1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Description

Sometimes cars show up here at Streetside Classics that just make everyone stop and stare. This 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is such a car. The combination of the super-rare Brewster Green paint and a matching-numbers 455 is surely a big part of that, but you can't overlook the quality of the restoration, which makes this a very special F-body indeed.

Code 48 Brewster Green was a one-year-only finish that even the most die-hard Trans Am fans have probably never seen. It gives the brutally muscular Trans Am a sophisticated, adult look that belies its sporting intentions and looks downright gorgeous. Professionally refinished two years ago by noted expert Daryl Wilson, it's simply spectacular in person. The depth and brilliance of the dark green paint is far beyond anything they were doing in 1973, yet it retains that early '70s vibe that looks exactly right. If you really wanted perfection, give it a professional buff, but be ready for all the attention this car will generate at the next B-O-P show you attend. Correct decals have been reinstalled on the hood and rear spoiler and few people will argue that the early second-generation Trans Am wasn't an awesome-looking ride. The urethane nose is in great shape, the stainless window surrounds are bright and shiny, and out back you still got a chrome bumper, which looks fantastic against the dark green paint.

The brochures called the interior "Tuxedo White" and it, too, is this car's original color choice. Restored with new seat covers, door panels, headliner, and contrasting black carpets, it's a dramatic twist that works really well with the Brewster Green paint. A center console, fat 3-spoke steering wheel, and Pontiac's famous engine-turned instrument panel all remind you that this isn't a garden-variety car but a top-of-the-line performance machine from the best in the business. The gauges are in very good condition, including the factory tach which shows a correct 5750 RPM redline for the 455 up front. Like many of its siblings, this Trans Am offers an upgraded digital AM/FM stereo head unit that includes an iPod interface, so driving this car feels more contemporary. The high-quality restoration work shows everywhere you look, even in the trunk where you'll find no traces of body rot or other issues waiting to haunt you later.

The 455 cubic inch V8 in a Trans Am really needs no introduction, although you'll be pleased to learn that this is the car's original, numbers-matching motor, fully rebuilt by Georgia engine building legend, Matt Bishop. The bright green hood scoop is a marked contrast to the Pontiac Turquoise engine underneath and most of the details here are quite correct. It was rebuilt to stock specs and freshly detailed so it has a crisp, bright look that only helps this car stand out. You'll note that the scoop is purely cosmetic and the engine actually draws air from the inner fenders, but there's no reason not to love the shaker look. The TH400 3-speed automatic transmission has also recently been rebuilt and is a willing partner that shrugs off the 455's massive torque, twisting it back to a 10-bolt rear end. The chassis is highly detailed, with correct red oxide floors, a new gas tank, and a fresh Flowmaster dual exhaust system that sounds amazing. Factory Rally II wheels look right on the early T/A and carry 225/70/15 BFGoodrich T/A radials all around.

Professionally restored to a very high standard, this is a rare Trans Am in a spectacular color combination and ready to show and enjoy immediately. Call today!