Needs more Macho Man.
https://youtu.be/8C4lK41SX-Q?si=2KXzm7aCCYdSmDIv
Photography courtesy Mecum
“Malaise Era muscle car” may read like an oxymoron, but consider this Trans Am an exception to the rule.
While most of the country had to settle for cars with heavily restricted engines with equally restricted power outputs, a pair of enterprising brothers came up with a unique workaround to the rules–one that would allow them to sell a more potent Trans Am to the masses.
At the time, regulations forbid that a car be modified and then sold as new, but Dennis and Kyle Mecham, whose father owned a Pontiac dealership in Arizona, instead had Trans Ams sold new to their own business, DKM Design & Performance, which they then modified and then resold as Macho Trans Ams–a process that no longer made the cars “new.”
What made it so macho? Yes, a respectable bump in power–thanks to a few tweaks like rejetting the carbs, fitting aftermarket headers and removing the mufflers–but also handling upgrades that included Koni shocks and lowering springs, plus the all-important exterior graphics.
This Macho Trans Am, one of just 204 examples produced for 1978, per the seller, is noted to be listed in the Macho Trans Am registry and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Mecham Design.
Find this 1978 Pontiac Macho Trans Am for auction at Mecum.
That interior!
TIL about “Macho” T/A’s.
The photo of that engine bay…space to work is one of the things generally lost to progress.
Coniglio Rampante said:TIL about “Macho” T/A’s.
The photo of that engine bay…space to work is one of the things generally lost to progress.
It was a learning experience for me, too.
Apparently, you could also get a turbocharged Macho, per the Macho T/A Registry:
After the first 100 1978 Macho T/A’s, production began to drastically escalate, with customers wanting even more performance and customization. H.O. Specialities had devised their own turbocharging kit they provided via mail order, and the Mecham Brothers saw this as a suitable measure to even further upgrade their T/A’s. Mid-way through the 1978 model year Machos, DKM began offering Turbo equipped Macho T/A’s, with H.O Specialities even ordering their own Macho Turbo T/A company car! The sky was the limit, with customers ordering upgrades such as oil pressure restorers, Doug Nash 4+1 heavy duty race transmissions, VSE equipment, fibreglass body panels, even Race Only models such as the E-Type (Export Only) Machos.
It sounds like it was crazy expensive, so not many Machos got turbos.
OOOOOH YEEEAAAAAAHHHH!!!! You can't get much cooler than a DKM Macho T/A. These were absolutely one of the coolest of the tuner Trans Ams made by various companies back in the day. They were arguably the best looking, too.
Strangely enough, these weren't the only "Macho" vehicles made back then. Mopar also offered a factory "Macho" package for the Power Wagon and Ramcharger.
These were a sport sticker and stripe package, but still, it was possible to own multiple "Macho" vehicles!
Oh, and DKM also made a Camaro flavor: the Macho Z.
They aren't quite as cool, though.
It was my Junior in high school that year; my brother, who was a few years older and lived and breathed muscle cars, was over the moon when he heard about hopped up Pontiac turbo Trans Ams.
Whereas most guys looked up to their older brothers, I considered him a mainstream sap who dined on the feast of the unexceptional that was the late 70s. He was all that was generic plasticular flash, I'd already fully engulfed myself in the counter culture alter of punk rock and there was no way I could ever aspire to driving a Trans Am. It was worse than selling out, it was an embrace of the overtly awful.
He'd have been happily driving red striped plastic velour magic carpet cranking out the latest song from Bad Company. A few years later he tried to buy a brand new Turbo Trans Am but due to his tenuous financial circumstances (he was effectively broke without realizing it) was turned down faster than if he'd asked the hottest girl in school to prom.
With all that said, if I were a collector I'd have a Trans Am now, with all it's glorious red velour and plastic interior, because it's a reminder of my brother who is no longer with us and, I'm a sell out.
Coniglio Rampante said:TIL about “Macho” T/A’s.
The photo of that engine bay…space to work is one of the things generally lost to progress.
There are parts of Pontiac V8 engined cars that are amazingly poor for access.
I note that this has a four speed, which amplifies some difficulties, and doesn't have A/C, which makes a LOT of life easier. (Who ordered cars without A/C??) But the kicker is, I think it was this chassis, you had to drop the exhaust to change the oil filter. 1950s engine design meets 1970s emissions requirements.
Pony car, not muscle car.
The Mecham brothers knew what they were doing. They tossed all of Herb Adams tricks at the cars plus hopped the engines up.
A WS6 T/A would almost out-handle the corvette. When these guys were done, a T/A would bury a corvette.
In reply to ShawnG :
I once autocrossed a friend's 455 powered TA with all the Herb Adams go fast stuff on it and it was quite good. I think I was something crazy like 3rd overall with it and beat all the Corvettes.
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