Overhaulin’s final build is a fitting send off

Words And Photos: Cam Benty

Having your car seized by the bank is a bad way to start your day.

But for Tom “Smokey” McPherson, it was a call informing him his car was now in lockup due to unpaid rent that greeted him. Better yet, the call came from the owner of a shop he had hoped would finally get his ‘Bird back on the road. The bank agent and the shop owner informed him of the facts: Tom’s beloved ’77 Trans Am was now being held to pay off unpaid debt.

Custom Rod Garage served as the setting for the last several seasons of Overhaulin’, which called it quits in November 2015. This Trans Am was build #108 – the final build!

Tom was sick about it — quite literally. The shop owner was equally quite sorry over the turn of events… but not too sorry.

It was just a trick, another car owner pranked by the Overhaulin’ TV show team. The truth was revealed when the garage door slid open and Chip Foose popped out to inform Tom of the future build. The ’77 Bandit Trans Am you see here was the vision of Chip Foose, as has been the case with all of the Overhaulin’ builds created over the last decade.

Mark Oja, owner of Custom Rod Garage and regular personality for Overhaulin’, applied the PPG black paint to this cool T/A.

For those unfamiliar, the Overhaulin’ build team (affectionately called “The A Team”), led by the legendary builder and designer, found select vehicles on which to exhibit their car building skills.

Throughout the series, vehicle owners were deceived by stories told by trusted friends and family in an attempt to give the Overhaulin’ team a chance to complete the build without the owner’s knowledge. But it was always the reveal of the completed car that made the show so popular.

Foose’s amazing conceptualization, combined with very honest reaction of the vehicle owners to the major changes made to their vehicles, made for great TV. Tom’s Trans Am was their final build.

Mark Oja, an amazing painter, fabricator and all around good guy, provided the set, his own Custom Rod Garage in Huntington Beach, California, for the last few seasons of Overhaulin’. The workmanship shown in the execution of this Trans Am is well worthy of both Foose and Oja.

The Build

While stance is important for looks, a functional suspension that performs is critical. A Detroit Speed hydroformed front subframe featuring its impressive independent A-arm system and rack-and-pinion steering was installed up front. Subframe connectors add increased rigidity, tying the front and rear suspensions on a platform that commonly suffers from extreme body flex.

A Detroit Speed 4-link rear suspension provides the mounting points for the Moser 9-inch Ford rear end. Increased fenderwell clearance for the oversize tires is achieved through the incorporation of DS rear mini-tubs.

As a crowning touch on the structural improvements, a full roll bar system is welded to the chassis. Braking is handled through the installation of Baer 14-inch rotors with 6-piston calipers, activated through the use of a Baer ReMaster master cylinder. An Estop electric emergency brake is a nice touch.

Power to evade the Georgia cops was supplied by a novel source — an original-style 400c.i. Pontiac engine reworked with a host of power upgrades. The Kaufman aluminum heads are fed through an MSD Atomic electronic fuel injection system neatly tucked under the modified air intake. A Magnaflow exhaust system ensures that the Trans Am sounds as sweet as it looks.

Shifting is performed via a Richmond Gear six-speed transmission with power sent rearward through a Drivelines driveshaft. A Tanks gas tank replaces the factory original, and Vintage Air provides the cooling. Cobra Seats, stitched to match the original Trans Am style, by 714 Motorsports are a signature addition.

The Pontiac’s exterior was brought back to the stock look through the folks at Classic Industries, who supplied all of the restoration parts that dress the vehicle.

Over the top of these new components, Pinhead Fabrication reworked the metal pieces using 3M paint prep supplies, and Mark Oja and his Custom Rod Garage applied the BASF 22 Line single-stage black paint. At each corner, one-off Foose MHT wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot tires deliver a look not unlike the original — just a whole lot cooler and better performing.

If there is one item that shouts Trans Am, it is the “Screaming Eagle” hood graphic. For this Pontiac, the crowning touch was the handiwork of Mike Lavallee and Chip himself, the latter of whom designed the graphic from scratch — a Foose touch that we will know and miss — now that Overhaulin’ has ended its run.

THE END

“Foose and The Bandit” was the final of the 108 regular season builds orchestrated throughout the 11 years Overhaulin’ aired, debuting on TLC in April of 2004 and most recently on Velocity Channel.

The show was one of the most popular of all times and set the bar for many future “build” shows, although none had the talent of Foose, or the creativity of execution. This last build is a gem — and a great send off to Foose, Oja, and their talented team.