Hi Bobby
I live in Halifax in Yorkshire (God's county so they say
)
I've always been into Trans Ams - well, since I was a kid. I remember staying at my Grandparent's house and being allowed to stay up late and watch SATB and Hooper and the likes as a special treat. Then of course, there was Knightrider!!!
Just recently, my wonderful other half managed to talk me into letting her get another horse (she has 4). I was going to get myself a new car (V8 - always wanted one) but Suzanne managed to make me see sense (economically speaking). At the equivalent of over $9.50 a gallon over here, its not really that viable to have a big thirsty engine as a daily car unless you are "minted" (especially when I just sit in traffic jams going to and from work most days). So I ended up buying the same car but with a diesel engine (and somehow Suzanne ended up with that too!?!?!?!!). As a consolation prize
, we agreed that I would buy myself a classic car to play with (Suzanne thought I was going to get something small like an old english MG B roadster). Little did she realise that as soon as she said the words "classic car" my brain went into over drive so to speak and I had thoughts of the many classic American V8's that I had grown up watching on TV. Mustang? Camaro? El CAmino? Charger? GTO? Cadillac?
and others all went through my mind. But somehow none of them seemed fit the bill (or me). A couple of months went by and I was still withoutt my calssic. By this time, I had joined the UK American Car Club. The club magazine was running a series of articles on the Firebird and then it hit me!!! The next article was about the 2nd Gen Trans AM. That was it!! That was the car for me! It was like being 7 and wanting to have the coolest car you have ever seen (only this time I had a bit of cash to buy one).
So after a bit of seraching and joining the UK Pontiac Owners Club, I finally found my car. She was owned by another club member who had to sell, to make room for his 455 bullnose resto. Originally Chesterfield Brown, then white and now red. I have begun the process of a full strip and rebuild. She's had a few dodgy repairs over the years and I would like to put her back to the best I can before I put her back on the road. I am a complete novice when it comes to automotive engineering, but I'm slowly getting there
You know what one of the best things is? When friends come round and Suzanne says "Have you seend Andrew's 'Rust Bucket' in the Garage?", then they give a blank look and say no! So you take them to see it. And even though the car is in pieces, every reaction so far has been the same - "Whoa!...............that's the coolest damn car I've ever seen!"
And you know what? They're probably right. The 2nd gen TA is quite possibly the coolest car ever made (for me anyway).
