BFGoodrich Radial Tirebird

[Bruce302]

I'm not sure if you ha noticed but of the two cars, one stayed a Firebird, the other was converted to a Camaro and was then able to use he Chev engine which was far more reliable. No point showcasing the new street T/A tire if the engine keeps blowing.

One of the cars had the usual Second Gen door handle, the other used the First Gen door handles.

Bruce.

[Jon Mello]

Thanks for the info, Bruce.  Do you know why one had First Gen door handles on it?

[Bruce302]

The car must have been a very early pre production body shell. I will see if I have a pic of the car to show the door handle.

[group/7]

Not sure if this has been posted before, or is relevant to this thread ? which car is this ?

(photo from the roaring season site)


Mike

[Trans Åm]

Thanks for the history Robert, that car really got around, but then again it was also spared a life in a junkyard, or being ruined some other way. Nonetheless I'm happy to hear your story and that the car really did have a happy and productive ending.

The TireBird car was actually an old Titus Firebird, correct?

[oldtransamdriver]

To my knowledge that is correct.  The other remaining TG Firebird I heard also survived.  Heard it had
lived a hard life as an IMSA car or perhaps oval tracker.  last I heard, and that was many years ago, that
a James Thomas, I think,  was the owner.

Robert

[Bruce302]

This shows the First Gen door handles on the Titus driven T/G car, the sister to the Tirebird.

[Trans Åm]

^That has got to be my favorite shot of any Trans Am era Trans Am. pun intended.

[group/7]

Bruce302 & Trans Am, here's another shot of the T/G Firebird in pre season tests at Willow Springs Raceway. Wonder what the purpose of the second person might be in the car ?   (auto week photo)


Mike

[Jon Mello]

Hard to say. It could be something as simple as a crewman wanting a ride for fun after the test session was over or maybe Jerry was giving a magazine story writer a ride to show him what the car was like at speed.

[Bruce302]

That's a neat shot group/7, Thank you. The ride along for a crew or family would be my guess too. Everyone loves a free ride.

Bruce.

[Trans Åm]

Not a lot of fully prepped race cars had the luxury of extra room to mount a passenger seat, this was probably a bit of trouble. Must have been important. Great shot, thank you for posting.

[Bruce302]

A T/A Javelin driver told me about a time at Laguna Seca he took a young female journalist for a ride in the Ronnie Kaplan Javelin, and he took delight in her fright.
She left a puddle on the passenger seat.

[crazyamc]

I love how "flat" car is in the turn.   I seem to remember a mention of how really big (for the time) 1.25" or bigger front bars had started to come into play...    Ken

[bossboy302]

For those in (or planning to be in) the area June 2-4, the "Tirebird" will take to the track at Sonoma Raceway, along with it's distant cousin, the 1964 Temeprt "Grey Ghost". Should be great stuff.