Actual Trans Ams are going up in value and many car enthusiasts are finding it too expensive to acquire an early 1970’s Trans Am. When that happens, many people opt to clone a desirable car which can sometimes be cheaper and sometimes it is not. This car looks like a 1973 Pontiac Trans Am but it is actually a 1973 Pontiac Formula. Pontiac offered the second generation Trans Am in four different models – the base Firebird, Esprit, Formula and Trans Am. This car is listed here on eBay with three days remaining in the auction. The car is bid to $22,322 and has a Buy It Now Price of $29,995. It is located in Temperance, Michigan.

The 1973 Trans Am was offered with two different versions of the Pontiac 455 cubic inch V8 engine. The base engine was the Y Code 455 rated at 250 horsepower. The optional X code 455 cubic inch engine was the Super Duty engine rated at 290 horsepower. This car has a 1975 455 HO engine from a GTO. It is said to run well and is backed by a Muncie M20 4 speed transmission. The drivetrain has a new flywheel, clutch and pressure plate. A recent exhaust system was also installed.

The interior looks very nice. It has the black deluxe “horsecollar” seats with manual windows and an aftermarket radio. The dash is not cracked and the seats still look supple and not dry or sun faded. The suspension has new bushings, brakes and looks like recently installed BF Goodrich Radial TA tires. The rear end has the correct 3.42:1 rears for a 4 speed non AC car. One nice feature of the car is the aftermarket Vintage Air system that is installed. I have this on my 1971 Trans Am and it works 3X better than the factory AC.

The paint on the car is faded as are the decals. The 1973 Trans Am came in only three colors – Buccaneer Red, Brewster Green and Cameo White. The emergency brake cable was recently replaced which is important on a car with a manual transmission. The car rides on factory 15×7 honeycomb wheels. So, what do you think of this clone?