For the past 35 years, Trans Am enthusiasts have been gathering in Dayton, Ohio to celebrate one of the best muscle cars ever produced. This year there were 493 Pontiac Trans Ams, Firebirds, and Formulas representing the complete history of the Firebird from 1967-2002. The event is typically held on the last weekend of August and hosted by the hard-working members of the Dayton, Ohio Chapter of the Trans Am Club of America. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants in the area.

One gentleman, Steve Fairchild, is a legend in the Trans Am collector community and brought 7 or 8 of his cars from his 75 car collection. Of note, was a 1973 Pontiac Formula 455 with its original Super Duty 455 engine. The car is one of 43 Formulas built-in 1973 with this special engine. Herb Adams, the father of the Trans Am, was even on hand and talked about the origins of the Super Duty program and what it was like working at Pontiac in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Just about every make and model of the Pontiac Firebird was on hand for car enthusiasts to enjoy. There was a Pontiac Firebird Sprint, H.O., Esprit, Formula, Trans Am, GTA, Macho T/A,  and Firehawk. If you like black and gold, there were several very nice 1976 Limited Edition Pontiac Trans Ams as well as multiple 1977-1981 Y84 and Y88 Special Edition Trans Ams. Burt Reynolds personal Trans Am was on-site to along with a replica of Buford T. Justice’s pursuit vehicle.

A number of vendors and parts suppliers had booths set up. Above is a picture of Joe and Heather Rinaldi who own TTA Performance which specializes in performance upgrades for 1980-1981 Turbo Trans Ams. Joe is currently restoring a Turbo Macho T/A which we will look forward to seeing at next year’s show. Joe also hosts a free YouTube video to educate Turbo Trans Am enthusiasts. I was able to buy some unique parts from John and Lisa DeLorean with Second Gen Graveyard. Randy Combs who specializes in Trans Am Dash Bezel Restorations also had a booth. Everyone was as friendly as ever at the world’s largest Trans Am Show. It is nice for me to meet the people that I have been talking to on the phone while I restore my 1973 Trans Am.

You may remember that John Wayne drove a Brewster Green 1973 Trans Am in the movie, McQ. There were two similar cars on hand at the show. One 4 speed and one with an automatic. This was the only year for this unique color (Code 48). Only 146 Brewster Green Trans Ams were built out of a total of 4,772 Trans Ams produced in 1973.  It is estimated that only 45 cars were 4 speed and 7 of them had Super Duty engines. We know two of these special cars were crushed in McQ but fortunately, John Wayne escaped!

I have a personal liking to the Pontiac Formula and own a 1973 Formula 455 and a 1979 W72 Formula. Above is an Ascot Silver 1972 HO455 Formula. This is a very rare car that was built during the strike-shortened year of 1972. The car was restored to immaculate condition. Typically, the event will host a drag race day and a cruise to Tipp City for small-town fun. So next year, if you want to see a lot of special cars, plan on attending the Trans Am Nationals in Dayton, Ohio.