Owner Bio: Alan Monroe
At 38 years old, Alan, a car-dealership/restoration-shop owner, is also an avid road racer who tries his hand at drag racing a few times per year. Desiring a Gold SE Trans Am, he picked up this T/A two years ago. "It's the first car I ever built myself, and it's faster than I expected," he tells HPP. "It ran 11s the second time it was ever on the track, on drag radials and with 91-octane pump gas. The car has A/C, cruise control, and T-tops; a true daily driver." Alan's current tribe consists of a '79 SE with a Pontiac 400, a four-speed, and T-tops; a '73 455 four-speed T/A; and a '77 yellow T/A. Past Pontiacs owned include two '79 10th Anniversary T/As, both four-speeds, one with 4,800 miles, the other with 4,200 miles. The latter won First Place in the Pontiac Heaven show two years ago.
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
| Run/Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Pt. | 60-ft | 1/8-mile | 1/4-mile |
| 1. 36-deg timing; M/T drag radials; 22 psi | 2,000 | 6,500 | N/A | Aborted pass |
| 2. Same; new belts; 20 psi in tires | 2,500 | 6,500 | N/A | Aborted pass |
| 3. Same; 19 psi in tires | 2,500 | 6,200 | 2.3 | 8.47/90.16 | 12.81/113.41 |
| 4. Same; 18 psi in tires | 2,500 | 6,000 | 1.65 | 7.54/90.89 | 11.85/113.70 |
| BEST PASS CORRECTED | 11.36/118.66 |
| Run Notes: 1) Threw accessory belts, no traction; 2) Same as first pass except heater core ruptured; 3) Installed only alternator belt, spun on launch backed out of it and got back in it, threw alt. belt; 4) Car hooked! Still threw alt. belt. |
| STRIP SPECS |
| Year/Model: | '78 Gold SE Trans Am |
| Race Weight: | Approx. 3,975 lbs |
| Curb Weight: | Approx. 3,800 lbs |
| Fuel Level: | N/A |
| Fuel: | Pump gas, 91-octane |
| Engine: | '70 455, bored +0.030 |
| Cubic Inches Before/After: | 455/462 |
| Engine Built By: | Zimmerman Racing |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Top End |
| Air Cleaner: | Factory shaker |
| Carburetor: | Holley 850 DP |
| Jets, Primary/Secondary: | #80/#90 |
| Spacer Plate: | None |
| Intake Manifold: | Edelbrock Performer |
| Fuel Pump: | Mallory electric 140-gph |
| Lines: | 1/2-in |
| Regulator: | Mallory set to 7 psi |
| Heads: | Edelbrock aluminum 87cc |
| Head Porting: | By Mike Zimmerman |
| Flow Numbers: | Approx. 320-cfm intake |
| Valves: | 2.11/1.66 SS from Edelbrock |
| Bottom End |
| Pistons: | TRW forged flat-top, 0.030 over |
| Rings: | Sealed Power moly |
| Rods: | Stock cast |
| Compression Ratio: | 10:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Stock iron 4.21-stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft |
| Brand: | Comp Cams hyd. |
| Duration at 0.050: | 244/244-deg |
| Duration Advertised: | 292/292-deg |
| Lift with Specified Rocker Arms: | 0.501/0.501 |
| Lobe Separation Angle: | 110-deg |
| Installed Position: | 4-deg adv |
| Rocker Arms: | Comp Cams 1.50:1 roller |
| Ignition |
| Distributor: | MSD Pro-Billet |
| Amplifier: | MSD 6AL |
| Coil: | MSD |
| Wires: | MSD 8mm |
| Spark Plugs: | Champion R9YC |
| Total Timing: | 36-deg |
| RPM Total Timing is Reached: | 3,500 |
| Exhaust |
| Headers: | Doug Thorley |
| Primary: | 1.875-in |
| Collector: | 3.00-in |
| Pipes: | 2.5-in |
| Mufflers: | Flowmaster |
| Crossover: | 2.5-in |
| Drivetrain |
| Transmission: | Turbo 400, performance rebuild with shift kit |
| Converter: | Hughes 2,600-stall |
| Shifter: | Lightning Rod |
| Rear: | Stock 10-bolt |
| Rear Gear Ratio: | 3.73:1 |
| Limited Slip: | Stock |
| Axles: | Stock |
| Chassis and Suspension |
| Brakes F/R: | Stock 10.9-in disc/9.5-in drum |
| Wheels F/R: | Stock 15x8 Honeycomb |
| Tires F/R: | BFG T/A 235/60R15 / M/T drag radials 275/60-15 |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 32 psi/19 psi |
| Suspension Front |
| Springs: | Stock WS6 |
| Control Arms: | Stock |
| Stabilizer Bar: | Stock 1.25-in |
| Shocks: | Stock replacement |
| Suspension Rear |
| Springs: | Stock WS6 |
| Stabilizer Bar: | Stock 0.75-in |
| Shocks: | Stock replacement |
| Chassis Mods: | None |
| The Rest |
| Interior Mods: | All-original |
| Exterior Mods: | Stock |
| Safety Mods: | None |
| Paint: | BASF Solar Gold |
| Launch Technique: | Flash converter to 2,000 rpm, get into it when the lights come down |
| Best 1/4-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 11.8/113 |