The Spark
From the moment I first clapped eyes on a Corvette Stingray I was hooked. It was the spark that ignited my love of American cars.
I photographed this red Corvette whilst at Damn Yankees Car Show at Blake Hall.
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The Quest
In 1987 my wait was over. Whilst visiting an American Car Dealer in Abridge, Essex I was shown a stunning gold 1979 Pontiac Trans Am that he had just acquired - the rest, as they say, is history.
The Arrival
After a few formalities, I became the owner of the vehicle and drove it off the forecourt in the Spring of 1987.
1979 Pontiac Trans Am
Engine : Oldsmobile 403 cubic inch (6.6 litre)
Colour : Solar Gold
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The above photograph was taken shortly after purchase in 1987.
Now my Trans Am was something of a rarity. It had been turbocharged by a previous owner. This was unusual because the standard turbocharged production Trans Am was a 4.9 litre, and only manufactured in 1980 and 1981. My car however was a 1979, and had a 6.6 litre engine.
These engine photos were also taken shortly after purchase. The type of turbo set up is known as "blow-through" since the turbo feeds it's compressed air into the top of the carburettor via the Pressure Bonnet ( or plenum ).
The close-up shows the engine-mounted Rajay Turbocharger ( Model 301E ) located bottom right in the photo.
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The TurboFORCE kit was available in the UK, and was supplied by a company called H-O Racing Specialties, founded in the early 1970's and based in California. Shown here is part of a sampler brochure, illustrating the kit that had been installed on my vehicle by a previous owner.
