Brett Mauk
Hi, I live in northeast
Indiana and my name is Brett Mauk. When I was in
high school, I thought the Pontiac Trans Am was the coolest car ever
made. The 1977 SE TA raised the bar for pure aggressive automotive
looks…snowflake wheels and rectangular headlights were great additions
to an already great looking car. When you combine that with the shaker,
T-Tops, cool dash, padded steering wheel, fender flares, rear spoiler
and chrome exhaust tips…nothing on the road looked better and nothing
felt better sitting at the wheel. While I was driving a $400 car,
several of my high school classmates were driving Trans Ams. After
seeing the movie Smokey and the Bandit, I dreamed that someday I would
own a 1977 Trans Am SE. Well, many years later that dream has come true.
The first Trans Am that I purchased was a 1976 50th Anniversary Trans Am
with t-tops. It was a very nice car with 34,000 miles and I sold it to a
friend of mine who has put the car in a museum.
About a year ago, I purchased my first 1977 Trans Am SE with 36,000
miles. It is an incredible car with all original paint, decals and
interior. It was undercoated when new and is rust-free. I am the third
owner of that car. This past summer, I was “east bound and down” on
county line road and saw another 1977 Trans Am sitting in the front yard
of a couple who are in their 80’s. Their daughter, who is now in her
50’s, purchased the car new from Davis Pontiac in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The car has 51,000 miles and is a very solid car mechanically and
structurally. The car had been under a carport and cover for years. The
sides of the car looked great, but the top surfaces had become hazed
from the condensation being trapped between the car cover and the top
surface of the car. So, I decided to have the car repainted. The GM
dealer in Huntington, Indiana took the car apart…bumpers, trim, windows,
etc., stripped the old paint and re-finished the car. This Trans Am SE
is rather unusual because it has a rather rare set of options, or lack
of options. It was originally a radio delete with no windshield antenna.
It has the standard interior, no power windows or locks, and no
snowflake wheels. It had option N-67 Rally II Wheels! It does have air
conditioning, cruise control and T-Tops. I do have an extra set of
snowflakes…but, the Gold Rally II’s really look pretty good.
In contrast, my other Trans Am has most options other than the 8-track
and cruise control. It does have the T-tops, power windows, locks, etc.
In addition, it has the rear console. They both drive great!
Over the years, I have enjoyed restoring cars. I even purchased an
Austin Healey 3000 out of a junkyard and brought it back to life. I have
also owned a few Camaros and a number of Corvettes…Of the Camaros, I
like the 1968 Camaro RS-SS. Of all of the Corvettes, I like the ‘58 for
looks and the ‘69 for driving. I had a C-5 2001 and really didn’t find
it all that enjoyable. At the present time, I also own a 1958 Corvette,
1957 MGA and some drivers. It is interesting that friends of my boys who
are 12 and 18, all think that the Trans Ams and the 1969 Corvette are
the most awesome cars ever made and wonder why they don’t make cars that
look like that today. What do you say, Pontiac? When will we see the
retro-Trans Am? If they do come out with a retro look…don’t listen to
the so-called experts in the automotive magazines…give us the flares,
spoilers, dash, shaker and T-Tops that drew us to the car in the first
place….and while you are at it, give us about 450 horses under the hood
and a 0-60 in the low 4’s. Until then, we will be “east bound and down”
in our 1977’s!
