Jalopnik: Trans Am

Pay Your Respects at Japan's Random Muscle-Car Graveyard

Mike Spinelli — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

Daniel O'Grady, an Australian into exploring old Japanese castles, happened upon this random sadness pile in Kurume City on Kyushu island. It's definitely a five-hanky lot of cars gone to seed, though rife with rusty-muscle-car porn. More »

Destroy traffic lights with the 1998 Pontiac Trans Am

Tom Joslin — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

For 1998 Pontiac gave the Trans Am a facelift and put the previously Corvette only LS1 engine under the hood. The result was an aggressively styled muscle car with the looks and power to make traffic lights fall from the sky—at least that is the story Pontiac was selling. More »

Proof car dealerships were a pretty rough place to be in 1980

Tom Joslin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST

Nothing says 1980 like a car lot with almost nothing someone in the cult of the automotive obsessed can drool over. Times were dark in the automotive world in 1980—the malaise era was in full swing and there weren't many cars to get excited about. More »

1979 Pontiac Firebird Formula was a sophisticated breed of 'bird

Tom Joslin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EDT

Several decades later sophistication is hardly the word that comes to mind when you think about Pontiac Firebirds from the late 1970s, but that is the angle they were using to sell the Firebird Formula back in 1979. More »

For $39,500, scream like a chicken

graverobber — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EDT

Revisiting past glories can sometime end up sullying not just the visitor, but the original memory. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe 1979 Trans Am attempts to make the car what its predecessors once were, but does its price mean throwing your money down its past-glory hole? More »

Super Bandit Gallery

graverobber — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:59:00 EDT

Man who survived 100-mph flying Trans Am crash good, thanks for asking

Justin Hyde — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EDT

Brennen Eden, 20, was the driver who survived a horrific 100-mph crash outside Dayton, Ohio, last August that obliterated his Trans Am. After months of rehab and an upcoming appearance on National Geographic's "Indestructibles," Eden says he doesn't react anymore to the stunning footage of his crash. But he doesn't want another Trans Am. More »

Watch the last brand new 1979 Pontiac Trans Am sell at auction

Tom Joslin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EDT

A few weeks ago we told about what would likely be the last chance to ever buy a brand new 1979 Pontiac Trans Am from the showroom floor. Last Saturday the car left the Indiana showroom where it spent the last 32 years after one deep pocketed Pontiac enthusiast paid $85,000 for the Trans Am. For that sum the new owner got the pristine 6.7 mile muscle car and the unofficial title of the last person to ever buy a brand new Trans Am. More »

One last chance at a brand new 1979 Pontiac Trans Am from the showroom floor

Tom Joslin — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EDT

If you've ever wondered what a brand new 32 year old car looks like feast your eyes on this 1979 Pontiac Trans Am. Next month this ultra low mileage Pontiac will finally leave the showroom where it has spent the majority of the last three decades, giving one lucky buyer the chance to buy a brand new '79 Trans Am. More »

Surf’s Way, Way Up

Peter Orosz — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST

Out of its habitat, this gold ~~Trans Am~~ Firebird Esprit sits submerged in San Diego, hit on Tuesday by rising flood waters caused by a week of powerful rainstorms. Photo Credit: Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images More »

Hip Hop's Worst Knight Rider Tribute

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST

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What happens when you hire a director to make a Knight Rider-themed music video who has never seen Knight Rider? You get Curren$y's NSFW video for "Micheal Knight." Mean hook aside, is it that hard to find a Trans Am? More »

Biden's Beloved Trans Am Makes New York Times

Ray Wert — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST

The New York Times is finally reporting on something even The Onion's already covered — Vice President Joe Biden's penchant for washing his beloved Pontiac on the driveway of the White House. The man just loves showin' those cannons. [NYT] More »

Be Sure To Dress In Pleather For The Future: The 1982 Trans Am!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EDT

The movie Tron must have had a profound effect on GM's marketers, who apparently decided that the semi-computerized Quadrajet on the Firebird's 305 engine was really a time machine! More »

Quaalude Residue Under Carpets Won't Save This '78 Trans Am From Crusher's Cruel Jaws

Murilee Martin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT

I was at the junkyard with Casadelshawn not long ago, doing research for the next Junkyard Build Quality Challenge, and there it was: Pure concentrated essence of late 1970s! More »

The Firebreather: First Drive

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Our first thought when we saw "The Firebreather," the hero car Classic Design Concepts built for Exxodus Pictures' new sci-fi flick Jinn, was "modern interpretation of a Firebird... cool!" The reality is it's much better... and much faster. More »

Trans Am's Inherent Awesomeness Leads To Owner's Not-So-Awesome Humiliation

Murilee Martin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Of all the writers whose styles I've ~~ripped off~~ been influenced by over the years, none— not even James Ellroy— has had as much influence on the Murilee Martin Lifestyle Brand™ as Kevin Hoover of the Arcata Eye. More »

Screaming Chicken-Trumping Firehawk for $12,500!

graverobber — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Pontiac's dispatched almost as many screaming chickens as Colonel Sanders. But despite that avian connection, today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe firebird is a hawk, not a hen, and you have to decide if its price is fair or fowl. More »

The Pontiac Trans Am Kammback

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST

In the mood for a one-of-a-kind Pontiac now that the brand's dead? This 1985 Pontiac Trans Am Experimental Kammback is for sale and fits the weirdo bill. It's a GM experimental with a wagon-back bolting right into the hatch opening. More »

Is This The Largest Camarobird Collection In The World?

Sam Smith — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:15:00 EST

One of the most amazing car collections we've ever seen recently hit NastyZ28.com. These Trans Ams are just the tip of the iceberg; we count over eighty cars, and almost all of them are second-generation F-bodies. This is nuts. More »

Welcome To The Thunder: This Is Your Hump-Day Trans-Am

Sam Smith — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EST

Wednesdays suck. 1960s American muscle does not suck. Road racing does not suck. YouTube also does not suck. Can you see where we're going with this? In-car video of a 7500-rpm AMC Javelin and loud noises below. Eat me, Wednesday. More »

New Camaro/Trans Am Conversion Proves Mullets Aren’t Dead

Wes Siler — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:45:00 EST

What makes the Gearhead Performance Group Trans Am different from other Camaro/Trans Am conversions like the Bandit and Lingenfelter concept? It'll supposedly come with a 900 HP twin-turbo LS9. Nice. More »

Trans Am Driver Grenades His Clutch In Burnout FAIL

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST

Remember the Corvette Z06 clutch-plosion? It could have been worse. This Trans Am owner nearly loses his foot trying to burn down the tires. More »

Toy Cars On Toy Tokyo Streets In Epic Stop-Motion Action Movie

Wes Siler — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST

This stop-motion movie's plot is harder to figure out than a Michael Bay flick, but luckily the toy-car-on-toy-car action is even more epic. Who knew toy soldiers were such good drivers? More »

Screaming Chicken-ize Your Ride For Cheap!

Murilee Martin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Why should Pontiac's iconic Screaming Chicken hood decal be restricted to Malaise Era Trans Ams, or even Pontiacs? Your '87 Hyundai Excel or '93 Buick LeSabre deserves a four-foot-wide Screaming Chicken, and now you can afford one! More »

1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Murilee Martin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. What makes a Firebird a Trans Am? More »

Bandit Trans Am Builds Excitement In Our Pants

Ray Wert — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

The Bandit is back and this re-skinned Camaro's building excitement in our pants faster than Sally Fields ever could. Called the Phoenix T/A Conversion, it'll cost you about $85,000 (including Camaro SS) to get some screamin' chicken action! More »

Lingenfelter Trans Am Concept: There Goes The Neighborhood

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:20:00 EST

The Lingenfelter 455 T/A Concept has shown its unique mug on the floor of SEMA. If you take a deep breath you can almost smell meth cookin' behind the curtain and hear dogs fighting over the din of the show. More »

Lingenfelter Turns Mullet-Mobile Into Screamin' Chicken

Ray Wert — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Sadly, the arrowhead-branded Pontiac Trans Am dead with the arrowheaded brand. But, the new Chevy Camaro brings new opportunity for the aftermarket to revive the screamin' chicken. Here's the first — the Lingenfelter 455 T/A — heading to tomorrow's SEMA. More »

Winning: The Racing Life Of Paul Newman, by Matt Stone

Murilee Martin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EDT

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This first words in this book come from the pen of Mario Andretti: "Paul Newman was one of us." More »

Eight Great Mustangs From Racing History

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EDT

Like it or loathe it, the NASCAR Ford Mustang is part of a long history of Mustang racing. Here's a look at the most noteworthy examples of Mustang racing below. More »

1977 Pontiac Trans Am for $12,000!

graverobber — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:00:00 EDT

Are you jonesing for a real ‘70s car chase? Well, today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe candidate will help you be the bandit, good buddy, but it may leave you feeling a bit blue. More »

The Onion: Shirtless Biden Washes Trans Am In White House Driveway

Ray Wert — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:00:00 EDT

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But really, the only reason this Joe Biden-Trans Am joke's funny is because it could totally be true. [The Onion] More »

The Ten Greatest Pontiacs

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:59:00 EDT

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 »

What's The Over/Under...

Ray Wert — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EDT

...on screamin' chickens showing up on hoods of new Chevy Camaros before August's Woodward Dream Cruise? Just something we were thinking about today. More »

Inflatable Trans Am Does Not Come With A Sally Field Blow Up Doll

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST

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 »

Bullet-Riddled And Abused, Malaise Firebird Accepts Junkyard Fate

Murilee Martin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Win On Sunday, Still Don't Sell On Monday: Screamin' AMCs In Eardrum-Punishing Trans Am Action!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EDT

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 »

Audi, Lancia, or Ford: Which Hoonworthy Vintage Race Machine Would You Buy?

Murilee Martin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:45:00 EDT

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 »

How Not To Go Drag Racing

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:20:00 EDT

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] More »

Muscle Car Wars Of 1978: Hood Decals Strike Back

Mark Arnold — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EDT

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 »