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ACW · 03-10-2005, 11:09 AM

Modified models: black/gold

Team Lotus "John Player Special" Trans Am Show Car (1974) (Black and Gold) (Of interest was a special black Trans Am show car which emulated the "John Player Special" Formula One cars from Team Lotus. The car had gold pin striping on the hood, roof, deck lid and lower body sides which included the wheel spats and spoilers. Gold head lamp bezels and grille accents were added. The standard argent "honey comb" wheels were replaced by ones finished in gold. Topping off the package was a brilliant gold bird on the hood. Eventually, this theme would make it from show circuit to the showroom.)
Trans Am Specialties "Bandit Edition" Trans Am (1981-1982) (series of 200 specially equipped Trans Ams bearing the Bandit name. Universal Studios (producers of "Smokey and the Bandit") granted rights to the name for that limited run to Trans Am Specialties, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where new Pontiacs become Burt Reynolds signature models. Bandits-to-be start as Trans Ams that come from Pontiac thoroughly optioned. The factory fits everything from T-top roof and power windows to lighted vanity mirror and remote trunk release. More importantly, the cars come with all the good hardware under the skin, including 4-wheel disc brakes and the WS-6 suspension with its high-rate springs and anti-roll bars front and rear. This performance equipment is a necessary and proper adjunct to the central element in TA Spec's makeover, a nofoolin' big-bore monster motor straight out of the power-crazed 1960s. The 455 Pontiac V-8 dumps truckloads of torque into a nice but hardly necessary close-ratio Doug Nash 5-speed gearbox. The Bandit transformation entails some welcomed lavishness in addition to Pontiac's factory amenities. Trans Am Specialties installs a pair of Recaro seats (upholstered to match the velour of the rear seat), a Blaupunkt 3001 4-speaker stereo, an Escort radar detector, a motion-sensitive theft alarm and the inevitable CB radio. Goodyear Eagle steel-belted radials in a chunky P255/60R15 size play a major role both visually and functionally. TA Spec mounts these on the factory-optional 15x8 inch alloy wheels. Gabriel Strider shocks, adjusted full firm, bolster the suspension. For identification, we have no wildfowl hood decals or stripes. Yet the name Bandit is in no great danger of being overlooked, appearing as it does no fewer than eight times on or in the car. Airbrushed lettering displays the word immediately aft of each front wheel and across the tail; stick-on block letters spell it out along the top of the windshield; a small dash plaque directly in front of the driver serves as a constant reminder; and carpet mats with the name woven in a contrasting color lie in each front footwell and in the trunk. Despite all those Bandit labels, the car's real identifier is that 7.5-liter powerplant. It wraps the car in an aura of potency and sheer mechanical presence. Some 200 buyers will wind up in a genuine, limited-series Bandit. The distinction will cost them approximately $30,000. Anyone thinking the mechanicals could be duplicated for less is correct; a good portion of that tab covers the rights to the name. And in this case, with that name comes an air of authenticity and exclusivity -- and a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty from TA Spec. It's a pretty heady car, this Bandit by Trans Am Specialties (1514 Route 38, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034). Driving it is an experience in sensation and image. The look plays a part, as does the engine, the name, the price. They all add up to a distinct personality that no one fails to notice-and that flows like electricity through the Recaro cushions into whoever dons the mantle of the Bandit. The `82 version is priced more in line for us working folks, at $16,500. But, while more attractive, the new Bandit is less fearsome. In place of last year's 500-horsepower engine and 5-speed Doug Nash gearbox is a warmed-up Chevy 305 and Borg-Warner 4-speed. Only 200 Bandits were produced this year, and each one is registered with Universal Studios to ensure authenticity. Each Bandit is serial numbered, and the number is air brushed on the front fender as well as the map pouch. For 1982, Chuck Posey of T/A Specialties outdid himself. Not only did he buy the Bandit name from the popular Burt Reynolds series, but he bought Burt himself. Each map pouch is personally signed in gold ink by Reynolds. Once the car is gone gone over and tightened up, it is transformed into a Bandit. Posey adds his own fiberglass hood, air dam, flares and wing These pieces are manufactured by T/A Specialties itself, and it gives the Trans Am one of the most businesslike exteriors in the industry. To make sure the Bandit sticks when it should stick and slides when it should slide, Posey upgraded the very credible WS6 suspension with heavier springs, solid bushings, and Goodyear NCT P245x60x15 radials on 15x7 Appliance aluminum wheels. If you ever tried to run this rubber with the WS6 suspension there's a 50-50 chance that the tires rubbed against the fenderwells on full lock turns. Posey solved this problem by substituting his own design fiberglass fenderwells for the factory item. For optimum handling, Posey dials in alignment settings for camber 1 negative; caster 1 positive; toe-in 1/16 inch. All this boosts lateral acceleration capability from 0.822 for the stock Trans Am to 0.849 for the Bandit. Most important, you get this increased cornering power without any sacrifice in ride comfort. The Bandit feels tighter and more agile, and gives you better road feel and quicker transient response. If the superb exhaust note isn't sufficient to turn you on, the Bandit can be had with a first-class sound system consisting of a Blaupunkt 3001 stereo with Sony equalizer and Panasonic speakers. While the Bandit's sales brochure listed only the 305 engine as being available, Chuck Posey said he'd build a Bandit to order with anything from a 350 LT-1 to a blown 455 with 5-speed trans and 2-speed rear.)
Chattanooga Custom Creations "Bandit II" Formulas and Trans Ams (1990-1991) (Chattanooga Custom Creations converted 600 Formulas and Trans Ams to modern 'Bandit' Editions in 1990 and 1991, which were then sold at Pontiac dealerships. The car featured the ground effects all around, the hood sccop (more like a bubble cause it didn't even appear to be operational like the later 2nd gens at least looked the part), special wheels simulating the 15x8 snowflakes, and interior appointments such as a gold dash and embroidered floor mats and seats.)

03-10-2005, 11:09 AM	#11
ACW TECH Junkie Trader Rating: 0 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Beaumont, TX Posts: 3,983	Modified models: black/gold Team Lotus "John Player Special" Trans Am Show Car (1974) (Black and Gold) (Of interest was a special black Trans Am show car which emulated the "John Player Special" Formula One cars from Team Lotus. The car had gold pin striping on the hood, roof, deck lid and lower body sides which included the wheel spats and spoilers. Gold head lamp bezels and grille accents were added. The standard argent "honey comb" wheels were replaced by ones finished in gold. Topping off the package was a brilliant gold bird on the hood. Eventually, this theme would make it from show circuit to the showroom.) Trans Am Specialties "Bandit Edition" Trans Am (1981-1982) (series of 200 specially equipped Trans Ams bearing the Bandit name. Universal Studios (producers of "Smokey and the Bandit") granted rights to the name for that limited run to Trans Am Specialties, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where new Pontiacs become Burt Reynolds signature models. Bandits-to-be start as Trans Ams that come from Pontiac thoroughly optioned. The factory fits everything from T-top roof and power windows to lighted vanity mirror and remote trunk release. More importantly, the cars come with all the good hardware under the skin, including 4-wheel disc brakes and the WS-6 suspension with its high-rate springs and anti-roll bars front and rear. This performance equipment is a necessary and proper adjunct to the central element in TA Spec's makeover, a nofoolin' big-bore monster motor straight out of the power-crazed 1960s. The 455 Pontiac V-8 dumps truckloads of torque into a nice but hardly necessary close-ratio Doug Nash 5-speed gearbox. The Bandit transformation entails some welcomed lavishness in addition to Pontiac's factory amenities. Trans Am Specialties installs a pair of Recaro seats (upholstered to match the velour of the rear seat), a Blaupunkt 3001 4-speaker stereo, an Escort radar detector, a motion-sensitive theft alarm and the inevitable CB radio. Goodyear Eagle steel-belted radials in a chunky P255/60R15 size play a major role both visually and functionally. TA Spec mounts these on the factory-optional 15x8 inch alloy wheels. Gabriel Strider shocks, adjusted full firm, bolster the suspension. For identification, we have no wildfowl hood decals or stripes. Yet the name Bandit is in no great danger of being overlooked, appearing as it does no fewer than eight times on or in the car. Airbrushed lettering displays the word immediately aft of each front wheel and across the tail; stick-on block letters spell it out along the top of the windshield; a small dash plaque directly in front of the driver serves as a constant reminder; and carpet mats with the name woven in a contrasting color lie in each front footwell and in the trunk. Despite all those Bandit labels, the car's real identifier is that 7.5-liter powerplant. It wraps the car in an aura of potency and sheer mechanical presence. Some 200 buyers will wind up in a genuine, limited-series Bandit. The distinction will cost them approximately $30,000. Anyone thinking the mechanicals could be duplicated for less is correct; a good portion of that tab covers the rights to the name. And in this case, with that name comes an air of authenticity and exclusivity -- and a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty from TA Spec. It's a pretty heady car, this Bandit by Trans Am Specialties (1514 Route 38, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034). Driving it is an experience in sensation and image. The look plays a part, as does the engine, the name, the price. They all add up to a distinct personality that no one fails to notice-and that flows like electricity through the Recaro cushions into whoever dons the mantle of the Bandit. The `82 version is priced more in line for us working folks, at $16,500. But, while more attractive, the new Bandit is less fearsome. In place of last year's 500-horsepower engine and 5-speed Doug Nash gearbox is a warmed-up Chevy 305 and Borg-Warner 4-speed. Only 200 Bandits were produced this year, and each one is registered with Universal Studios to ensure authenticity. Each Bandit is serial numbered, and the number is air brushed on the front fender as well as the map pouch. For 1982, Chuck Posey of T/A Specialties outdid himself. Not only did he buy the Bandit name from the popular Burt Reynolds series, but he bought Burt himself. Each map pouch is personally signed in gold ink by Reynolds. Once the car is gone gone over and tightened up, it is transformed into a Bandit. Posey adds his own fiberglass hood, air dam, flares and wing These pieces are manufactured by T/A Specialties itself, and it gives the Trans Am one of the most businesslike exteriors in the industry. To make sure the Bandit sticks when it should stick and slides when it should slide, Posey upgraded the very credible WS6 suspension with heavier springs, solid bushings, and Goodyear NCT P245x60x15 radials on 15x7 Appliance aluminum wheels. If you ever tried to run this rubber with the WS6 suspension there's a 50-50 chance that the tires rubbed against the fenderwells on full lock turns. Posey solved this problem by substituting his own design fiberglass fenderwells for the factory item. For optimum handling, Posey dials in alignment settings for camber 1 negative; caster 1 positive; toe-in 1/16 inch. All this boosts lateral acceleration capability from 0.822 for the stock Trans Am to 0.849 for the Bandit. Most important, you get this increased cornering power without any sacrifice in ride comfort. The Bandit feels tighter and more agile, and gives you better road feel and quicker transient response. If the superb exhaust note isn't sufficient to turn you on, the Bandit can be had with a first-class sound system consisting of a Blaupunkt 3001 stereo with Sony equalizer and Panasonic speakers. While the Bandit's sales brochure listed only the 305 engine as being available, Chuck Posey said he'd build a Bandit to order with anything from a 350 LT-1 to a blown 455 with 5-speed trans and 2-speed rear.) Chattanooga Custom Creations "Bandit II" Formulas and Trans Ams (1990-1991) (Chattanooga Custom Creations converted 600 Formulas and Trans Ams to modern 'Bandit' Editions in 1990 and 1991, which were then sold at Pontiac dealerships. The car featured the ground effects all around, the hood sccop (more like a bubble cause it didn't even appear to be operational like the later 2nd gens at least looked the part), special wheels simulating the 15x8 snowflakes, and interior appointments such as a gold dash and embroidered floor mats and seats.)