Been a Long Time
 

So quite a while ago, I parlayed my 2 ‘resto mod’ 1973 Trans Ams into a single, ‘step up’ build: DSE Front Hydro Sub-Frame, DSE Rear Q-Link, Ford 9”, Coilovers, LS9, T-56. I got this car from Rick Deiters at Trans Am Specialties in FL, where I got both of my 73 cars. He had started this build for an overseas client who backed out of the build more than halfway through. Previous owner took a bath after backing out of his project, and Rick really treated me right on this transaction.

Fast Forward - as many of you know, Rick suffered a catastrophic fire at his main shop in March of this year. The week before the fire, Rick had transported my car to the body and paint shop 2-3 blocks down the road (he had grown tired of the dust and fumes from body and paint in the main shop). My car was safe, but it was the worst nightmare for a true friend and business owner. Work on my ‘73 slowed dramatically, but I just didn’t care. My timeline immediately turned into ‘first world problems.’

Car is damn near ready to ship. Rick’s team could not have done a better job or paid more attention to detail. Time for final ‘shake down’ drive, then check all fittings: fuel; oil; hydraulic clutch; brakes; etc. Car should be shipped next week. I’m praying for a cool, dry November.

This has turned out better than I ever dared dream. I wish the previous owner had commissioned a Butler IA 535 for this build, but only so many stars align at any one time. In any event, 638 hp out of the crate - 710 hp is a pulley and tune away… (LS Haters, please feel free to pm me rather than litter this thread with negativity. I will be more than happy to delete your messages directly from my inbox.)

Wow! Car looks great!!! More info on the build specs and pics please. Personally I like either an LS or old school Pontiac power. I think long and hard about an LS swap. Probably will do one down the road.

Sorry to hear about your buddies shop. That sounds horrible.

Beautiful. more pics please. Dam shame about the fire in there shop.

Beautiful car! More pics please...

I'm converting my '64 GTO to LS. I'm getting the snide comments (Even from friends). But I couldn't care less. I've owned my current GTO since 1985. Had another before that. Owned a '64 GTO ever since I was 16 with exception of about one month. So I've paid my "true Pontiac dues".

Enjoy the car!

Thank you so much! Yes, I will be blowing a ton of media storage on my phone with pics once she is here! The last thing is a good shake-down drive, get everything up to temp, some highway, some in-town, then give her a good once-over on the lift. She should ship next week, depending on transport availability.

I would have loved a no expense spared roller cam, EFI Poncho mill under the hood, but the previous owner went LS9, and when I came into the build, she was mechanically up and running. Just didn't make sense to undo and redo that much time consuming work. Eager to take her for a drive and post a few more pics.

Glad this is working out for you, there have been a few LS motor builds that hid the coil packs with Pontiac valve covers and painted the motor Pontiac blue. I think I could live with that, maybe a future update for this car?

Should be a fun car, enjoy.

Sharp looking car there and hard to beat a turn key ass kicker like that.

Thank you very much. Yes, I have seen 2 Trans Ams online with really tastefully done LS cosmetics: one is (of course) the DSE Brewster Green car and then I ran into a comparably built car with the 70-72 While / Blue Stripe scheme. It also had an LS with coil covers built into the valve covers, throttle body FI that sat under the shaker, all powder coated light Pontiac Blue. It can be done.

This car is definitely more 'function' than 'form' under the hood. I will need to see how much slack I have in the wiring harness and plumbing to possible route some of it up underneath the fenders. It might be kind of fun to learn a whole new platform.

A few more pics…

That TA is drop dead gorgeous!

You wont hear me complaining about the LS that's for sure!

I dunno. I come to the street section to read about Pontiac cars with Pontiac engines. There is another forum section for cars with non-Pontiac engines. It’s not that this thread bothers me individually, but if the street section got taken over with threads like this I would stop reading and posting here, and I assume there are others like me. I don’t hate LS engines - I own one and love it, but I have no particular interest in reading about LS engines on a Pontiac forum.

2X 182.Tom

Would love to see more pics once it arrives!

Yeah, let's see some pics of that LS9! :) I would LOVE to have one of those! This will likely be going into my car eventually: https://www.chevrolet.com/performanc...s/ls/ls427-570

Thread moved to the most appropriate sub-forum.

Great car by the way. :)

Very nice car. A shame your thread was moved to a low traffic area. At least the appropriate people will be the ones to miss out... I remain curious if our goal here is to bring more people in to our community, or push them away.

Why do you feel "Non Pontiac Motors in Pontiacs" is the wrong section for a Pontiac with a non-Pontiac engine?

I simply always display "new posts" and read whatever I want. I enjoy oem type restorations, but those cars that are fully re-engineered blow my mind.

X2, but I guess they need to please the sensitive types.

I'm not saying it's "wrong". But I personally disagree with the philosophy that a "Pontiac" with an aftermarket everything is ok, and the folks that post with very nice cars that have a corporate engine are usually met with the "we don't wanna read about that on a Pontiac forum". Sometimes it's with civility, and sometimes with hostility. My car has very little left thats factory Pontiac, the block is, and the timing cover. It has efi, coil on plug, electric fans etc. In my opinion, the street section should embody hot rodding. We have dedicated sections for all the body styles, that are geared towards stock representations. I can't even get an administrator to answer a PM about a dedicated efi section, even though we have an ever increasing demand for that knowledge, that is now scattered about in at least 3 different forums. My general take away is that we are not as a group embracing the technology of the day. People don't have to choose Pontiac, why would we discourage them from making something great out of the old iron that we love?
To the OP, sorry for mucking your thread, even in defense of what you're doing.