Trans am 1974

Trans am 1974
Comments: 1974 was a difficult year for the Firebird. Gone was the Endura bumper, replaced by new, Federally mandated, fiberglass front end with a slight wedge shape and rubber covered 5 mph bumpers. The chrome rear bumper was also gone, replaced by those pesky rubber bumpers. Engine ratings dropped again with the Trans Am's base 400 V8 engine rated at 225 bhp. But for a mere $57, buyers could order the 250 bhp 455 V8, which received a 10 lb-ft boost to 380 lb-ft, but which came only with an automatic transmission. The mighty Super Duty 455 V8 was also available for an additional $578 and were unchanged from the year before. All V8s included true dual exhausts, which made their last appearance on the Firebird. Also available for the last time on the 1974 Firebirds were the Muncie 4-speed manual transmission and the TurboHydramatic 400 automatic transmission. The lower output of the 1975 engines would make those heavy-duty transmissions unnecessary. This would also be the last year of the Super Duty engines.

Production: Formula: Trans Am: 10,255 Super Duty 455: 943
Engines: 350 V8 155bhp. 400 V8 225 bhp @ 4000 rpm, 330 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm. 455 V8 250 bhp @ 4000 rpm, 380 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm. 455 (SD) V8 310 bhp @ 4000 rpm, 390 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm.
Performance: SD455/310: 1/4 mile in 13.5 seconds @ 104 mph