Although these first attempts didn't set the world on fire, they slowly grew into a force to be reckoned with on the track and also on the street. The 389 is one of the most legendary engines of all time, and it was followed by the equally impressive 421 and 428 blocks. By the late 60s, interest turned to road racing.

The Trans-Am Series was created in 1966 by the SCCA as the Trans-American Sedan Championship. Mustangs, Javelins, Camaros, Challengers, and Barracudas jumped into the "over 2 liter" class by late 1969 with special models such as the Challenger T/A.

In 1969, Pontiac decided to get in on the The Trans-Am Series craze with its Firebird, creating a new model called, of course, Trans Am. This model name lived through 2002 and is one of the most revered pony car / muscle cars of all time. Made famous by such movies as 1977's Smokey and the Bandit, the Trans Am is recognized as a legitimate ground breaker. 

The 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am  started with a Firebird and added a functional twin scoop hood, rear spoiler, open fender vents, and  white and blue paint scheme.
Officially titled the Trans Am Performance and Appearance Package, the $725 option was launched in March 1969 with little fanfare and no advertising. It was ordered on just 697 Firebird coupes and eight convertibles. Its name came from the popular Trans American racing series, though strangely enough the car never actually competed in Trans Am racing.

Its base engine was the Ram Air III 400 HO 335 bhp 400 cid V8  with standard Ram Air induction.  The only alternative was the Ram Air IV version. Ordered on a mere 55 Trans Am coupes, Ram Air IV engines had a longer duration cam and 345 bhp. The base engine  came with a three speed transmission and 3.55:1 gears, the Ram Air IV with a four speed and 3.90:1 gears. Both engines were available with an automatic transmission. Heavy duty suspension with a one inch front stabilizer bar, Polyglas F70xl4 tires on seven inch rims, and special high effort variable ratio power steering were standard. 

All Trans Ams were Polar White with blue racing stripes, tail panel, and decals. The hood, a Trans Am exclusive, had functional air inlets that could be closed by the driver. Rear facing fiberglass fender scoops covered openings designed to vent the engine compartment. A 60 inch air foil spanned the rear deck. The interior was basic Firebird, with bucket seats and a console. An optional rally gauge cluster added a 160 mph speedometer and 8000 rpm tachometer. Buyers also could order an $85 hood mounted tachometer.

Acceleration was similar to the regular Firebird's with comparable power trains, but the Trans Am did handle better. "We were safely passing chains of cars, eight, nine, ten at a whack... and not having to brake for the corner, but carving the turns at high speed," said Sports Car Graphic after a mountain road sortie. It took Trans Am just three years to dethrone the GTO as Pontiac's most popular performance offering. Its beginnings may have been humble, but the car would never be.

The 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Specifications
Wheelbase, inches: 108.1
Weight, lbs: 3,700
Number built: 697
Base price: $3,600

Top Available Engine
Type:  V8
Displacement, cid: 400
Fuel system: 1 x 4bbl.
Compression ratio: 10.75:1
Horsepower @ rpm: 345 @ 5500
Torque @ rpm: 440 @ 3400

Representative Performance
0-60 mph, sec: 6.5
1/4 mile, sec. @ mph: 14.3 @ 101

In 1969 Pontiac created several versions of their "tunnel port" engine: a 
special short deck version of the V8 for Trans Am racing  and a 400 standard deck version. The factory also experimented with 366 and 428 cubic inch versions. The cylinder head was patterned after the highly successful Ford 427 tunnel port head. So large were the intake ports that the pushrods ran through the centers in pressed in tubes.

303  The revised SCCA engine had shorter connecting rods, smaller 2.5 in. journals, 
special tunnel port heads, and a solid lifter version of the Ram Air IV camshaft. It shared the 4.125 in  bore of the 400, but had a 2.84 in stroke for a displacement of 303 cubic inches. The short deck engine weighed about 40 lb less than the 400, and had an 8000 rpm redline. The 303 program was promising, with race ready engines producing 475 - 525 hp. The engines were slated for advertised ratings of 355 hp in the Pontiac Firebird and 375 hp for the Pontiac GTO. Who's kidding who here?

Concerns about emissions, the response of the automobile safety lobby, and the warranty implications of a high revving street engine led to its cancellation. SCCA Trans Am series General Competition Rules required an engine to be a production option of no less than 250 units. The total number of Ram Air V 303 engines produced is not known, estimates range from 250 to 500 units, with rumors of a handful of Ram Air V 303's making their way into the Pontiac Trans Am production line. These engines are extremely rare and parts are not readily available. A 2 x 4 version was also supposedly made.

366 - 400  The Ram Air V 400 at a ridiculously underrated  375 horsepower was strictly an over the counter engine for $2000, a lot of jing back then. Actual output was more like 500 hp. None exist today as original cars, as none were built by the factory. Any that existed were dealer or home made.  The 366 was for Nascar.

The 428 engines were known as the Ram Air VI and Ram Air VII respectively, the difference between them being that the Ram Air VII was developed with twin four barrel carburetors.