PONTIAC THUNDERBIRD 1977 MOVIE
PONTIAC THUNDERBIRD 1977 DRIVER

The story goes that film director and stunt man Hal Needham and Burt Reynolds were trying to figure out what car to use as a chase car in the movie. And when the Bandit drove that Starlight Black Trans Am out of the back of the semi trailer, you knew you were in for a wild ride.

PONTIAC THUNDERBIRD 1977 MOVIE

Where were you on May 27, 1977? Many of us were at the local movie theater or drive-in to see Smokey and the Bandit on its opening night.

PONTIAC THUNDERBIRD 1977 DRIVER

In their review, Car and Driver proclaimed “in general the Trans-Am remained what it was when introduced in its most recent form during the middle of the 1969-1970 model year: the sportiest, most roadable four-place automobile built by an American manufacturer”. Today, a 4-cylinder Toyota Camry can go from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds and sprint the quarter mile in 16.5 seconds. By today’s standards, that’s pretty slow. In their April 1977 issue, Car and Driver flogged the W72 Trans Am and got a 0 to 60 time of 9.3 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 16.9 seconds running 82 miles per hour. Pontiac also did this with the 455 Super Duty from the Firebird and the Ram Air 400 from the GTO. Auto manufacturers have done it for years to keep the insurance companies and Uncle Sam off their backs. Understating horsepower figures with muscle cars is nothing new. An interesting side note is the NHRA tested the L78 engine and found the horsepower to be closer to 260 horsepower. This package included a version of the L78 Pontiac 400 with 200 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque. If you wanted a little more oomph under the hood, the W72 Performance Package was the way to go. Second was the L78 Pontiac 400 V8 with 180 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque. It was rated at 185 horsepower and 320 foot-pounds of torque. This engine was primarily used in California and other high altitude locations. Pontiac offered three engines in the 1977 Trans Am Special Edition. The Special Edition could be ordered with Y82 Hurst t-tops or as a Y81 coupe. Buyers could even order really cool options such as a citizen’s band radio and underdash 8-track player. The interior features a gold engine-turned instrument bezel, gold-accented steering wheel, and red Firebird emblems. Other standard equipment includes a rear decklid spoiler, dual chrome splitter exhaust extensions, and front air dam. The 1977 Firebird Trans Am Special Edition is easily identified by its Starlight Black paint, gold striping, gold grille inserts, and gold accented snowflake wheels. It is a touring car, a sport coupe, the sole survivor of the muscle car era.” Chuck Koch, Auto Reports, March 1977. “The Trans Am Firebird SE is one of those rare cars which is more than the sum of its parts.

Pontiac thunderbird 1977