Riding Shotgun with Michelle Rodriguez is a new series from Yahoo Autos that puts The Fast and the Furious Star, Michelle Rodriguez, behind the wheel of some killer cars. On this episode, Michelle meets an owner reliving his high school years, and takes a look at the iconic 1979 Bandit Edition Trans Am.
Burt Reynolds and The Smokey and the Bandit movies really put the Trans Am on the map, or back on the map, depends on who you’re talking to. Even to this day, new enthusiasts and lovers of the Trans Am are bred every time the movie is shown.
Even without the help of the movies and Burt Reynolds, the package was a very popular option, first appearing on 1976 Trans Ams. The car was a sick looking muscle car with the same power you could get from a Corvette, for $4k less (before inflation).
John Kronos had a Bandit Trans Am in his youth for this very reason. In adulthood, he decided he wanted another one, so he picked up a 1979 with the Bandit trim package. When he got the car, it was all in one piece, but it was pretty tired. A moderate restoration was needed, that included a lot of paint and decals.
Fully equipped with ‘old school technology’, Michelle takes the car out on the track to live as the Bandit did for a few laps. Referring to it as a ‘get away car’, she notes that the Trans Am has some spunk. She also notes that the car’s speedo pegs out at only 100 mph.
Of course, she had to make a second test run with the t-tops off to fully take in the experience of driving a Bandit car. Michelle continues to note how it feels like a getaway car, and we can see that. These cars were used in the movies as a runner car for a reason! Thankfully, she didn’t try to use it as a getaway from the track, so John did get to take his car home that day. Driving a Bandit Trans Am with the t-tops off is definitely something every gearhead needs to try at least once in their lifetime.
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!
