One Crazy Restomod: A 1981 Pontiac Trans Am With 1300 Horsepower
While most restomods give their source car a bit of a boost in power, some get on the next train to Crazytown. This 1981 Trans Am restomod, by Schwartz Performance of Woodstock, Illinois, fits neatly into the latter category. According to its eBay seller, the car cost over $300,000, but second-hand, it just sold on eBay for a price of $160,000. A bargain at (nearly) half the price!
So, what gives this monster its vastly increased horsepower? As you might be able to guess, the component chiefly responsible is a new engine. The Trans Am had a 6.9 liter LS9 iron block V8 installed, complete with twin turbochargers. The engine is mated to a Bowler 4L85E automatic transmission. Its lack of a manual transmission does not, apparently, hamper its speed one bit. According to the seller, the car can hit 200 mph on a half mile dragstrip. Its handling has also been improved over stock, with modern, custom coilover suspension installed, as well as a roll cage. The chassis is a custom G-machine by Schwartz, and the rear end is by Mosler.
The exterior features a “6.9” Firebird decal in a bright red, and its forgeline wheels have been color-matched, contrasting with its oh-so retro white body color. The interior is gorgeous too, looking like it just came out of a classic race car, with the Trans Am’s incredible black bucket seats and a ratchet shifter the main highlights.
Since it was completed in 2013, the car has been featured in numerous magazines including Car Craft, won multiple prizes, and was featured on PowerNation TV. All told, $160,000 is not a bad price for this car. If I had that sort of money, you can bet your bottom dollar that I would have tried to snap this beauty up.
