Jalopnik
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LOLCars
The Onion: Shirtless Biden Washes Trans Am In White House Driveway
But really, the only reason this Joe Biden-Trans Am joke's funny is because it could totally be true. [The Onion]
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By Ray WertComment by Forgetful - GT Junkie: Pontiac's dead!?! Say it ain't so Joe! Say it ain't so! Also, cut off shorts and black loafers... a heartbeat away... 14 Responses | Other threads
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Carpocalypse
The Ten Greatest Pontiacs
We told you months ago Pontiac was dead, but today GM CEO Fritz Henderson made it official. Now that the pointy-arrow brand is gone, we'll mourn by celebrating our ten favorite examples of driving excitement. More » -
chevy camaro
What's The Over/Under...
...on screamin' chickens showing up on hoods of new Chevy Camaros before August's Woodward Dream Cruise? Just something we were thinking about today.
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By Ray WertComment by SirNotAppearing: How much time do I have to get that together? I'll also be making my own T-tops. 13 Responses | Other threads
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novelties
Inflatable Trans Am Does Not Come With A Sally Field Blow Up Doll
The absolute necessity of a full-scale inflatable Bandit-style Pontiac Trans Am may be questionable, but that doesn't mean it isn't awesome and we can't think of a million fun things to do with it. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by pres: All I need now is an inflatable mullet. 6 Responses | Other threads
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3,005
Comment by hoontastic: The trouble with Slant 6's is they are so reliable we had too look at the those cars soo long... 13 Responses | Other threads
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monterey historics
Win On Sunday, Still Don't Sell On Monday: Screamin' AMCs In Eardrum-Punishing Trans Am Action!
Sure, there were plenty of Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers- not to mention a few furrin jobs in the 2-liter class- roaring around the track in the Historic 1966-74 Trans Am Cars event yesterday, but: red-white-and-blue Javelins and AMXs! The sound of 40 V8s WFO on the track overwhelmed my poor camera's sound-recording abilities, but I did get a usable video of this Javelin warming up. Make the jump for many Trans Am photos. More »
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Comment by avusone: @Sigsworth: The question was answered 40 years ago....yes a '65 Cobra was faster than a 65 Vette !! Classic races also... more » | Other threads
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ennui countermeasure
Audi, Lancia, or Ford: Which Hoonworthy Vintage Race Machine Would You Buy?
SoNaive was shopping for a project Ford RS200- yeah, might as well aim high- and found these three 80s race cars, any one of which is capable of sending the entire Jalopnik staff into paroxysms of longing that threaten to shut down all operations for the rest of the week. So, it's Monday, you're hunkering down for a long week of The Man's cruel lash on your much-scarred back, and that means you have the right to blow the whole morning trying to make the impossible choice: which of these cars would you have for your own? Jump away for the links, the galleries, and the poll! More »
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Comment by slackinfux: Wow, that was a tough one, but seriously, the RS200 seems to be the most streetable of the bunch, so... more » | Other threads
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novelties
How Not To Go Drag Racing
One of the things nobody ever tells you about drag racing is the last thing you want to do is look like an idiot. The air is thick with competitive spirit, there's a crowd watching your every move, and even if you're a novice in a world of pros, you don't want to get made fun of. This guy got made fun of after this run — a lot. Staging with his back tires, what a maroon — and that's just the beginning. [Youtube]
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By Ben WojdylaComment by AlexConley: Hey, gotta learn somehow. I missed 3rd gear and ran a 15 my first time out on the track. more » | Other threads
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jalopnik decides
Muscle Car Wars Of 1978: Hood Decals Strike Back
It's a Friday, and it's the week before our most patriotic of U.S. holidays. What better time to take a look back at the best of American muscle machinery? Aha, but there's a catch: We're only going to go back 30 years. That's right, 1978. The Malaise era was striking back with a new breed of muscle cars. While not as legendary as some of the "true" muscle iron of the '60s, these creations traded raw power for cocaine-fueled, taped-on vinyl style. In the middle of an infamous era, we give you three cars that represented the best of red-blooded American spirit. But only one will be declared most awesome, and that's for you to decide. More »
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By Mark ArnoldComment by thatguy01: @Sigsworth: I think the Hornet hatchback is a very handsome shape. The black paint and airdam are flattering, and I... more » | Other threads
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novelties
Nooooo! Two Sweet Pontiacs Destroyed For Sake Of Art
We've heard of this "Jonathan Schipper" before through his exploits slowly grinding scale models and throw-away IROC-Z's together. Now he's gone and mashed a Pontiac Firebird into a Pontiac Trans Am, both examples of sweet malaise goodness. True they may have been on the underpowered side when stock, and their engines have been removed for this exercise, but they were masterpieces of hair-over-neck styling before this literal mash-up. Seeing these two run face to face into each other over the course of four days is pure pain, or pleasure, depends on how you feel about Pontiacs. [Auto.Coone.com]
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By Ben WojdylaComment by koolykool44: Well the only people i know that drive t70's pontiacs are big assholes, plus they have a 455 from 1972... 1 Responses | Other threads
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gadgets
Even The Knight Rider R/C Car Has Turbo Boost
As far as we can tell, the new GT500KR Mustang KITT still lacks any kind of turbo boost. But now you can still enjoy a little bit of the old Knight Rider turbo in the form of a remote control car. Forget the Mustang—let's return to the Golden Age with the Pontiac Trans-Am KITT remote-control car from Firebox. You'll be the coolest kid in the neighborhood. Your dad will be able to beat up other dads. But not The Hoff, or course. More » -
industry news
No New Pontiac Trans Am, GM To Scale Back "Performance" In "Performance Division"
Automotive News is reporting that GM leadership told dealers in the Buick-Pontiac-GMC sales channel they'll be getting 12 new or "special edition" vehicles over the next 20 months — but one vehicle it won't be getting is a new Pontiac Trans Am. That's like getting a coin that's tails on one side and completely blank on the other — like geting Smokey without the Bandit — like getting Michael and no KITT. We mean seriously, where's the value in a new Chevy Camaro if there's no screamin' eagle Pontiac Trans Am? We're heartbroken. But maybe there'll still be a Firebird? Oh wait, there's more. GM muckety-mucks also told dealers... More » -
john travolta
Don't Touch the Hair: "Travolta Fever" Custom Trans Am on eBay
Not long after L. Ron Hubbard got John Travolta's thetans on a silver platter, the New Jersey-born actor starred in a little movie about dancing around like a putz. It was called Saturday Night Fever, and it became a multimedia, pop-culture phenomenon that launched both his career and that of the Bee Gees into the stratosphere. As such, marketers of all stripe muscled in on Travolta Fever, an illness whose symptoms included jumpsuits and an overly intense affinity for hair products. At the time, it was customary for custom car builder George Barris to work up some manner of rod to celebrate a media property that passed a certain tipping point. Such was this "Travolta Fever" Trans Am, one of the first celebrity car model kits ever offered by Revell. Now, it's for sale on eBay. Get in on the malaise-era automotive collector's market now, before all the great ones are gone. And get this one too, what the hell. [eBay]
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Comment by Brian B: @FLB: Hey now! Not everything he created sucked. George did build the Munster's rod and the TV series Batmobile, after... more » | Other threads
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down on the street
1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
What car best sums up Malaise Era so-called performance cars than the late-70s Trans Am? Sure, there's the whole Burt Reynolds thing adding some camp value and general notoriety, but this car would be a caricature of its time and place even if "Smokey and the Bandit" had never been made. The scoops! The flares! The great big engine that wheezed out less power than the base 4-bangers in today's boring econo-sedans! Yet still, just like America in the gloomy post-Watergate/Vietnam/oil-embargo period, there was still some optimism to be found in the Trans Am's lines... if you looked for it. More »
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Comment by Webman12: I owned one that was the same color, CHESTERFIELD BROWN!Yep might as well be the color of a couch. more » | Other threads
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clueless trans am owner
GM's "I Got Shotgun" basking in the beauty of a 1998 Trans Am. But seriously, who wouldn't trade a '98 Trans Am for $50,000? [YouTube] -
classic ad watch
Trons Am?
The true secret of Pontiac's 3rd-Generation F-Body is out: the machine was obviously designed with wind-cheating ferocity in mind by some sort of Master Control Program buried 361 feet below and 500 yards north-northeast of the Ham Center in Warren, Michigan. Was FLAG technology involved? Only Devon Miles knows, and he's saying nothing. More »
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Comment by my favorite car is a motorcycle: @camaroman: Yes, everything has been going downhill since the 1950's. But it wasn't until the 1990's that we... more » | Other threads
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classic ad watch
Power Swelling Out Of The Hood And Telling The World Where It's At!
Hindsight being 20/20 and all, we get some knee-slappin' belly laughs when we hear the words "1980 Turbo Trans Am" spoken, since we all know it was, well, kinda terrible. But still, look at the optimism in this ad! The confidence! Why, even the Black Gold 280ZX guy was probably envious of the blown Screamin' Chicken back in 1980. \ More »
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Comment by dr.chophoppers coz mr. wont cut it: How the hell did they reconcile the "MPG" slogan with a Turbo'd V8? Boggles the mind. more » | Other threads
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that's no 'vette...that's a space station!
Corvette Bummer
For your evening enjoyment, we bring you what may be the lamest car chase to feature a cast member of Star Wars IV-VI. Plus, you know, there's that amazingly-customized 'Vette and an early-3rd2nd-Gen TA. Sadly, they blew up the wrong car. More »
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Comment by logruszed: Anyone driving that T/A getting owned by that Vette monstrosity deserves to die. He should have eaten that gun instead... more » | Other threads
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jump into my karr
KITT vs. Airwolf!
Given that both Knight Rider and Airwolf seem to be cut from the same 1980s cloth it's almost surprising that there was a never a TV movie made of this epic meeting of the super-machines. Nevertheless, an enterprising fan took it upon himself to creatively edit one himself. And we have to say, other than the Hoff's changing shirt colors and a distinct lack of Tim Conway and Carl Ballantine, the helicopter/Trans Am shoot out is actually kind of a hoot. More » -
thunderbird in sf? duh! tenderloin!
KITT and Michael Do San Francisco
As previously stated, we're suckers for law-enforcement drama in the City by the Bay. We're not exactly suckers for Knight Rider, which in our mind just isn't as rad as Airwolf and is nowhere near as awesome as The A-Team. That said, we do enjoy a bit of KITTsch (d'oh) now and then, so here's a car chase through Sucka Free featuring a self-driving Thunderbird and a supposedly-turbine-powered Trans Am that sound suspiciously like it's got a 305 in it. More »
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Comment by dharder9475: I'm thinking I need to get a replica of that sweater. eBay? more » | Other threads
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help kitt help hoff
Hoff Needs KITT Now More Than Ever
In light of David Hasselhoff's recent how-to eat a cheeseburger while really tired instructional video, it may be time to send out the call to KITT and all KITT replicars to help the Hoff through these troubled times. If KITT can stop KARR dead in its tracks then a short press of the turbo boost button could be just what Hasselhoff needs. Oh yeah - and lasers. Lots of lasers. More »
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By Mike BumbeckComment by Turboner: @ledwig: All shows of our youth really are that bad. Except the A team. Ok, that too. more » | Other threads
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retro
Want To Own KITT? For You, Only $149,995!
Everyone's favorite '82 Trans Am is now available at Kassabian Motors in Dublin, CA, for the low, low price of $149,995.00 (apparently it was $150K but Kassabian was feeling generous and knocked five clams off the sticker). The car, one of three used during the production of Knight Rider, isn't street legal (a matter of some missing smog gear) and all the electronic gear has been changed by a "reproduction company," but hey, the T-tops are still good! More »
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Comment by Turboner: I bet the A-team van could be had for less dough. And cooler. Not much, but cooler. more » | Other threads
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retro
The Joy of the Tiny Turbo Trans Am
This photo is of a Jalopnik reader. We shall not mention who, but as a child, he was obviously sucked in by the superficial radness of the Turbo Trans Am. Admittedly, we were too in the day, because if a Trans Am is good, one with a turbocharger is naturally better. Sadly, this was not the case, and this poor pedal-powered version of the worst of the 2nd Gen TAs fell off the back of the car on a family trip. Said Jalopnik reader says he still misses it. Perversely, we do, too. We still wish we had our General Lee big wheel. More »
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Comment by petestransams: [www.freewebs.com] I picked this up a while back, only one ive ever found, thought i'd show everyone. more » | Other threads
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retro: racing
IMSA Merkurs! Yes!
Back when Ford was preparing to launch Merkur, they decided it might raise a bit of brand awareness to campaign the XR4Ti in IMSA's GTU class. With a slight dip in displacement over the car's Pinto-based 2.3 mill, the cars, prepared and campaigned by Kent Racing. A bit later, FoMoCo shifted the XR4Ti's mission to Trans-Am and over-two-litre IMSA competition, with the Merks running under Roush's aegis. Peter Cipolla, a man from the Show-Me State we can throw our weight behind, has rescued a couple of these mighty orphan warriors from bygone days, and for that, we owe him a package of schnitzel and an ice-cold MGD. More »
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Comment by FЯeeMan: @frank williams: and that explains the demise of the Taurus how? oh, wait, nevermind... more » | Other threads
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retro
Whither Johnny Morton? Datsun 510 is AB's Reader's Ride of the Day
As we power up the Jalopnik laptop each morning, we're usually greeted by a period shot of Pete Brock's BRE racing team circa 1971: driver John Morton, Brock and engine chief John Caldwell, along with the Datsun 510 racer the team ran in the SCCA Trans Am series that year. That the Jalop comprises all manner of 510 geeks is no secret, which is why we were plenty psyched when Autoblog picked a restored, tuner model as its reader ride of the day. It's a bit of a Frankenstein's monster, this butterscotch brown '72, sporting BMW headlamps, a suspension fitted with bespoke swaybars, and a turbo-boosted Nissan SR20DET under the hood producing 300 hp at the wheel. It even has a BRE-style air dam, which all proper 510s should. Click through for more Datsun geekery, in the form of John Morton's commercial for the original 280z. More »
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Comment by sss510: The butterscotch paint and the BRE "spook" spoiler are vintage 510. You might want to ask a local Porsche Boxer... more » | Other threads
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retro
The Hoff Looks For Freedom, KITT Flies
The always-reliable TexansAreHot tossed us this link to a video montage of David Hasselhoff singing his "Looking for Freedom" in surreal locales intercut with footage of KITT hurtling through the air. And frankly, anything more we could say is superflous. You'll just have to watch. More » -
retro
Car-Chase Madness Continues: Hannibal and Face Hork a Trans Am
In which Face and Hannibal, on the run from Pontiac-equipped minions of Colonel Decker, run off with an early 3rd-gen F-body from the General's Excitement Division. Action ensues, although the hilarity's a bit flat. Meanwhile, vegetable soup sounds very good right about now. More »
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Comment by LA Stunt Double: Location alert for all you A-team fans: Hollywood Paladium parking lot in the first scene, and the 6255 Sunset Blvd... more » | Other threads
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news
Well, Actually, It Could've Come From Your Loins: Trans Am Photochop
If we weren't still so bitter at the state of Alabama, we'd totally pop in our Smokey and the Bandit DVD right about now. But as it stands, we're especially exceedingly bitter tonight, so we're just going to have to revel in the fact that somebody's photochopped the Camaro Concept into a mo'fuggin' Trans Am. It not only looks better than the Camaro (which, until the late 3rd-Gen and again, the late 4th-Gen, always had it all over the Camaro appearance-wise), but well, it's a black and gold TA with a Screamin' Chicken on the hood. As soon as the stores open tomorrow, we're going shopping for a red long-sleeve cowboy shirt and black hat, mofos. [Thanks to Mike for the tip, even if he did refer to us as "Juh-pol-nik" at the Detroit show.] [Update: See more of Kevin Morgan's nouveaux TransAm Photochops here.] More »
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Comment by FutureCarDesigner: I think think a remake of a different popular show. Knight Rider. That car would be awesome. more » | Other threads
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retro
The '76 Trans Am; Last of the Massive-Inch Musclecars
By 1976, the musclecar era had been burnt to a crisp on the triple sacrificial altars of emissions, insurance and economy. Only Pontiac dared install an engine much larger than 400 cubic inches in a midsize or compact car, and that car was the goddamn Trans Am. While we're a sucker for the iconic '77-'78 front end treatment, there's no doubt that with a few modest tweaks, the '76 car could proudly stand as the last in the musclecar line. 30 years after its debut, The Car Connection runs a brief history and gives it a nod of appreciation for standing as strong in the face of legislative peril as it did. The Mustang may still live, but the TA will forever roar in our hearts. Godspeed, you black Firebird. Godspeed. More » -
retro
Makin' Buford T. Justice Look Like a Possum's Pecker: '77 Trans Am SE
We wandered outside yesterday for a smoke and heard something that sounded suspiciously like the steel guitar solo in Jerry Reed's "East Bound and Down." Then the chorus kicked in and we got all kinds of happy. Afterward, an instrumental fiddle piece from the score was played, apparently by a live band somewhere off across the parking lot. By this point we were positively giddy and accosted a stranger, saying, "They're playing the Smokey and the Bandit score!" He gave us a bemused look and walked on. Today as we were walking through the resto-parts section of SEMA, we happened upon this 403-powered Bandit with all original sheetmetal and were overcome with jealousy. We will have a '77 Pontiac F-Body, kids. Just you wait and see. The Jalopnik Texarkana/Atlanta run is just around the corner... More »
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Comment by noremac: ahhh...the reason i fell in love with cars in the first place.... is still say the 71 firebird is the best... more » | Other threads
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