(WORDS AND PHOTOS BY GREG ROURKE) – Body kits…love ’em or hate ’em, they are a big part of the automotive aftermarket. Some are dead nuts on, some you have to wonder how many designs they went through before deciding on what is currently assaulting your eyeballs.
When the new Challenger came out, you knew it was just a matter of time before someone turned them into a ‘Cuda. The Mustang seems to avoided this fate, perhaps because Ford offers so many versions themselves. Did anyone try to make one into a Cougar, which was considered Mustangs more luxurious cousin? If so, I haven’t seen one. Then we had the Fifth Gen Camaro. I’m guessing serial number 000002 went to someone who just knew everyone would want a brand new Trans Am years after Pontiac was euthanized. Some hits, some low and outside.
Here we have two examples of the attempt to sell cars to the Pontiac die hards. The Trans Am version seems well executed. I feel the shaker is too close to the middle of the hood and seems a bit awkward. The shaker on the real TA’s were not centered over the carb, I’m guessing just for aesthetics. Otherwise, seems pretty good, and after all the Firebird and Camaro shared a platform.
Then we have the GTO Judge. Observers were making faces like they just smelled boiled cabbage. It was done well, with excellent fit and finish, but really? If you were going to make a phantom 2014 GTO I would think a more appropriate platform would be a two door Malibu, if such an animal existed. This one put me in mind of the body kits we used to see that involved a Rolls Royce grill on a VW Beetle…you aren’t fooling anyone.
So…go or no go? Look them both over and tell us below!
I like the TA. The GTO front looks good, but the rear is hidious. This would have looked better emulating a first gen bird.
Agreed, the ass end is a huge let down. There’s just too much vertical space there that doesn’t vibe with the choices they made. Having said that, I couldn’t do any better myself. There’s good work there, but it’s not to my taste.
That TA though, ooh la la.
I think they are awesome. I don’t have anything better. Plus, I was lucky enough to drive three of the T/A’s ranging from 550 to 1200 h.p. The guys at Trans Am Depot are living the dream, because there is a waiting list to get one ! Wish I was on it ! DTB
The Trans Am looks good, however the GTO looks awful.
The Firebird is pretty good; about the only thing I’d do different is make the taillights more squared off to follow the body contours better.
The GTO styling doesn’t really fit the 5th generation Camaro proportions. At all.
I remember seeing about 10 years ago a project where a shop took repro 1970 Chevelle body panels and fit them to a 2004 GTO to create a “new” Chevelle SS. It was still a GTO.
I don’t care for any of these modified Camaros. Pontiac is no more. If you want a Trans AM, there were 33 years worth of them made. Go buy one and make it yours.
How to take a hideous looking joke of a car [ the ‘ new ‘ Camaro ‘ ] and make it look even worse in four steps or less .
By grafting on a couple of Pontiac parody beaks on its snout and an even worse rear end on the back … making it not only fugly as hell and somebody’s idea of a very bad joke … but increasing the already pathetically bad blind spots some ten fold without even trying
So do tell .. who was responsible for these ‘ authentic ‘ nostalgia Dr Tim induced ‘ kit car ‘ travesties ?
e.g. No Go ! With the Rolls grill on a VW analogy being absolutely right on the money 😉
I have to say I like both of these better than the new Camaros. I do agree that both need work on their back sides. And, that seems to be consistent on all these retro-refits of the late Camaros. All of the design attention focused on the front clip and the rear redesign lacking real inspiration.
They look nice, but the traditionalist in me says: ” no BOP block, no Trans-Am/GTO.”
ColoradoKid, what do you drive? Better yet, what car have you designed, built, and sold? I drove the blue T/A in the pix and it has 714 hp. plus it handles like it is on rails. One of the most incredible cars I have ever driven.
Once again, what do you drive?
It is overdue for Bang Shift to ban you from their site !
Dave the Bartender
I dont agree with a lot of things he has to say either but he has just as much right to say his opinion as you do.
Don’t ban him, he’s far too entertaining!
i dunno—i kind of like aspects of both of them,but they’re both hampered by the basic bodies they start with,proportion-wise,they both look a little cartoonish to my eye—–i think the superbird tributes i’ve seen ,on the newer mopars are a little closer to the mark
I like the looks of the T/A the GTO looks good, the rear looks a bit chubby, like Kim kardashian or something, but overall it was a well executed car.
FAIL!!!
The ‘new’ Mustang and Challenger both hit it right on, HOWEVER, they are BOTH now morphing into ricer like in appearance. IMHO, the new ‘maro wasn’t even close (just as the new T bird wasn’t) so using it as a ‘base’ for these builds just made them ‘kit carish’. EVEN THOUGH, all these factory hot rods PERFORM exceedingly well, does not take away from the attempted ‘Retro’ look. If they badged them as totally new, exciting, and different models, they’d be ahead in my book !
The Firebird does not look too bad, the GTO looks horrible.
I’ve owned 4 f-bodys through the years and still have my first car (77 TA) The popularity of these conversions prove that people miss Pontiac. They’re not my cup of tea but the demand is there. I think that the big three should do a joint venture called “Obsolete motors” where they sell a Cuda, Firebird, Javelin and Cougar based on a single platform but with unique body and the respective manufacture’s engine. They would sell like hell for 5-10 years then the big three could pull out and count the windfall.
Careful, asking a contemporary “Big-3” revival of the Javelin could get you run out of town on a rail by the AMC fans.
Y’know who made some great Pontiacs?
Pontiac.
I’d love to see Pontiac come back from the grave and build Firebirds, GTOs, LeMans’, etc.
Body kits costing god knows what on a Chevy? I’m reminded of Buffalo Bill wearing skins of the dead, dancing alone in his house…
NO and NO!
I’ll take the minority position. I think I like the yellow one. Am I fooled into thinking it’s a Goat? Nope, but I think it’s a interesting custom of a modern Camaro. The TA? Well I liked the early ones, the white 1970 was a nice looking car. This TA conversion looks well done, I just never cared for the later TA’s
Yep, back in the day, these cars, rode, drove, handled, and stopped like shit. They were fast n cool tho.
The new retro stuff is far superior in all aspects, No cool factor tho, they are todays automobiles.
Except the new cars as that, NEW. The old school aint coming back, Love my 69 z for what it is, It has nothing for todays rides tho, We own 3 ws6 4th gen birds, I prefer ole cool.
The GTO looks like it got stung by bees repeatedly and is highly allergic. It’s all swollen and puffy… Dig the Trans Am though.
If they where actually built by Pontiac I would be on board.
If you buy one of these the title still says CAMARO.