1972 Trans Am – Track Tested, Finely Tuned
It’s fitting to see a 1972 Trans Am built as a modern-day track car since the Firebird was instrumental in getting road racing on the map for General Motors. However, Jay and Amy Deluca’s Pontiac, even as a street-worthy cruiser, incorporates technology and performance that its ancestors couldn’t even fathom at the time.
Before Jay and Amy owned the Trans Am, it started as a track car for Carbon Kustoms, a carbon fiber specialty manufacturer. It served as the design and testbed for their strong yet lightweight carbon panels which make up the entire front end of the F-body. We’re talking fenders, hood, inner fenders, fender flares and even the shaker scoop. All told, the weight savings is 400 pounds off the front end.
The entire car sits on a full frame built by DuSold Designs and includes a Detroit Speed front subframe with RideTech triple-adjustable coilovers. Out back is a custom three-link system with a Watts link for stability securing a 9-inch rear with 3.42 gears. Braking is a major player in the overall vehicle, so 14-inch Wilwood rotors and six-piston calipers are out front with 13-inch, four-pistons out back.
To keep the Pontiac theme in check, a set of 18-inch Rally II replica wheels were machined by EVOD. All four wheels are 12-inches wide wrapped in 335/30/18 BFG Rivals for plenty of grip and stick. That big wheel patch is needed thanks to the Wegner-built LS3 that displaces 416c.i. An Atomic LS EFI system provides easy tuning of the air/fuel mix and on the chassis dyno the Trans Am laid out 550 horsepower at the rear wheels.
Inside the car is pure Pontiac as well with the stock dash and factory-styled instrumentation from Gauge Mark. The seats were updated with a set of Sparcos and everything is wrapped in pearl white leather similar to the original Tuxedo white.
Jay and Amy have had the car about five years and only recently, due to a move from Texas to Ohio and launching their own new business, Nothing Bundt Cakes, are really getting it on the road and track. They have ran it several times on the AutoCross course with each run getting a little quicker.
Come this summer, we’re positive they’ll have the car dialed in and taking names!
