Welcome to FBN ! :welcome500:
OK, when it comes to 2nd gens, you have a lot of choices. All '70-'81 Birds have the same basic shape. But, the noses and tails are different. The '70-'73's all have a nose that looks very similar. But, they can have 3 different hoods, plain flat, fiberglass twin scoop Formula, and Trans Am Shaker. And the base and Formula's can come with or without the rear deck spoiler. The TA's, of course, have front and rear spoilers, as well as front and rear wheel flairs, and front fender air extractors.
So, depending on the body style and options, these models can have several different looks. :yes
Then, the '74-'75's look very similar. The '76 had some major cosmetic changes to the front and rear bumpers. All the hoods are interchangeable, from '70-'76.
Then '77 brought some more major changes. The '77-'78's had a nose and grills unique to those years only. A black '77 TA was used as the 1st Smokey and the Bandit car. The hoods and shakers were different from the previous 2nd gens. The hoods were interchangeable from '77-'81. TA's used different shaker assemblies, depending on which engine was used. They came with the 301, 400, 403 Olds and even a small block Chevy. And each one used a slightly different set-up.
'77 was the last year of the 350 Pontiac engine.The Formulas no longer used a fiberglass hood. They had a steel hood, with fake scoop inserts, further back toward the center. The '79-'81's sported another styling change. The nose and tail were basically the same for those years. The 400 Pontiac engine was dropped after '79.
And in '80-'81, a 301 Turbo engine was available.
So, you have a lot of choices in body styles, and drivetrain options. You can Google each year model Bird, and see lots of pics of the different styles and colors.
Everybody has their favorite 2nd gens. And we all like to give our opinions on stuff. :yes So. I'll give mine. For looks, I like a black '77-'78 Bandit TA. But, we had one and did not like the leaking T-Tops. Also, it's hard to keep all the spoilers and wheel flairs on and in good shape, if you actually drive the car much. So, my choice would probably be a Black '77-'78 Formula, with a 4-speed and a pump gas friendly 455 or 400 block stroker engine, and a 3.23 posi rear.
Hey, keep us posted as you consider which model and options you'd prefer. We love to keep up with the whole process. And, if we can help, anywhere along the way, let us know. We LOVE to give advice and opinions ! :smile22:
