The 1977 Pontiac Firebird, Formula & Trans Am
Lot#1

This Trans Am is owned by Jason Paluszak. Jason writes: "A 1977 Pontiac Trans Am with Shaker scoop, 15" Goodyear Eagles, a 4 speed (Hurst shift kit) 400ci 6.6 liter, small block V8 (KILLER) engine, and some of the usual refinements..." Jason also owns a newly purchased 1996 Trans Am (see '96 Firebirds Lot#1).

Michael Van Hoose has had a heck of an experience with his L.E. Trans Am. When he bought the car it was a primered rust color, and the engine blew within a thousand miles of use. The fender spoilers or flares had been removed by the owner and tossed into a raven and said owner traded the original snowflake wheels for a set of aftermarket Keystones which he put on his charger. So an engine rebuild was in order. According to Michael virtually everything but the block, intake and alternator were replaced. The car now has a 400c.i. engine bored .030, a .282 cam from Summit, TRW pistons, and factory aluminum valve covers. Power is applied to the wheels via a Turbo 400 with a stage 2 shift-kit, and a 2.43 rear end. The car itself is painted 91' Corvette Blue and is equipped with power windows, power steering, power brakes, power door-locks, A/C, power trunk, rear defrost, tilt wheel, and cruise control. E-mail: Michael Van Hoose

The hood scoops on Formulas changed again for the 77' year model. They were still located in the forward area of the hood but were now recessed, smaller, flatter, more square and non-functional. Notice the gold accents applied to the scoops, the grilles and the lower half of the car. Notice the Rally IIs are also painted to match the body color. This package was applied only to the Formula and was designated by option code W50.

This diagram was provided to me by Phil Pollard. Its a graphical representation of how the Formula hood evolved from 1969 to 1981. A recent discussion about which hood was correct for what year model on the Pontiac E-Mail List proved that several people were somewhat confused as to which hood WAS appropriate for what year. As a result Phil drew up this diagram and forwarded it to me to display for you. Thanks Phil... Diagram courtesy of Phil Pollard.

This base model silver Firebird is owned by James Gold. The Firebird was originally purchased by James' dad in 1977. James took over ownership of it in 1996. After a lot of years of use the old bird was getting tired with rust and some engine problems. So a complete rebuild was in order. James and his father began and did what they could but the final work was performed by a local shop. It now sits here in almost completely restored condition. The car still retains its original 231c.i. V6 which was rated at 105hp. Its also equipped with power steering, power brakes, and Safe-T-Track rear. James writes,           "My car might not be as quick off the line as a TA, but it will go a whole lot farther on one 21 gallon tank than a gas guzzling TA. It looks and sounds good too, not to mention very comfortable with the real sheepskin seat covers."

This is an unusual entry in that it doesn't specifically focus on a car but in the interest of improving security and providing ideas for all of you Firebird owners out there I have included it here on the site. This modification was performed by Chris Paveglio on a previously owned TA and he is credited for the pictures and the dialog below. Chris writes:      "I promised some pix of my "Secret Stealth" stereo system for my 77 TA, and here they are. Numbered 1-5, in a sort of transformation order. The 8 track and push button am/fm stereo were removed and gutted. In their place is a Sony CD player (removable face) and Sony cassette deck. The old 8 track frame was kept, and ground down to just the mounting holes, and the cassette deck mounted on. The radio was a rather straightforward installation. The old front panels from the stereo were reassembled and glued together, and attached with velcro (CD face) and pegs (tape deck). Voila! The ultimate in car stereo security! No one would ever know what's there unless you showed them. The speakers were also beefed up. In the center of the dash are 2 - 4" Boston Acoustics, on a special mount ( I had to heat and re-mold the air conditioning ducts to make room), BA tweeters in the door panel where the Firebird emblem is (was) painted to match the vinyl color. In the rear are 2 - 6x9 Eclipse 3-ways, powered by a Rockford Fosgate punch40i. Again, stock grille covers, painted original color, and no markings of any kind. This setup really rocked! and it was clear and clean power (no urban boomer car). The trunk space really helped to boost bass, and at all engine speeds the stereo was crisp and tuned just right. I really think the sound was better than my new 93's stereo!" Thanks Chris for taking the time to provide this for the site!!

This radical poncho was brought back to life by Craig De Forrest. For five years this weary bird has undergone an extensive restoration. It features factory Hurst T-Tops (the predecessor to the Fisher type), a new 4" cowl induction hood, a freshly rebuilt Pontiac 400 c.i. (Dyno tested at a tremendous 402hp @ 5000rpm), a B&M TH-350 and a posi-trac rear with a 3.55:1 gear set. Craig opted for GM Black Metallic #B8701 for the new look.

This red Trans Am was featured in an issue of High Performance Pontiac. Photo courtesy of High Performance Pontiac. © 1997

I found this pic of this unusual car while surfing the net. I have always been in favor of originality when it comes to TAs, since so many of them were modified in the 70s and 80s with every aftermarket part on the market, but hey whatever makes you happy. It looks as if the owner takes a lot of interest in the car.

This brown Trans Am used to be owned by Chris Paveglio. It was sold to help pay for the 93' Trans Am he owns now (see 93' Firebirds Lot#1). Chris writes: "My 77 was owned by 3 people before me, and they took very good care of it for 15 years. It needed little "restoration" to keep it looking nice and performing well. It is a 400/4sp Hurst/all power options/ deluxe interior. When I sold it, the odo read 130,000 miles, of which I put about 50k. Major additions to it were: polished and clear coated the wheels, add 255/60/15 Goodyear GT+4 tires (white letter), Dynomax exhaust, had interior re-upholstered, installed CD player where radio was, tape deck where 8-track was, all with "stealth" covers, so when not in use, it looked stock (I'll try to get some pix on this), 6x9 Eclipse speakers in rear, Rockford Fosgate amp, Boston Acoustic component speakers in factory positions (in dash, and replaced bird emblem on door with tweeters).  New frame rail due to rust, new fender and rear bumper due to other careless drivers. Overall this is an extremely well-kept car, with few mechanical problems. Everyone who saw it loved it (if not the color), and IT COOKS! The big 400 never let me down when I needed speed. I have even put a couple 89 Formula Firebirds in their place! Overall, it was a joy to have and drive."