Ever since the age of 10, when he helped his neighbor put a 327 small-block in a '57 Chevy, Dan Berg has been infected with the car bug. His interest has evolved into this '73 Firebird Trans Am, a car he has literally built from the ground up. The Firebird illustrates that using the road-racer theme is one of the best ways to build a street machine. It also serves another purpose--the one we like best. As Dan told us, "I've always liked the road-racing look, and I also wanted to build something that would keep up with my brother's Ferrari Testarossa." Considering the Firebird's 0.030-inch-over Pontiac 455 mill that makes more than 470 hp, we'd bet that Dan has little trouble keeping up with that Ferrari.
A 462-inch Pontiac engine can't keep up with a six-figure-priced Ferrari all by itself, though, and that's where the rest of Dan's radical TA comes in. Underpinnings include KYB shocks and Vette Brakes fiberglass composite leaf springs in the back. A quick-ratio steering box from an '80 Trans Am makes driver input more precise. Wilwood six-piston disc brakes at each corner put the halt to 17-inch Corvette ZR-1 wheels and Dunlop skins.
The freshly restored stock interior is augmented with VDO gauges, an Alpine CD stereo setup, and a Corvette steering wheel. At first glance, the outside also looks fairly stock. Upon closer inspection, however, you'll find a few tricks in addition to the Corvette wheels that suggest otherwise. The locks under the door handles and trunk lid have been removed, having been replaced by a remote electric locking system. The side marker lights on the front fenders and rear quarter-panels were also removed, and the holes were filled and smoothed. The now-functional shaker hoodscoop feeds air to an Edelbrock air cleaner and a Carter AFB carb.
The end result is basically a brand-new '73 Trans Am that Dan built for about 25 grand--less than a quarter of the price of his brother's Ferrari. That tally includes all-new body panels, a brand-new interior, show-quality black acrylic-enamel paint, and the real Pontiac engine that's built with all the best parts. "Every body panel, nut, and bolt has been replaced or rebuilt," says Dan. It sounds as though Dan's Firebird will run right alongside his brother's Ferrari, and it didn't cost him as much as the Italian machine would. CC
No corners were cut when Dan Berg built this '71 Pontiac 455. The biggest feature is a pair of Edelbrock aluminum heads with 87cc combustion chambers and 2.11-inch intake and 1.66-inch exhaust valves. These are the only aftermarket aluminum heads available specifically for real Pontiac V-8 engines and easily flow as well as or better than the ultrarare Pontiac Ram Air IV castings. Combined with custom-made, JE flat-top pistons, the result is a 10.2:1 compression ratio. The stock crank and rods are polished and balanced, and the rods have ARP bolts. Competition Cams valvetrain and cam move with a 0.539-/0.550-inch lift and 286-/292-degree duration. On top are an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake and a Carter AFB 750-cfm carb. On a dyno, Dan's burly 462-inch Pontiac made 473 hp at 5,200 rpm and an awesome 530 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm.
Trans Am styling cues remain on the car as they appeared in 1973. Included are the front and rear spoilers, the spats in front of each wheel, the front-fender vents, and the shaker hoodscoop, which Dan has now made functional. A pair of PIAA driving lights resides under the front grille. The look is further modernized with Corvette ZR-1 wheels--17x9 inches in front and 17x11 out back.
A set of VDO gauges resides in the stock locations for fuel, oil temperature, oil pressure, water temperature, and voltage. The speedo and tach are factory Pontiac. A Hurst shifter controls a Richmond five-speed trans that can be ordered with a variety of gear ratios. Dan went with a 3.27/2.13/ 1.57/1.23/1.00 setup. With a 3.08 gear in the rearend, the 1:1 Fifth is still an easy cruise on the highway for the 462 Pontiac. A Centerforce dual-friction clutch connects the engine to the transmission.
Dan, who hails from Richfield, Minnesota, brought his T/A to the '96 CC Summer Cruise in St. Paul. We caught up with him there, and he also won Third Place--beating more than 1,200 other cars--in the Best Street Machine (nontubbed) category.