This car is older than me by a year. I’ve had it longer than I haven’t. Twenty-three years and counting.
I got this 1986 Pontiac Trans Am when I was 15. It was my first car. It’s been through high school, college, marriage, kids, multiple states, and more garage hours than I could ever count. Most people cycle through a dozen cars in that time. I kept one and kept building it.
It’s not done. It’ll never be done. That’s the point.
Where It Started
The car rolled off the line in 1986 with a Pontiac-badged LG4 305 small block and a Rochester Quadrajet, the computer-controlled version. It was the emissions-era third-gen F-body experience. Not fast. Not slow. Just… there.
By the time I got it, the 305 had seen better days. It ran. It drove. But “ran” and “drove” are doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.
The car deserved better. It just took a while to get there.
The LS Swap
The original 305 eventually came out and an LQ4 6.0L iron block LS went in. The LQ4 is the truck version of the LS2, same 6.0L displacement, iron block instead of aluminum. They’re everywhere in Silverados and Tahoes, which means they’re affordable and they take boost like a champ if you ever go that route.
The transmission is a 4L65E, the beefed-up version of the 4L60E with hardened internals. Behind a cam’d 6.0, it needs every bit of that reinforcement.
The Build Sheet
Keeping it simple. Here’s what’s on it:
Engine: LQ4 6.0L iron block LS
Cam: Tick Performance Street Heat Stage 2 - solid mid-range cam that wakes up the truck motor without killing streetability
Intake: FAST 102mm LSXR - cathedral port, high-flow intake manifold
Throttle Body: Motion Raceworks 92mm ICON - oversized throttle body to feed the 102mm intake
Converter: 4,000 RPM stall converter - lets the cam get into its powerband off the line instead of bogging
Transmission: 4L65E automatic
It’s a street car. It idles a little lumpy. It sounds mean. It drives to car shows and it drives home. That’s all I ever wanted out of it.
The Car Show Life
There’s something about pulling a third-gen F-body into a car show full of Camaros, Mustangs, and C10s. The Trans Am always gets looks. People either had one, wanted one, or their dad had one.
The conversations are the best part. Every car show is the same pattern: someone walks up, sees the LS swap, and either loves it or has an opinion about the original 305. Both reactions are fun.
Special Thanks
No build happens alone. This car exists in its current form because of the people who showed up to help wrench, lent tools, gave advice, or just stood in the garage and kept me company while I cursed at rusty bolts.
Matt - Steve - Brent - Michael - Mayo - Kevin - John - Dad
You all made this build what it is. Every bolt has a story and most of them involve at least one of you.
The Genuine Geek Take
People ask me why I don’t sell it and buy something newer. Something faster. Something with modern amenities like, you know, airbags.
Because this car is the thread that runs through my entire adult life. It was there when I learned to drive. It was there when I learned to wrench. It taught me patience, problem-solving, and the value of doing things the hard way.
It’s not the fastest third-gen out there. It’s not the cleanest. It’s not the most expensive build.
It’s mine. It’s been mine for 23 years. And it’s not going anywhere.
