1973 Pontiac Trans Am 455 Holley Sniper EFI Gear Vendors Overdrive Install V8 Speed and Resto Shop
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1973 Pontiac Trans Am 455 Holley Sniper EFI Gear Vendors Overdrive Install V8 Speed and Resto Shop
We recently upgraded this super-cool 1973 Pontiac Trans Am powered by a Butler built 455 with a Holley Sniper EFI electronic fuel injection system and a Gear Vendors Overdrive unit. The car now has new-car driving manners and a snappy throttle, and the highway RPM has been dropped for better economy and easier cruising, all without changing the classic look. This one has it all... a Butler Performance Pontiac 455, A/C, even a working 8-track stereo! The idea of a Pontiac 455 EFI and a turbo 400 automatic transmission upgraded with a GearVendor overdrive is cool for sure.
The V8 Speed & Resto Shop is a full-service classic car and muscle car restoration service ready to perform everything from simple maintenance on vintage cars to full frame off restorations and modifications. Whether you are seeking a stock restoration, a pro-touring muscle car, or a custom restomod, the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in Red Bud, IL, can help. Contact us today to put the V8 crew to work for you. Transport services are available.
V8 Speed & Resto Shop
817 S. Main Street
Red Bud, IL 62278
314.783.8325
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resto@v8speedshop.com
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Dont like slapping efi on older muscle cars just because. There are really nice carburetors available today so no need to throw efi on it.
70-73 were the best years for the T/A, awesome car! Thanks!
Thank you!
Bill, I whole-heartedly agree. :)
I totally agree I do however think a rare 1974 sd 455 would be cool
@@kiheirc3195 ... Yes, and I love all the 1970's T/A's, I owned a brand new 1975 T/A and put lots of money into it to increase the HP, but the 70-73 are still my favorite! They had more power, no catalytic converter through 74, and no heavy 5 mile per hour bumper!
I had a 1974 that I bought new. But, the 70 to 73 looked much better with the chrome bumper in back and the endura bumper in front. I guess I could see the overdrive, but the quadrajet for the sd 455 flowed about 800cfm. That carb could easily replace the 650cfm unit on the standard 455. The best thing is the big sucking sound with the block off plate on the hood scoop removed.
I put a Gear Vendors OD in my 71 Chevelle with a 454BB. I love it. Been cruising with it for over 10 years now.
Stock rear gear?
@@thxman1968 Mine was built as a restomod with mostly Detroit Speed drive line components. It has a DS Ford 9" rear with 3.50 ratio. Also have a 3.89 but I preferred the 3.50 for all around cruising, traction and beautiful big block sound. 👍
@@drphibesrises I know you're coming on here was a while back but I was curious what kind of driving characteristics that offers you at speed as well as Street and strip running. Although I guess with the overdrive it also makes it very fuel mileage friendly at speed on the highway.
That's my favorite car of all time.
I installed a GearVendor Overdrive on my Convertible 69 Firebird 400, 4 speed over 3 years ago. It completely changed the drive-ability of the car on the highway and I'd recommend it to anyone.
As far as ease of installation. Not sure if I'd do it myself again. Which is why I haven't installed one on my 71 TA.
I have a Muncie M21 4 speed in my 74 Nova SS, and I intend to put a Gear Vendors O/D on it. Everyone asks why I don’t just buy a tremec 5 or 6 speed. The answer “should” be obvious; my car has the original floor console and gauges in it, and that is a big deal for 68-74 Nova owners. Putting a modern manual trans in it would require surgery and would essentially eliminate that beautiful original console and gauge setup.
You can't put an automatic OD on a manual transmissions. This thing operates from pump pressure. It's not going to work. There's no pump on a manual.
j they make the O/D unit for my Muncie. It is basically a gear splitter.
@@TheEvilistic The OD unit Ed is speaking of works fine on a manual transmission. It's specifically designed for those applications. The guys from Roadkill did something similar on one of their builds.
You could also consider the g.m. 4+3 from the early to mid eighties Corvette. It is a borg warner t10 with an electronic o.d. similar to a gear vendors unit.
Pontiaction 1963 sounds like a good idea. Honestly, I’ve never heard of that
Friend of mine had a '73 455 SD T/A. One of the scariest cars I ever rode in. Extremely fast. Loved it.
right on, had to be at least 300 hp, if that scared you imagine what 500 would do
@@Hugeroost it's the torque that makes you grab the dash.
@@superduty4556 true
@@Hugeroost I think it was more then 300 HP
@@bustersmith5569 maybe but not much
I just installed a gear vendors overdrive in my 68 impala. Love it. Now I can do 75mph at 2,500 rpms.
I want one for my 88 Silverado that im building. Had the truck since high school and wanna bring it back to daily driver status. I want the gear vendor mainly for the fuel economy benefits. Im trying to figure out how the system works exactly.
If you leave the G.V. switch in Auto position, will you get any of the economy benefits? Or does it only shift into the extra overdrive when in manual mode?
@@HAMMER_2.2 gear vendors overdrive can be shifted many ways. I normally leave mines in automode and let it self into overdrive around 45mph. You can also shift it manually from a complete stop or on the highway. I have a shifter button to turn on or off the gear vendors overdrive. You should get one you'll love it.
Damn i miss my old TA
LOVE THIS CAR!!!!!
Car is gorgeous...
A friend had the 73 SD455 with auto trans. Red with white interior like here. He put side pipes on it for the hell of it. What a ride it was.
Another awesome Pontiac! Just a beauty!
Proof that automotive foreplay is real 🤗
I always enjoy watching V8 Speed & Resto videos. Especially the early Trans-Ams. Nice work!
Thank you for the kind words!
I had a 73 Z/28 RS/LT. Best car I ever owned. Wish I still had it.
Sweet ride. Great upgrades. Keep up with the customer vehicle reviews!!
Trevor is a natural at doing the commentary. Great videos !
I used the floor dimmer switch as a kick down switch for a Turbo 400 transmission. Of course, it was a rig job, but it worked well...
hah! never heard of that. nice.
Great informative video Kevin and the guys at the shop! Keep em coming!🐟
Nice modifications I must say. Nice clean work and end result.
Thank you!
I had a 1968 Pontiac Firebird when I was in high school. But I love a 1973 Trans Am.
Beautiful car
I had a '73 Esprit that was Buccaneer Red with black interior and black vinyl top. When i bought it it was 100% original but had the usual wear and tear. I kept it for a couple of years, repaired/refreshed what I could and then sold it because at the time I couldn't afford the gas. It was a great car and I regret selling it.
First car I had as a kid was 73 trans am 400/400 auto red: black interior. Was a fun car and miss it a lot! Really enjoy this video! Brings back good memories!
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe the TA had the 400 engine in 73'.
that's what mine had in it. they had two options for a 400
I've got a friend who has this same spec T/A but 4 speed sitting in a corner of his garage, where it's been for years.
A restored Firebird from 73 ,she's beautiful.
I can't wait to do this to my 1970 Riv!
added gv to my 70, message if you need help or pics
I put in a posi traction 3.08 disk brake rear end out of a 81 trans am on my 73 trans am with an m22 muncie and it works great. I can cruise at 70 to 75 mph at 2750 rpm's... Love it...
Looks like a solid unit and good idea to adapt the th400.
But the the red light / green light interface is a bit 'Mickey Mouse' for suchs an application.
I was skeptical about that overdrive unit until he said that the base models HP rating starts at 1700hp.
Damn!
i love watching your shows
Super cool and detailed vid just missing one thing -- showing how much the cruising RPM dropped with the conversion......
Thats a cool add on for these, great job!
Thanks!
Beautiful car... I've loved that body style sense David Carradine and Cannonball!
Have a 70 B302 with a 4:30 gear. Installed a gear vendor and it transformed the car. Get to keep the top loader and no tunnel mods. In 4th gear hitting the button turns it into a 3:35.Like Van Halen said "the best of both worlds". Kept the original driveshaft and had a new one made up. Besides the top loader is much sturdier than the tremec. Hid the brain box behind the glove box.
that is my favorite year for trans am..as well as my dream car..i even have a die cast one in the same color its about 6 inches long.
the buccaneer red realy pops out
🚗 Thank You!
This is pretty cool. Would love to do this with my 69 GTO 400. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes and Blessings. Keith Noneya
I'm looking at doing gear vendor on my 78 caprice coupe. Already have sniper and th400 the gv will be icing on the cake. It has 440c.i. small block chevy and runs great I use it as a daily driver.
Super cool fact, these have ratchet shifters. 🤘
Beautiful car and damn dude you sure know your shit 😎 nice job
Saaaaweet car!!!!
The Voice of Mr Clarke !
I think the gear vendors unit is great for mopars seeing how the big block cars don’t have an overdrive option, but for GM’s an Fords I don’t see the need seeing how there are more options.
Just picked up a field found 72 firebird, trans am clone. Can't wait to get it running.....ratty muscle car fun for summer......
I love the car and those 17" snowflakes. I've got the first set of gold ones on my car, and they're also the first set that have ever been widened to fit 335s. Its all documented on pro-touring.com under Trans Am SacrilEdge.
You mean honey-comb wheels.
@@shawnhunt2332 Yeah. I think I'm watching too many trans am videos lately!
@@CrankAddict lol , here is another cool one! th-cam.com/video/lf_M1BYBiZc/w-d-xo.html
This looks like a greater and cheaper alternative to a TCI 6X 4l80 or a 6l80 in LS swapping.
I had a 74 charger rallye 440 with the torquflite and the optional 3.55 gears. I thought I was hot stuff until I ran into a guy with a 74 SD. Wow.
Only down side to gear vinder is drive line angle especially on lowered cars
These are good in some applications, yet I weighed it out this modification compared to a full Diff rebuild with freeway gears & the OEM look never touch it again.
About half the cost.
A good rebuild on a Q-jet starts up quite easily.
This allows for great highway cruising without sacrificing acceleration like a highway gear can. Thanks for the feedback.
Only down side to gear finder is drive line angle
@@scottb4494 Can you explain.
I wonder if they'll ever think of a way to set up an auto kick down for the unit using throttle position. Like say at half to 2/3 throttle the o/d kicks down and stays down until the throttle is back to cruising position .
How many rpm drop did you get when shifting in overdrive?
Gear vendors seems a lil much to be worrying about, maybe I’m just lazy 😂
PS what kind of percentage of mileage increase could reasonably be expected for a Pontiac 400? Thanks. Keith
Beautiful car. This car can also run on current pump gas as well, correct? Thanks.
for me hiding in the console is a bitch to keep looking at it with the lid open nice place on the lower dash is kool
o i use to have an 73 TA in the mid to late 80's. it was a barn find and paid 400 for it and but lots of love into it sold it in 94 wish i never sold it but had to it help found my trip out west
I would be nice if you gave a estimate of costs for these mods. Well produced vid.
Would this od unit help if you have 411posi on a 70 gto that doesnt want to go past 55 mph. The motor in my car is from a 73 trans am 455?
It would help for sure. However, we'd look at the overall combination and goals of the car to make sure everything is doing what you'd like.
Am I the only one that thinks adding late model parts is a good ideal, now add a coil per cylinder msd ignition 10mm wires platinum plugs ,modified tunedport injection 90mm throttle bodies
Love the styling this year , and the color combo of this car is always super. Not a fan of all the creature comforts, 'specially the TH400, even tho I know Pontiacs can handle them perfectly. Just a fan of rowing a stick shift. 'specially in a road car like a T/A. Also understand the bennies of the FI, but will still stand by the QJ on a street revving 455. Would even rather have the nasty Holley, over the FI, but hey, that's just me. Thanks for posting. :)
By the way, you said the FI would bring better mileage. LOL. So it'll increase from what 8-10, to 12-13?
@@joequillun7790 The EFI and reduced cruising RPM will definitely reduce highway fuel consumption. We'll see if we can post milage later this season after some miles are logged on the car. Thanks for the feedback!
I thought the gear vendor adds two gears? I believe I read that also on the gear vendor website.
You didnt say how much milage before and after that car did that would have interesting
We will try to get some numbers once the owner logs some more miles on the car. Good idea.
@@V8TV Yeah, I thought you were going to go over the difference it made in your test drive video segment after the install.
@@slickrock1371 There is no way this car will ever log enough miles to make up for the difference in price from savings in fuel mileage lol
@@JohnnyAnderson1 This wasn't done to recoup fuel savings, but to provide a better driving experience. The car is far more reliable now, and the overdrive makes for much more comfortable cruising down the highway. Incidentally, this car has been in the owner's family since 1985, and they drive it a lot! Thanks for the feedback.
So how much total $ and Time to do this to my 73TA........ Do you also do Suspension/Rear disc brake upgrades on these ??????
EFI requires a tank and lines and electric fuel pump, how is that a bolt on? 73 did not have this.
In this case, we added a high-pressure in-tank pump and high pressure lines to the throttle body. There are now many types of high-pressure in-tank pumps for stock tanks that replace the original fuel level sender. New tanks are also available. No fabrication is needed, so we consider that a bolt on. Thanks for the feedback.
@@V8TV understood, thanks.
@@V8TV
I'm 46 and alot of buddies beat around in this stuff when I was in school.
Had alot of fun with em , good times I'd trade it for nothing.
I like tech but I went euro, sorry , haha point being I like the tech that's for the American stuff , I'm jealous I can't get stuff like this for a euro car.
I remember hearing about these when they came out and what an awesome idea.
Fast forward 25-30yrs now and it's amazing , you can buy everything for these things , like you mentioned about a drop in efi tank.
If I ever won a lottery , I'd buy this guy's car🤣,I'd have another lenos garage if I could.
Enough rambling , great vid this was cool
I wonder what swapping a 700R4 in with that GV Overdrive would've done to it.
What part number gear vendors did you use for the fbody?
Where are the stacked comments ?
Stack like 5 of these together, then you don't need a driveshaft 😁
How much HP is it?🤔
Can you get the gear venders unit to combine over/under drive in one unit???????, , instead of the tongue splitting way ( mounting the unit in front of the transmission)of doing things????
just sayin
Thank you for not putting in a Lazy Ass LS swap like the other lazy You Tuber's. Keep it original, build it from there. Keep the VALUE!! Putting an LS motor in a Pontiac basically means, you probably can't really build a motor. #partschanger P.S As soon as I heard the word Butler Engine, I knew these guys were legit.
Yep, we're legit! Thanks man!
Don't understand why they don't just eliminate the superfluous internal pump, and use the pressure already available from the Automatic transmission..?
You missed your moment. What is the RPM at highway speed before and after ????????????? How could you miss that brother. Add it to the notes please.
Do you have to drive with the console lid open?
That was simply to hide the non factory switches and lights. This is still to be a show car and classic car. Would be much more fun with the switch on the shifter. like on my 2015 Colorado. I don't have a GV in it, but the manual shift is a toggle switch on the side of the console shifter.
It bugged me, I couldn't get two things.......
What was stock rear final drive?
3.23, 3.55, 3.70?
What was overdrive ratio?
.9, .85, .8, .75?
The o.d. ratio on these is .78
Isn’t that the car John Wayne drove in the film mq. Also David carradine in car quake. Jeff Bridges stole one in thunderbolt and light foot. Best trans am the 455, 345 bhp 0-60 in 5.7 seconds 145 mph.?
Why not to gow with a Gear Vendors? Becaus it is probably twice as much as a 6l80, got a third of the gears less and you cannot sell the stock transmission to lower your investment.....maybe thats why
Well, not sure about all that. The GearVendor unit is less than a 6L80, which also would require a controller and harness, and does not fit the car without major floor and tunnel mods. And it would have to be adapted to the Pontiac 455 bolt pattern. With the GearVendor unit, the TH400 now has 6 gears the same as a 6L80. Plus, the car keeps it's numbers matching transmission in place, allowing a future restorer to un-do the job without affecting the car's originality. For this car and customer, it was a great choice. Thanks for the feedback.
You never mentioned what the rear gear is, or what is recommended. (kinda important). plus you said, it was geared too "high", (the reason for the OD) What you meant was the gearing was too low, but hey, who cares, right?
Nice car. Love the early T/As. Rather have a stick shift, with a Q-jet, but that's just me talking out loud. Had a red 4 spd one in 76 for a few years, and wrecked it. Now I have a condition 5 one, in storage.
I can see an OD in a 3,42 (or lower) geared car, but don't see a benefit for the expense in a 3.08 car. Unless you're a traveling salesman, driving long distances regularly. Did you ever come to a conclusion about the fuel mileage? hi-way, and city)
That yellow head lamp is bothering me lol beautiful car though
Yellow headlamp?
@@V8TV over head interior light
Or is that just how it is I would not know
@@staciesalas2696 Ahh, LOL! Gotcha.
@@staciesalas2696 It's supposed to be white plastic, but they tend to yellow a bit over time.
Was that a th400 or th350 behind that engine,
Who actually still has a working 8 track tape?
To me it set so much more simpler to install a 200 4R, no cutting of your floor pan or custom driveshaft. The EFI Sniper is a smart option and American made.
WHY did I sell my '78
Jess Roberts: Because "life". It happens man. Seems everyone has one they regret letting go.
2200 rpm at 55mph? You must have 2.73:1 axle gears. Owner would have been better off putting in a built 700r4 with a 2500 rpm converter. Best launch with the 3:1 1st gear, and you still get 30% overdrive. The one I built for my turbo diesel suburban handles 500ft lbs torque no problem.
3.27's pull 2200 rpm at 55. At least with a 28" tall tire.
@@V8TV My sources tell me that 3.08 and 3.42 were the only ratios avail with the 455 engine. My '76 455 4spd has 3.08s and with a 335-35R17 tire, runs 2400 rpm at 60mph.
@@231mac We incorrectly stated in a comment that this car had a 3.25, it's got a 3.08:1 in fact.
@@V8TV That's cool, I'm just going by a rpm calculator. That's why I made sure to address the 28" tire variable.
700s are junk in comparison to the 200. My dad's 671 eats 700s. They don't handle power. My 12.4 grand nationals 200 held up fine.
I have ridden in an number those. 140 to 150 mph is fast enough. Messing with it is a waste of time and money.
If he's more concerned about "drivability" then just install more of a "freeway gear" It costs way less, you don't have to cut your tunnel, cut your driveshaft, and you don't have to deal with electronics and switches... or better yet put in a 4L60E... this trans already has an overdrive in it. Why would you make it harder, and more complicated than you really need too with a gear vendor??
Those are good points, but there are no 4L60Es that use a Pontiac bolt pattern, so you need an adapter. 4L60Es are also electronic transmissions, so they require a stand-alone controller. The GV required some trimming of a floor support, not cutting the tunnel. Both would require a driveshaft modification. The 4L60 would also require a shifter modification. Considering all these points, the GV is a simpler solution, and literally over 3 times as strong. These were the considerations on this install.
@@V8TV I believe pontiac is the same bolt pattern as chevy, It's GM. T400. or why not a simple reared gear change, easiest of all... Just so much extra work and money... those GV'S aren't cheap... I feel like you took the long road, rather than the short. Why make more work for yourself...
Pontiacs have the Buick Olds Pontiac (BOP) pattern, different from Chevy. And the customer did not want to lose any acceleration by using a "highway" gear.
8:39 Wow Wrong INFO!
The Gear5 Vendors Overdrive/Underdrive unit does NOT use Automatic Transmission fluid!!! ...
Use SAE 80W-90 GL-5 gear lubricant ...
Synthetics are fine as well ... for example GNM Part# 12346190 synthetic, is recommended.
Synthetic oil provides softer shifts.
WTF...200 or 700r4 Same Price as that Thang
Those 2 are a tad more expensive when built to handle 500+ ft lbs of tq...
Th400 from a performance standpoint is better both of those transmissions.
it was the fastest american car in 1973
If the car uses too much gas and is in too high of rpms I would highly recommend you sell the Pontiac and go buy a Prius. 😂
Rick Campbell yes internet troll that’s me, how’d you guess? Was it from me making a mockery out of someone complaining about high rpms and gas consumption in muscle car?
Rick Campbell just when I thought you might get what I was pointing out you go and prove me wrong by showing your ignorance. My S550 GT would beg to differ with you so go away troll.
Just put an LS in it!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have no clue what this dudes saying 🤨
Same info given by 2 people multiple times. Not needed. Exhaust is horrible.
"fuel injection"? C'mon, it's a throttle body fuel induction.
70-73s look best with honeycomb. Snowflakes just don’t look right on these years.
All cars built in 1973 SUCKED! The government had cut their balls off performances cars with radically reduced compression and a ton of smog equipment. I can remember seeing 2 Corvettes in 1975 at the Dragway running 16 seconds at just 90 mph. Then there were those hideous government mandated front bumpers in that era that stuck out a foot in front of the grill.
What a stupid place for the lights. Good god
It's a clever place for someone not wanting to alter original look of the interior. The switch isn't used often, probably left in auto mode.
Where would you have placed it?
@@johntempest267
Agreed, I would have done exactly this idea , hide it best I can. The dimmer switch was quite a crafty placement!