A very long time ago, late 70's-early 80's, a good friend of mine bought a used 74 SD455 Trans Am. ($6000!!!) Pretty typical,3.08, automatic, air (removed by first owner), Admiralty Blue, black standard interior. Anyone who's been around a few of these SD cars knows there was a huge variation in how they ran. Some were just okay and some flat out flew out of the box. This one was in the latter category. As a point of reference, my own 1970 Trans Am, with a swapped 455HO, Chambers #2 solid cam with 1.65 rockers, Torker I, Hooker Super Comps, 3.55 ,Turbo 400 with a stock converter, forged pistons (+0.030") ran 12.41 @ 109.8. This stock 74 T/A took my doors off (with me driving the 74 and a friend driving my car).
One of the Star Wars movies had just come out, Empire I think, and the 74's owner let me take the car out not just to go to the movie, but for fun. I was on the inner loop of the Washington Beltway, coming up on Rt 95, just after New Hampshire Avenue, after the 10:00 showing of the movie. Road almost empty. We pulled alongside a car I normally would have left alone: early 70's Nova, Dana 60, shortened, tubbed, roll cage, steamroller tires, Pro Ram hoodscoop, going about 50 in the middle lane (probably because of something like 4.88 gears). I say normally would have left alone, because this 74 gave you the feeling of near invincibility. You knew that there were faster cars out there, but no one would make you look silly. Just an incredible feeling.
Looking over to the right, we saw the guy somehow had two girls with him in the front seats. When I goosed it, they found that incredibly funny. I downshifted and hit it harder, getting the driver's attention. Possibly he would never have wasted his gas on a stock car (or a Pontiac, which could never match up to any Chevy), but I figure the teenage girls in the front seat finally goaded him into it. We slowed to about 30 and hit it pretty much simultaneously.
I'd love to tell you about a close race that went on 'til 140, but the fact is that it was over almost as soon as it started. That SD hit so hard the downshift to 1st was like a trans brake hit. He was positively "in it". But I let off about 80-90 because he was at least 5 cars back.
Ask Carl, he was along for the ride.
Slick
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