The 1979 Pontiac Trans Am, the Lamborghini Countach and the 1969 Dodge Daytona. Three cars that exhibit characters that are completely outlandish for any automobile of any era. The Trans Am for example, with its big screaming chicken on the hood and t-topped roof is reminiscent of the 1970′s disco scene. The Countach simply screams “I LOVE COCAINE” and the Dodge Daytona, well that was a car designed to go fast when go fast technology didn’t even exist. My point is this; you can still, if you have the means go out and pick-up any one of these cars and drive them all the time.

However would their loud, outlandish style prohibit you from driving them? I mean lets face it, pulling up to the grocery store in a Countach may seem great at first until everyone around you simply labels you as a complete douche.

Whatcha’ think – would you have the stones to rock one these babies on a daily basis?

The 2012 Trans Am. Image: Trans America Muscle

If you’ve worn black in mourning every day since the demise of Pontiac, and you wish that someone would build a decent Trans Am replica from the new Camaro, here’s some good news for you. Trans America Muscle builds new Trans Am, and I’ve got to say the cars look fantastic. They’re not inexpensive, and the car shown in the Street Fire video below would sticker out at $59,500. Assuming that includes the price of a 2012 Camaro SS, that’s a reasonable price to ask.

The conversion is more than just a few decals and a set of wheels. The base package includes the shaker hood, a custom front bumper, LED turn signals with “angel eye” headlights, a custom rear bumper with LED taillights, side exhausts with MagnaFlow mufflers, custom graphics, 22-inch custom wheels, fiberglass fender air extractors, custom rear spoiler and an interior package.

If you want to go faster than that, TAM offers up a wide range of accessories, including a coil-over suspension, a Magnuson supercharger, chassis bracing and single or twin turbos. Cars can also be ordered in unique body colors, although we’re completely happy with the gold-on-black color scheme. Want more info? Hit the TAM website.

It’s true. A used car dealer in Costa Mesa, CA is offering a used, low mileage (13,500) 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT for $21,990.00. The car is a one owner vehicle and is actually in pretty darn good shape thanks to the owners meticulous care. 1988 was the last year of the Fiero and in true GM fashion, they killed it off right as it was getting good. It was mid-engine, had great balance and was actually a pretty good looking little car. Granted it’s no hot rod by today’s standards, but for back in the day this little bugger moved along pretty damn good. Click through for more pictures.

Source: autokennel.com

The Pontiac Tempest is known for its tumultuous 400-cubic-inch V8, for spewing clouds of atomized rubber and partially combusted gasoline, for altering weather patterns and generally being a kick-ass muscle car. But it started life as a funky little economy car created by the legendary John DeLorean.

I had no idea the first-generation Tempest (1961-63) existed until I spied one for sale a few blocks from my house. The red ragtop was in sorry shape. Paint shot, trim pieces missing, holes in its top. Still, there was something about it. It had gorgeous lines and good proportions.

When I hit Wikipedia later that day, I realized the little convertible was far more sophisticated and, well, wacky than I had ever imagined. At first glance it looks to be like any other mid-60s compact—likely driven by a straight six backed with a two-speed slushbox. But the Tempest’s drivetrain is unique. Very unique.

The Tempest was one of John DeLorean’s earliest projects. Thus, it was innovative. It’s powered by quite possibly the wonkiest American engine ever, the Tropy 4. The 195-cubic-inch (3.2-liter) straight four mill is basically half a 389 V8. The engine made between 110 and 140 horsepower, depending on carb options. It was frugal, but earned the name “Hay Bailer” due to its rough and raucous nature.

Thankfully, things get much better as you move aft of the engine bay. The Tempest is equipped with a flexible driveshaft known as the “rope drive.” This meant the floor was flat—no transmission tunnel. The rope drive was connected to a two-speed automatic transaxle at the rear, giving the early Tempest 50/50 weight distribution. To top it all off, the car was equipped with four-wheel independent suspension.

In ’61 and ’62, customers could spec the Tempest with Buick’s aluminum 215 c.u. V8. The engine produced up to 215 horsepower and weighed just 330 pounds. In ’63, Pontiac pulled out the big guns, offering the 326 V8 (actually a 336, but marketed as a 326). That engine produced 260 hp and 352 ft-lbs of torque. To cope with the extra power, the car’s autobox was beefed up and the transaxle was revamped to improve handling. Just 3,600 Tempests got the 215 and probably no more than 5,000 got the 326.

The first-generation Tempest is one of the least-appreciated American rides out there. It was an ingenious little car packed with many features that still aren’t standard on modern cars. If you’re looking for a quirky classic car, the first-generation Tempest should be on your list.

UPDATE: Jim Brennan of Hooniverse spied this gorgeous ’62 Tempest Convertible showing off in a local parking lot. It wears a paint color I’ve never seen before and is probably the best-restored Tempest on the road. Check it out.

He beat Hulk Hogan in front of 45,000 people at the Georgia Dome in the WWE, he’s played for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL and he’s one of the nicest (and biggest) full blown car enthusiasts on the planet. He’s Bill Goldberg and he’s just set his sights on building one of the baddest second generation pro-touring Trans Am’s to ever roll on tarmac. You see last year after hosting the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, Bill got seriously bitten by the pro-touring bug. Already a die-hard muscle car nut, the idea of melding old car styling with new car tech was something that really appealed to him. Plus, since he’d already seen a host of these bad boys in action, it just seemed right that he would jump on the bandwagon to create what he calls, project “ERNREE”.

Starting with a non-numbers matching 1970 Pontiac Trans Am, the goal is to reset the benchmark for what a second gen pro-touring Trans Am can become with the right parts, people and motivation behind the build. To give you an idea of what it takes to create what will most likely become one of the best pro-touring cars on the planet, just take a look at this partial parts list.

• Hendrick Motorsports LS motor
• Carbon Kustoms Front Clip
• DSE Suspension, front and rear
• Ridetech Tiger Cage
• Forgeline Wheels
• Baer Brakes
• Be Cool Cooling Systems
• BF Goodrich Tire
• American Autowire

The entire back-story and build, complete with progress photos is being cataloged over at Pro-touring.com, so make sure to head on over there to check it out. Also, if you would like to find out further information on this years 2011 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, please send an email to FM3 Performance Marketing.

After becoming frustrated with his application of the checkered flag decal from Pep Boys, Vinny decided not to make the same mistake twice, and used his blue sharpie marker instead.

Source: YouDriveWhat

It had the longest hood of any car in 1969, it was comfortable, luxurious, loaded with options and hauled some serious ass when you mashed the go pedal. It wasn’t a Camaro, Mustang or Charger, nor was it a GTO, Corvette or Barracuda, in fact and for all intense and purposes, it wasn’t even a muscle car. That however didn’t stop Pontiac’s new 1969 Grand Prix SJ from going down in history as one of the baddest executive saloons on the planet. We all know that buying a car is a very personal statement. It gives others insight into who we are, what our economic bracket is and how we view ourselves. If you’re a professional for example, then odds are you won’t be driving up to the office in a Subaru STI with a big wing on the back. However, you may opt for something like an Acura TL. It’s classier, and while not as nimble, it still has plenty of grunt and paints a different picture to the world around you.

The same was true back in the 1960′s and 1970′s. Muscle cars were all the rage, but for those who still wanted the dash without the flash, there actually weren’t that many options. This is where the Pontiac Grand Prix SJ came in. The “SJ” model to a Grand Prix was the equivalent of what “SRT” is to a Chrysler 300. It was the big gun in the fleet, and while civilized it would also run like hell if given the opportunity.

Most SJ models came equipped with Pontiac’s 370 hp 428 cu in V8 that produced close to 500 lb-ft of torque. It could also be had with either a 4-speed manual or Pontiac’s tried and true turbo 400 automatic transmission. Regardless of how you set them up, the big Grand Prix SJ’s were not only great to look at, but performed beautifully as well.

Inside these battle barges could be optioned out with full leather, air conditioning, power windows, AM/FM stereo as well as a back seat mounted 8-track tape deck. Their build quality was also far superior to anything that was put out at the time by the likes of Ford or Chrysler. Sadly Pontiac stopped producing the second generation Grand Prix in 1972, which was a shame, because in my opinion they were the best models to date. The Grand Prix SJ, while a beautiful automobile is unfortunately not all that collectible, which means that finding a good one can be difficult. However, like anything else, if you really want one and do your due diligence, they’re out there just waiting to be snapped up.

Some of you may laugh, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Pontiac Trans Am is an icon of American pop culture. From its humble beginnings as a Trans Am series race car, to its starring role in Smokey and the Bandit, the Pontiac Trans Am is the stuff that childhood dreams are made of. Over the years the Trans Am went through a bunch of different changes. In the late 1960′s it was released as Pontiac’s answer to the then new, Chevrolet Camaro. Then in the early 1970′s it evolved into a full blown stump pulling muscle car, with models like the 455-SD Trans Am and Formula 400. By the time the 1980′s came around though, the Trans Am was slow and running on borrowed time. Designers tried everything to keep the public interested, but alas, in 1981 the beloved second generation Trans Am took its final bow and called it quits.

However, there must be some credit given to those who worked tirelessly at keeping the Screaming Chicken afloat for all those years. I mean a properly equipped second generation Trans Am with the WS6 suspension package is considered to be, without a doubt, the best handling car of the muscle car era.

This particular Trans AM is a 1981 model that came equipped with a turbocharged 4.9-liter V8 that produced a paltry 200 hp and 340 ft-lb at 2,000 rpm. However, what the Trans Am lacked in grunt, it more than made up for in style. The Turbo T/A came equipped with a lighted boost gauge that was fitted to the rear of the cars scoop. It had a big screaming chicken on the hood and some eye-popping orange and black Recaro seats. Truth be told this is actually a pretty sexy car and one that I would absolutely park in my garage. Just remember though, that any modern day Toyota Camry will leave it for dead in any light to light drag race you can think of, so keep that in mind when your out cruising for the ladies.

Source: Hemmings.com

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have to admit, the owner of this mid-90′s Pontiac Transport actually did one hell of a job installing their new A/C unit. The mounting appears to be solid, there’s no tacky filler foam seeping out of the door, and I bet that aside from freezing off the passengers lower extremities, it works like a charm. Pretty impressive stuff if you ask me…

Source: YouDriveWhat.com

A few years ago SpeedTV used to air a show called Dream Car Garage. It was sponsored by Legendary Motorcars of Ontario, Canada and catered to everything from high end exotics, to big block muscle cars. One of the best segments they ever put together was a match up of the baddest muscle cars from the 1960′s and 1970′s. What you have to remember before you press play on these videos though, is that the American muscle car was and is, a mythical beast. Names like Cuda, Chevelle SS, The Judge and Boss made European sport sedans of that era quake in their boots. Not because of how fast, or how well they did (or did not) handle, but because of their in-your-face, take no prisoners, power house attitudes. I own two muscle cars and while I love them with all my heart and soul, I’m always amazed at how fast people think they are. Like I said, these old sleds are mythical beasts, and while other cars out there may out perform them, there will never, ever be anything as cool as an old school American Muscle Car. Click through for a whole bunch of awesome!

• PART 1

• PART 2

• PART 3

• PART 4

• PART 5