Photo: Barrett-Jackson
The 1960s and 1970s were definitely the years to be in the car selling business in America. All of the world’s greatest muscle cars were born back then, and with enough talent and money, any car dealer could leave their mark on the vehicles they sold.
A perfect example of that is a small Pontiac dealership in Glendale, Arizona, ran back at the end of the 1970s by brothers Dennis and Kyle Mecham. Usually in the business of selling new cars, the dealership was taken to new levels of fame thanks to what would become known as the Mecham Macho Pontiac Trans Am (aka DKM Macho Trans Am).
During that time, the appeal of muscle cars was beginning to fade, and feeling this, carmakers themselves began backing away from them. There weren’t as many (and as affordable) muscle nameplates available as a decade earlier, and the ones on the market left much to be desired.
So the two brothers decided to build their own pumped-up muscle car, using an existing model. Being the owners of a Pontiac dealership, they chose a 1978 Trans Am as a starting point. And not just any Trans Am, but the best the line had to offer, packed with all the available features, including the W72/L78 package.
This means under the hood a there was a stock 400ci (6.6-liters) V8 engine, linked to a 4-speed manual (a five-speed was offered for the Mecham-spec). Already potent in factory form, the powerplant was squeezed even further through tuning.
The conversions made by the Mecham brothers – which included revised suspension as well – proved successful enough for the cars to enter production, and 27 Machos were sold in the first year. Even so, there aren’t as many of them around today, so one popping up on the open market is a rare thing.
Sitting on the list of cars selling as part of the Barrett-Jackson May online sale is a Macho Trans Am from 1978, with just 34,000 miles (54,700 km) on the clock. This particular car, which was featured on Discovery’s Fast N' Loud show, is selling with reserve, and the current bid is at $25,000.
During that time, the appeal of muscle cars was beginning to fade, and feeling this, carmakers themselves began backing away from them. There weren’t as many (and as affordable) muscle nameplates available as a decade earlier, and the ones on the market left much to be desired.
So the two brothers decided to build their own pumped-up muscle car, using an existing model. Being the owners of a Pontiac dealership, they chose a 1978 Trans Am as a starting point. And not just any Trans Am, but the best the line had to offer, packed with all the available features, including the W72/L78 package.
This means under the hood a there was a stock 400ci (6.6-liters) V8 engine, linked to a 4-speed manual (a five-speed was offered for the Mecham-spec). Already potent in factory form, the powerplant was squeezed even further through tuning.
The conversions made by the Mecham brothers – which included revised suspension as well – proved successful enough for the cars to enter production, and 27 Machos were sold in the first year. Even so, there aren’t as many of them around today, so one popping up on the open market is a rare thing.
Sitting on the list of cars selling as part of the Barrett-Jackson May online sale is a Macho Trans Am from 1978, with just 34,000 miles (54,700 km) on the clock. This particular car, which was featured on Discovery’s Fast N' Loud show, is selling with reserve, and the current bid is at $25,000.
Google News