455 Trans Am Shakedown Blues
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- Nick's Garage Gear Shop
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Makes me miss my 71 Trans Am with the 455HO engine. M-22 rock crusher 4 speed. Fast reliable looker.
American classic.
@@NicksGarage I quickly remembered that tranny whine with those gears. Thank you for the video! Your an awesome guy. Best regards 👍😎
I miss my 1971 455 H.O. (400 turbo automatic), both were balanced and blue printed in 1979 for a total of $1,949.46. It was putting 500 h.p. and 500 ft of torque. Had centerline mags with 12 wide in back and 10 up front. VERY fun to drive and like I said miss it very much. Driving a 2010 Camaro SS with 6 speed manual, also very fun to drive.
@@michaeladams9629 Michael tell me about the torque! When I'd hook at the track the frame twisted enough to pinch the hood! No bs.
🦅1️⃣🛩️
My buddy had a 74 SD455 in the early 90s that was an absolute beast! At 45 it would smoke the tires when punched
Man I love a 455 Trans am !!!
My '80 Trans Am is short 1 cubic inch! At some point the 301 turbo was replaced with a 454 out of a 80s Chevy truck.
@@ripvanrevs Ah, it's an 80's motor probably enough wear on it by now to get that 1 cu in.
Nothing wrong with a 455 4-speed T/A... 👌🏻
I don't care what engine you have in one, they're just so cool to look at. And they look just as good going fast or stopped.
Always liked the dash in those cars! Thanks for the ride Nick!
Agreed! The dash is a stunner.
yep same here love the whole interior in these - im a big hi/po / interior guy, friend of mine back in the day had a near new '75 firebird formula and even though it wasnt high horsepower it was a darn fun car to drive, handled great and even with a small block was still pretty snappy to tool around in.
YES the dash is the coolest
Loved the RTS badge on them!👍
Had a puff of smoke come out of defrost vent similar to that in my friends mustang on its test run , took it apart and found a big cooked moth. lol awesome TA !
Buddy had a 79 Trans Am with a 60 over Olds 455, he spent near $6000 in the bottom end alone. Had a 120 MPH speedo in it and I took it back around to 20mph when the needle started jumping, had to of been 150MPH and it was still pulling. About same time the steering got real light and had to slow down, LOL. Rear end gear was stock 2.72, wasn't much off the line but thing would literally go into a burn out if ya floored it at about 40-45 MPH. Fun times ...
Love Trans Ams.
All the right stuff!
I can tell you the problem with that scoop is that it will draw hot air past the air filter on its way out of the engine compartment. It should be sealed to the air filter. That's the only way to get "colder" air into the carb. I have seen this done on a couple of cars and they all had the same problem with getting hot air, not cold, into the carb because it wasn't done correctly. Heater core is probably for the "mist" out of the defroster vents. i have had that happen on 2 cars.
Totally agree,. The way that set up now defeats the purpose of taking advantage of cooler air and high pressure area at the base of the windshield forcing that cooler air into the rear facing Shaker scoop
Had a 400 T/A in the UK and added a Crane cam. It went like sh*t off a shovel, and that beautiful V8 rumble was like music. Always wanted a 455 SD but never managed it. The most iconic shape of all muscle cars
No shaker hood!!!! A travesty! Lol. Another great job Nick! I like the '74 T/A's the best because of the flat back window (last year for that) and the beautiful tail lights (better than the previous years).
We knew someone would say something! haha
So nice to see this! My uncle had a '75 with the 400. It was a great muscle car! My uncle was always tuning and adding parts and it was fast and made a fabulous rumble at idle. Thanks for showing this bird, Nick!👍
Wow! A trans Am Monday on Nick's Garage, which makes this an awesome Monday for sure. Seeing Nick wearing the shirt with the valve body from the 500, made it even better. Drive it like you stole it Nick!!!
Thanks Eugene! We know you are already dealing with plenty of heat, so thanks for joining us for this HOT Tran Am.
Leave the decals off. Show off that beautiful red paint.
@@NicksGarage The Trans Am is just as hot as Texas during this record breaking heat wave. 104F right now, heat index108F. Pavement temperature 140F. We keep setting records every day, and everyone is looking forward to some rain. I see that Nick had a few bug friends along for the ride, lol. Definitely part of debugging the Trans Am.
Mondays are always lit because A brand new Nick's Garage video is legitimate Big ups Eugene
That's one fantastic looking TransAm!!! And it sounds crisp, too!!! I'm sure it just makes GOBS of torque: those 455s were known for that. Another great Monday video from Nick's garage!!! Great week, and happy vacation to Nick and family!!
My best friend in high school had a 1970 1/2 Formula 400 Firebird. Yes, 1970 1/2 as it was introduced in the middle of the year. It was very similar to the Trans AM and wicked fast! He was the Poncho guy and I was the MoPar guy! Nick, you actually met him and me at Carlisle this year. He was the guy taking the pictures.We had a hell of a lot of fun back in the early 70's with those cars. Bill Jamison from Linglestown ,PA
Bringing back some memories. My first car was a 74, red trans am, no chicken with an SD-455. I never had a fire or smoke though. But anything can happen after 20 years of storage, Nick will have it fixed in no time.
455 SD. It was available for only 2 years. Great engine from Pontiac.
A real rare item, a malaise era drivetrain that actually performs!
Any video from Nick, but especially one with 455 T/A content, gets a Like before I even start watching. Love the 1974 and '75 Firebird family with the thin black bumpers.
Much appreciated, Anthony.
@@NicksGarage To drive a Pontiac is a totally different cridder then any Mopar. There just fun any way you look at it.
With you Tony. Love all firebirds but probably get a 74-75 if I had the choice. But again any Firebird/Camaro up to 1981 would be sweet. On bucket list.
@@dukeallen432 Agree. I'd give the slight nod to the '75 over the '74 because the rear window on the '75s is curved around to help eliminate blind spots.
A friend of mine in high school had a ‘74 SD 455 4-speed TA. I loved that car! Pontiac made these to do two things:
1. Look kick-ass
2. To kick ass
I saw this car in person and it is beautiful in that red!
It can turn some heads! No doubt.
That car looks a lot better without the Chicken on the hood......Thanks Nick & George 👍
Shoe🇺🇸
It does look good.
Two things, 1 it’s to bad he opted, or someone did, for the aftermarket hood, the shaker is pretty cool, and this has the fixed scoop. And as for your 72, if it was the 455 HO they were not great motors, I had one brand new in 1971, was I a kid with a lead foot? ABSOLUTELY! That being said, after the third motor, under warranty, I ordered my 72 W-30, 442, which I have to this day, that HO motor on the TA, carried about 5 lbs oil pressure at idle, once warm, and that applies to all three of them, spun bearings were not uncommon, the later 455 SD, was a far superior motor.👍 This is a nice looking example of the 74, but in all honesty, I prefer the 70-73, in my opinion, the styling on the nose and tail was cleaner, but that’s just my opinion.
Does the 400/421/428 have the same issue with oil pressure and spun bearings ?
@@zadmiral55 w never had any of those issues except with the 455 HO, the rest were fine, at least the ones I had.
Nick still has cat like reflexes as he snatched that insect right out of the air like Mr. Miyagi from the movie Karate Kid. Nick has amazing energy and reflexes. I couldn’t even keep up walking his fast pace at Carlisle and I have long legs and am 6’4” tall. I only wish I had the energy and speed Nick has… what a great and amazing guy to meet in person. I will never forget that incredible experience! That Trans Am is fire and ironically a 455 Black TA 76 passed me just yesterday. Love the “bandit” looking car. And I believe “The Bandit” is Nick’s biggest fan.
Hello Dr.Go. Always a pleasure to meet you and your wife and everyone else.
1974 Trans Am.... of all the Trans Am's for the decade, the 1974 was the only 1 year body style.....and in my mind the best looking. Pontiac did a marvelous job getting the 1974 car ready for that 5 mph mandated bumper.
We have a Mutual Pontiac Friend/Customer John M. He Dyno’s all of his Engines with you
Anyways Thank you for showing some Pontiac Love!
Have him get a WFO air filter assembly from butler, they’re designed for that setup with the Northwind intake
Hi Nick, I had a 70 350 LeMans back in 1987. I put a 455 YC in it from a 71 Catalina. Low compression #66 heads but good torque. A year later it broke a rod bolt and destroyed the engine. Live and learn. Since that engine I always installed new fasteners in every build. I built another one from a 70 XF with 71 #96 heads and a 744 cam, PX code turbo 400 with an HEI and RAIII exhaust manifolds. It ran good but I sold it to buy a house in 2003. I still have my 340 though.
I like the T/A as it is. No decals. I think the carb just needs a bit of Nicks attention to smooth it out and that 455 will really wind out. Nice video George.
They had a decal delete option if you wanted it. Remember John Wayne's bird in McQ?
I used to drive a 1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD 455 4 Speed. It was a mover.
Sorry, Nick but your 2nt step is to pressure test (Stant) cooling system the next morning after cool down, cap should hiss when safely cooled. Should have been pressure tested when new alum rad installed. 74's had a flex fan so no viscous clutch to fail. Needs heater core🤗👍✌️👍
Love those Ponchos. Funny, you were literally working the bugs out of that one.
I know, right?
That 455 trans am looks and sounds likes the fastest car I seen on nicks garage.
I am a Pontiac fan and of course everybody wants a smokey and the bandit trans am but there are nice ones out there and this one is one of them.
Nice A Firebird for this Phoenix would be just the ducks nuts. Always been a soft spot for me.
I’d feel a lot more confident if my shop road tested as thoroughly before delivery as Nick does. That said, I’m really impressed with Nick’s cat-like dust bunny catching reflexes. Fluffy little floaters never stood a chance!
American car shops never road test a car. I have had many arguments with many shops over that issue.
Beautiful old TransAm. Pontiac's engines were known for being very cold nature engines especially in the winter . It took awhile to warm them up . Hated it acted up on the test run ,but that's way you do the test run . Love the ol Pontiacs....we'll never hear the end of this with the Mopar Fans ...lolololol...Best Regards and Good Week to Everyone...
@OlSgtLove I am a Mopar fan and you won't hear anything from me. Other than one fault I noticed back in the day. The Pontiac 400 block didn't like high RPM. I had a few lead foot friends with bearing problems. I owned a TA in the early 90s. Most 70's cars were garbage and the TA was ahead of it's time. What other car from that era could out handle a TA? Probably the Corvette, but I can't think of another. A 75 Dodge Dart sport could beat a 76 400 TA in the 1/4 and in top speed, but no by much and the Dodge couldn't touch it in handling. I also had a friend that had a done up 400 78 TA with over 400 HP and he smoked all of us. He also typically had the peddle to the floor and never had any issues. I think the 400 can be a strong engine if rebuilt right, so it can handle higher RPM. I can give credit where credit is due, and the TA is a genuine classic. My favorite of the 70's for sure.
BS. I took my T/A from Texas all the way to Cleveland, Ohio. Drove it to work every day in the winter, no problem.
I like AED carbs on my built Chevy 383 and 434. They usually run rich when you get them but I put Air Fuel Ratio gauge on them. That's the best way to get the carb tuned perfect.
That’s a Sweet Time Capsule. The chrome is a nice touch. I never liked working with chrome pieces but sure look good.
Right on.
Love the way these cars handle at higher speed, so low to the ground with a confidant feel
Whoever owns that Trans Am must have a huge bankroll to get that much work on it. Nick always makes shifting look like hard work......a Hurst stick on a Muncie should shift nicely. My fave is the Toploader from Ford....like butter. I used to drive a '70 Judge with the ram-air 400 with a Turbo 400 trans. I liked that much better than wrestling the Muncie that I had in my drag car. When I cut every other tooth out of the synchros of the Muncie I could then jam hard.
Pontiac 400, 455 run hot...and do tend to have the oil starvation issue...yes I had one..and drag raced it at Maple Grove Raceway, Reading Pa..I turned the oil into milkshake, locked up the transmission...its fun and educational doing that.
This is my favorite version of the TA.
Bright red with zero decals.
I had a 1973 and it was😢 one of the most fun cars I've ever had,,,,,,,, it had a B& M shift kit a 400 mil with a torture and a Holley quad,, hooker headers,,,,,,,,,,,,, and man that car screamed
One of the great things about Nick’s is going the seasons with the garage, right now it’s blazing here in Texas and it’s hot up there, won’t be long till Halloween and cool weather then those days when Nick can’t get out on the street for test drives because of the snow, Thanks Nick and the crew for all the great videos throughout the year!
120 in slab city
@@JohnnyDanger36963 whooowheee! Hopefully in a few weeks or so it will come down and we need some rain!
I really like that you give us at-home mechanics a chance to think about solutions to the car issues that you discover before you talk about the troubleshooting steps you will take. That's really cool! Thanks
We are very fortunate to be able to watch and listen to Nicks brain as he diagnoses a problem.
...Gearbox sounds like a Rock-Crusher - it's got that whine to it.
I own a 1974 Trans Am with a 455 it looks just like that one red on black interior but I don't have the rally rims I have the snowflake rims and mine is a automatic and the engine is mostly stock except a cam. it has lot's of torque and has no problem breaking the tires loose and sending the car sideways down the road.
Gotta love "old-school"! Sweet ride Nick! Manual to boot!
Sexiest interior ever made. Beautiful seats. Turned dashboard. Love the white Hurst shifter ball. Love Nick's shake out cruises!
Them old firechickens use to be badass thats for sure made em real popular with smokey and the bandit haha
Thanks for the ride. Inspired me to move forward with the auto to manual conversion.
That is awesome! Let us know if we can help.
@@NicksGarage thank you for the kind offer, will keep you updated 🙂
My 3rd Gen Z28 would roll smoke out the vents when shut off as the fan stopped turning. It was oil on the engine from a leak. It was in that condition when I got it. I didn't pay much.
Them Hood decals with the bird reminds me of Mustaches, gold chains and flared pants. Beautifull car, the 71 455 firebird/TA was rare due to the strike at GM back then. Saw a green one here in Sydney in the 1980,s at a show and i still remember that car as it was rare here.
🕺
I had a dash fire in my 71 LeMans, started exactly as you saw. Great eyes...
I took my daughters boyfriend for a ride in my 67 Camaro Rs/SS on Sunday, he was more impressed with Nicks signature on my glove box door than he was with the car. Kid loves cars, and he’s a huge fan of your show, keep up the great work guys.👍🇨🇦
That is awesome!
I've owned 6 different pontiacs Nick. this one reminds me of my 1970 firebird 350 that i transplanted a 428 Bonneville engine and turbo 400 into in the 80's. was a great running car. thanks for another great video!
Thanks for sharing!
Still have 3 orphaned Pontiacs: Ultra rare '77 Astre Formula Wagon, '85 Fiero, '87 TransAm GTA...
@@BuzzLOLOLlove the Fieros
I had a 76 bicentennial version. 400 engine, now 66 gto ,has a 71 ram air III .love the PONTIAC
I'm actually turning 40 this month and my first car was a 76 400 I still have her my dad has a body shop and we worked on it when I was 14 to restore it .put it back to the original color Carousel red with SaddleTan interior .I'm actually a ford guy have a 69 mach1 but there's something about that car . Everyone laughs because I'm a ford guy with a Pontiac but when your a car guy it doesn't matter they are all awesome
@Nick's Garage - Thank you Nick for another interesting video. You have over 253,000 subscribers who enjoy coming to your channel and watching videos that take us away, (even if it's only for a little while), from this totally messed up, evil world we now have that is getting worse by the day. You provide a great service and it's not just from working on cars, but for your humanity and caring for other people, which is the motivating force that drives you to do a good job for the people entrusting you with their cars. You have your head screwed on straight, your priorities are in order and you're doing it right. You care and in the world we now have, sadly that is becoming unusual. Don't ever stop what you're doing. You are rarer than a Hemi Cuda. :) Only one man can walk on water, but you're a good fellow Nick. Thank you. Before this world goes totally nuts and self-destructs, I'd love to meet you someday just to shake your hand. It would be great to do business with you. God bless you Nick and again, thank you!
Thank you.
Back in the day my friends Mom had a 70 Refridgerator White TA with the big motor. That thing would fly. Thanks Nick.
Very cool!
Polar white. Then Cameo white.
That tiny air cleaner is choking it to death. It’s probably sitting right on top of the carb vent tubes, that’s probably why it’s idling so rich and smoking. Put a 14x3” air cleaner on it with a 2” drop base, it’ll clear the hood and not choke the carb to death.
We did put a 14'' drop. No fit. Touches hood, Need a shaker set up.
The bird on the hood is called a “Phoenix”.
Rising from the ashes. Thanks Espo.
Fire chicken we called it when we were kids
Yep that's what he used to call it the screaming fire chicken😂
Firebird is slang for ygat name friend..i had a silver 75 with aluminum honeycombs and a 69 ram air firebird motor
It was a better looking car actually it had the silver matcing honey comb wheels which mostike better than the chrome
I had one of these. 455 SD (Super Duty) when I was in high school. Tremendous amount of torque.
455 SD. One of the greatest engines from Pontiac.
Being a 16 y/o kid I did a lot of street racing traffic light to traffic light. The super duty made a lot of corvette owners cry 🙂 @@nickpanaritis4122
Watching this makes me miss my 74 Trans Am. Mine had the 400 with the Muncie 4-speed. Buccaneer red with black interior. Always loved the way my car looked and so fun to drive. I drove it 250,000 miles.
I noticed this car that you drove here needs to have the headliner redone, it's falling down. Other than that, looks great
The 74' T/A was supposedly the last muscle car ever made
Wow what a badass car! We know you can figure it out Nick.
I have an 81 Trans Am 305 5.0 Hurst 4 Speed. Those 455’s are Torquey Torquey
This brought back memories for sure. A good friend had a ‘74 T/A SD 455 bought new. Good times in that car.
That is a beautiful TA, inside and out! I don't know if the owner is planning on replacing the graphics but I think it looks great without them.
It's easy done, I have a car that's coming up on a decade in storage. Issues with the original mechanic, issues with the second mechanic, issues for the painter.. just got the motor back this year. I have ordered a mig welder to do the panel work myself.. here soon. They get done eventually 😂
You are guaranteed some fun When Nick takes a car on a shakedown run This Trans Am is bejewelled in chrome There's so much of it that it blows my dome Well this bad boy has given that chrome a home and it's sure to grab attention wherever it will roam Nick doesn't ever have to look over his shoulder Cuz he always tries and tests everything before handing a car over The Trans Am is no exception Will it pass Nicks inspection ? Thanks Nick and George Big ups to all the Nick's Garage clients and fans!
High School friend had a 1968 Firebird 455CI engine. Massive amount of torque.
It looks very nice under the hood but that’s just too much chrome for me. It sounds amazing! 👍
He He He...speedo cable...a common part that got replaced on early 70's big block Trans Ams...along with front coil springs.
Had 2 of them T/As. one 1975 & one 1979. The 75 was a much better car than the 79. But both cars needed a work over. Stock T/As are Poontangs. Started with suspensions then engines then trans work. Then the body work to house the big tall & fat tires all round. 4 speeds /3:08:1 positractions/ headers & straight pipes.@ 45 degrees. After all that, they stayed on the roads at speed. P.S. I took out the power brake system & put in an accumulator system like what is on aircraft. No need for a vacuum booster. Every vehicle should come with that system. Works flawlessly. Don't forget the roll cage. If you drive fast, be protected. No need for a stereo but a 2 way radio is a must & a fuzz buster. No A/C, no power windows or door locks.
I honestly think that is the nicest Firebird I have ever seen in my life.
Still got a 74 trans am running around in our town mint one owner black dude owns yellow with the bird on the hood n rear deck panel still looks show room
Recognize the whine of that M22 anywhere. Every now and again I think about throwing one back in the Chevelle, but the first gear drive off of the M20 is better for the street.
Very nice car!
Hell yeah my first car was a TransAm. I had a 1974 455 SD formula. That car would haul ass.
my usnavy buddy Tony had a 78 red t.a. great car he drove it from Indiana to san diego! in 2 days! last year of the 400 pontiac
Had a '75 TA as my first car, man I miss that beast..
Your using a single plane manifold with no heat crossover. That makes atomizing that much fuel way harder. Put a dual plane back on it with a tuned q-jet with at least a 74 primary jet and some rich secondary rods and you'll be flying .
I got to drive a 76' 455 TA 4 speed once, it was awesome!
Nice T/A Nick, this and the 68-69 firebird's are my favorite Pontiac vehicles. 👍 If you need work done to your car, Nick is the man to do it. Thanks Nick. For the upload.
Thank you!
Grandfather has a suped up GTO Judge 455 motor to suspension and brakes… smokes the tires like no tomorrow! Love the sound of a BBP
old school-still great/mopar nick/take care/thanks much
The Front End Reminds me of The LeMans and I love The HoneyComb Rims❤❤😊
An absolutely Awesome Trans Am. 74 455 4bbl. When are dropping it off at my house Nick!!
The narrator is just the very very best ,outstanding voice
Wow. Thanks
I would say that’s the heater core
Regarding the Freedom Highway fire, I have heard that preliminary reports by the salvage company note that the fire appears to have started on Deck 8, while all the eV’s were on Deck 12. Also noted was that none of the EV’s had burned. So, we need to be circumspect about the cause of the fire until proper reporting can be had.
I miss my totaled green 73 Trans Am 455SD, with the 4 speed.
I had a 75 trans am with a built 400. You couldn't hold that thing in the road. The low end torque was bad ass. Mine didn't have the bird on it either.
Thanks for the wee ride Nick, haven't driven one in years. Looks stunning in red with all that bright work and so glad you spotted the issues so soon. Another beaut video George as always.
Any time!
You get in trouble with the law driving like that behind your shop? Or does the RCMP need more “horsepower “?
I know sad aye!
Not suprised as not like the old days.
@@lesliesmith2586 ...LOL.
Oldsmobile 455 With the distributor in front of engine are fast. Had a Guy who built race engines and daily drivers tell me that the engine I just talked about will beat a 454. I want one to build and find a car or truck to put it in.
Awesome Nick《☆》👍🏾🍺🍕🤳Looks like the T/A Needs a Bigger Hood Scoop so he can get a Bigger Air Filter & let the 455 Breathe✌😎☯️
What a beautiful and great running car! The dash reminded me of the one in my 73 AMX 401 Javelin I had back in 1977-78. Man I wish I had that car back now! Great work Nick and awesome video skills George!
The engine was repeatedly backfiring and missing the entire time he was driving it.
I sure don't miss that ignition key buzz :)
That's a tasteful ride, I would not bother with decals, but hey - it's his car. Those aftermarket wheels are spot on, it's a 4 spd and it's from my favourite era for Firebirds; the early 70s. The engine sounds great, not the tow truck 455 typical of that time. Very nice example of a smogger malaise era pony car.
I'd love to have the same car or a 70-72 Camaro in Gulf Green with a black top, black stripes and black interior along with a fully wrinkle/matte black motor built by Nick. I'm thinking a gnarly 396 or 408.
I Miss my 74 Z28 that my Brother and I STUFFED a 454, Trans and rear end out of a wrecked 69 Chevelle back in 1979, DAMN that thing was a Runner!
That’s a really cool car. Great tip on being safe when you see a bit of smoke, better to check it out and be sure. Have a great vacation Nick
Im not a Pontiac fan but that is one beautiful car
Agreed.