Trans Am 76 HP?

[redmaro]

I have this friend who has a 76 Trans Am 400, he says it has 390HP stock. :rolleyes: Is this true? I tough they had like 220HP.

[98Camaro3.8]

Who would have thought google could link you to the answer? [img]smile.gif[/img]

http://www.iwaynet.net/~gl&lisk/1976ta.html

[chadder]

yeah, mid to late 70's was a bad time for muscle cars....T/A with only 200 hp? please....

What i dont understand, is how do muscle cars with, for example a '70 Chevelle SS 454, with well over 400 hp only do the 1/4 mile in around 13 seconds and top out at a little over 120? Another example is previous corvettes. Many older corvettes have had MUCH higher hp and tq ratings than the C5, but the C5 is the fastest out of all previous models...and dont just tell me 'cause the old ones were heavy'...there must be a reasonable technical explanation. This has been bugging me for a while...

[vanbibber]

keep in mind the gas shortages that caused this problem. therefore meaning that gas guzzling 300hp cars werent really in the equation. thats about the time when economy cars started to come about.

[sac2165]

Originally posted by chadder:
yeah, mid to late 70's was a bad time for muscle cars....T/A with only 200 hp? please....

What i dont understand, is how do muscle cars with, for example a '70 Chevelle SS 454, with well over 400 hp only do the 1/4 mile in around 13 seconds and top out at a little over 120? Another example is previous corvettes. Many older corvettes have had MUCH higher hp and tq ratings than the C5, but the C5 is the fastest out of all previous models...and dont just tell me 'cause the old ones were heavy'...there must be a reasonable technical explanation. This has been bugging me for a while...

I'm no expert, but I'd say todays cars are faster because of technological improvements in putting power to the ground. Better tires, more efficient drivetrain.

[andrew.brandon]

Originally posted by sac2165:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by chadder:
yeah, mid to late 70's was a bad time for muscle cars....T/A with only 200 hp? please....

What i dont understand, is how do muscle cars with, for example a '70 Chevelle SS 454, with well over 400 hp only do the 1/4 mile in around 13 seconds and top out at a little over 120? Another example is previous corvettes. Many older corvettes have had MUCH higher hp and tq ratings than the C5, but the C5 is the fastest out of all previous models...and dont just tell me 'cause the old ones were heavy'...there must be a reasonable technical explanation. This has been bugging me for a while...

I'm no expert, but I'd say todays cars are faster because of technological improvements in putting power to the ground. Better tires, more efficient drivetrain. </font>[/QUOTE]and back in the day HP was not measured the same way as today. engines were tested with as little powertrain loss as possible for marketing ploys. not quite sure how to put it but its like manfacturs saying the 3.8L has 200hp when only maybe 160hp reaches the ground. I am sure someone else can explain it better than I can though

[Everglades W68]

The Trans AM HP bottomed out in 1982: 165 HP was the maximum available.

There were several factors going on:

1. In early 70's pollution control and safety equipment mandates caused car weight to increase and performance to begin to decline. Cars began switching over to catalytic converters.

2. The Arab oil embargo of early 70's combined with price controls caused gas shortages. However, by late 70's there was no gas shortage - but the price of gas had tripled.

3. In 1980, gas was over $1 per gallon - in 1980 dollars.

4. CAFE standards mandating higher fuel efficiency took effect form the late 70's through the early/mid 80's. As a result, 4 cylinder cars were extremely pooular.

5. Inflation was out of control in the late 70's and early 80's brough big efforts by the Fed to stop inflation. The result was a squeezing out of inflation and a slow economy. Not nearly as many people had spare funds to spend on performance cars. High gas mileage was the big thing.

My 1981 Mustang had the "upgraded" I6 engine - it was rated at 90 HP versus the standard 89 HP engine. Quite an impresive power boost!

This was also the time when 4 cylinder F bodies were being produced.

[vanbibber]

wasnt that in like 1981-83 for the 4 banger fbods?

[sac2165]

Originally posted by vanbibber:
wasnt that in like 1981-83 for the 4 banger fbods?

:eek:

[V6Maniac]

Originally posted by Everglades W68:

4. CAFE standards mandating higher fuel efficiency took effect form the late 70's through the early/mid 80's. As a result, 4 cylinder cars were extremely pooular.

Huh huh huh.. you said poo-ular. I agree 4 cyls are pooular.

[3.4 slow to go]

the Tech 4 was avalable from 82~85.

Originally posted by Everglades W68:


3. In 1980, gas was over $1 per gallon - in 1980 dollars.

damn, just look at that inflation there [img]graemlins/omg.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Originally posted by 98Camaro3.8:
Who would have thought google could link you to the answer? [img]smile.gif[/img]

http://www.iwaynet.net/~gl&lisk/1976ta.html

nice link. Mine was a 77 w72 car, no t-tops though
:(

[ March 09, 2005, 08:52 PM: Message edited by: 3.4 slow to go ]

[Everglades W68]

http://www.iwaynet.net/~gl&lisk/1977ta.html

1977 TA's :cool:

[vanbibber]

Originally posted by 3.4 slow to go:
the Tech 4 was avalable from 82~85.

i knew it was somewhere around there lol.

[arthansen]

I had a 1976 Firebird with a pontiac 350 (I got it in 1984). It put out a wopping 155 hp at the flywheel. Boy I thought that car was fast. Sold it with 140,000+ miles on the car. It was still going strong when I sold it.

However, I still think it was one of the nicest looking cars around in the mid 70s.

[vanbibber]

is there such thing as an ugly firebird anyways?