Dad got me into cars/Pontiacs also. I was excited to take him for a ride when my GTO is done, but he passed in Oct. I know he will be with me though when I take that inaugural ride.
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My favorite uncle had a ‘68 GTO.
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Growing up my parents rebuilt Chevelles, my dad had a 69 Chevelle SS 396, my mom had a 71 Chevelle Malibu and my brother had a 1970 Chevelle Malibu.
They were our daily driver cars back in the 90s We had a ton of spare parts left over from the builds. So when I turned 15 my dad said we need to start looking for a car for when I turn 16. He asked me what I had in mind and without hesitation I said a.GTO. His reply was are you kidding me? All these extra parts and chevelles and you want a GTO?! I didn't ever get my GTO but from that day forward it was my dream car. |
My father bought a '71 GTO brand new when I was 15. About 7 yrs later, my little sister ran it into a ditch. As we were looking at it while it sat at a body shop; Dad said the ins. company had totaled it. I said let's keep it and drag race it. We bracket raced it for several years while always looking to go faster. The H/O and Jim Hand books were very much our guides as we made improvements. We eventually ended up with a '72 HO headed 455 that ran consistent 10.80's-90's. This was at 3500 lbs and back in the late '70's was considered pretty damn quick. There weren't a ton of aftermarket speed parts for Pontiacs in those days. That Goat would always be quicker than a certain 460 Ford Mustang that wanted so badly to outrun us. I then ran a Pontiac powered Trans Am in S/G for many years. My father and I have loved Pontiacs since the '70's. so I guess you could say my father and that '71 GTO started my love for Ponchos.
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And, I'm very sorry for your loss. |
NOBODY ! I went shopping in 1964 for a used car. I wanted to buy a 64 GTO but my mom wouldn't co-sign the loan because I was 1-A in the draft.
My step-dad was an Oldsmobile guy so we found a 59 Olds. It was white with a Red top. 394 cu-in. No thanks. Then we saw a 59 Catalina. It was Red with a white top. 389 cu in 2-barrel. I drove it home. The rest is history. |
In my senior year of HS (1983) I worked as an intern at Krogers Erie marketing division HQ in Solon, OH and met a great lady with a green 69 GTO. Fell in love with that car.
In 1987, sold my daily driver and wanted a muscle car and found a 1972 GTO at a used car dealership. Test drove a better condition and cheaper 63 Ford Galazie but the red 72 GTO just wouldnt let me go. So $4,750 later it was mine. Turned out that the dealership owner's son was also into 71-72 GTOs and his bestfriend was the then husband of the lady I worked with in 1983 who had the 69 GTO. Small world. Still have the 72 and other GTOs. Still in love with all of them despite ignoring them for years to chase a Wall Street career. Making up for lost time now with them. Hence all the questions I post for help and advise, which I appreciate greatly all your replies! DV |
1984, I was at KMart with my mom I believe and they used to have a good selection of model cars. I saw a AMT 1965 GTO kit. My mom bought it for me. Maybe that year or a year later at the old Taunton Dog Track there used to be a swap me. That's where I met Steve Ames. He had a trailer with parts. I got a catalog and he was very nice to take the time to talk to me about GTO's. I brought the catalog home and ordered a shirt or two, probably a few other things. A few years later, with help from my dad, I was able to buy my first 1966 GTO. From there I met a few other fellows that are on this board who have become lifelong friends.
As time has gone on I had to sell all my cars. I moved to FL and I hope, with in a year, I'm back in a convertible. Not sure what car it will be but for certain it will be a convertible hopefully with a stick. |
I'll spare you guys why I ended spending my entire life in racing and the car industry. .
So I'll somewhat fast forward and laser focus only on the Pontiacs ( because I own and like other brands too). As a kid I truly appreciated "The Rockford files" then "Smokey and the bandit" made me want a TA. One of the movies that I knew every lines by the age of 12 was "Slap Shot". To this day I still lust over owning Reggie Dunlop's 1970 GTO Gold/ Black Vinyl top, 4 speed, maybe not the movie car but ill build a clone and I would blast Maxine Nightingale's " Right back where we started " or "A Little bit of Saskatoon" in the 8 track.... When I was 14 one of my best friend's was a true gearhead , they had a huge garage at home, his das was a me hani and his entire neiborhood was filled with automotive tradesmen. He had a soft spot for Pontiacs, my I wanted Camaro and Corvettes. When we were 16 he was driving a very clean black on red 79 Lemans built like a Grand Am. I had a white 1980 Z/28. One nigh we borrowed his dad's S15 pick up and a Uhaul car dolley because he had bought a reddish 1978 Trans Am project advertised in the Auto Trader magazine. The car was 4 hours drive away, when we got there it was quite rusted and the red paint was quite faded along with the black chicken on the hood ( northeast car). But the freakin's stance that car had, parked in the weeds , the shaker hood, 255 60 15s on 8" snowflakes all around , Hadtop, and a swapped 455 and 4 speed in it., Opened the driver door to discove the hurst T handle, black velvet buckets and the machined dash bezel.... I told myself that my Z28 was just a pale version of what this TA was all about. I think that was the car that somewhat sealed the deal for me when it comes to Ponchos The kicker is my friend kept the car maybe 2 months and sold it back when he realized how much bodywork the car needed... He never told me he was selling it , pretty sure he didnt want me to buy it lol Peter |
In 1984 I was 14 years old. I have a first cousin who is 2 yrs older than me. He got his license and when he pulled into my driveway in a metallic blue 68 GTO with hideaways., it was the most gorgeous hunk of metal I had ever seen. It had a swapped 455 with dual gate shifter and 3.55 STT rear. I was instantly hooked and have owned 12 GTO’s , including 69 and 70 Judges, from 66-73., along with 3 first gen Firebirds.
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Sold my 63 Chevy II (307 V8) and found a 68 Firebird HO on a used car lot in 1975. That car sealed my loyalty to Pontiac.
My buddy had a 66 Lemans so we wrenched on the cars together. Young and dumb, I crashed and ruined the Firebird. Finally got another one back in April after retirement. |
In high school a friend a year ahead of me got a brand new '57 Pontiac with Tri-Power- lucky son of a successful farmer. In '58 he swapped the engine for a '58 since he was more comfortable dragracing with a forged crank and forged rods- plus more displacement. In '59 I bought the '57 engine from him- been running Pontiac engines ever since.
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How I got into Pontiacs is because of my mother. But I've loved muscle cars ever since I was a child. I'm only 37 years old, so I'm a millenial - not the typical agegroup associated with this hobby. It all started when me and my family went up north for a roadtrip as a child since my mother, having grew up in NYC (we lived in and still live in South Florida) was hellbent on us seeing snow. We stopped at a K-Mart in Maryland and I went to the toy section and wanted this snap-together model of a 1974 Plymouth 'Cuda in yellow. My mom bought it for me and it kept me entertained the rest of the road trip. This ushered in a year of so of obsessing over muscle cars, going to car shows, and collecting more models. Eventually I fell out of it, and after years of moving onto other obsessions, I eventually reached driving age. Fast forward to 2006 and I'm looking around for a first car. I had no idea the values for classic cars skyrocketed the way they did, and I wanted a 'Cuda. Obviously that dream fell to the wayside, but then my mother turned me onto Trans Ams when she told me stories about the two she owned when she was in her 20's working as a nurse in Staten Island. She had a 1975 and 1976, both Sterling Silver w/ black interior, automatics. The 1975, she accidentally ran right into the Staten Island river shoreline as she flew down the highway. The force of the impact was so great, the wall of water literally caused the car to just rebound and float right back on land. However, the engine flooded. She was able to start it and nurse it back home - she opened all the doors, it was a sunny week and she just kept it outside with the doors and windows open and it dried out. She traded it in the following week for a 1976 after a thorough detail, claiming "she just wanted the new model." The dealer was none the wiser. That's how she ended up with the 1976. So I started looking up Trans Ams and developed the itch. They became my obsession, and in 2006; 2007; and 2008 they were still relatively affordable. I eventually got a 1978 in 2008 which turned out to be a disaster. I thought after I sold it, I'd never get another classic car but then the passion started to return in 2019 after I sold my 2011 Camaro. The opportunity for my '79 came up, and the rest is history. Classic cars is a hobby not many of my generation understands. It takes you back to a different time, the smells; the sounds; the styling. Not necessarily a simpler time, or a more progressive time, just a different time. Cars, like music; film; TV; clothes; or fashion; are one of the strongest ways to see the optimism (or pessimism) of a given era, the tone of an era, and that fascinates me. Every decade's overall vibe and presence comes out in the styling of the cars of the time. It's always fascinated me. I don't plan on ever selling my T/A, so its increased value, while nice to know, is irrelevant to me. I'd rather have it than a Ferrari. My T/A has also taught me a lot about working on cars, since I do all of the repairs and maintenance on it myself. I've done engine work; brake work; pulled the transmission and taken it apart and re-assembled it twice; among plenty of other things. These are invaluable skills that could save me from ever having to blow a ton of money on a new car ever again. You can't own one of these cars and and be a working class average joe without learning to service them yourself, haha. I would love nothing more than to take my mother for a ride in my '79 so she could get that nostalgia rush, but sadly she is bedbound now due to spinal degeneration. At least she was able to see it when I got it in 2020. |
great story Nuclear and great upgrade from that Camaro as well...
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As an infant, I probably came home from the hospital in dad's 66 GTO. He got it (brand new) on return from Vietnam, only paying $600 for it because his dad (a WWII vet) paid the remainder of the $2875. It was our family "daily driver". Even though I heard stories of how dad drove when he was young, he drove gently about 99.9% of the time, getting pretty good use of the old LeMans 350 that had replaced the tired 389. He almost always shifted from 1st to 3rd to 4th (to "save 2nd gear"). That 0.1% of the time...WOW, what a rush as he rowed through all 4 gears at WOT!
I bought a 69 GTO when I was in college (about 1996). Gave $5050 for it. Went from a slug 10.5 @ 70 to 9.0 @ 79.8 with only a carb rebuild, HEI, and more and more and more timing. In 1996-97, new cars couldn't compete. It was a blast, until I wrecked it. I put my engine in Dad's car for him to enjoy. Every now and then I'd ask to drive it. A few years later, Dad was sick. I asked to borrow it. He said "You can have it." Huh? "You want it?" Well, yup. "You can have it." Thanks. That was a tough "thanks" with plenty of "wow, is he nearing the end" thoughts. I took a girl out that night. We had a good enough time that we went out again. Dad passed on just about 3 weeks after that night. But I've been married to the girl for over 20 years. That's the long way to answer "my dad". |
My story is pretty ordinary, really.
My family was traveling down south in the 70's. We stopped off at a barbecue joint along a country road to get some food and go to the bathroom. I was jiggling around with a gumball machine, hoping to get a freebie. A mustached dude in a cowboy hat walked by and knocked me over into a stack of Coors beer cases and catfish entrails. The man apologized, and gave me his cowboy hat to make amends. He then jumped into a gold trimmed Trans Am with T-tops, and sped away. I never forgot that Trans Am. And so started my love of Pontiacs. |
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I loved the killer flaming hood birds as a kid growing up in the 70's. I liked Smokey and the Bandit. And while shopping for a first car we checked out a host of ever plentiful 2nd gen F bodies, including a snoozer Camaro or two. The 77 Formula 350 was too rusty, but the 78 Formula 400 with T-tops was just the ticket. I think Dad was living a little through me. And a month and a half after getting my license I got a ticket for 92 in a 55. Note to self: Call Dad today, tell him I love him, and tell him thanks for reacting to that ticket as best as a father probably could. |
Haha that movie changed my trajectory...for better or worse
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I was a 17 and driving a '65 Corvair. It was a great car and loads of fun, but I needed more power. I worked at my parents' restaurant with twin boys and told them I was looking for a car. I told them everyone was driving Chevys, Fords and Mopars and I wanted something different. Their older brother drove a tripower '64 GTO and that was all I needed to hear. I combed the want ads until I found it. My dad went with me to look at it and I remembering him saying as we popped the hood..."That's a lot of motor!" to which I replied..."Yep!". Well, I bought it a week later for $500 and my best friend followed me home in the oil filled smog. A year later I bought the twins brother's GTO as a parts car. It was Sunfire Red, which did not appeal to me at all, at the time and very possibly a factory tripower. Sure wish I'd have kept that one!!!! Oh well everyone here has a similar tale. Bottom line, I still have it and still tinkering to get it back on the road....
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Star Wars was out at that time. We all begged to see that, but Mom and Dad said that it wasn't a good movie for kids to watch. But they took us to see Smokey and the Bandit. And it wasn't a TV edited version. Make it make sense!:pound: |
Haha I member both at the drive inn that summer...what a year
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My Father was a Pontiac guy from his first car in the 50's. He loved his 65 GTO, but he was hit by a drunk driver with no insurance, so I grew up in the backseat of its replacement.... a 68 LeMans. Our family took many road trip vacations and went to lots of drive in movies in that car until it was replaced with a brand new 76 Grand Prix. After that he had various Pontiacs until he sold his 2001 Trans Am around 2013. He passed away earlier this year, but I still smile when I think about the excitement he had when I would show up with a "new" old Pontiac to take him for a ride.
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