Makes me miss my 71 Trans Am with the 455HO engine. M-22 rock crusher 4 speed. Fast reliable looker.

My buddy had a 74 SD455 in the early 90s that was an absolute beast! At 45 it would smoke the tires when punched

Man I love a 455 Trans am !!!

Nothing wrong with a 455 4-speed T/A... 👌🏻

Love Trans Ams.

Always liked the dash in those cars! Thanks for the ride Nick!

Any video from Nick, but especially one with 455 T/A content, gets a Like before I even start watching. Love the 1974 and '75 Firebird family with the thin black bumpers.

Bringing back some memories. My first car was a 74, red trans am, no chicken with an SD-455. I never had a fire or smoke though. But anything can happen after 20 years of storage, Nick will have it fixed in no time.

My best friend in high school had a 1970 1/2 Formula 400 Firebird. Yes, 1970 1/2 as it was introduced in the middle of the year. It was very similar to the Trans AM and wicked fast! He was the Poncho guy and I was the MoPar guy! Nick, you actually met him and me at Carlisle this year. He was the guy taking the pictures.We had a hell of a lot of fun back in the early 70's with those cars. Bill Jamison from Linglestown ,PA

No shaker hood!!!! A travesty! Lol. Another great job Nick! I like the '74 T/A's the best because of the flat back window (last year for that) and the beautiful tail lights (better than the previous years).

Wow! A trans Am Monday on Nick's Garage, which makes this an awesome Monday for sure. Seeing Nick wearing the shirt with the valve body from the 500, made it even better. Drive it like you stole it Nick!!!

Buddy had a 79 Trans Am with a 60 over Olds 455, he spent near $6000 in the bottom end alone. Had a 120 MPH speedo in it and I took it back around to 20mph when the needle started jumping, had to of been 150MPH and it was still pulling. About same time the steering got real light and had to slow down, LOL. Rear end gear was stock 2.72, wasn't much off the line but thing would literally go into a burn out if ya floored it at about 40-45 MPH. Fun times ...

I saw this car in person and it is beautiful in that red!

That car looks a lot better without the Chicken on the hood......Thanks Nick & George 👍 Shoe🇺🇸

Nick still has cat like reflexes as he snatched that insect right out of the air like Mr. Miyagi from the movie Karate Kid. Nick has amazing energy and reflexes. I couldn’t even keep up walking his fast pace at Carlisle and I have long legs and am 6’4” tall. I only wish I had the energy and speed Nick has… what a great and amazing guy to meet in person. I will never forget that incredible experience! That Trans Am is fire and ironically a 455 Black TA 76 passed me just yesterday. Love the “bandit” looking car. And I believe “The Bandit” is Nick’s biggest fan.

A friend of mine in high school had a ‘74 SD 455 4-speed TA. I loved that car! Pontiac made these to do two things: 1. Look kick-ass 2. To kick ass

Love those Ponchos. Funny, you were literally working the bugs out of that one.

I can tell you the problem with that scoop is that it will draw hot air past the air filter on its way out of the engine compartment. It should be sealed to the air filter. That's the only way to get "colder" air into the carb. I have seen this done on a couple of cars and they all had the same problem with getting hot air, not cold, into the carb because it wasn't done correctly. Heater core is probably for the "mist" out of the defroster vents. i have had that happen on 2 cars.

I don't care what engine you have in one, they're just so cool to look at. And they look just as good going fast or stopped.

That 455 trans am looks and sounds likes the fastest car I seen on nicks garage.

We have a Mutual Pontiac Friend/Customer John M. He Dyno’s all of his Engines with you Anyways Thank you for showing some Pontiac Love! Have him get a WFO air filter assembly from butler, they’re designed for that setup with the Northwind intake

I’d feel a lot more confident if my shop road tested as thoroughly before delivery as Nick does. That said, I’m really impressed with Nick’s cat-like dust bunny catching reflexes. Fluffy little floaters never stood a chance!

I used to drive a 1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD 455 4 Speed. It was a mover.

Hi Nick, I had a 70 350 LeMans back in 1987. I put a 455 YC in it from a 71 Catalina. Low compression #66 heads but good torque. A year later it broke a rod bolt and destroyed the engine. Live and learn. Since that engine I always installed new fasteners in every build. I built another one from a 70 XF with 71 #96 heads and a 744 cam, PX code turbo 400 with an HEI and RAIII exhaust manifolds. It ran good but I sold it to buy a house in 2003. I still have my 340 though.

Gotta love "old-school"! Sweet ride Nick! Manual to boot!

One of the great things about Nick’s is going the seasons with the garage, right now it’s blazing here in Texas and it’s hot up there, won’t be long till Halloween and cool weather then those days when Nick can’t get out on the street for test drives because of the snow, Thanks Nick and the crew for all the great videos throughout the year!

Love the way these cars handle at higher speed, so low to the ground with a confidant feel

I like the T/A as it is. No decals. I think the carb just needs a bit of Nicks attention to smooth it out and that 455 will really wind out. Nice video George.

That’s a Sweet Time Capsule. The chrome is a nice touch. I never liked working with chrome pieces but sure look good.

I really like that you give us at-home mechanics a chance to think about solutions to the car issues that you discover before you talk about the troubleshooting steps you will take. That's really cool! Thanks

Beautiful old TransAm. Pontiac's engines were known for being very cold nature engines especially in the winter . It took awhile to warm them up . Hated it acted up on the test run ,but that's way you do the test run . Love the ol Pontiacs....we'll never hear the end of this with the Mopar Fans ...lolololol...Best Regards and Good Week to Everyone...

So nice to see this! My uncle had a '75 with the 400. It was a great muscle car! My uncle was always tuning and adding parts and it was fast and made a fabulous rumble at idle. Thanks for showing this bird, Nick!👍

I am a Pontiac fan and of course everybody wants a smokey and the bandit trans am but there are nice ones out there and this one is one of them.

1974 Trans Am.... of all the Trans Am's for the decade, the 1974 was the only 1 year body style.....and in my mind the best looking. Pontiac did a marvelous job getting the 1974 car ready for that 5 mph mandated bumper.

@Nick's Garage - Thank you Nick for another interesting video. You have over 253,000 subscribers who enjoy coming to your channel and watching videos that take us away, (even if it's only for a little while), from this totally messed up, evil world we now have that is getting worse by the day. You provide a great service and it's not just from working on cars, but for your humanity and caring for other people, which is the motivating force that drives you to do a good job for the people entrusting you with their cars. You have your head screwed on straight, your priorities are in order and you're doing it right. You care and in the world we now have, sadly that is becoming unusual. Don't ever stop what you're doing. You are rarer than a Hemi Cuda. :) Only one man can walk on water, but you're a good fellow Nick. Thank you. Before this world goes totally nuts and self-destructs, I'd love to meet you someday just to shake your hand. It would be great to do business with you. God bless you Nick and again, thank you!

Two things, 1 it’s to bad he opted, or someone did, for the aftermarket hood, the shaker is pretty cool, and this has the fixed scoop. And as for your 72, if it was the 455 HO they were not great motors, I had one brand new in 1971, was I a kid with a lead foot? ABSOLUTELY! That being said, after the third motor, under warranty, I ordered my 72 W-30, 442, which I have to this day, that HO motor on the TA, carried about 5 lbs oil pressure at idle, once warm, and that applies to all three of them, spun bearings were not uncommon, the later 455 SD, was a far superior motor.👍 This is a nice looking example of the 74, but in all honesty, I prefer the 70-73, in my opinion, the styling on the nose and tail was cleaner, but that’s just my opinion.

Pontiac 400, 455 run hot...and do tend to have the oil starvation issue...yes I had one..and drag raced it at Maple Grove Raceway, Reading Pa..I turned the oil into milkshake, locked up the transmission...its fun and educational doing that.

Them Hood decals with the bird reminds me of Mustaches, gold chains and flared pants. Beautifull car, the 71 455 firebird/TA was rare due to the strike at GM back then. Saw a green one here in Sydney in the 1980,s at a show and i still remember that car as it was rare here.

Nice A Firebird for this Phoenix would be just the ducks nuts. Always been a soft spot for me.

I had a dash fire in my 71 LeMans, started exactly as you saw. Great eyes...

Thanks for the ride. Inspired me to move forward with the auto to manual conversion.

Whoever owns that Trans Am must have a huge bankroll to get that much work on it. Nick always makes shifting look like hard work......a Hurst stick on a Muncie should shift nicely. My fave is the Toploader from Ford....like butter. I used to drive a '70 Judge with the ram-air 400 with a Turbo 400 trans. I liked that much better than wrestling the Muncie that I had in my drag car. When I cut every other tooth out of the synchros of the Muncie I could then jam hard.

Sexiest interior ever made. Beautiful seats. Turned dashboard. Love the white Hurst shifter ball. Love Nick's shake out cruises!

Wow what a badass car! We know you can figure it out Nick.

This brought back memories for sure. A good friend had a ‘74 T/A SD 455 bought new. Good times in that car.

This is my favorite version of the TA. Bright red with zero decals.

I like AED carbs on my built Chevy 383 and 434. They usually run rich when you get them but I put Air Fuel Ratio gauge on them. That's the best way to get the carb tuned perfect.

I've owned 6 different pontiacs Nick. this one reminds me of my 1970 firebird 350 that i transplanted a 428 Bonneville engine and turbo 400 into in the 80's. was a great running car. thanks for another great video!

Them old firechickens use to be badass thats for sure made em real popular with smokey and the bandit haha

I had a 1973 and it was😢 one of the most fun cars I've ever had,,,,,,,, it had a B& M shift kit a 400 mil with a torture and a Holley quad,, hooker headers,,,,,,,,,,,,, and man that car screamed

I honestly think that is the nicest Firebird I have ever seen in my life.

Nice T/A Nick, this and the 68-69 firebird's are my favorite Pontiac vehicles. 👍 If you need work done to your car, Nick is the man to do it. Thanks Nick. For the upload.

I took my daughters boyfriend for a ride in my 67 Camaro Rs/SS on Sunday, he was more impressed with Nicks signature on my glove box door than he was with the car. Kid loves cars, and he’s a huge fan of your show, keep up the great work guys.👍🇨🇦

You are guaranteed some fun When Nick takes a car on a shakedown run This Trans Am is bejewelled in chrome There's so much of it that it blows my dome Well this bad boy has given that chrome a home and it's sure to grab attention wherever it will roam Nick doesn't ever have to look over his shoulder Cuz he always tries and tests everything before handing a car over The Trans Am is no exception Will it pass Nicks inspection ? Thanks Nick and George Big ups to all the Nick's Garage clients and fans!

Watching this makes me miss my 74 Trans Am. Mine had the 400 with the Muncie 4-speed. Buccaneer red with black interior. Always loved the way my car looked and so fun to drive. I drove it 250,000 miles. I noticed this car that you drove here needs to have the headliner redone, it's falling down. Other than that, looks great

...Gearbox sounds like a Rock-Crusher - it's got that whine to it.

Sorry, Nick but your 2nt step is to pressure test (Stant) cooling system the next morning after cool down, cap should hiss when safely cooled. Should have been pressure tested when new alum rad installed. 74's had a flex fan so no viscous clutch to fail. Needs heater core🤗👍✌️👍

Had a puff of smoke come out of defrost vent similar to that in my friends mustang on its test run , took it apart and found a big cooked moth. lol awesome TA !

I own a 1974 Trans Am with a 455 it looks just like that one red on black interior but I don't have the rally rims I have the snowflake rims and mine is a automatic and the engine is mostly stock except a cam. it has lot's of torque and has no problem breaking the tires loose and sending the car sideways down the road.

What a beautiful and great running car! The dash reminded me of the one in my 73 AMX 401 Javelin I had back in 1977-78. Man I wish I had that car back now! Great work Nick and awesome video skills George!

I had one of these. 455 SD (Super Duty) when I was in high school. Tremendous amount of torque.

I had a 76 bicentennial version. 400 engine, now 66 gto ,has a 71 ram air III .love the PONTIAC

The Front End Reminds me of The LeMans and I love The HoneyComb Rims❤❤😊

Had a '75 TA as my first car, man I miss that beast..

Thanks guys, Central California watching

It's been a long while since you've had a true muscle car on your channel. Thank you.

Grandfather has a suped up GTO Judge 455 motor to suspension and brakes… smokes the tires like no tomorrow! Love the sound of a BBP

The 74' T/A was supposedly the last muscle car ever made

High School friend had a 1968 Firebird 455CI engine. Massive amount of torque.

Back in the day my friends Mom had a 70 Refridgerator White TA with the big motor. That thing would fly. Thanks Nick.

I got to drive a 76' 455 TA 4 speed once, it was awesome!

That’s a really cool car. Great tip on being safe when you see a bit of smoke, better to check it out and be sure. Have a great vacation Nick

My 3rd Gen Z28 would roll smoke out the vents when shut off as the fan stopped turning. It was oil on the engine from a leak. It was in that condition when I got it. I didn't pay much.

It's easy done, I have a car that's coming up on a decade in storage. Issues with the original mechanic, issues with the second mechanic, issues for the painter.. just got the motor back this year. I have ordered a mig welder to do the panel work myself.. here soon. They get done eventually 😂

An absolutely Awesome Trans Am. 74 455 4bbl. When are dropping it off at my house Nick!!

Awesome Nick《☆》👍🏾🍺🍕🤳Looks like the T/A Needs a Bigger Hood Scoop so he can get a Bigger Air Filter & let the 455 Breathe✌😎☯️

old school-still great/mopar nick/take care/thanks much

Hell yeah my first car was a TransAm. I had a 1974 455 SD formula. That car would haul ass.

I Miss my 74 Z28 that my Brother and I STUFFED a 454, Trans and rear end out of a wrecked 69 Chevelle back in 1979, DAMN that thing was a Runner!

my usnavy buddy Tony had a 78 red t.a. great car he drove it from Indiana to san diego! in 2 days! last year of the 400 pontiac

The narrator is just the very very best ,outstanding voice

It looks very nice under the hood but that’s just too much chrome for me. It sounds amazing! 👍

Just love this car!! What a beauty. Love to see Nick test drive again once it's tuned! See his thoughts of the 455 then. Thanks Nick for this video.

I sure don't miss that ignition key buzz :)

That tiny air cleaner is choking it to death. It’s probably sitting right on top of the carb vent tubes, that’s probably why it’s idling so rich and smoking. Put a 14x3” air cleaner on it with a 2” drop base, it’ll clear the hood and not choke the carb to death.

Thanks for the wee ride Nick, haven't driven one in years. Looks stunning in red with all that bright work and so glad you spotted the issues so soon. Another beaut video George as always.

That is a beautiful TA, inside and out! I don't know if the owner is planning on replacing the graphics but I think it looks great without them.

Recognize the whine of that M22 anywhere. Every now and again I think about throwing one back in the Chevelle, but the first gear drive off of the M20 is better for the street. Very nice car!

I have an 81 Trans Am 305 5.0 Hurst 4 Speed. Those 455’s are Torquey Torquey

Still got a 74 trans am running around in our town mint one owner black dude owns yellow with the bird on the hood n rear deck panel still looks show room

He He He...speedo cable...a common part that got replaced on early 70's big block Trans Ams...along with front coil springs.

I would say that’s the heater core

Rockford files comes to mind.

Awesome show hope Nick and family are having a good vacation beautiful firebird grew up around them keep them coming and see you Monday

Beautiful car! Shifting looks to be rough though. Glad that smoke/vapor was nothing serious.

The bird on the hood is called a “Phoenix”.

I miss my totaled green 73 Trans Am 455SD, with the 4 speed.

Hey Nick. It's great that you are very respectful of your customers cars.

Nick lookes wright at home with that shifter in his hand.

I went to look at a rolled 455 HO year's ago Nick. A friend bought it eventually and the motor was actually a 455 Super Duty. The stickers on the car someone had put on wrong. Screaming Chicken sounds better 😄👍