Photo: Vengeance Racing (edited by autoevolution)
In many opinions, the fourth-generation Pontiac Trans Am is a criminally underrated American sports coupe. With more different LS and LT-based V8s available over ten years than perhaps any other GM product, this model of Trans Am gave more thrills and smiles than snobs and elitists who lampooned it as another late 90s American land barge. But the fourth-gen Trans Am's real party piece is just how fun it is to modify.
Want proof? Look no further than the job the team at Vengeance Racing did recently. Based out of a small town in Georgia a short drive north of Atlanta, Vengeance's bread and butter is installing high-quality performance packages onto American sports cars that were already pretty muscly to begin with. From Corvettes and Camaros to Mustangs, Chargers, and Challengers, there's not much made domestically that Vengeance Racing isn't at least somewhat familiar with.
Hence why this Trans Am probably turned out as well as it did. But as seasoned American gearheads already know, sometimes the only engine that can beat an LS is an even bigger, more powerful LS. That's why when the stock engine in this Trans Am was ripped from the car, what replaced it was a 468-cubic-inch (7.6-L) LSx motor built by the team at Late Model Engines of Houston, Texas. With thick boulders of 1000 cc injectors and twin 300 Iph fuel pumps controlled by a Holley Dominator ECU, this LSx V8 is cranking out 690 horsepower to the tires and 510-lb-ft of torque without employing any forced induction.
Items like ported six-bolt heads, a dual-throttle billet intake manifold from LME, a three-stage billet dry sump oiling system, and an integrated oil tank that holds three whole gallons ensure this power can be made reliably and without blowing up the engine every time this Trans Am makes a full-throttle dragstrip pass. All this power is fed to a six-speed sequential racing-style transmission from Samsonas Motorsport, a unit that handles this brute force far better than any OEM General Motors transmission. Add on a unique and innovative triple-disk clutch, and we're sure this is one of the smoothest shifting restomods out there.
When paired with this LSx V8's two-inch long tube headers from American racing, we imagine the sound this Trans Am makes when it heads down the dragstrip is pretty spectacular as well. But thanks to a fully independent rear suspension built for F-Body Camaros and Firebirds from Heidts Hot Rod & Muscle Car Parts, this Trans Am is competent in the corners the way few American products from this period are. When you put it all together, this has to be one of the most desirable non-60s or 70s Pontiac restomods in the petrolhead space today. Congrats to the Vengeance Racing team on a truly phenomenal build.
Hence why this Trans Am probably turned out as well as it did. But as seasoned American gearheads already know, sometimes the only engine that can beat an LS is an even bigger, more powerful LS. That's why when the stock engine in this Trans Am was ripped from the car, what replaced it was a 468-cubic-inch (7.6-L) LSx motor built by the team at Late Model Engines of Houston, Texas. With thick boulders of 1000 cc injectors and twin 300 Iph fuel pumps controlled by a Holley Dominator ECU, this LSx V8 is cranking out 690 horsepower to the tires and 510-lb-ft of torque without employing any forced induction.
Items like ported six-bolt heads, a dual-throttle billet intake manifold from LME, a three-stage billet dry sump oiling system, and an integrated oil tank that holds three whole gallons ensure this power can be made reliably and without blowing up the engine every time this Trans Am makes a full-throttle dragstrip pass. All this power is fed to a six-speed sequential racing-style transmission from Samsonas Motorsport, a unit that handles this brute force far better than any OEM General Motors transmission. Add on a unique and innovative triple-disk clutch, and we're sure this is one of the smoothest shifting restomods out there.
When paired with this LSx V8's two-inch long tube headers from American racing, we imagine the sound this Trans Am makes when it heads down the dragstrip is pretty spectacular as well. But thanks to a fully independent rear suspension built for F-Body Camaros and Firebirds from Heidts Hot Rod & Muscle Car Parts, this Trans Am is competent in the corners the way few American products from this period are. When you put it all together, this has to be one of the most desirable non-60s or 70s Pontiac restomods in the petrolhead space today. Congrats to the Vengeance Racing team on a truly phenomenal build.
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