The 1976 Pontiac Trans Am became a triumph of style over substance. While it was an attractive looking car that could command its share of attention, it found itself crippled by tightening emission regulations. Hmm, how to extract some extra performance? The answer with this Trans Am was for the owner to bolt a turbocharger to the V8. That should provide a noticeable improvement and make this classic a blast to drive. Located in San Antonio, Texas, you will find the Trans Am listed for sale here on eBay. After initially opening at $7,500, the bidding has quickly rocketed to $10,700. The reserve has been met, so a new home beckons the Turbo Trans Am.
The Cameo White Pontiac generally looks quite tidy, but that doesn’t mean that it is rust-free. As you can see in this photo, there is rust beginning to develop around the rear window. I would be attending to that fairly quickly because this area can be consumed rapidly by tin worm if left unchecked. That also raises the question of rust that we can’t see. That means that the tail pan, floors, and rear frame rails will probably all need to be checked. Externally, there are no other apparent problems. The paint has a few flaws, so the buyer will likely consider a repaint if the car is to present at its best once again. However, there is no reason why the rust couldn’t be fixed, and then the Trans Am could be driven as a clean survivor. The wheels show no evidence of damage or staining, while the tinted glass appears to be in good condition.
This Pontiac comes equipped with a 400ci V8, which should be pumping out 185hp. This is backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission, while the vehicle is also equipped with power steering and power brakes. By 1976, the Trans Am was a shadow of its former self. In 1970, a Trans Am equipped with the 400ci V8 could storm the ¼ mile in 14.1 seconds. By the time this particular Trans Am rolled off the production line, that figure had slumped to a dismal 17.7 seconds. That raised the question of how to extract more performance from a car that had become quite asthmatic. Today, cars like this feature fuel injection and advanced engine management systems. The answer for this car was to bolt a turbocharger to that V8. The owner doesn’t provide a lot of information on its specifications, but this doesn’t look like your average “slap on a turbo and hope for the best” proposition. The plumbing seems very professional, and the heat-shielding is an intelligent touch. I can’t be entirely sure, but I think that the original carburetor may have made way for aftermarket fuel injection. The owner says that the car runs well, and I would expect that if this setup has been tuned correctly, there should be a lot more than 185hp available to the driver. The listing also indicates that the Trans Am has covered a genuine 36,000 miles. The owner doesn’t mention any verifying evidence, and in my humble opinion, the engine’s modifications probably make this a moot point. If someone decided to return the car to its original specifications, this would probably be relevant. With the vehicle in its current guise, it’s not that important.
From a presentation perspective, the interior of the Trans Am is a high point. There isn’t much not to like because there are no upholstery issues and no problems with the dash or pad. The carpet and headliner have avoided deterioration, while the plastic shows no evidence of cracking, crumbling, or other issues. A small turbo boost gauge is located near the driver’s right knee, but there are no other modifications. However, air conditioning, an AM radio, and a factory 8-track player would all combine to make life on the road pretty comfortable.
This 1976 Pontiac Trans Am has the potential to be a bit of a sleeper. I generally tend to steer clear of aftermarket turbo installations because they can be a nightmare unless they are correctly engineered. If this one has been completed using fuel injection, that sets it apart from the pack and holds some promise that it should be civilized and reliable. The Trans Am isn’t perfect, but it should be an absolute blast to drive. That’s why I’m not surprised that the bidding has been pretty spirited up until now. There might be a little way to go yet, but the sheer enjoyment of this classic could make it worth the price of admission.
I would yank the drivetrain, and plop in a nicely built 455 with a 5 speed.
Ditto, or even a properly built earlier 400. But if you’re in CA, its gotta pass smog.
One thing I wouldn’t want is to return it to its former mechanical originality for driving. Curious how well it moves out with the turbo, but unless it was a complete moe and curly job it should be a major improvement. Nice looking car otherwise.
These had about 7 to 1 compression! Good engine design but crummy cam and no CR made them slooow. p
Probably lots of fun as is!
It’s a really beautiful car but like the first two posts were getting at the putting a turbo on a smog engine like this is similar to putting lipstick on a pig. That also includes the possible F/I? This engine has an over all very poor induction system from the heads to the cam and this also includes intake manifold and carb. If someone were looking for performance just putting a turbo on it won’t cut it the engine the way it sits would not be able to flow half of what a good turbo could produce! Pull the engine and put some time into your plan and you could easily get a nice conservative 450 HP, subframe connectors welded in and street tires now your finishing the car properly!
Positive manifold pressure does wonders to atone for runners/ports that flow poorly under atmo.
Looks like a suck through the carb setup
The ’80 – ’81 turbo 301 was a ticking time bomb that had all the brute force of a whoopee cushion… a turbo on a low compression smog 400 might elevate the time bomb to the force of some bonafide flatulence… LS swap time!
I had this car, with the 400 4-speed. After an exhaust upgrade it was clocked in the high 13’s. And it handled so good! Lots of great memories. Someone will really enjoy this one! If only I had a bigger garage and a lot more spare time!