1973-1974 Pontiac Trans-Am Super Duty 455

Book excerpt: Pontiac ushered in the muscle car era when it introduced the mid-size 1964 GTO with a 389. So it was fitting that Pontiac made the last legitimate muscle cars of era: the 1973 and 1974 Trans Am Super Duty 455. As a second-gen F-Body car, the Trans Am featured refined styling, handling, and ride, but still retained brutish power. However, because of rising gas prices and insurance costs, these cars were not produced in great numbers, so they are extremely rare and valuable today. In Volume No. 6 of CarTech's In Detail series, author Barry Kluczyk goes behind the scenes to reveal how a cadre of dedicated personnel at Pontiac refused to relinquish high-performance, forged ahead, and built the last great muscle car, the 1973 and 1974 Trans Am Super Duty 455. He retraces the design, development, and manufacture of each major component of the group. He also covers engine development and special equipment of the Super Duty 455 engine. In addition, covered are the high-performance chassis and suspension parts, so the TA could effectively apply and control all of the power. All In Detail Series books include an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, and an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, as well as an examination of where the car is on the market today. Also included is an appendix of paint and option codes, VIN and build-tag decoders, as well as production numbers.