1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

The 1973 Pontiac Firebird wore styling introduced in 1970 and would continue through 1981. The Firebird was introduced in 1967, and its first generation of styling continued through 1969. The second generation was delayed until late-February of 1970 due to engineering and tooling issues, so leftover 1969 models were listed in early Pontiac literature without a model-year identification and the 1970 models are popularly referred to as a 1970½ model. The 'Coke bottle' styling of the '1st Gen' was replaced by more rounded body lines of the '2nd Gen' accented by swoopy curves, a large B-pillar, and a lip on the trunk lid.

American V-8 high-performance cars were nearly extinct by the early 1970s, but the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird soldiered on, enjoying fast-growing popularity due to their potent engines, bold styling, and exceptional handling. A UAW strike at the GM assembly plant in Norwood in 1972 nearly convinced management to end production of the Firebird and the similar F-body Camaro. When production resumed, at least 1,100 incomplete Camaros had to be scrapped due to not complying with the new 1973 federal safety standards. Additionally, management was under pressure to comply with difficult new regulations for safety, fuel economy, and emissions.

For 1973, trim levels included the 'base' Firebird, Firebird Esprit, Firebird Formula, and Firebird Trans Am. The Esprit had a higher level of trim and accouterments than the base, with a custom interior, twin body-color mirrors, African cross-fire mahogany dash, and concealed windshield wipers. The Formula had a unique twin-scoop hood, a heavy-duty suspension, a black textured grille, dual exhaust, F70-14 tires, a custom cushion steering wheel, and items installed on the 'base' and Formula.

The 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am wore aerodynamically styled outside mirrors with the left-hand side being remote-controlled, heavy-duty shock absorbers and springs, front and rear stabilizer bars, front and rear spoilers (the rear was a full-width deck spoiler), front fender air extractors shaker hood, side air extractors, concealed wipers, power front disc brakes and steering, 7-inch wide 15-inch diameter Rally II wheels with trim rings, F60-15 raised white letter tires, dual body-color mirrors with the left-hand being remote-controlled, Safe-T-Track differential, wheel opening flares, dual exhaust with chrome extensions, and front air dams. The interiors housed a Rally gauge cluster with a tachometer and clock, engine-turned dash inserts, a Formula steering wheel, bucket seats, carpeting, and vinyl upholstery.

New for 1973 was the addition of the 'chicken' graphics treatment for the hood.

The standard engine powering the Trans Am was a 455 cubic-inch V8 with 8.0:1 compression, a four-barrel carburetor, and 250 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. The base transmission was either a four-speed manual or the Turbo-Hydramatic.

Pontiac engineers led by Special Projects Engineer Herb Adams and Senior Project Leaders Skip McCully and Tom Nell designed the Super Duty 455 engine and somehow managed to get it approved for sale as a factory option for 1973. Equally impressive was the 'Super Duty' name which vividly recalled the all-out Pontiac performers of the early 1960s that ruled drag strips, NASCAR ovals, and street racing. During the pervasive anti-performance stigma at General Motors, and the entire society of the era, the 'Super Duty' name and the high-performance 455 CID V8 were allowed to exist.

The Super Duty 455 engine received a stronger block with four-bolt mains, aluminum pistons, high-flow heads and manifolds, forged-steel connecting rods, a single Rochester Quadrajet 800-CFM four-barrel carburetor, and a Ram Air III camshaft. The engine was conservatively rated at 290 (SAE net) horsepower. Built using leftover components from Pontiac's 366 NASCAR engine, the SD-455 was capable of producing over 540 horsepower but was toned down to satisfy the EPA and comply with GM's strict horsepower policy which required all GM vehicles to hold the HP under 300.

In period road tests, the 455 Super Duty Firebirds with a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 (the standard gear ratio for the Super Duty model was 3.421) posted 13-second quarter-miles at over 103 mph through the traps and accelerated from 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds. It had the highest top speed, lowest zero-to-sixty mph, and quickest quarter-mile times compared to the Buick Special GS, Dodge Charger, AMC Javelin, and the Mustang Mach 1.

The 1974 SD-455 Firebird would continue unchanged except for the new front-end design. Most of the 1001 SD-455 Firebirds were Trans Am models, and 252 Super Duty 455-powered Pontiacs were built for 1973, nearly all were Trans Ams. Of those, 72 were equipped with a four-speed manual transmission and 180 with the automatic.

Pontiac produced 14,096 examples of the 'base' Firebird for 1973, 17,249 of the Firebird Esprit, 10,166 of the Firebird Formula, and 4,802 of the Trans Am. The base Firebird had a factory price of $2,890, the Firebird Esprit listed at $3,250, the Firebird Formula at $3,275, and the Trans Am topped the list at $4,200.

In comparison, the total production of the 1973 Chevy Camaro was 89,988 units, including 32,327 LT, 16,133 RS, and 11,574 Z/28s. The Z/28 Camaro came equipped with the 350 CID V8 equipped with a new low-restriction air cleaner and rated at 245 hp.

As the years progressed, performance continued to decline as power dropped and weight increased due to emissions and fuel-economy restrictions, and safety equipment installed to comply with the new legislation. All-new styling was introduced in 1982, and the F-body car became lighter, and its design was heavily influenced by aerodynamics.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 2V87X3N140028

In 1964, Pontiac changed the automotive landscape forever with the introduction of their GTO, which signaled (as many believe) the beginning of the muscle car movement. As the years progressed, the company became responsible for building some of the greatest American performance cars of the era, ending with the Trans AM Super Duty 455 of 1973. The Firebird Super Duty shared little with other 455s. Many of the internal components were sourced from Pontiac's 366 NASCAR engine. They had a stronger block with iron four-bolt mains, forged-steel connecting rods, aluminum pistons, high-flow heads and manifolds, and a Ram Air III camshaft. Essentially, the Firebird was a full-race engined detuned for street use. Conservatively rated at 290 bhp, the Firebird easily developed over 350 horsepower in stock form and careful tuning bumped that figure to more than 500 BHP.

In May of 1973, a test of a street-legal, automatic 455 Super Duty posted a 13.7-second quarter mile at 103.6 mph with zero-to-sixty taking just 5.4 seconds.

This Pontiac Firebird was originally ordered by the Cerami Pontiac Corporation of Paramus, New Jersey, and equipped with the best high-performance options available. Originally finished in cameo White with black bucket seats, the car was specified as a Trans Am and optioned with the Super Duty 455 engine, wide-ratio four-speed gearbox, heavy-duty radiator, heavy-duty battery, tinted glass, engine-turned instrument panel, stereo radio, roof molding, lamp ground, and padded Formula steering wheel. With nearly every expensive option selected, this car cost its original owner more than $5,200.

This car was owned by Dan Mazzoncini and Pontiac collector Stephen Lesko, before being acquired by the current owner.

This Super Duty 455 retains its original body panels and has been given a complete rotisserie restoration performed by Cummins Restoration of Grand Haven, Michigan. It has its original matching numbers engine block and is currently powered by the correct Super Duty 455 rebuilt by Joe Caroto of Pittsburgh, PA.

In total, Pontiac built just over 4,800 Firebird Trans Am for the 1973 model year. Of those, only 252 examples were given the Super Duty 455. From this limited supply, just 72 were further equipped with the four-speed manual gearbox.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe

By 1973, the entire concept of a muscle car was becoming something that was not quite politically correct. With Dodge, Plymouth, and even Chevrolet opting to discontinue big engines in their Pony Cars, Pontiac became the last hold-out.

Although technically not a big-block, the 455 cubic-inch engine certainly was the largest offering available. At the top of the food chain was the ultra-high-performance Super Duty 455, one of the hottest factory high-performance engines ever offered. Although advertising for the Super Duty option was minimal, those in the know would be able to purchase this very special engine with a long list of performance enhancements. This would include four-bolt mains, a high reinforced block, forged pistons, forged connecting rods, a special crankshaft, and even a provision in the block for a dry sump oiling system. The cylinder heads are a free-breathing design patterned after the earlier Ram Air IV heads, and the cam was similar to what was previously used in the Ram Air IV.

A mere 252 Pontiac S.D. 455 Trans Am were built in 1973, along with a handful of Super Duty Formulas, making this car one of the most sought-after Pontiacs of all time. Considered one of the very last examples of true factory muscle to be offered in the 1970s, we would not see anything even close to this kind of performance for many years.

Coupe

When it comes to 'Maximum Muscle', 1973 is certainly not the first year that most people refer to. There were, however, a holdout from the Pontiac Motor Division camp that nobody can deny represents true factory muscle.

Although politically incorrect, there were still a few folks that felt there was a need to keep horsepower alive at Pontiac. Although certainly not a sales success, these cars would become legendary and highly sought after by collectors.

The 455 cubic-inch Super Duty engine finds its roots in the 1961 high-performance option package offered for the 421. Earning immense respect, factory-built Super Duty cars would become legendary, and they deserve all the credit they get.

The 1973 SD-455 engine uses a strengthened cylinder block that includes 4-bolt main bearings and additional material in various locations for improved strength. Forged rods and forged-aluminum pistons were specified, as were unique high-flow cylinder heads. A special camshaft, combined with a low-compression ratio of 8.4 produced 290 NET horsepower, considered somewhat under-rated.

Built at a time when offering muscle and performance was certainly not the best way to sell cars, Pontiac produced a mere 1,296 Super Duty Firebird Formulas and Trans Am's in the two-year run. This Buccaneer Red Super Duty Trans Am is one of just 180 1973s built with an automatic transmission. It is, however, the only known example to be built with the ASC electric sunroof.

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Only 252 Trans Am's were produced with the 455 SD engine and this car is 1 of 180 with the automatic transmission. It was sold new at Coggin Pontiac in Jacksonville, Florida. It wears a one-year-only Brewster green paint scheme with a rare beige cloth interior.

The 455 Super Duty engine featured:

- 4 bolt mains

- Special round port exhaust cylinder heads with larger intake ports

- Unique intake & exhaust manifolds

- 800 CFM Quadrajet carburetor

- Heavy-Duty Forged connecting rods & pistons

Produced by Pontiac, a division of General Motors, the Pontiac Trans Am was based on the Firebird coupe body style and built on the F-body platform.

The last high-performance muscle motor from the original muscle car generation was the Firebird Trans Am with the 455 motor.

In 1971 appearing first as the 455-HO, the 455 motor was introduced.

The SD-455, a unique version of the 455 was offered I n 1973 and lasted one year. Using the leftover components from Pontiac's 366 NASCAR engine, it was built as a full bore racing engine.

With the ability to produce over 540 horsepower, the SD-455 had to be toned down to satisfy the EPA and meet GM's strict horsepower policy which required all GM vehicles to hold the HP under 300.

Though producing in final form, 371 HP SAE NET, approximately 440 gross horsepower, the PMD engineers listed the SD-455 at 290 HP. The ease with which it could be returned to its 500+ horsepower form was what made this engine so unique.

Some consider this SD-455 to be the most powerful factory Pontiac engine to ever be produced.

Offered for a few more years, the restrictions on vehicle emissions eventually became too much to the producers.

With only a total of 7,100 units produced with the 455 engine, the 1976 Trans Am was the final of the 'Big Cube Birds'.

The Trans Am was a strong effort to appeal to the growing muscle car population in the late 1960's.

The Pontiac Firebird was produced from 1967 until 2002. Both the Trans Am and Firebird were discontinued in 2002, though the body is still utilized in the IROC Racing Series.

The first generation of the Pontiac Trans Am was only available in 1969 and came with an optional handling package called the Trans Am Performance and Appearance Package, named after the Trans-Am Series. The package cost a total of $725.

Because the name was used without prior permission, the SCCA threatened to sue GM. The deal was settled by GM offering to pay $5 per every Trans Am sold.

689 hardtop models and eight convertibles were produced in the first year of production. In the same year, an additional Ram Air IV engine option for the 400 in³ to complement the Ram Air II.

Production of first generation models continued longer than one year, actually totally 17 months. The first generation models were differentiated from the Camaro by its four round headlights compared to the Camaro's two.

The Second generation was available from 1970 until 1981.

From 1982 until 1992, the third generation of Trans Am was introduced.

Available from model years 1993 until 1997, the fourth generation Trans Am offered anywhere from 275 to 305 horsepower as a result of the LT1 Small block aluminum headed engine.

by Jessican Donaldson