Cars > Challenges > “The Red Dragon” Vs “VJ”

Tarouq_Machtu

M–27

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Tsunami741

F

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1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

“The Red Dragon”

1995 Volkswagen Jetta

“VJ”

Head to Head

About “The Red Dragon”

This is my pride and joy: My 1976 Pontiac Trans Am. My dad bought it as a "Father and Son" project about three years ago.The car has the original "numbers matching" 400 engine & it runs & drives great. The 4-speed manual transmission shifts nicely, the car always starts for me & I feel confident driving it anywhere.

There are no rust or dents, and there have never been any. - It's just a very nice clean car that has been kept as original as possible, except that the interior has been reupholstered, and about 2 years ago my dad and I repainted the car the original color with the help of a friend of his in the restoration business and had a brand new set of decals put on. Also I had a brand new exhaust system put on. My dad and I did a lot of the work on it ourselves, learning as we went along. He surprised me by giving it to me as a college graduation present last spring.

About “VJ”

Just finished customizing it. Spent 6 months trying to find the right decals. Bough it in an auction in 2009 and started working on it. Finished in in july 2011.

Specs for “The Red Dragon”

Rebuilt and warmed-over, numbers matching Pontiac 400 engine
4-speed stick
0-60 in about 4.5 seconds
About 14 flat in the 1/4 @ 100+/-
Dual exhausts without catalysts (Please don't tell the state about that!)

Specs for “VJ”

Original Price: $20,610
Auction price: $9,230
City Mileage: 18
Highway Mileage: 24
Horsepower: 172
Seating Capacity: 5
Interior Size
Front Head Room: 37.5 inches
Back Head Room: 37.3 inches
Front Leg Room: 42.3 inches
Back Leg Room: 31.5 inches
Exterior Size
Length: 173.4 inches
Width: 66.7 inches
Height: 56.1 inches
Wheelbase: 97.4 inches
Curb Weight: 2,954 lbs.
Fuel Economy
Fuel Tank Capacity: 14.5 gallons
Technical Features
Cylinders: 6
Displacement: 2.8 liters
Engine Type: Gasoline
Engine Location: Front
Drive Train: Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission: Manual
Brakes: All Disc

Factory Options for “The Red Dragon”

Not much - she's pretty basic. NO A/C!

Factory Options for “VJ”

No factory options listed.

Mods for “The Red Dragon”

The usual internal mods in the engine when it was rebuilt and a modern sound system in the original mounting holes - NO CUTTING!

Mods for “VJ”

Original Price: $20,610
Retail Price: $13,715-$16,575
City Mileage: 18
Highway Mileage: 24
Horsepower: 172
Seating Capacity: 5
Interior Size
Front Head Room: 37.5 inches
Back Head Room: 37.3 inches
Front Leg Room: 42.3 inches
Back Leg Room: 31.5 inches
Exterior Size
Length: 173.4 inches
Width: 66.7 inches
Height: 56.1 inches
Wheelbase: 97.4 inches
Curb Weight: 2,954 lbs.
Fuel Economy
Fuel Tank Capacity: 14.5 gallons
Technical Features
Cylinders: 6
Displacement: 2.8 liters
Engine Type: Gasoline
Engine Location: Front
Drive Train: Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission: Manual
Brakes: All Disc