Member: 132 Member Since: 5/7/01
	Well here is my latest aquisition - 1974 SD 455 Trans Am. It is a genuine X code Super Duty but it has been neutered in the form of a 6X headed YY block of, as yet, unknown cubic inches. This is a total project car but, hey, this is a hobby, right? Well, I have only two criteria for my hobbies - that I enjoy them and they don't cost me any money. Sometimes I don't meet those criteria. Without further adieu, here are the original specs on the TA: 1974 SD 455, Turbo 400, 3:42 Posi, Power windows, Power Locks, Air conditioning, Tilt, Tinted Glass, Admiralty Blue exterior, Tan Custom interior with the rare Vinyl seats with cloth inserts. Current Status: Original SD engine missing. It has been repainted red and a later year hood decal used. Everything else seems to be original or else has been that way for a long time. Nothing works, does not run, Every piece last piece of this vehicle needs attention. Rusty - interesting thing about this car is that it is rusty in all the places where the cars from this area are not rusty. It came from Florida so it has never seen salt. Around here (pacific Northwest), salt is the enemy. This car has no rust on the inner fenders, subframes or suspension parts. The rust comes from poor seals allowing rain to enter and pool. The Florida heat and sun seem to have exacerbated this process. The same heat and sun have totally destroyed the interior and all the rubber seals and bushings on the exterior. There is no evidence of any major accident repairs. All the body panels seem to be original as does the transmission and the rear end. It has the original Ralley 2 rims. How and Why: I purchased this car on ebay for $1600, then spent another $1300 having it shipped to my backyard where it now sits. I have always wanted a SD car and did not have or ever had the large chunk of change to buy a mint one or even a decent driver. In addition, I haven't seen one for sale locally for at least 10 years. Florida seems to have been a "hotbed" of SD TA's as certain dealers would order as many as they could. When I was 18, I started buying Hot Wheels because I couldn't have as many of the real cars as I wanted. To finance this car, I took a hundred of those Hot Wheels I had bought back in the eighties and sold them for $4000. My original cost for the cars was around $100. My reasoning was that when I was 18 I would have happily paid that $100 for a tired SD TA so it seemed like a perfect trade - I just had to wait 20 years. For those astute mathematicians out there it would seem like I have made $1000 on the deal but that G note went to my wife so that she would not complain about the new lawn ornament. Amazingly, she has not complained once, although a few times she has said,"Tell me what is so great about that car".
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