There's no denying the pure cool factor of a late '70s Trans Am, especially one in the iconic black-and-gold paint scheme with snowflake wheels and that timeless hood bird graphic. However, its performance was another story. As a result of increasing emissions regulations, the T/A 6.6 was rated at only 200 horsepower in stock form, leaving many enthusiasts looking for new ways to make it as fast as it looks. The owner of this '77 Trans Am, Armen Pezeshkian, asked Los-Angeles-based restoration shop Vintage Motorworks to do just that, and the result is an 800-horsepower supercharged monster you have to hear for yourself.
Armen told Autotopia LA that he bought this '77 T/A as a fixer-upper project to work on with his dad, but soon noticed that the brakes were a little noisy. So, he called his friend Nicko Moukoian of Vintage Motorworks. After digging into the brake issue, the project's scope grew quickly to include suspension mods, interior upgrades, and a new motor.
In the end, the Trans Am's old 383 stroker was replaced with a GM LSA V8 with upgraded heads, cam, and a Kong Performance ported supercharger. This setup produced 780 horsepower and about 750 foot-pounds of torque at the wheels. It was paired with a Tremec TKX manual transmission and built Currie 9-inch rear end.
A custom Borla exhaust was fabricated with tips passed through the body behind the rear wheels. This setup absolutely roars and Armen says it's the loudest car he owns.
Above: A black Trans Am wouldn't be complete without the original-style gold hood bird decal.
In order to keep this power under control, Vintage Motorworks installed a Detroit Speed front subframe and Quadralink rear end, and also reinforced the chassis with a custom four-point cage. The rear is tubbed to accommodate sticky 345-width Hoosier tires on deep-dish Snowflake-style Forgeline wheels.
Of course, the original reason for this project was also addressed with a six-piston Wilwood big brake kit and hydroboost.
The interior features the original three-spoke steering wheel and original gold dash bezel with Dakota Digital gauges and Vintage Air A/C controls. The dash pad and carpet have been replaced with new parts, and a set of Recaro seats has been installed, complete with custom houndstooth upholstery.
As with many projects, this one is never truly complete. Armen says that other elements such as door panels, lighter doors, and ducting will be completed in the future.
Check out the full episode from Autotopia LA below:
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