This Trans Am is having a meltdown, or could easily cause one. It’s one of the most unique-looking custom 2nd-gen Trans Ams we’ve seen, and you’re not looking at a wrap! All of these little details, love them or hate them, are actually painted on the body of the car — that’s some crazy craftsmanship!
Combustion Chamber, hosted by Casey Porter, is a show that features real cars with their real owners, and digs into the stories behind them. This wild Trans Am is an appropriate subject for the show, because most people who look at it are going to want a little bit of explanation behind it.
Owner Bill Moran had a blue Trans Am in his garage for many years. The car, made up of a 1980 rear and 1978 front clip, did a lot of sitting around. Bill’s wife had pushed for him to ultimately do something with the Trans Am, and it wasn’t until after he had a stroke that he decided that it was finally time to listen.
The paintwork was done by a lady he found online, initially wanting someone who could paint realistic looking rivets on the car. Throughout the process, Bill himself had a hard time believing that her work was paint. She would send him pictures during the process, and he would question her about the use of vinyl, based on what he saw in the pictures. It’s so well done, that’s easy to assume that it’s a wrap, but the body pro is just that good.
Bill got the idea for the radioactive theme when he was a little kid during the gas shortage crisis. He told his parents that he thought cars should just run on nuclear power, and that idea stuck in his head all these years.
Nuclear energy does not actually power this Trans Am, a 400ci 6.6L engine with an Edelbrock intake and Holley carburetor runs the Trans Am instead. The exhaust flows through a set of Hedman headers and into a Flowmaster system.
There are subtle themes within the radiation art — there’s an ode to Star Trek on the roof in the form of a badge, of sorts. The car also has a Buckaroo Bonzai symbol in the paint, a shoutout to a major ’80s cult flick. What would you think if you saw this car heading towards you?
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
