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Ripper
01-07-2005, 09:28 AM
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

I came across this car a couple of years ago in a book. it's a Pontiac Trans Am Silverbird, build by Herb Adams and made for competing in some kind of SCCA class (am I right?) during the late 70s.

I would like to get as much info about it as possible... And as many pics as possible!!!!
Did it win anything on the tracks? Is the car(s) still alive?

and maybe the most important question: can I get a hold of a body like that? I think I read that it was made out of glass fiber, which means the plug/mould might be saved?

Can I get in contact with any of the Adams via e-mail?

If anyone have more info, pics or whatever, feel free to post them here...
The Adams e-mail can be mailed to me, [email protected]


Come on guys, show me what you know about your history! :drool:

WS6
01-08-2005, 04:00 PM
holy crap i just messed my pants. ive never heard of that car let alone seen it and i love late second gen information. im with you, i want to know everything possible too.

Matt
01-08-2005, 04:22 PM
I did a search, didn't come up with much other than mentions in a few books and people making slot car bodies modeled after the car. I'll keep looking though.

Just to clarify what I gathered though, Silverbird was some sort of model of T/A right?

WS6
01-10-2005, 06:28 PM
looks to me to be a highly modded TA. one set up for SCCA trans am racing possibly. it the front end is correct its a 77 or 78.

WS6
01-10-2005, 06:50 PM
ok just went and googled herb adams pontiac silverbird and pontiac silverbird. finally got my comp fixed so i could do this. i didnt spend much time looking, but from what i can gather it was an SCCA trans Am car in 78-79. its powered by a 600+ hp super duty pontiac. appearently only 366 cuin too. its got a doug nash five speed trans. in 78 i took second at leguna seca. and ive seen a new zealanders model of it and man i still want to know more. road and track did some info on it, but youll have to buy the book and therss another book i think ill get with lots of pictures and it mentions the silverbird as well as the k type and banshee 3. which are other trans am protoypes or one offs.

David Pozzi
01-10-2005, 11:31 PM
I saw it run at Laguna Seca, a friend or two were helping Herb crew on it. I can't remember much about how the car was built but Milt Minter drove it and it led the race for a while I think. It finished second but the news was the car was on FIRE (near engine) the last fiew laps!!! Milt got out and said he was flipping all the switches, he didn't know what they did, but was trying to keep the car running at the end, - and did!

I remember they broke a motor mount in practice, welded it in the pits with a torch, lots of burning rubber! Maybe the motor mount broke again and caused the fire, I can't remember. It was quite a car, cornered very very well, I think it was at the time BFG was either running their tires against the other tire mfr's racing slicks, or BFG was the spec tire for the series.

Try this number for Herb's son, Mat Adams. 831-659-7660
He's in the proccess of moving and this number may not work anymore. He's moving to Seaside California.
I don't think I took any photos of that event but I'll check.

David Pozzi
01-10-2005, 11:42 PM
Guess I was wrong about the silverbird leading.

From Laguna Seca web page:
"On October 8, 1978 Category II driver Greg Pickett earned the overall victory from the pole in his Chevrolet Corvette. Pickett led every lap, and set the fastest race lap. Pickett finished one lap ahead of second place Milt Minter in the Herb Adams Pontiac Silverbird. Ludwig Heimrath was third, also a lap down, in a Porsche 935 Turbo. Rich Sloma was fourth, two laps down, in a Chevrolet Corvette. Eleven of the 14 Category II starters finished the race. "

this joggs my memory, Greg Pickett was a very innovative driver, he came up with a very tidy white corvette that year and it didn't have the super wide tire and flares but it was VERY well constructed and very light weight. The car was a bit harder on it's tires since it had a narrower track, at least that is what was written about it back then. The car had less drag which helped it and it was darn quick.

Fawkes
01-16-2005, 12:13 AM
The following is paraphrased from an article in Road & Track from September, 1978. If I get time this week, I’ll get this scanned in and posted on my website. Enjoy!

The Siverbird (as you already know) was built by Herb Adams. The car was sponsored by Appliance Wheel Company, who supplied a lot of the special wheels for Pontiac. The scuttlebutt was that since GM had a policy forbidding participation in racing of any kind, that Appliance was acting as a way around this for Pontiac. Again, this was an unsubstantiated rumor.

Silverbird, because of the rules, was required to have a chassis and suspension of the same type as the production model… but that was as close as it needed to be. Of course a standard F-Body was of unit body construction. Silverbird used a deep backbone style frame that used the driveshaft tunnel as part of the structure… as well as some additional tubular (rectangular steel for ease of craftsmanship) space frames forward and aft.

The front suspension was a custom job designed by Herb. It used fabricated tubular A-arms as opposed to the stamped ones on a production Firebird. That’s pretty much where the similarity ends. Remember, it only had to be of similar design. The anti-roll bar measured 1.3”.

The rear suspension had to be a leaf spring design. Silverbird used beefier springs that could be adjusted to seven different vertical positions in the front and three in the back, similar to a 4-link suspension. This arrangement helped adjust anti-squat, which is important for coming out of corners.

The amazing part of the car is that the engine was based on the short-deck 301 Pontiac that was bored and stroked 4.15 x 3.58 for 366 cubic inches, which was the limit for the class. This engine was a heavy duty version of the 301 that could be found in late second gen. Firebirds. It utilized 4-bolt main bearings instead of the two-bolts that were used in the production 301. It used a General Kinetics roller cam and breakerless ignition system. The heads were not the production siamesed 301 heads. These were basically Ram Air IV heads that were machined and massaged to be used on the low-deck block. Fuel-injection system and a dry-sump oiling system was also in place.

This engine combo was good for 590 bhp @ 7500 rpm and 460 lb-ft torque @ 5000 rpm. Herb could have used a SBC engine in the car, since it was a production offering, but preferred the Pontiac mill due to its power and (his claim) it’s “margin of reliability”. This came from an .13” wider bore spacing, which means you can go bigger in a Pontiac without overstressing it as much as the SBC.

Also, as stated previously, the transmission was a Doug Nash 5-speed. The case could be split open to allow for quick gear changes. The rearend was a custom piece that allowed for many changes, including gearing ranging from 3.20 to 4.80:1, using 10% increments.

The roof, windshield, door pillars and the top of the instrument panel were stock production pieces. The rest of the car was basically fiberglass, and the front end could be lifted clear for easy access.

The body was five inches wider (78.5”), and ~6” longer than the production car. The body shape was designed by Bill Davis. The front wheels were 16x14’s up front and 19x17 out back. The tires were Goodyear Blue Streak racing tires (25.5x14.5 in the front, 27.5x16.5 on the rears). The discs at all four corners were Ø12”.

Now for some road test numbers:

¼ mile time 12.3 @ 122.5 mph
0-60 = 4.0
Lateral acceleration = 1.150 g’s
Braking from 60-0 = 121 feet

TonyL
01-16-2005, 12:22 AM
here's an ebay auction for info on the car! with pics!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=46093&item=4516873509&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Fawkes
01-16-2005, 08:43 AM
That's the same article from R&T that I have.

David Pozzi
01-16-2005, 11:25 AM
I found some old slides of the car, a fiew on-track, and one with the front end off.
After looking at my photos, this is the year Pickett used an alloy BB chevy with cross ram injection. There must have been some kind of displacement/weight formula that alowed a 366 inch pontiac to race with a BB alloy engine'd vette.

It may have been 79 that Pickett came out with the all white vette I mentioned earlier, this one is white but has red and yellow striping.

I'll try to post some picks after I get the slides scanned, I don't have a slide scanner.

WS6
01-16-2005, 07:03 PM
sweet info thanks. not too sure why they seemd to think the 1.3 front bar was big. stock the WS6 birds have a 1.25 and a 1.375 i believe is availible from herb too. anyway those are some amazing numbers for that car. i personally prefere to see a very fast MPH instead of a low ET in the quarter. wonder what it weighted? unfortunately those cars arent light weight.

David Pozzi
01-16-2005, 07:04 PM
Here is a pit shot Why not build a station wagon like this?

David Pozzi
01-16-2005, 07:40 PM
more pics

Fawkes
01-16-2005, 10:12 PM
David, those are some great pics. Thanks for posting them.

David Pozzi
01-17-2005, 11:11 AM
I want to post a special tribute to Milt Minter, he was from the Fresno California area and reciently died Dec 04, just a couple of days before christmas. I saw him race a number of times at Laguna Seca, he was awsome behind the wheel, quite agressive, which suited the Trans-Am type cars.

A fiew years ago, I drove in a Vintage race at Laguna Seca, and when I found out he was driving a Porsche 917-10, one of the L&M cars, - I went right over and shook his hand, told him how great it was to have him there and what a fan I am of his driving. I'm glad I got the chance to do it.
David

WS6
01-17-2005, 05:12 PM
very cool thanks for the pics. the Ktype and Hurst hauler looked great to me, but i thinkt he second gen friebird is the best looking car ever made, especially the 79s

Ripper
01-18-2005, 12:01 AM
Wow!! First of all, I must say thanks alot for the race info and pictures of it! really like the pic of it from the pit, the whole picture looks good and I'm sitting here, wishing I was there :seizure:


Pozzi, thanks for the phone number. I wish I could call him, but my english is too slow and I'll probably won't understand anything of what he say :dunno: :rolleyes5 However, do he have an e-mail?
He should probably be able to answer me about if it's possible to buy the front and rear body (for a reasonable price) so i can build my own race car!

If you find any more pics of it, post them!!!! :worship: :bananna2:

Thanks again, btw I also have that R&T ad

MarkM66
01-18-2005, 07:56 AM
Is that cars frame/suspension the same as used in Herb's "Chassis Engineering" book?

Looks very similar to me.

yellowcar72
01-18-2005, 12:48 PM
I was at Brainerd in 1970[it was called Donnybrooke back then] when Milt won the Trans Am race. I believe he was the only independent to win a race in the era of the "factory teams" i.e. 1967 to 1971.

David Pozzi
01-18-2005, 01:03 PM
Herb had told me he gas torch welded all his cars together! He didn't have an electric welder until around the time I got involved with his autocross project in 1983 and he'd just bought an electric welder. He did a lot with very little.

He might have had welding done for him though. Note the upper Balljoint area on his car shows he bolted two rod ends together instead of welding up an A frame.
David

PAI Racing
01-19-2005, 11:35 AM
That Era of Trans-Am is probably my favorite. The cars in Cat I were wild, but as I recall it was the Category II cars that were really over the top.

Mo Carter from Canada ran a second gen Camaro with a tunnel rammed big block. That car was insane looking. I found some photos on the net of the car. Pretty wild...

I thought that Pickett's car was a Greenwood or Bob Riley designed car. The thing was a monster!

Spitfire44
01-19-2005, 01:14 PM
My family starting SCCA road racing in the early 80's. We used to be the "support" race for the Pro races back then. It was great to be in the pits with the old Trans Am and Can Am cars. One of these day's I have to go through my archive photos and see what I have.

I always remember Gregg Pickett's green Corvettes. Willy T Ribbs. A little Paul Newman. Unbelievable that guy's still racing in his 80's. Those catagory II cars were wild. I used to love the Chevy Monzas. The XJS Jags were cool.

A little side note. We were at the Rose Cup races in Portland Orgegon when Mt St Helens blew. Forced a days delay in the race. One particular car I remember from that weekend was a RX7. Before mufflers. That was the loudest car by far as it was turning 15K+ down Portlands long straight.

PAI Racing
01-19-2005, 03:25 PM
HMSA is running a no sound limit weekend this weekend at Laguna. I just got off the phone with a buddy who has an old IMSA GTU RX7. He has wanted to run Laguna for several years and can't come close on the sound. Now he has to try to weasel the car in with HMSA... Good luck.

Does anyone know what happened to the Herb Adams' side-engined Can-Am car? (David?) That was such a wacky car. It would be an awesome vintage car...

David Pozzi
01-20-2005, 03:04 PM
Thanks for the pics!
Just after I returned from running Herb's TA at SCCA nat autocross in Salina KS, I attended a Can-Am race at Sears Pt. Herb ran that car there and it was driven by Walt Bohrren (spelling?)
Anyway, Walt got a huge hole shot on the start but then faded back. The car when first tested tore the venturi tunnel apart, it wasn't strong enough. then it was reinforced but it was then very very heavy. the car was reportedly very difficult to drive with the driver way off to one side! It had a ford 9" rear axle and muncie or similar transmission with injected SB chev.

He tore it apart after the race and probably junked the chassis. Wish I'd bought it but I didn't have the money at the time, and it would have been pretty challenging to drive!

justanova
01-20-2005, 04:48 PM
Keep these pics coming guys, I just love seeing these vintage cars, helps us remember where pro-touring got its inspiration.

David Pozzi
01-20-2005, 10:03 PM
That's Herb's old black subburban in the background. Herb is a terriffic guy, very low key, I've seen people gush over him and he get's kinda embarrassed by it all.

The car when at Sears pt was sponsored by some Porno magazine! Can't remember the name, too bad they didn't send some models to pose with the car!

PAI Racing
01-21-2005, 09:21 AM
I dig the reflective stripe on the suburban. That is pretty trick! Ahh, I am such a product of the '70s!

Man, if we were to make lists of the cars we should have bought...

I have been over to Matt's shop in Carmel and there are still some neat things sitting around. David do you know Richard Pryor (not the commedian)? It seems like you two would know each other. I rented one of Richard's collection of old Gighlotti Speed GT Camaros to drive at Laguna and have kept in touch ever since.

Sean

1976SR71
01-21-2005, 02:27 PM
Hey, If anyone would want to do something a little retro....I can hook you up.
How about a set of Hooker flares?
These flares will fit any 2nd gen bird. The front spoiler is for 74-75 but other aftermarket glass could be used for other years.
Email if interested....Jeff

David Pozzi
01-21-2005, 02:28 PM
Sean, yes I have talked to Richard a fiew times, both at Matt's and at Laguna.
I heard Matt is moving his VSE shop to Seaside, heard he had a falling out of some kind with Herb, I hate to mention anything since I know nothing first-hand and I like both of them...

Sean, Where are you located? I'm in Salinas

Ripper
01-21-2005, 02:34 PM
Hey, If anyone would want to do something a little retro....I can hook you up.
How about a set of Hooker flares?
These flares will fit any 2nd gen bird. The front spoiler is for 74-75 but other aftermarket glass could be used for other years.
Email if interested....Jeff


Could you PM me pictures of how the front looks like?

PAI Racing
01-24-2005, 12:22 PM
David,

I am in Huntington Beach (SoCal). I used to live up in Marin, so I did a lot of NorCal racing and goofing off. Now, I am in San Jose every couple of weeks for work, but rarely get to have much fun...

Man was it nice to have Sears in my back yard. Now I have to haul an hour to run a Roval or over 2 hours to go to BuRP and Willow is in between.

I bought my old late-model from a guy in Salinas. Steve Hyland was the guy's name. It was an old Sigmund chassis car that ran at Watsonville and Madera.

I don't really know much about the Herb/Matt thing. I know Herb went back to the midwest, but that's about it. I also heard that Matt was moving. Maybe the dirt the old Garage sat on got too pricey...

Norm Peterson
01-27-2005, 03:36 AM
Is it possible that the Silverbird went on tour probably around 1979 or 1980? If so, I may have some pics tucked away somewhere. It's been so long I don't remember if they're prints (which I can scan) or slides.

Norm

David Pozzi
01-27-2005, 09:44 PM
It might have, BFG had some Firebirds that toured, copies of a race car they sponsored. I saw one of those at our local tire dealer, but I think that was a year or two before 1978.

Mike Smith
06-12-2005, 02:32 PM
Discussions of the Silverbird neglect the man responsible for all engines in Herb's Pontiacs. Tom Nell, also an engineer at Pontiac, built many interesting and effective engines for Pontiac race cars, from Trans Am to Nascar. In fact, Tom built NASCAR motors at his home in Waterford, MI and installed them in his 63 (as I remember) Catalina wagon to run them in and seat the rings prior to shipment to the teams.

Tom also built Funny Car transmissions (they still used them in the late 60's) for the likes of Arnie Beswick and Seaton's Shaker. Tom also built a 68 steel body Firebird funny car as well as a 69 Judge with Ram Air V heads and custom injection as Hilborn had nothing to match the intake flanges.

I am sure everyone is aware of Herb's Gray Ghost, but few remember that Herb and Tom developed that car together. Also, it was not a GTO but a lowly 64 Tempest that belonged to Herb's wife. The thing was a typical Michigan rust bucket, full of holes and rust dust.

I was lucky enough to work on many of those projects and have fond memories of that period. If anyone is interested, I am most interested in relaying our collective past. Just not in print, to protect the innocent.

Bill Howell
06-12-2005, 02:54 PM
Discussions of the Silverbird neglect the man responsible for all engines in Herb's Pontiacs. Tom Nell, also an engineer at Pontiac, built many interesting and effective engines for Pontiac race cars, from Trans Am to Nascar. In fact, Tom built NASCAR motors at his home in Waterford, MI and installed them in his 63 (as I remember) Catalina wagon to run them in and seat the rings prior to shipment to the teams.

Tom also built Funny Car transmissions (they still used them in the late 60's) for the likes of Arnie Beswick and Seaton's Shaker. Tom also built a 68 steel body Firebird funny car as well as a 69 Judge with Ram Air V heads and custom injection as Hilborn had nothing to match the intake flanges.

I am sure everyone is aware of Herb's Gray Ghost, but few remember that Herb and Tom developed that car together. Also, it was not a GTO but a lowly 64 Tempest that belonged to Herb's wife. The thing was a typical Michigan rust bucket, full of holes and rust dust.

I was lucky enough to work on many of those projects and have fond memories of that period. If anyone is interested, I am most interested in relaying our collective past. Just not in print, to protect the innocent.

Welcome aboard Mike and thanks for sharing. I would love to hear some of those stories :icon996:

vanzuuk1
06-12-2005, 04:08 PM
I could be mistaken but did road and track do a small article about how adams used balsa wood and paper to make 1/4 scale mockups of the silverbird chassis? I was in high school when i read that and of course the following weekend I was gluing balsa wood sticks together in the shape of a chassis with 1/25 scale rims.I know the piece was about a t/a but not sure if it was the silverbird.

Paddington
06-13-2005, 07:51 AM
Ripper since you are in sweden you might help me with some photos of a black Camaro 70-73 i saw it in a swedish magazine ones. They had modifyed the body with widening the fenders both front and rear( not sure what thats called in english, fender flaring?) not just around the wheel but the sort of widened the hole fender.

Its many years since I saw it, and maybe you never saw it ,but I might get lucky and somone knows of the car.

David Pozzi
06-13-2005, 08:17 AM
Mike,
Welcome! It's allways nice to hear more about Herb's cars!!! :)
I remember a magazine story on him building a big block camaro I think it had an automatic trans. He ran it at either Daytona or Sebring, and I think I remember reading he drove the car there from California, but maybe he towed it there. I think the trans died in the race.

Ripper
06-14-2005, 01:59 PM
Ripper since you are in sweden you might help me with some photos of a black Camaro 70-73 i saw it in a swedish magazine ones. They had modifyed the body with widening the fenders both front and rear( not sure what thats called in english, fender flaring?) not just around the wheel but the sort of widened the hole fender.

Its many years since I saw it, and maybe you never saw it ,but I might get lucky and somone knows of the car.

Hmmm, can't remember I've seen it... However, do you remember the name of the magazine and what year? Then I should probably be able to help you :smoke:

Mike: Tell us more!!!!! :seizure: Would love to see some pics too!

vanzuuk1
06-14-2005, 05:18 PM
that black camaro was in one of the big three car mags here, but I dont remember which one.The shot from the rear was cool the car was w i d e. It was as if they just stuck an extra set of fenders and quarters and smoothed it out.

KacyZ28
06-17-2005, 03:19 PM
dont mean to jack you thread https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum_main.htm
looks like someone was thinking way ahead of thier time

Paddington
06-18-2005, 02:07 AM
No sadly my memory from the 90`s is a little lacking due to way to much party`s hehe.
I think vanzuuk1 might be on to it though.

Steve Chryssos
06-18-2005, 05:28 PM
that black camaro was in one of the big three car mags here, but I dont remember which one.The shot from the rear was cool the car was w i d e. It was as if they just stuck an extra set of fenders and quarters and smoothed it out.

Zuukiyaki Hot Saki Soup: I think you and I must share the same brain or something. Did the car have a functional sliding sunroof thanks to a roof section grafted from a Volvo?

Bill B.
06-20-2005, 08:12 AM
Mike,
Welcome! It's allways nice to hear more about Herb's cars!!! :)
I remember a magazine story on him building a big block camaro I think it had an automatic trans. He ran it at either Daytona or Sebring, and I think I remember reading he drove the car there from California, but maybe he towed it there. I think the trans died in the race.

I was thinking about that as I read through this thread. At first, I thought maybe it was the Silverbird that he drove to the race, but then I remembered that he had a Camaro. I want to say that it was called Cheverra, maybe. Gosh, I wish I had all those magazines from the late '70s and early '80s. If only that storage barn hadn't leaked water. Incidently, my '69 Camaro has a Herb Adams VSE sway bar, gas shocks and subframe bushings. I have a little book somewhere that I bought at the same time. I'll see if it has anything about the cars that have been referred to here. That is, if I can locate the book.

Bill B.

vanzuuk1
06-20-2005, 05:16 PM
Yes on the volvo roof.

Steve, on a side note my seats are in.Niiiice.

derekf
06-20-2005, 06:12 PM
If memory serves, one of the Camaro books that's just a collection of old magazine articles has the scoop on Cheverra.. unfortunately, I no longer have them so I can't tell you which one it is. I believe I picked it up at a swapmeet, if that helps.

Dragonsnake
06-21-2005, 06:30 AM
that black camaro was in one of the big three car mags here, but I dont remember which one.The shot from the rear was cool the car was w i d e. It was as if they just stuck an extra set of fenders and quarters and smoothed it out.

That Camero wasnt black,it was charcoal with black trim if my memory is right.It was a swede that lived in california for som years,that built it.

The car must have been built around 91-92 and it was standing on the HOT ROD SHOW in stockholm in 93.I was there and saw it also on Power big meet in 95.That car was loooking awesome then,and i think it look good today too.

Dont now where it is today,but i havent seen it advertised,so maybe the owner still have it.It was presented in Wheels and Power around 91-92,so if somone have the magazines organised,they can probably find it there.

Paddington
06-21-2005, 07:35 AM
Thx Dragonsnake

DVRacer
10-20-2005, 08:30 AM
To Ripper and Others:

I have a rather in depth knowledge of Herb Adam's Silverbird.

I am past president of the Trans AM Club of America, Pontiac, Michigan Chapter. I have owned a 70 \ 75 \ 77 \ 78 \ 79 \ 75 \ at different times ovcer the years. And have worked on several race crews with Firebirds and stock cars.

If there is anything specific you would like to know about the car please ask. I can tell you that the car is alive and well. It has not been raced since the 1978 racing season. And the car is presently being restored to original condition in the Detroit area.

I know Bill Davis who did the body work design and is working in the design studio at General Motors Techinal Center in Warren. He also design the eagle decal that was used from the Mid 70s on the hood.

Dave
[email protected]

derekf
10-20-2005, 09:42 AM
Welcome to the site, Dave. I don't have any specific questions about the Silverbird but I'm glad to see someone who knows join up.

David Pozzi
10-20-2005, 10:26 PM
Here's a Carl Schaffer pic I just scanned in.
At Laguna Seca

DVRacer
10-21-2005, 02:44 AM
Thanks ... I am really into the vintage races. They do not have a lot here in the MIchigan area. Usually Mid-Ohio is the best place.

Have dreamed of going to the Monterey (?) Historic Races at Laguna Seca one year.

Wouldn't it be fun to race Herb's Silverbird in that event ???

Dave

David Pozzi
10-21-2005, 12:00 PM
That sounds cool! :)
Next year Laguna Seca will celebrate it's 50th anneversary! They will have vintage groups from most of the major series that raced there over the years. The IMSA class would be the one to run it in. I saw the Silverbird race at Laguna Seca, that's where I first met Herb Adams. Milt Minter drove the car and kept driving it even while it was on FIRE!!! the last couple of laps...

Who built the "BFG" firebirds? I think they preceeded the Silverbird.

DVRacer
05-17-2006, 11:06 AM
in the early 70s, B.F. Goodrich started using radial tires for racing. To get bedtter advertising, they created the BFG 'Tirebirds' - yes they called them Tirebirds, not Firebirds. They were painted a brilliant royal blue (like the Penske Camaro) and they hightlighted the car with a white stripe around the nose and down the middle of the car.

The cars actually raced on the Radial tires - ever heard of Radial T\As' ??? That is where they came from.

Dave Vander Roest

Martin71RS
05-17-2006, 01:09 PM
:poke: Just a short offtopic remark...Dave's last name is Dutch...and it means
"from the Rust" ....funny name for a guy into old cars .

Anyways, welcome to the site!
Martin

formula
05-18-2006, 09:08 PM
The cars actually raced on the Radial tires - ever heard of Radial T\As' ??? That is where they came from.



Whoa....I always wondered what the t/a was for in radial t/a's! Now I have a kick-butt story to tell people about my tires!


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

The2chance
06-02-2008, 07:48 PM
Hey Trans am /fire am guys, There is a Fire am (Herb adams) body kit on Ebay, Keyword Herb Adams. Check it out NOS history

The2chance

mark dorman
06-23-2008, 08:54 PM
Holy moses, just found this site, very cool with 2nd gen f-body stuff, and Herb Adams history. I have an old 73 trans am with Herbs stage 3 suspension up-grades, it truly is like a race car for the street. You just "think" turn and it goes there. Working on a Matt Adams built cobra based on Herbs backbone design, not quite through. Matt moved to Michigan a while back to help Herb with his "Contessa" car he is building. They may move to North Carolina where the old group 44 Jag crew chief is building new chassis. Cool stuff going on. Mark D

vanzuuk1
06-24-2008, 07:00 PM
pics mark?...

LanciaPaul
08-11-2008, 04:30 AM
Here are some pictures of the two most complete Contessas. The black one is the track-car and the blue one is the street car. They are both Herb Adam's chassis, suspension and styling. There is no "donar" car. It is all new.

The track car has a small block Chevy and the blue car has the GM Thunderjet 502 crate motor.

Hope you guys like it.

Paul Valente

LanciaPaul
08-11-2008, 04:39 AM
A funny story about the Silverbird...Herb told me it was built in a one-car garage so it looked great from the front. The problem was that they couldn't step back and look at the sides! When they rolled it out Herb was a little disapointed. I guess they had to keep some of the stock dimensions (roof height?)

08-08-2009, 01:48 PM
To Ripper and Others:

I have a rather in depth knowledge of Herb Adam's Silverbird.

I am past president of the Trans AM Club of America, Pontiac, Michigan Chapter. I have owned a 70 \ 75 \ 77 \ 78 \ 79 \ 75 \ at different times ovcer the years. And have worked on several race crews with Firebirds and stock cars.

If there is anything specific you would like to know about the car please ask. I can tell you that the car is alive and well. It has not been raced since the 1978 racing season. And the car is presently being restored to original condition in the Detroit area.

I know Bill Davis who did the body work design and is working in the design studio at General Motors Techinal Center in Warren. He also design the eagle decal that was used from the Mid 70s on the hood.

Dave
[email protected]
Any more on the Resto :cheers: such a cool Race car .

lawbreaker2
08-09-2009, 08:59 PM
To Ripper and Others:

I have a rather in depth knowledge of Herb Adam's Silverbird.

I am past president of the Trans AM Club of America, Pontiac, Michigan Chapter. I have owned a 70 \ 75 \ 77 \ 78 \ 79 \ 75 \ at different times ovcer the years. And have worked on several race crews with Firebirds and stock cars.

If there is anything specific you would like to know about the car please ask. I can tell you that the car is alive and well. It has not been raced since the 1978 racing season. And the car is presently being restored to original condition in the Detroit area.

I know Bill Davis who did the body work design and is working in the design studio at General Motors Techinal Center in Warren. He also design the eagle decal that was used from the Mid 70s on the hood.

Dave
[email protected]


Would love to see a post up about the old trans am club, Pic's of some of the old t/a's and the custom of the day I was part of the northeast ohio chap. from about 85' to ??? don't know when it folded here but it was sad, we had alot of fun.

PonchoJohn
08-10-2009, 08:53 AM
Whoa....I always wondered what the t/a was for in radial t/a's! Now I have a kick-butt story to tell people about my tires!


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
It's a little old, but a little correction-
The T/A in Radial T/A stands for Traction Advantage, not Trans Am.
I'm a Pontiac guy, so I'd be the first to say- HA!! Tirebird tires, but let's keep history accurate.

08-10-2009, 10:56 PM
Was there any video done for the Silverbird in 1978 that would be cool to see:).

vsefiream
09-18-2009, 11:49 AM
I met up with Herb And Matt Adams yesterday. The Contessa is awsome, Matt took me for a romp around the block a few times, very nice!!
Matt mentioned the fact that he has a '71 Firebird that he is leaning toward making into a period race car.
Unfortunately the Adams do not have much on the silver bird. Matt had mentioned it while I visited and that he was dissappointed. He wished that they had more pics and documentation of it

10-04-2009, 05:30 AM
Thanks for the info --Herb Adams and the boys were doing Pontiac proud in the 70's --The FireAm's -Silverbird --his SD455 powered T/A racer ( 160 + mph ) etc. :1st:.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/10/TransamTheKing-1.jpg

NOT A TA
10-04-2009, 06:12 AM
Great picture!

Wayne Ellwood
10-15-2009, 12:26 PM
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

I came across this car a couple of years ago in a book. it's a Pontiac Trans Am Silverbird, build by Herb Adams and made for competing in some kind of SCCA class (am I right?) during the late 70s.

I would like to get as much info about it as possible... And as many pics as possible!!!!
Did it win anything on the tracks? Is the car(s) still alive?

and maybe the most important question: can I get a hold of a body like that? I think I read that it was made out of glass fiber, which means the plug/mould might be saved?

Can I get in contact with any of the Adams via e-mail?

If anyone have more info, pics or whatever, feel free to post them here...
The Adams e-mail can be mailed to me, [email protected]


Come on guys, show me what you know about your history! :drool:


Anders,

I've just re-visited this thread. How did it turnout. Did youget anything useful. I am als ointerested in the whereabouts of this car. Acocriding to "Dave" it is in the Detroit area and (as of 2005) under restoration.

I figure this car is good for a magazine article and would like to pursue it. Pontiac Enthusiast magazine would be a logical place to submit the story.

Wayne Ellwood
10-15-2009, 12:27 PM
Anders,

I've just re-visited this thread. How did it turnout. Did youget anything useful. I am als ointerested in the whereabouts of this car. Acocriding to "Dave" it is in the Detroit area and (as of 2005) under restoration.

I figure this car is good for a magazine article and would like to pursue it. Pontiac Enthusiast magazine would be a logical place to submit the story.
Edit/Delete Message

10-24-2009, 04:21 AM
Great picture!
Thanks - so many cool pics for Herb and his T/A Years -that was one of the best:1st:.
Wayne Thanks for keeping it going --the Silverbird was the Ultimate
when it comes to Pontiac Road Racing :1st:-Pontiac power ~!!!! .

vsefiream
11-03-2010, 09:04 AM
Just an update, here are some pics I found on-line and some from last years TA nats, where Herb did lament about the silverbird's dimensions as mentioned above

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/silverbird-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/WatermarkedImageHandler2ashx-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/WatermarkedImageHandler3ashx-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/WatermarkedImageHandlerashx-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/WatermarkedImageHandler-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG00127-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/IMG00128-1.jpg

WS6
11-07-2010, 05:23 PM
Nice pictures! Now, do you have any of the white TA that's half hidden by the trailer in the last picture?