The Village Hemorrhoid

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

I have never been a Firebird / Trans Am fan but I like this.

1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am - Sweet & Sour

Father-Son team transform iconic 1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
The Millers own Miller & Son Collision, a family operation in Lancaster, New York, which provides not only collision repair, but also restoration, mechanical, and paint services, along with detailing. They live their work, and father and son wrenched on the Trans Am on many nights and weekends after long days of handling customer vehicles.
At the heart of the build is a Chevrolet Performance LSX376-B15 crate engine*, the Bowtie power plant built for up to 15 pounds of boost. The engine in the Trans Am is topped with a Magnuson TVS2650 supercharger.
The LSX376-B15 is rated at 473 horsepower and 444 lb.-ft. of torque, but those are simply baseline numbers depending upon the user's forced-induction system. The engine utilizes a cast-iron block with six-bolt cross-bolted main caps, a durable all-forged rotating assembly, and six-bolt, high-flow, rectangular-port LS3-LSX cylinder heads.
"It's got better head clamping [than other LS options] to handle the boost better and not stress anything out," Jimmy Miller said. "There are just a couple of those little trick features with the LSX376-B15 that now appeal to us more so than ever."
The engine also features a Chevrolet Performance wiring harness and ECM, and the power plant is mated to a Super Magnum six-speed manual transmission. The bellhousing and clutch are from GM as well.
While not purchased as a full Connect & Cruise Crate Powertrain System, the Millers pieced together their own over time.
"We sort of did it as we could afford it," Jim Miller said.
In addition, the Millers installed a Wizard Cooling radiator system known as the LS Beast, made specifically for their application, to help keep the engine cool. They also utilized a Tanks Incorporated fuel tank, which allows for modern fuel injection to be built into a stock-period tank and features a Walbro "Hellcat" in-tank fuel pump.
Jim Miller has owned the car since 1994; when he purchased the vehicle it was a brown color. He soon had it painted a canary yellow, while adding a video game console and TVs. All of this was done before his son was born.
The car features all Ridetech suspension components along with a Ridetech air ride system. Mini tubs and a custom subframe are among the other modifications. A Currie rear end features 4.11 gears.
Upholstery Unlimited in Lancaster, New York, created the interior and the entire concept is based on a rendering from Tavis Highlander and his Highlander Concept Rendering Service in Seattle. The roll cage is from Too Fast Garage, which built the safety system when the car was just a shell on a rotisserie. Other interior highlights include Fessler glass in the front and rear, New Vintage USA gauges, and Vintage Air to keep occupants cool. A push-button start is even included on the center console.
The car's exterior, and a fitting name for a story about this car, is painted in a yellow shade known as Sweet and Sour. It comes from Modern Classikk – a collaboration between Dave Kindig and AkzoNobel. The car also features steel hand-made spoilers, rocker panels, a splitter and a diffuser. Digi-tails provided the LED taillights, and the Millers gutted a shark fin from a Cadillac and installed the GPS for the touchscreen video in the base. It rides on the roof. Their co-worker, Brandon Meek, did all of the wiring throughout the vehicle.
The entire Trans Am rides on Boze forged aluminum wheels measuring 20 x 12 in the rear and 19 x 10 in front. The tires are Toyo R888R sized at 335/30R20 out back and 285/35R19 up front.
The Millers paid tribute to the classic Trans Am was by maintaining both the stock-appearing hood and the iconic bird, made famous by a certain bandit.
"The hood was a feat in itself because we had to lower the motor four inches in back just to keep the center of gravity down and to keep that supercharger as low as possible so we didn't have to have an enormous hood," Jim Miller said.
While the LSX376-B15 would've fit perfectly under the stock hood without the supercharger, the Millers went through an extensive process of fabricating their own version of the hood, painstakingly cutting graphics, and modifying components underneath the car to ensure everything looked original. CJR Machining in Alden, New York, helped with much of the process.