Meet the Camaro-Based 455 Super Duty

The 455 Super Duty is the newest Firebird conversion from TransAm Depot, packing a thousand horsepower from a 455 cubic inch LT1 into a customized 6^th gen Camaro SS.

Since the Chevrolet Camaro returned for the 2010 model year without the Pontiac Firebird, companies around the country have worked to transform the newest Camaro into a modern Firebird. The leader in the world of Camaro-to-Firebird conversions is the team from TransAm Depot. At the 2017 New York International Auto Show, the Pennsylvania-based customizer has rolled out their newest creation – the Trans Am 455 Super Duty.

Like all TransAm Depot vehicles, the new 455 Super Duty is built on a Chevrolet Camaro. In this case, the modern Firebird is based on the 2016 and newer Camaro SS with the LT1 V8. However, some people might be hard-pressed to identify this machine as a new Chevy. This is due to the fact that TransAm Depot begins by adding an entirely new exterior look, with headlights and taillights which are nothing like the stock Camaro design. Since the 455 Super Duty name comes from the 1974 Pontiac Trans Am, this customized Camaro has 1974-esque taillights which span the width of the rear end while up front, an angular face harkens back to the look of the 2nd gen Pontiac Firebird. The 455 Super Duty also has a “shaker” style hood which, like the rest of the custom body panels, is made of carbon fiber. Of course, there is a custom painted graphics package to bring back the classic Trans Am look.

The look and the name will catch the most attention from folks who spot the TransAm 455 Super Duty at a car show, but what is under the hood will allow this Camaro to draw the most attention when the car is in motion. The 455 Super Duty has the LT1 V8 from the Camaro SS, but the engine has been enlarged from 378 cubic inches to 455 cubic inches – just like the 1974 Trans Am which introduced the world to the 455 Super Duty name. However, to give this 455ci LT1 a ton more kick, a Magnuson supercharger increases the output to 1,000 horsepower and 1,046lb-ft of torque.

In addition to that monster engine, the new TransAm Depot 455 Super Duty is fitted with a huge Brembo braking package with 380mm front and rear rotors with 6-piston front calipers and 4-piston rear units, a tuned suspension package and 3-piece lightweight wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires all around.

When the TransAm Deport 455 Super Duty is complete, almost everything about it is entirely new, from the carbon fiber body, unique wheels, monster brakes, sportier suspension and an LT1 V8 which is hogged out to 455 cubic inches – enough to lay down 1,000 supercharged horsepower.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com