Pontiac's contract engineer Herb Adams was responsible for the research and development that invented the original WS6 suspension package. First released on the 1978 Trans Am as an option, T/A handling was in a league of it's own in '78 & '79. Herb was contracted by Pontiac in '77 to build eight specialty Trans Am's that were modified production units to show the ease in which the T/A's could be converted into full-fledge race cars to replace the '77 IROC race series Camaro's. From this R&D the production WS6 option was born. Adam's formed his own company - Herb Adams (VSE) Very Special Equipment, Pebble Beach, CA; and then offered all of the Fire Am (for Firebird American) components for sale making it possible for enthusiasts to build complete Fire Am Trans Ams. He sold the pieces with which an individual could build their own Fire Am in step-by-step graduated levels of performance, choosing to stop at any level. The Fire Am started with the enthusiasts streetable regular production Trans Am platform. The ultimate level was a full-on Road Racing machine that was also street legal (barely). In 1980 Cars and Concepts offered the first "Dealer Network" Fire Ams.

The beautiful Fire Am shown above is a '79 model that was created by Dane Bales, Jr. utilizing many of Herb Adam's components. It features a lowered suspension retaining the factory WS6 Snowflake wheels, subframe connectors, worked 455 HO Pontiac engine, Doug Nash 4+1 manual transmission, Recaro seats recovered in factory hobnail material, Fire Am graphics, and Dane Bales, Jr. made custom headlight covers. We at TACHREV.com are proud to have this special Fire Am in our membership paddock. A big thank you to TACHREV member Carol Bales for sharing another fantastic Trans Am with us.