"I was responsible for engines at a time period that was probably the darkest for engines in the automotive industry, driven by emissions and fuel-economy requirements that we were struggling to meet," said Leo Hilke, Pontiac's chief engineer of induction, emissions, and exhaust during the turbo-engine development. In Engineering's defense, it was under a lot of pressure in 1979. It would glow brighter as it went across. "Originally, I had the light accelerate across, like what we did later with. I went back and said, 'Maybe if you gave 'em a light and a table it wouldn't be so hard.' " Schinella also has bragging rights to one of the best details of the turbo cars: the three-light pod on the hood that shows the boost level. He had to fight for the hood bird: " told me it was too hard to install, so I went down to the plant and found two guys doing the decals in a dark corner on the cardboard box the parts came in. His personal T/A triumphs include the black-and-gold paint scheme, which won over Smokey director Hal Needham, and the giant screaming chicken. John Schinella became a Pontiac designer in the '70s. Poncho Profile: The Rise and Fall of Pontiac.That might not mean much today, when LS-swapped Ferraris and 2JZ-powered muscle cars are common car-show fare, but to Pontiac engineers in 1979, keeping the T/A a fiery-feathered performer with a Poncho V-8 was worth a battle. Along with being a historical standout as the second turbocharged American V-8, the turbo 301 is also the last Pontiac V-8 to power a Trans Am. It's not exactly a basket case, but it's certainly basket adjacent, which means my husband, Tom, and I spent a fair amount of time making eye contact with its aggro avian hood graphics while getting elbows deep in its draw-through, computerized-carburetor-topped turbo system. The 1977 Pontiac Trans Am gets all the attention, what with its starring role in Smokey and the Bandit, but to me, the turbocharged 1980–81 Trans Am is the most interesting second-gen Firebird. Jessica Lynn Walker | Car and Driverįrom the April 2021 issue of Car and Driver. Tire testing with the Turbo Trans Am at Scherr’s local proving ground.
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