“My name is Jed Baker, and I live in Fort Lupton, Colorado.  I bought my Trans Am 5 years ago as a junker for $1650 and have been continually restoring it since then.  It has an Olds 403, and it is a Y-82 Special Edition.  I do all of my own work - interior, mechanical, and body work (except paint).

I didn't know what I had until I started restoring it... I began researching the internet for correct parts and I learned about the gold steering wheel inserts, the gold shifter emblem, gold window crank covers, etc. (I had all of those - and didn't know that other t/a's had red and black ones)  I started to get excited - I wondered if this could be a Special Edition or had someone just added these parts to make it look like one?  I finally found the factory build sheet buried in the trunk with a bunch of spare parts and found that magic Y-82 code stamped on it.  Then the real test - the numbers on the build sheet matched up with the VIN - I was ecstatic.  It was a real Y-82.

My car is mostly original, but I have custom wheels, a custom stereo, an aftermarket antenna in the rear deck lid, and a gold arrowhead on the front bumper (the correct one is red - shows what I get for listening to a telephone operator at Year One).  I have the original wheels, I just need to get them restored and painted, and I will someday put the correct arrowhead on - those of you that have done it know what a pain it is to take the front bumper cover off.

I also have an 84 Trans Am - black with a silver bird (not original at all - has 330,000 miles on the original engine, and still runs strong!) and a 1967 Ford pickup that
also occupy my wrenching time.  I am 25 years old, and I also compete in local and Professional rodeos - bareback bronc and bull riding.  I am starting to get too old to compete in rodeo, so it will give me more time to devote to my Trans Ams.
 

Jed Baker