The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was a popular car amongst what I call the "free spirited" set during my high school days of the early-mid 1980s. These were the kids who were average students (or below) who were known as partiers into heavy metal (with some rock such as the Stones thrown in) who skipped class, hung out in the smoking lounge and snuck off school grounds for lunch at the nearby McDonalds. In other words, they did things I didn't do but sometimes wished I had the you-know-whats to do.
I found myself curious about them. I always wondered what it was like to be one of those girls who didn't seem to have a care in the world, who sat on the hood of their (or more likely, their friend's or boyfriend's) Trans Am or other muscle car, drinking Budweiser.
(If you want to get an idea of what this crowd was like, rent "Heavy Metal Parking Lot"--at least one person I went to HS with was in this 1986 documentary. See it for nostalgia and for the TAs in the footage!)
I didn't belong to that crowd nor did I have a Trans Am. I was a jock with good grades and a decent social life, I drank Michelob and drove drove a 1983 Datsun 200SX, a car my parents bought out of necessity after their 1974 Volkswagon Dasher was totalled. I thought my parents were pretty cool for buying the Datsun. My crowd drove Mustangs (60s or 80s) or BMWs.
In the summer of 2007, on the brink of my 39th birthday, this spouse and mom of a toddler began to develop an interest in classic cars. I don't know how it happened or why, but I imagine I'll address this in future posts and discover as I go along.
After a short stint of research, I decided that I didn't have to *wonder* about sitting on the Trans Am any longer, I could just buy one! Of course it wasn't quite as nonchalant as this: I will be picky about my beer selection, and I really don't plan on sitting on the hood!
In 8/07 I purchased a 1979 Trans Am and started this blog to record my journey as a new owner of a classic Trans Am and, more importantly, as an owner with little to no car knowledge.
I don't pretend to know anything about cars. I hope to share my journey with others, to take them on this long drive from know-nothing to knowledgeable classic car enthusiast.
On the way we'll have some laughs as I will be very honest about my lack of knowledge and my concerns. We'll learn some things, share knowledge, stories and good memories of a bygone era. I've just gotten started so I hope to add photos and other fun stuff soon.
I hope you'll join me!
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