Bull Nose Trans ams

[mvagustaf4]

As a kid i can remember badgering my old man to take me over to the american car centre at kingston, where they had rows of 71 /72 trans ams out side

does anyone have any pictures of that era?

Also did anyone know bob garner from camberley who had a very quick 69 firebird or chris vincent who had a 69 GTO Judge?

Regards


John

[rat rod]

mvagustaf4 said:

As a kid i can remember badgering my old man to take me over to the american car centre at kingston, where they had rows of 71 /72 trans ams out side

does anyone have any pictures of that era?

Also did anyone know bob garner from camberley who had a very quick 69 firebird or chris vincent who had a 69 GTO Judge?

Regards


John

Spent many a day driving up to Kingston when in my teens and twenties looking around the American Car Centre ,

Would also visit Cliff Davis American Cars in Goldhawk rd in Shepherds Bush also while there a look around Straight Eight

just a little further up the road , The seed was sown just had to find some money to turn window shopping into reality

[newsatten]

Whenever I see MV I always think of Agostini
Absolute legend,

And think everyone knows the 70’ Ram Air 111
Is for me the seminal American coupe

[mvagustaf4]

For me it would be a 71 455 HO in white with blue interior and the 4 speed.

[rat rod]

mvagustaf4 said:

For me it would be a 71 455 HO in white with blue interior and the 4 speed.

Sold my white /blue 70 462 HO manual stroker in a moment of insanity ,still under the therapist 14 years later.

[Boyzee427]

One of the many Trans Am,s I have owned over the years.

[Boyzee427]

[newsatten]

Such a great looking car,
Almost perfect from every angle except maybe
Quartering from back to front,

Absolutely without doubt my favourite genuinely quick muscle car,
I say quick as unlike say a Road Runner which went very well and actually handled ok for a barge,
The TA stopped ok, didn’t overly wallow in long fast motorway bends, and generally steered with confidence,
Getting one around a roundabout wasn’t to much trouble unlike the RR!

Seriously looking like I’ll never get another one

[roscobbc]

One of the advantages (if there really are 'advantages') of being an 'old fart' is that you'll remember perhaps seeing some of these cars when they were nearly new..........like today there were always a few 'well heeled' car freaks around who had the very latest muscle or performance car...........one of those people local to me was a guy named Chris Jones who's car always had the registration number EGO 1 (perhaps 1 EGO) on his latest car. Long, long before the Romford section of the main A12 Eastern Avenue had the road junctions from Pettits Lane to Mawney Road (with their fast elongated roundabouts) replaced with traffic lights and 50 mph or lower speed limits it was great fun running down the A12 at 70 or so speeds in the faster cars and 'running' the roundabouts on quiet eveings at high speeds. The enduring memory I have of perhap 45/50 years ago is of Chris Jones's white 455 SD TransAm 'running' this section through one of the roundabouts really fast in his SD TransAm and the the sound of its low revving 455 engine filling the evening air.........

[newsatten]

Definitely a touch of Rose tinted glass’s and nostalgia in equal measures!
Yes they are pretty new vehicles back then, so still tight and mechanical as new,
Mick’s car just blew mw away with its pure grunt,
Been hooked ever since,
These days I’d have to move up north to have the cash to buy something nice !!!

[Boyzee427]

Rosscob’s,I was friends with Cliff Jones back in the 60,s,I knew him when he had the blue Hillman minx lowered with wide steels.He had a mk1 Cortina GT after that with a supercharger then a Piper GTT.The Trans Am with the reg EGO 1 was sold to a dealer in Manor Park.His wife had a Camaro reg CJ 5
Regarding the A12 back in 65/8 your correct saying the junctions were roundabouts,Barly lane,Moby Dick,North street,Petits lane etc.They we’re great times back then no camera,s an just the odd Wolseley or noddy bike to look out for.

[roscobbc]

Boyzee427 said:

Rosscob’s,I was friends with Cliff Jones back in the 60,s,I knew him when he had the blue Hillman minx lowered with wide steels.He had a mk1 Cortina GT after that with a supercharger then a Piper GTT.The Trans Am with the reg EGO 1 was sold to a dealer in Manor Park.His wife had a Camaro reg CJ 5
Regarding the A12 back in 65/8 your correct saying the junctions were roundabouts,Barly lane,Moby Dick,North street,Petits lane etc.They we’re great times back then no camera,s an just the odd Wolseley or noddy bike to look out for.

Are you the former East End based guy I used to have conversations with a few years back on FB about some of the car related 'faces' back in the day?
I said Chris Jones......should have been Cliff......didn't know him personally.......didn't he own the red Woolferace wheeled Austin Devon hot rod too?.
Yes, that A12 Eastern Avenue.....recall one cool summers evening returning back from Leytonstone to Romford in my modded 4 speed 66' Galaxie 7 Litre 428 coupe over what was the Moby Dick junction (already at a 'speed') and cresting the top of the slight hill and winding it up over the 'Mad Mile' (as the biker would call it) and showing an indicated 135 mph before hitting the brakes really heavy for the Mawney Road junction.......

[Boyzee427]

Hi Ross,Cliff an Chris were brothers there family business was in Ilford dying buttons.The had a red 63 Stingray split window that was normally seen tearing round the area.Cliff was into drag racing.I remember the red Devon I think it had a flip body?It was in a showroom Harrington garage.Romford road near the dog track.A lot of car guys used the Mocho coffee bar in ilford there was always 105e Anglia,s outside lowered wide steel rims etc.My dad had a garage petrol station in Chadwell heath I had a few Anglia,s an Mini,s back around 66 then got into yanks.These were probably the best years for me.

[roscobbc]

Boyzee427 said:

Hi Ross,Cliff an Chris were brothers there family business was in Ilford dying buttons.The had a red 63 Stingray split window that was normally seen tearing round the area.Cliff was into drag racing.I remember the red Devon I think it had a flip body?It was in a showroom Harrington garage.Romford road near the dog track.A lot of car guys used the Mocho coffee bar in ilford there was always 105e Anglia,s outside lowered wide steel rims etc.My dad had a garage petrol station in Chadwell heath I had a few Anglia,s an Mini,s back around 66 then got into yanks.These were probably the best years for me.

Didn't know either of them - knew off them and their cars. 'In the day' Ilford, Seven Kings, Chadwell Heath and Romford were 'the' places if you were in to Yanks - Customville, Customade, Deals on Wheels, A & L Autos for custom paint, Nicky Orme for custom body work.....all the car dealers on the Romford road seemed to have American cars. Was it you who had the 427 Camaro relatively recently (perhaps someone else with a similar handle).
Remember the Mocha coffee bar - where was also the one opposite where Customville used to be (can't remember the name)

[Boyzee427]

Yes I did have the 427 68 Camaro Ross.The coffee bar just down the road from Customville was The Casa Maria it was on the opposite side just passed F.G Smith,s BMC dealer.My dad had The Bridge Garage in Chadwell Heath High Road 1960 to 66 so I was lucky enough to use the cars that were for sale,we were Rootes main dealer so one day I’d have a bubble car the next a Sunbeam Tiger.I’m coming up to 75 now and have just sold my last yank a 2012 ZR1,I know you have an awesome C3 Corvette yourself.It’s great reminiscing about them days when for a few hundred quid you could buy a fast yank an have so much fun.

[roscobbc]

Yep....you are the same guy. Recall us chatting about Tollgate Lane and some of the things that went down there.......I'm only a couple of year behind you age wise......trying to keep things going but money's tight nowadays!

[aeropilot]

Bull nose T/A's are the only post 1970 US cars I have any interest in........

Used to see a white one burbling around Ealing/Greenford/Northolt area of west London quite a bit back in around '78/79.

[roscobbc]

aeropilot said:

Bull nose T/A's are the only post 1970 US cars I have any interest in........

Used to see a white one burbling around Ealing/Greenford/Northolt area of west London quite a bit back in around '78/79.

Amazing really that Pontiac managed to 'avoid' for so long the drastic emissions changes that effected all the other USA manufacturers