The next big thing
He went looking for a ’68 Firebird, fell in love with seductive ’78 Trans Am
Alright! I’ve been listening to your requests to know what the next big collectible vehicle will be, and part of my New Year’s resolution is to share more in 2009, so here it is.
Like many people in the collector-car marketplace, we tend to identify and seek out vehicles that we have a personal attachment to, either from direct contact or a perceived connection.
If, in the ’60s, you grew up in the back of a Ford station wagon going to Little League baseball games, I suppose that might trigger your desire to find an old Ford wagon. Then again, if you saw the movie Bullitt at the theatre in 1968, a green ’68 Mustang or black Charger might be what you’re after.
Another option is to find a great vehicle from the year you were born. If it was 1972, I suppose a Vega or Pinto would fill the bill, but if you were born in 1964, a GTO would likely be the logical choice. Any way you look at it, it still boils down to individual choices based on individual desires, and that’s what makes the hobby so diverse and exciting at the same time.
From a collector-car standpoint, we’re about to enter a new generation of collectibles, and for example, I’m going to introduce you to Gerald Huhtala from Winnipeg.
In 2007, Huhtala wanted to find a collector car to serve as both an investment and as a unique summer driver. Born in 1968, his first choice was the pursuit of a ’68 Firebird. Although you can’t argue with the style and performance of the first-generation Firebird, finding one in decent condition and at an affordable price isn’t as easy as it would seem.
With the word out that he was looking, it was only a few days until a friend told him of a ’78 Trans Am that was for sale.
“I also liked the second-generation Firebird, having been 10 years old when Smokey And The Bandit came out, so I agreed to have a look at the car,” Huhtala says. Although he had heard the car was in really good shape, Huhtala was still expecting to see something that would need some tweaking to take it to the show level.
The car was owned by Manitoba Pontiac Association member Big Frank, and Huhtala was pleasantly surprised when the car cover was drawn back. A low-mileage 1978 Pontiac Trans Am wearing its original paint came as a bit of a shock to him. Needing absolutely no work whatsoever, the 30-year-old Trans Am looked to be in close to new condition.
Finished in Mayan red, with matching Carmine red deluxe velour upholstery, it is one stunning automobile. Options include power steering, power front disc brakes, power windows, power door locks, air conditioning, tinted glass, tilt steering wheel, bucket seats, centre console, full gauge package, rear-window defroster, body side mouldings and removable aftermarket glass T- Tops.
Though the T-Top was a factory option priced at $625, several aftermarket installers would supply a near-factory installation for about $400. There’s also a modern AM/FM cassette deck with iPod input that still bears the look of the original radio.
Not just a pretty face, the Trans Am was powered by a 6.6-litre, or 400 cubic inch V-8. The big-block engine was deliberately underrated at 180 net horsepower at a loafing 3,600 r.p.m. and a stout 325 foot-pounds of torque at only 1,600 r.p.m. Backed by a General Motors Turbo 350 automatic transmission and 2.56:1 ratio Safe-T-Track positraction rear axle, it’s a well-equipped muscle car with highway cruising manners. Heavy-duty RTS or radial tuned suspension offer higher spring rates; front and rear sway bars and rally II wheels with newer Sonic radial tires offer great ride and handling.
Originally equipped with a large, free-flowing single exhaust, the Trans Am has been converted to a full custom dual exhaust system with the signature Trans Am chrome split-tip exhaust extensions. Another performance upgrade was the modification of the shaker hood scoop.
Originally a non-functioning unit on the Trans Am from 1977 to 1981, Huhtala opened the rear of the scoop and fashioned a flap controlled by a solenoid that opens when the accelerator is kicked down. The system now functions very close to the original seen in the earlier Trans Am performance years.
As the fourth owner of the Trans Am, Huhtala has kept the car in immaculate condition, and with only 43,000 original miles, it’s as close to new as you’re ever likely to see, and Huhtala isn’t going to change a thing. A member of the Manitoba Classic & Antique Auto Club and the Manitoba Pontiac Association, the Trans Am is driven mainly to most of the local car shows. It’s also garnered many awards, and Huhtala hopes to travel to Dayton, Ohio, next August and show the car at the 25th Annual Trans Am Nationals.
With 93,341 Pontiac Trans Ams produced in 1978, it shouldn’t be considered rare, yet how many have survived the years of abuse and corrosion? Now I know many of you out there are saying, “Why the Trans Am?” Think for a moment about what performance meant in the late ’70s. Next to the Corvette, the Trans Am was the top-selling performance car, and in several years it also had the power to equal or beat the Corvette, at least in straight-line acceleration, making it a bona fide muscle car for several years running.
As an image car, it was always in your face and no other car had as devout a following. It’s a versatile car with many reproduction parts available so that it can be built into anything from a factory restoration to a fire-breathing pro-touring cruiser.
larry.dargis@freepress.mb.ca
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