Tribal flames in blue and orange highlighted with green and orange pinstriping were applied to the hood and body, and stylized fanged demon skulls in green with yellow form a winged warrior on the back deck and the back of the hood. A total of over 80 hours of graphics were airbrushed before four coats of urethane clear were sprayed. Following wet-sanding, four more coats were applied and wet-sanded with 3,000-grit. After buffing the paint to a lustrous shine, the overall effect is arresting and provides the TA with the appearance of motion while sitting still.
Interior - The interior was modified to better mirror the outward appearance and is a combination of the stock upholstery fortified with some flash. A set of APS Super Sport Racing buckets covered in carbon-fiber silver with ebony suede inserts provide a comfortable driving position with the required support for dragstrip launches and spirited street-driving.
Keeping an eye on the sophisticated engine and electronics packages are a complete set of Auto Meter Pro-Comp and Ultra-Lite gauges placed into the stock dash module, including oil pressure, 160-mph speedometer, water temperature, 10,000-rpm tachometer, and a fuel gauge. Supplemental pillar-mounted gauges include transmission temperature, fuel pressure, and engine boost. A massive, dash-mounted Sport Comp 10,000-rpm tachometer that features a shift-light set to 6,500 rpm provides duplicitous rpm monitoring.
A Sparco steering wheel handles the turning duties, while the stock center console retains the original Hurst-equipped shifter complemented by a unique, custom shift handle created by RPM. Remaining untouched is the stock GM head unit that is woefully inadequate at overcoming the brutal sounds of the blown motor.
Conclusion - Although some hobbyists will surely cringe at the modifications made to this piece of Pontiac automotive history, the facts are that the collector market hasn't responded strongly to Comp T/As, and the owner is free to modify his car in whatever manner pleases him.
Disregarding the Comp T/A element, the custom paint and graphics are visually appealing, and there is no denying the wow factor whenever the hood is popped and passers-by cast an inquisitive eye upon the Dominion heads and ProCharger setup. At its first car show, the T/A won a class award at the Dallas Autorama and then followed it up by effectively competing against some of the regions top Pontiacs, earning a Top Ten award at the Sewell Buick-Pontiac-GMC BOP show in Dallas, Texas.
Although the Bird is still undergoing additional tuning in order to reach the owner's goal, the potential to crack 1,000 rwhp is there, especially after smoking the rollers to the tune of 807.6 rwhp and 760.4 lb-ft of torque at only 13 psi of boost on 112-octane Sunoco racing fuel.
"It was a tremendous struggle to build this car and bring it to the brink of achieving my goals," according to Harwell. "The tireless efforts of RPM to fabricate the blower setup and integrate and tune the combination have really got me excited about taking the next step to make the car faster on the track.
"A Turbo 400 automatic transmission built by Sullivan Motorsports of Dallas, Texas, and a Precision Industries 3,600-stall converter are stored at RPM, along with a transbrake, so that after the car reaches its maximum potential with the six-speed, we can optimize the package for the quarter-mile.
"Don't get me wrong: Driving the car now is equal parts fear and awe. On one hand, viewing the show-stopping paint and graphics is great, but the viciousness by which the car freely moves lanes on high-rpm shifts is downright scary. I just love the sound of the blower whining and the small-block screaming before a power shift, but all it takes is one errant slick spot to put a damper on a thoroughly exhilarating street cruise."
Say what you will, but mega-horsepower LT1 Firebirds are rare, and in this case, the rarest of the rare. Whether or not you agree, this is how the owner wants it. As Elvis Costello so aptly sang, what's so funny 'bout peace, love, and understanding!
A PA Racing lightweight K-member and tubular lower control arms work in conjunction with Global West upper control arms and a QA1 coilover kit featuring 12-way adjustable shocks to handle the front suspension duties. |
Jet-Hot coating abounds on the Minette Enterprises custom 2-inch primary tube headers and 3-inch dual exhaust, which includes a custom-made X-type crossover and dual Dynomax bullet mufflers. A Canton deep oil pan tapped with an oil feed for the ProCharger features integral baffling so that synthetic oil remains at the pickup, ensuring adequate oil volume and pressure for the motor and blower. |
A ladder-bar rear-suspension system is almost unheard of on fourth-generation F-bodies, but this Comp T/A drives the path less traveled. Although the car retains a panhard bar, the lower control arms and torque arm are a distant memory. |
RPM removed the stock tank and had it sumped before outfitting the Bird with a complete Aeromotive fuel system. The EFI Pro-Series pump is capable of flowing fuel at the prodigious rate of 1,000 gph. To ensure long pump life, an Aeromotive fuel-pump controller works in conjunction with a Pro-Series boost-referenced fuel regulator to raise or lower the voltage depending on the fuel needs of the engine. |