1973 Herb Adams Trans Am

[goernie28]

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/10/full-20201-51045-73_trans_am_herb_adams.jpg
This photo surfaced the other day in another forum. It was established as a '73 Trans Am Super Duty built by Herb Adams as a race car. I remember reading an article on it in the mid 1980s, maybe in High Performance Pontiac. I seem to have tossed my copy of the magazine. Does anyone out there have any more information on this car?

[olredalert]

----Cool TA! Wonder what the cross-hatch stuff is next to the tail lights?.....Bill S

[goernie28]

I understand they are vents for the fuel cell installed in the trunk. Note the fuel filler in the center of the trunk lid.

[Tracker1]

Did it become this car?:

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/10/full-3497-51052-herbta.jpg

NEVER MIND, I ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION - THE CAR ABOVE IS A '71 NOT A '73

[x44d80]

Don't know what happened to the car but this is a cool read... http://www.pontiacsonline.com/Herb%20Adams.htm. (http://www.pontiacsonline.com/Herb%20Adams.htm) I bought some stuff from Herb for my Firebird years ago and it really worked well. Class dude.

[69z28302]

Love the Spider Wheels !

[olredalert]

----Spyders are cool but very heavy.......Bill S

[9999]

Very interesting you would bring up this photo. I was reading the June 2013 issue of High Performance Pontiac at the time it was new and saw an article title <span style="font-style: italic">Realizing Potential</span> by Rocky Rotella, cool article. In the article they have that exact picture and I thought that the car was so beautiful, something you'd definitely expect from Herb Adams.
My scanner/printer broke a long while back and I never replaced it so I can't scan it, but at the very least I'll post the caption underneath the photo.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HPP</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Herb Adams introduced the SD-455 to the world at Pontiac's long-lead press review on June 28, 1972. He had several cars powered by the new engine on hand for journalists to review. This particular Trans Am was an engineering mule that was fitted with a highly modified SD-455 and a 4-speed manual transmission. Expect to see more information on it in an upcoming article.</div></div>


To say the least I was thrilled to learn they would cover it later on, however to my dismay they never did follow up on it. I know no more information on this car. Does anybody?

Thanks for posting the larger digital photo, saved!


Can you post the thread you got it from? Thank you.

[Tracker1]

I've checked in with Rocky...stay tuned

[goernie28]

Here's the link to the other forum where the photo was posted. It's a great website for muscle cars of all kinds.
http://www.highdefforum.com/car-forum/115098-muscle-cars-1962-1972-a-731.html

[StealthBird]

Herb Adams formed a team called Adams Associates that built a 1972 Trans Am for SCCA competition. Herb Adams did some of the driving, but Milt Minter was the primary driver. They won the 1972 Mid-Ohio race and placed 2nd at Lime Rock and Elkhart Lake. It was the only victory for the Trans Am in the SCCA series.

[Tracker1]

This is from Rocky Rotella:

&quot;Des, the car you speak of has a storied past. I hoped to prepare a story about it in HPP, but the magazine and 11 other titles were lost overnight when SourceInternlink regrouped as The Enthusiast Network (TEN). I was working on a story and found some documentation on the car. I am using it as a side bar in my 70-81 book.

Basically the car was an engineering mule. I’m told by Dan Hardin it was a 1970 Trans Am with a Ram Air IV that was used for various suspension and engine tests. At one point it had a SD-455 or two in it. At the time of the press preview, it had the 366. I found some GM photos of it that I am including in the book, but for the most part, I wasn’t able to find any others that were really cool. The car was destroyed. &quot;

[9999]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help, very fascinating car. I figured it wasn't the same as the Team Associates car since Herb hasn't mentioned that in any interview I've read.


Tracker--That is some AWESOME investigative work on your part, thank you very very much. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/laugh.gif



PS. Can you ask Rocky about an ETA for said book, I'm looking forward to it.

[Tracker1]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 9999</div><div class="ubbcode-body">PS. Can you ask Rocky about an ETA for said book, I'm looking forward to it.
</div></div>

His 67-69 book just hit the shelves and it looks like another year will pass before the 1970-81 book is ready. It was supposed to be one book, but the research and documentation became voluminous and he split it in two.

[Tracker1]

IT WAS ACTUALLY A '72 USED AS A PROTOTYPE. MORE INFO FROM MARTY'S PONTIAC BOOK FROM THE (early?) 80s - THANKS AGAIN TO ROCKY ROTELLA FOR PROVIDING THE LEAD...

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/11/full-3497-52234-img_6879.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/11/full-3497-52235-img_6874.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/11/full-3497-52236-img_6875.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/11/full-3497-52237-img_6876.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/11/full-3497-52238-img_6877.jpg
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/11/full-3497-52239-img_6878.jpg

[StealthBird]

Thanks for posting.

Keep an eye out for the new Smoke Signals Magazine. You won't believe the information we've uncovered at the Pontiac-Oakland Museum. Things that have never been published before, new information that's just been found, it will blow away some long held Pontiac myths and make many older articles instantly outdated.

BTW - the original photo at the beginning of this post was from my FB page. I had cleaned up the original photo and cleaned up the image to make it as clear as possible.

Stay tuned... <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/wink.gif

[Tracker1]

I look forward to it!

[9999]

Tracker, I can't believe the stuff you uncover. That is so cool that this car was doc'd a long time ago when it was probably still fresh in peoples minds. I really hope it somehow wasn't destroyed. Thank you very much for the update, LOVE the pictures.


StealthBird--I'll have to check that out as well. Sounds intriguing. Can you get me a link to find it?

[resto4u]

Has this SD 455 prototype been found????????

[Xplantdad]

This one (http://www.1973-76transamconcept.com/history.html) is different....but still around. I've seen it here in AZ

[9999]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: resto4u</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Has this SD 455 prototype been found???????? </div></div>
According to info earlier in this thread, it was allegedly destroyed after it's &quot;test mule&quot; job was completed.

[njsteve]

The original magazine test car (not the Herb Adams car) was found several years ago in Australia and is being restored. The owner stumbled across its history when he ordered the PHS and found all the links back to Pontiac engineering. The reason it was never &quot;discovered&quot; previously was that it did not have an &quot;X&quot; in the VIN and was originally a &quot;Y&quot; code standard 455 chassis when it went down the line early in year.