#461  
Old 05-15-2022, 08:48 AM
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Hesster1977 Hesster1977 is offline
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"The Dream Merchants"
Story on Dennis Mecham and his Macho T/A's at DKM.
So '80's.
Prob rare stuff as I have never seen one at the countless car shows I've been to.
Maybe a good thing....
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  #462  
Old 05-16-2022, 03:08 AM
TRADERMIKE 2012 TRADERMIKE 2012 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hesster1977 View Post
"The Dream Merchants"
Story on Dennis Mecham and his Macho T/A's at DKM.
So '80's.
Probably rare stuff as I have never seen one at the countless car shows I've been to.
Maybe a good thing....
Mikes Reply:

The Turboforce system From H-O was used on the Maco if you wanted it.

  #463  
Old 05-16-2022, 05:23 AM
TRADERMIKE 2012 TRADERMIKE 2012 is offline
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https://www.mecum.com/lots/AZ0319-36...acho-trans-am/

The Macho Trans Am from DKM Design and Performance. Here is a little of what I know about the DKM Macho Trans Am. Dennis and Kyle Mecham back in 1977 wanted to improve the breed of Trans Am that were coming out of the Pontiac Factory. They turned out to be a limited number of Macho TA's in 1977 and were sold through their father's Pontiac dealership and moved very quickly out the door. Due to their tremendous success, they formed DKM Design and Performance, Inc. in 1978.

The Macho Trans Am would include the following:

Macho Name decals and badges inside and out
Plaque in the center console to signify the car was modified by DKM
DKM Logo on the center steering wheel button
Each Macho Trans Am was numbered from the year




The Macho Trans Am from DKM


The Macho Trans Am from DKM Design and Performance. Here is a little of what I know

about the DKM Macho Trans Am. Dennis and Kyle Mecham back in 1977 wanted to improve

the breed of Trans Am that were coming out of the Pontiac Factory. They turned out to be a

limited number of Macho TA's in 1977 and were sold through their father's Pontiac

dealership and moved very quickly out the door. Due to their tremendous success, they

formed DKM Design and Performance, Inc. in 1978. They made 203 1978 Macho Trans Am

and another 200+ in 1979 using the Pontiac 400 engine. In 1980, they stopped using

the Pontiac 400 and used the Turbocharged 301 in 1980, which didn't sell all that

well due to lack of performance and fuel constraints.
For the 1978 Model year they used the W72 Pontiac 400, but modified the

carburation, ignition, and added Hooker Headers with dual catalytic converters and

no mufflers for a net increase of about 50hp. You could also order a Rayjay

Turbocharger which produced about 7p.s.i. of boost. In 1978, there were only 8 Turbo Macho

Trans Am's made and only 22 in 1979. You can tell the Turbo ones from the outside

because the word "Turbo" replaced the Trans Am name on the rear spoiler. People have

asked me before about a Turbocharged Pontiac 400 and I always told them that there

never was one.... Well, I guess I was wrong. DKM also opened up the hood scoop to

restore full breathing to the modified engine. They also modified the oil system by

using what was called an "oil pressure restorer" by H-O Racing Specialties. It

consisted of a canister with a one-quart oil capacity mounted on the firewall and

pressurized. If oil sloshed away from the dry-sump oil pick-up in the oil pan, a

valve opened up and oil surged into the engine to fill any gaps in oil pressure. The

Macho Trans Am could receive 4-speed Borg-Warner, an optional 5-speed Doug Nash

transmission, or the automatic transmissions were reprogrammed for quicker shifts.

Also, the dash got a 160 MPH speedo and a 8000+ RPM tach.
The suspension was also modified by a set of Koni shocks set at their softest

rate, front springs tempered for rake and recalibrated for geometry. They also

included the wider wheels and heavier sway bar much like the WS6 Performance package.

DKM also added a few comfort features as well like Recaro or Scheel seats, Fosgate

radio, a lift-off or tilt-up hood made out of fiberglass (help shed 60lbs.) and also

a custom paint job in a variety of non-factory colors.


Each Macho Trans Am was numbered on the rear spoiler, front bumper and side

fenders. The center bird on the steering wheel was replaced with a DKM logo and also

a plaque was added to the center console to indicate that the car was modified by DKM

Design.





If you want to do a little research you will find road tests and track tests of

the Macho Trans Am's in Hot Rod magazine July 1978, Motor Trend magazine June 1978,

and Auto week magazine February 3rd 1978. Hopefully this will answer some questions on

what exactly a "Macho" Trans Am was.






September 26, 2016 - AllGenTransAms.com™

Story courtesy: Mike McNessor; Hemmings Muscle Machines Oct. 2008

Unless your knowledge of Pontiac performance cars runs deep, you'd probably mistake

those Macho T/A callouts for the work of some time-warped customizer. But the Macho

is a bona-fide collectible today and was originally the handiwork of two

entrepreneurial brothers frustrated with the state of factory performance in the

Disco era.

Back in 1977, Dennis and Kyle Mecham built 26 performance-tweaked Trans Ams that they

dubbed Macho T/As and initially sold through their family's Pontiac dealership,

Mecham Motors, near Phoenix, Arizona. The modified Trans Ams were a hit and the

fledgling company, DKM Design, Performance sold all they could build, so they ramped

up production in 1978 and marketed the cars through other Pontiac dealers. Sales of

the warmed-up Firebirds soared to 204 units. But, uh, what of that oh-so-Seventies

name?

"At that time, macho was the 'in' word in the Southwest," said Dennis Mecham, now

president of Mecham Design, Performance. "Everything was macho. In desperation, I

said, 'Why not call it Macho T/A?' It was almost tongue-in-cheek. It may not be the

best name, but how can you forget it?" Buyers certainly approved. Mecham recalls a

leasing company that wanted to purchase several of the car's sans the Macho lettering.

But at DKM's urging, they purchased three without the decals and three with.

Customers greedily snapped up the lettered cars first.

The recipe for the Macho T/A was straightforward: DKM would purchase new Trans Ams,

perform its modifications, and resell them as used cars to Pontiac dealers. Under the

hood, DKM would richen the jetting of the stock Quadrajet and change the

distributor's curve to bring in 36 degrees of advance at 2,500 rpm. DKM also opened

up the sealed shaker hood scoop, increasing airflow to the stock airbox, and

installed screen over the opening. A set of off-the-shelf Hooker Headers were bolted

up and plumbed up with a 2.5-inch dual exhaust with a crossover tube and two

catalytic converters eliminating the restrictive stock system.

"No mufflers or resonators are found, though the exhaust remains reasonably mellow,"

Hot Rod magazine wrote in its July 1978 review of a Macho T/A. "In fact, a decibel

meter may disagree, but to the human ear, a Macho T/A sounds no louder than a

stocker, which runs one converter and a pair of mufflers." DKM also dropped the front

end by 1.5 inches, installed Koni adjustable shocks at all four corners, and put 60

series tires on the factory rims. Color combinations were left up to the customer's

discretion and, while there were two dozen interior/exterior color combinations

listed in the DKM brochure, an additional $150 allowed that customer to choose a

special color. Add another $150 and the graphics would be applied using DuPont's

Imron paint. "If it sounded reasonable and the guy wanted it, we'd do whatever they

wanted," Mecham said. The young Mecham stumbled on the idea of building a post-

factory Pontiac super car (at least by late-'70s standards) quite by accident. He was

running a weekly newspaper that his family owned and driving a late-model Pontiac

Catalina when the urge to act his age became too strong to ignore. "I thought, if I

don't stop driving Catalinas, pretty soon I'll be old enough to actually want

one," Mecham said!

Mecham and his friend Mike Garrett began tinkering with a 1975 Formula 400 HO. They

managed to wake the car up by fattening the lean factory jetting, opening up the

airbox and working some advance into the distributor. Mecham did more of the same

mods to his new 455-powered 1976 Trans Am--a car that his father, the late Evan

Mecham, took a liking to and saw some sales potential in.

"My father came down and I had the 455 T/A in my garage," Mecham said. "He took it

for a ride and said, 'I wish I could sell a car like that to our customers.' " So as

an experiment, the brothers Mecham added headers and aftermarket wheels to their list

of Trans Am mods and put a fresh example on the showroom floor. It sold in three

days. Working part-time in 1977, they built and sold 26 cars, making a tidy profit on

each.

Thus, one of the few Disco-era performance legends was born. In fact, it would've

lived on for many more years had Pontiac not installed the 301 in the Trans Am--an

engine that simply didn't have the latent potential that the 400 and 455s had.

"We stopped making them in 1980 because the car was no longer viable," Mecham said.

"If you got any real horsepower (out of the 301), you were rebuilding a hand

grenade." Throughout the 1990s, the cars of the 1970s were regarded disdainfully by

collectors, but something funny happened one day on the way to the car show--'70s

machinery, particularly Trans Ams sporting black paint and gold eagles, became not

just collectible, but hot.

Riding the tail feathers of this trend are DKM's Macho T/As. Mecham's warmed up

'Birds have attracted a cult following among collectors who fondly remember the days

when clothing and furniture manufacturers were vying with the Bee Gees to see who

could sell the most vinyl. Rich Robert of North Tustin, California, definitely enjoys

the machismo his special Trans Am imparts to curious onlookers.

"Macho T/A? There are so many ways you can take that," Robert said. "Some people look

at you like you're nuts. Why would you write that on your car?" Robert, who is

president of Knorr Systems, a swimming pool contractor specializing in commercial and

municipal work, was actually searching for the aforementioned bird of the black and

gold feather when he happened to spot the DKM machine.

"I was looking, before they got so popular, for a black-and-gold Trans Am and, in the

process, I came across the Macho," Robert said. "I said: 'My god, these are the ones

to have!' " Robert bid aggressively on his car in an online auction, only to lose it

to another hopeful suitor--one who apparently had more interest in bidding than

buying. "There are very few (Macho T/As) around, so when one popped up on the

Internet, I went for it hard, but didn't get it," Robert recalled. "But I told the

owner, 'Listen, if the deal falls through, let me know. I've got the money and I'd be

glad to come up.' "

Assuming he'd missed one of the few opportunities he'd have to buy a Macho T/A,

Robert purchased a '77 Trans Am that he wasn't in love with and quickly forsook it

when the phone call came in about two weeks after the Internet auction ended.

"I bee-lined to the owner's home in Beverly Hills and I cut a deal," Robert said.

"The car was all complete, but kind of weathered and tired. It led a pretty good

life. It only has 80,000 miles and for the last 10 years, (the seller) hardly drove

the car. Some of the internal plastic was faded and the paint is original but faded."

Robert's Macho T/A is equipped with an optional lift-off fiberglass hood that is said

to save 60 pounds over the stock unit, a firewall-mounted oil pressure restorer

device that holds a quart of oil in reserve and forces it back into the crankcase in

the event that the engine's oil pressure drops, a color-matched four-point roll bar

and four-wheel disc brakes.

Since purchasing the Macho, Robert has performed some housekeeping, such as

repainting the Macho T/A graphics on the doors, dyeing some interior panels, and

installing bushings in the Hurst Competition Plus shifter, but he has been hesitant

to dive into a complete restoration that would erase the car's originality. "There's

only one thing left to be done to make it really good," Robert said. "It needs a

paint job. I'm battling with myself about whether to take the plunge or keep it

original. I want someone who's done one to take it apart. So, in the meantime, I

don't do it. "That would be the last thing. It's a great car from five or six feet

away, but the paint is cracking a little here and there and the fiberglass hood is

faded to a slightly different color." Robert also contacted Mecham and received a

letter authenticating his car. Mecham has since signed the T/A's glovebox door, as

well.

Also, here's an interesting bit of trivia about the car, which can neither be

positively confirmed nor denied: Robert believes that it was used in photographs on

the cover and inside of DKM's brochure. Mecham says it's possible, but he has no way

to be sure. "The car runs hard and really well," Robert said. "They're scarce and

they run a lot faster than a factory Trans Am. These things kick it for a big, heavy

car! If a Bandit guy drove a Macho, he'd say, 'Why did I pay $40,000 for this thing?'

"

In 1978, Hot Rod was just as enamored of DKM's tuned-up T/A, wringing a low 14 second

e.t. out of Macho T/A number 3 (All of the Macho T/As bear their series number on the

spoiler and lower front fenders.). "What the customer gets is, in effect, a brand-new

Trans Am, delivered right from a Pontiac dealer with everything he needs to blow a

stocker right into the weeds," Hot Rod's Dave Wallace wrote. "At least, this was

certainly, the case with 1978 Macho T/A No. 3, which collected a remarkable time slip

of 14.29 seconds at 98.79 miles per hour on the best of 17 good runs at OCR. (The

very next day we watched a four-speed 49-state '78 Trans Am clock steady 15.20s at 96

mph, which is the best performance we've seen from a stock 1978 automobile under

virtually identical conditions at the same facility.)"

Hot Rod went on to rave about the car's handling and DKM's use of readily available

parts to put some respectability back into the Trans Am's performance. "But quarter-

mile acceleration is only the beginning of the Macho's appeal," Wallace wrote. "A

combination of heat-treated front coils, Koni shocks all around and careful

suspension tuning gets the Macho around corners quicker, too. Throw in a dealer

service agreement (sure to include special provisions concerning non-OEM components

and obvious operator abuse) and you've got about the best Poncho performance bargain

since the Super Duty days." Robert, of course, is already a true believer and is

convinced that Mecham's star will rise on the wings of the Macho.

"As time progresses, Dennis Mecham and his DKM machines will be honored like the

tuner gurus a decade before him," Robert said.

What about the SPECS you say?

Price
Base price: (Macho T/A) $9,610
Base price: (Trans Am) $7,331

Options on car profiled:
Specialty items supplied by DKM: lift-off fiberglass hood
roll bar
Pontiac options: Trans Am special performance package, $324

Engine
Type: Pontiac OHV V-8, iron block and cylinder heads
Displacement: 400.14 cubic inches
Bore x Stroke: 4.121 x 3.750 inches
Compression ratio: 8.1:1
Horsepower @ rpm: 220hp @ 4,000 (stock) 270-290 @ 4,000 est. (with DKM mods)
Torque @ rpm: 320-lbs.ft. @ 2,000
Valvetrain: Hydraulic valve lifters
Main bearings: 5
Fuel system: Single 800cfm Rochester Quadrajet
Lubrication system: Pressure, gear-type pump
Electrical system: 12-volt
Exhaust system: Single catalyzed exhaust, crossflow muffler (stock) Hooker headers,

dual 2.5-inch pipes with crossover tube and two AC catalytic converters (with DKM

mods)

Transmission
Type: Borg Warner Super T-10 four-speed manual
Ratios 1st: 2.43:1
2nd: 1.61:1
3rd: 1.23:1
4th: 1.00:1
Reverse: 2.35:1

Differential
Type: Corporate 10-bolt housing with Safe-T-Track limited-slip differential
Ratio: 3.42:1

Steering
Type: Saginaw recirculating ball, power-assist
Ratio: 14.3:1
Turns, lock-to-lock: 2.4
Turning circle: 38.9 feet

Brakes
Type: Hydraulic, four-wheel vented disc
Front: 11.0-inch disc
Rear: 11.1-inch disc

Chassis & Body
Construction: Unit-body
Body style: Two-door coupe
Layout: Front engine, rear-wheel drive

Suspension
Front: Independent, unequal-length A-arms; coil springs; telescoping shock absorbers,

anti-roll bar
Rear: Rigid axle, semi-elliptic rear leaf springs, telescoping shock absorbers,

anti-roll bar
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Aluminum Pontiac WS-6 "Snowflake"
Front: 15 x 8-inch
Rear: 15 x 8-inch
Tires: Goodyear Polysteel Radial (original)
Front: 225/70R15
Rear: 225/70R15

Weights & Measures
Wheelbase: 108.2 inches
Overall length: 196.8 inches
Overall width: 73 inches
Overall height: 49.3 inches
Front track: 61.3 inches
Rear track: 60 inches
Curb weight: 3,750 pounds

Capacities
Crankcase: 6 quarts (with oil-pressure accumulator)
Cooling system: 22.9 quarts
Fuel tank: 21 gallons
Transmission: 3.75 quarts
Rear axle: 3.75 pints

Calculated Data
Bhp per c.i.d.: 0.7
Weight per bhp: 13.275 pounds
Weight per c.i.d.: 9.29 pounds

Production
DKM produced 204 Macho T/As in 1978

Performance*
Acceleration:
0-60 mph: 7.8 seconds
0-100 mph: 22.8 seconds
1/4 mile ET: 14.29 seconds @ 98.79 mph
Top speed: 120 mph
*According to a July 1978 road test from Hot Rod magazine





The DKM Macho Trans Am & The MR MSE Trans Am

The history of the Macho Trans Am dates back to 1977 when two brothers, Dennis and

Kyle Mecham, sons of a Phoenix area Pontiac dealer decided to begin modifying

Firebirds to restore some of the missing performance brought about by the addition of

more and more emissions equipment on factory cars. The brothers began by adding

turbochargers in 1977. In 1978 203 Macho TAs would come out of the DKM shop. A

W72/L78 engine was used as a baseline, the carb and ignition were modified and a set

of Hooker headers and twin catalytic converters were added for a net 50bhp gain. An

optional turbo-charger could also be added for a 7psi boost. Interestingly, the TAs

were all sold as used cars. This was required because Federal law prohibited any

modifications to the emissions system on a new car. The dealership, Mecham Pontiac,

sold the new cars to Mecham Performance. The modifications were performed and the

cars were then sold to the public. They had virtually no miles on them and had no

tags but were sold as a used car because they had already been titled by Mecham

Performance.

Production continued in 1979 where both the 400 and 403 versions of the Trans Am

received the modifications required for a Macho Trans Am. DKM performed several other

modifications including modifying the hood scoop to make it functional. Suspensions

were also modified by adding Koni shocks, front springs retempered for rake and re-

calibrated geometry. The visual appearance was also changed. Macho options included

Recaro or Scheel seats, Fosgate stereo, different wheels and tires, fiberglass hood

and the new paint scheme that varied by color. Every Macho TA also received a

production number

1979 also saw the release of a very limited run of a new offering from DKM, the DKM

Tallon Super Tourer. This Firebird could be ordered with a turbo-charged 400 or a

normally aspirated 350 Chevy. The Tallon received fiberglass fenders, hood, rear

quarters and bolt-on air dam. American Specialty wheels with 50 series tires were

installed. Hooker headers, a 5-speed Doug Nash tranny, Koni shocks and the WS6

package was also added. At significant additional cost ($7600) a Traco-built Chevy

350 rated at 460bhp could be installed.

DKMs efforts continued through the '80s with the MR MSE TAs (Mecham Racing Motor

Sports Edition) which were produced from 1982 to 1986. In 1997 Dennis was approached

by a Macho fan and owner about producing a new Mecham TA. After some initial

discussions the decision was made to produce a few cars and that effort continued

throughout the 2002 model year. A Mecham T/A and a Mecham Formula were both offered.

You can visit his site at www.mechamperformance.com
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Last edited by TRADERMIKE 2012; 05-16-2022 at 05:30 AM.
  #464  
Old 05-16-2022, 05:54 AM
TRADERMIKE 2012 TRADERMIKE 2012 is offline
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Mikes Reply:

The DKM Macho Trans Am & The MR MSE Trans Am


The history of the Macho Trans Am dates back to 1977 when two brothers, Dennis and

Kyle Mecham, sons of a Phoenix area Pontiac dealer decided to begin modifying

Firebirds to restore some of the missing performance brought about by the addition of

more and more emissions equipment on factory cars. The brothers began by adding

turbochargers in 1977. In 1978 203 Macho TAs would come out of the DKM shop. A

W72/L78 engine was used as a baseline, the carb and ignition were modified and a set

of Hooker headers and twin catalytic converters were added for a net 50bhp gain. An

optional turbo-charger could also be added for a 7psi boost. Interestingly, the TAs

were all sold as used cars. This was required because Federal law prohibited any

modifications to the emissions system on a new car. The dealership, Mecham Pontiac,

sold the new cars to Mecham Performance. The modifications were performed and the

cars were then sold to the public. They had virtually no miles on them and had no

tags but were sold as a used car because the had already been titled by Mecham

Performance.

Production continued in 1979 where both the 400 and 403 versions of the Trans Am

received the modifications required for a Macho Trans Am. DKM performed several other

modifications including modifying the hood scoop to make it functional. Suspensions

were also modified by adding Koni shocks, front springs retempered for rake and re-

calibrated geometry. Visual appearance was also changed. Macho options included

Recaro or Scheel seats, Fosgate stereo, different wheels and tires, fiberglass hood

and the new paint scheme that varied by color. Every Macho TA also received a

production number

1979 also saw the release of a very limited run of a new offering from DKM, the DKM

Tallon Super Tourer. This Firebird could be ordered with a turbo-charged 400 or a

normally aspirated 350 Chevy. The Tallon received fiberglass fenders, hood, rear

quarters and bolt-on air dam. American Specialty wheels with 50 series tires were

installed. Hooker headers, a 5-speed Doug Nash tranny, Koni shocks and the WS6

package were also added. At significant additional cost ($7600) a Traco-built Chevy

350 rated at 460bhp could be installed.

DKMs efforts continued through the '80s with the MR MSE TAs (Mecham Racing Motor

Sports Edition) which were produced from 1982 to 1986. In 1997 Dennis was approached

by a Macho fan and owner about producing a new Mecham TA. After some initial

discussions the decision was made to produce a few cars and that effort continued

throughout the 2002 model year. A Mecham T/A and a Mecham Formula were both offered.

You can visit his site at www.mechamperformance.com


Original Vintage 1978 Macho Trans Am Brochure
from DKM courtesy Loren Garrigus

Original Vintage 1979 Macho Trans Am Brochure
from DKM courtesy Loren Garrigus


.. ..
Original Vintage 1978 Trans Am Brochure
from DKM courtesy Loren Garrigus



Original Vintage 1983 MSE Trans Am Brochure from DKM






DKM Patch
courtesy Manny Salierno



DKM Sales Emblem
courtesy Manny Salierno


DKM jacket given to new Macho owners
Photo courtesy Loren Garrigus
Vintage photo of new Macho TAs at Mecham Pontiac
Photo courtesy Loren Garrigus


DKM Letter to new Owners
"Owner Information and Maintenance Tips"
courtesy Randy Samuel

DKM T/As known or believed to no longer exist:

1978 Macho Trans Am #10 1983 MR MSE Trans Am #84
1978 Macho Trans Am #97
(still exists but has been completely converted to something else -- see Lot#2)

1983 MR MSE Trans Am #148
1978 Macho Trans Am #137 1985 MR MSE Trans Am #20
1983 MR MSE Trans Am #63 1985 MR MSE Trans Am #26

Lot#1


1977 Macho Trans Am #5 of 26
owner: Dennis Rosenthal


Though its extremely rough, its a rare find and I'm glad to have this one on the

site, the first '77 Macho TA (on this site). Add to that this is the actual 5th car

that Kyle and Dennis modified and that makes it an even more interesting Trans Am. In

'77 26 cars were converted. Only 3 are known to still exist. #5, #12, #17. The car

was recently sold and the new owner writes:

"Jimmy, Macho # 5 was finally delivered. Attached are a few pics of it just

after I finished cleaning it up. I have gotten the car running and have driven it

around the yard. This Car still very original and retains most all its orig paint

(worn out), still has its orig engine, the wheels are correct and orig for the car,

and it has absolutely no rust. I have the orig title from Mecham Pontiac, PHS docs,

and was lucky to find the buildsheet still behind the rear seat. I have spoken with

Dennis Mecham and am waiting for paperwork from him."

Thanks!
Dennis Rosenthal

This car has the following options:

Revised suspension: springs, shocks, sway bars
Special paint with stripes and numbers paint on the fender and rear spoiler.
Custom alloy rims
Pontiac 400 engine (numbers are matching)
4 speed manual trans
A/C
power steering/brakes
tilt steering wheel.

Dennis recently provided me with a few pics of the interior. He also sent the last

pic which is a mini-macho gathering feature '77 #5, '78 #114, and '78 #171 all

together at a local car show.

Dennis also owns the following Macho TAs:
1979 Macho Trans Am #22 in Macho TAs Lot#5.



1977 Macho Trans Am #12 of 26
owner: unknown

The second '77 on the site I originally had it listed as a '78 until I received this

e-mail from Cameron Holeman:

"This car was advertised in AZ as a '77. A friend of mine looked at the car and

determined that it was a real '77 but had been wrecked and rebuilt and that it had

the wrong wheels. All 77's had some type of aftermarket wheels due to the fact that

the factory wheels that year were only 15x7. It has a 455 with a 4-speed. It was for

sale in Auto Trader a year ago or so. It was in AZ and went to Texas."

Cameron Holeman

This is a really small picture and its hard to tell much about this one but it

appears to be a white color with red accents. Its also appears to have Turbo rims

installed. These were probably a later addition and were not part of the original

Macho package. Interior color is hard to tell but I'm betting its red as well. If

anyone has any information on this drop me a note at webmaster1@firebirdgallery.com

(remove the "1" before sending).

A site visitor, Phil Brown, turned out to be a previous owner of this car, during

high school, and sent me the following:

"Both my girls! (1984 Sedona, AZ - Reference the second photo in the set sent in

by Phil). Oh my god, my heart stopped when I found my car on your website. My name is

Phil Brown and I know the history of #12. It has a ton of history, if you know what I

mean. We go way back to 1980, when I rode in it to junior high school with my dad.

Three years later I bought it from a guy named Randy Miller in Phoenix. The car had

45,000 original miles at the time. I got it for $4,500.00. That was a lot of money

for a high school kid. The car was fast and original and I kept it that way always

for 10 years. I drove the car through high school and never put a scratch on it,

never changed a thing and the whole town of Flagstaff, AZ knew the bad boy macho. Its

taken many a pink slip."

If anyone knows where this TA may be located please let me know, especially if its

for sale. Mr. Brown has expressed a big interest in purchasing back his old car.

Please contact me at the e-mail address above.



1977 Macho Trans Am #17 of 26
owner: unknown

With the addition of #17 we now have four '77 Machos featured on the site. This

particular one was up for sale recently but I do not if it was sold and/or what's

being done with the car currently. I actually contacted the seller and exchanged a

few e-mails with him but we could not come to agreement on a selling price. If I

recall the car no longer had any of the original drivetrain and the seller still

wanted a pretty stiff figure for the car but, to be fair, I don't want to post

details from a fuzzy memory. As I recall the owner at the time had taken the car off

the road to transform the car into a G-Machine i.e. he had planned extensive upgrades

to the suspension, brakes etc... I think he may have even already performed some of

the work to implement some of the upgrades and then lost interest in the project.

Hopefully someone picked it up and is working on it. If anyone has any information on

this drop me a note at webmaster1@firebirdgallery.com (remove the "1" before

sending).





1977 Macho Trans Am #21 of 26
owner: unknown

This ones in sad shape and needs a complete restoration but its very rare and would

be worth the time and effort. It was for sale but I don't know if it found a new

home. Mark sent me the following:

"Hi, I thought I'd drop you a line. I think your site is tremendous. I used to

own a 77 Macho TA #21, sold it to a friend of mine, and now he's thinking about

selling it, and wants me to try and find a home of it. It's pretty much all original

yet, it's a 400, 4speed, 77,000 mi, no T-top car, white with red. It came up here to

Wisconsin from Chicago 20 some years ago, and it needs to be restored. Lots of

surface rust, but still runs and drives good. I'll get some pics in a couple of weeks

after it comes out of storage. So I guess there is at least four 77's left.
Hi Jimmy, here are the pics. The Concord stereo is the original one installed by DKM.

He has a new set of Macho decals from DKM minus the rear spoiler decal which was

unavailable at the time. We had to send a copy of the title to authenticate ownership

to get them, and received a letter back from Dennis Mecham confirming the vin, decals

and letter will be included with the car. It's had new brakes front and rear, new

calipers, rotors, drums, wheel bearings and seals front and rear, front brake hoses,

emergency brake cables, exhaust from the original hooker headers back, shocks, and

tires. The snowflake wheels are not original, the car came from DKM with I believe

Appliance chrome steel wheels, they were pretty rusty, I think he has one of them

left. It starts, runs and drives good, 77k is original miles. The body is pretty

rough.
For the last twenty some years it has not been driven in the winter, but don't know

about the first few. It needs a windshield, rear quarters and inner panels, and rear

lower panel behind fuel tank. The rear sub frame where the leaf spring shackle mounts

on the drivers side is rusted out, and there are rust holes in the outer corners of

the dash panel. The original front sway bar was removed to replace the bushings and

links, hasn't been installed yet, but is included.

Thanks a lot for your help,
Mark


1978 Macho Trans Am #11 of 204
owner: Dave Burrows

This Macho TA recently changed hands and Dave sent us some new info and pics. Dave

writes:

"Hello there, my name is Dave Burrows. I recently purchased this car from Rick

Osborn. The previous pictures of this car did not do it justice so I am sending some

better ones. The car is a W72 4 speed car with just 80,000 miles on it. It is in

unmolested original condition and is almost flawless. It has about 80% of its

original paint and shines like new. The interior is almost perfect. This might be the

earliest '78 MACHO left. (if that matters) The site is great with lots of great

info."

Thanks! Dave


1978 Macho Trans Am #16 of 204
owner: unk

A site contributor recently sent me these pics of #16. Hopefully the current owner

will contact me. This one comes equipped with the 400ci engine and M-21 4-speed with

Hurst shifter, WS6 suspension package, 4 wheel disc brakes, open and functional

shaker scoop, re-jetted carb, posi-traction 10-bolt rear, one piece removable fiber-

glass hood, and a roll bar that's color matched to the interior. That's an option I

haven't seen on many of the Macho TAs. Quite a few came with roll bars but this is

the first one I've seen where it was color matched to the interior. This TA still

wears its original paint. The interior is all original and it even has the original

space saver spare located in the trunk, that has never been used. The engine is the

numbers matching engine that came with the car and was reportedly rebuilt recently.




1978 Macho Trans Am #27 of 204
owner: withheld

The owner of this amazing Macho TA recently contacted me and provided these fantastic

pictures. He writes:

"Here is another car for your web site. #27 has of course the W72 & WS6 options

that all '78 Macho's started out with. It also came with the 4-speed transmission and

it has all of the standard modifications that were part of the Macho T/A package. On

top of the basic DKM modifications, this car is equipped with some of the more rare

DKM options:

Fiberglass lift off hood
Hooker chrome roll bar
Concord stereo system

These cars are very rare as most people know. I was fortunate to have several people

that lived around me that had these cars when they were new. They are a great

addition to your site! I can be reached at bcdetailing76@aol.com for comment."





1978 Macho Trans Am #28 of 204
owner: withheld

This Macho has a host of modifications from the DKM brothers including a functional

shaker scoop, re-curved distributor, re-jetted 4bbl carb, Koni shocks, Hooker headers

and dual cats with Flowmasters (not part of the original DKM package). It also has

the WS6 package, TH350 tranny with a shift kit and a Hurst dual gate shifter. Out

back; the rear is a 10 bolt unit at 2.56:1. Wheels are the original 15x8 snowflake

wheels with 235/60 front rubber and 275/60 rear rubber. Originally the car came with

AC but it had been removed. Additional features include power windows, steering and

brakes, tilt wheel, and a non-original Pioneer detachable face CD player. The new

owner recently contact me. Mike writes:

"I purchased the Macho #28 from my son who was trying to sell it after owning it

for about three years. I gave him my 1973 Trans Am a few years ago and tried to get

it back with no luck. I decided this was a suitable alternative. She needs a lot of

work as you can tell from the pictures you have. I have ordered a complete new

interior and have started on the mechanics. Already replaced the windshield and had

the rear end rebuilt. Then the suspension and an engine overhaul with some little

extras added, after that its off to the paint shop for that special Macho paint. We

do have the exhaust system replaced to DKM specs. Sounds good. Still collecting

parts. Discovered somebody switched engines awhile back so we do not have the

original one. The one that is in it, is a real TA engine from the same year. I was

told by owner #2 that the engine that he had was beefed up and this was not it. Well

looks like we might as well stuff that pounched out 455 in her and make a mean ride.I

will send some updated photos when she gets her face lift."


1978 Macho Trans Am #32 of 204
owner: unknown

The pics are terrible quality but this Macho was up for sale recently and hopefully

has found a new home. Nothing else is known about this car at this time...

Pics courtesy of Heath Elmer





1978 Macho Trans Am #37 of 204
owner: Tim Kaple

This Macho TA comes dressed in a cool looking silver and blue paint scheme. Its

equipped with a 400c.i. engine, auto transmission, dual exhaust with dual catalytic

converters and no mufflers, cruise control, A/C, an Alpine stereo, and posi-trac rear

end. The unique bird has only seen 43,000 miles of use and is an excellent example of

the DKM program.

  #465  
Old 05-17-2022, 07:30 AM
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The Following User Says Thank You to Hesster1977 For This Useful Post:
  #466  
Old 05-19-2022, 11:30 AM
TRADERMIKE 2012 TRADERMIKE 2012 is offline
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Mikes finds:


"Some drag and street guys might not care about the history of NASCAR or the history of Homan and Moody, but all of us have benefited from the advances that they made within the industry. For example, they are acclaimed for having made and implemented the first full roll cage".

“For years the drawings of our roll cages and chassis were in the NASCAR rule book as an example of, ‘this is what your car is supposed to look like,” said Lee.



"Full floating rear end, window net, fast filling gas can, bullet point on the end of a wheel stud, two-piece steering shaft, padded steering wheel and the shoulder harness – these items make up a condensed list of the advances that Holman and Moody made in the motorsports world".


Holdman and Moody Video:

https://youtu.be/5mxeG7IMhAA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holman-Moody

http://holmanmoody.com/

http://holmanmoody.com/Today.html

http://holmanmoody.com/gallery.html

https://bringatrailer.com/2007/04/04...ar-torino-427/

https://www.fordmuscle.com/features/...mance-history/

  #467  
Old 05-19-2022, 11:35 AM
tom s tom s is offline
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Your right Mike!Who cares!Tom

  #468  
Old 05-20-2022, 04:59 PM
TRADERMIKE 2012 TRADERMIKE 2012 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tom s View Post
Your right Mike! Who cares! Tom
Mikes Reply:

Tom, I see you're on your period!

  #469  
Old 05-20-2022, 05:09 PM
tom s tom s is offline
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Mike!Im not alone!Its a pontiac board in case your having a problem remembering!You took almost a full page thread for just two of your posts!Tom

  #470  
Old 05-20-2022, 11:14 PM
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Closed.



The sheer number of off topic posts and full page double spaced posts have rendered most of this thread unreadable.

Let’s not continue this here or in any other threads on the forums.

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