Ownership Milestone - 50 Years
 

Fifty years ago today September 29, 1973 we drove our new 1974 Trans Am 455 Turbo 400 home from Slocum Pontiac in West Allis Wisconsin. As I remember $4455 dollars including set up and taxes. The first tankfull of gas was 29.9 cents.
It still sits proudly in our heated garage with a little over 30,000 miles still with original paint, interior, and drivetrain. Has deluxe black interior, A/C (works well), AMFM radio, Chrome trim, Cruise control - was new for a LeMans that I installed, and rear blower defogger for options. Really wanted an SD but was told it was a 9 month wait at the time - we now have one of those too. Of course being 22 years old I installed the SD455 stickers that I have since removed and has correct 455 stickers. The photo is older but the car presents well to this day. I feel very fortunate to still have it and even more my wife of 51 years.

Congratulations! That is great on all counts!

You're a very lucky person!

Congrats!
(on both marriage and car)

Is it a real SD 455 TA?


:)

Congrats on 50 yrs ownership.

Nice color!

Sent from my moto g power 5G - 2023 using Tapatalk

There are several out there with one owner cars that are approaching 60 years by one owner.
Keith Seymore and I being in that category.

Congrats on your 50 years ownership, 74-Trans-Am. My favorite TA.

Tom V.

I'm only at 46......

Very nice, congratulations on 50 and 51!

I'm at 47 years ... but second owner.

Congratulations. It's nice to see preserved vehicles. I have a western 1974 TA 455 bare shell setting in my garage right now.

Congrats! I still have my 78-first new car-my wife calls ti "The Black Shrine", I do have 409 motor parts form my first hotrod from 70-73 we are using in the clone project to copy that firs Impala SS.

Thanks for sharing your story and the car with us.
Did you place an order for the car - or was it already sitting on the dealers lot yelling out your name ?

Paint code #29 Dark Blue Metallic?

Awesome & welcome!

Thanks for all the kind words. Answering some questions we did order the car when the 74's were first made available. While waiting for the car I was down to the local Pontiac store looking at the first base 74 firebirds that came in. That was exciting in itself but I didn't see any Trans Ams or Formulas for some time. The dealer locally was Schappe Pontiac in Madison. I was dealing with an older salesman who's main interest was selling family cars and didn't have time for anything special. I found that with a sales lady at Slocums. The car is a Y code 455, code 29 Admiralty Blue, and I deleted the hood bird although I have a factory bird in a tube in storage. Also have many spare parts that I thought would wear out from Pontiac parts. I wanted cruise control which wasn't available for the firebirds. I ordered a new kit for a LeMans from Pontiac and installed it with little problems. A side note is when I picked it up the parts guy wrote no warranty on the invoice because it was going in a firebird. I worked for a GoodYear store at the time and did my own rustproofing that is still soft to the touch to this day. The car was driven to from work for the first several years and in the winter I had another car to take the bad weather. Never had any mechanical problems, paint work, or any issues until resent when it will just shut off at a stop sign. I just went through the fuel system - new pick up sock, rubber fuel lines and carb filter so now I need to drive it and see. New tires and some brake work this past year and I repaired the original exhaust system. The A/C has been charged once in its lifetime and still working well. Even the clock works. Thanks again.

The sales people were probably just trying to give you a fair warning using the delay of the 1973 SD cars as an example.
Those didn't finally start happening until June 73.

The 74 SD's began happening in Oct 73.
But at the time you were wishing to order , there may have been no guarantees of whether they would get built or not - after the ordeal on the 73 models.
There is a registry for 73 and 74 SD's that gives data on each cars build dates.

That was very ingenious to retrofit a LeMans cruise package on your new TA.
It was either 76 or 77 before it became a factory option

Welcome to the PY Forum. :welcome:

Ordered mine Nov 1973 received it March 1974. Yes I too have a 50 yr date coming up.

Wonder who the longest owner on PY is.

OMT is the longest owner of a GTO, I believe.

K

Congratulations!

I see we share a birthday, as my little red truck was built on Monday September 29th of 1986.

September is a big month for me (GTO was September 18 of 1964, and my Chevelle was built Sept 25, 1973).

K