73 Trans Am – Pontiac's
Screaming Chicken and Its Shaker Scoop
By C. Michael Knight
The screaming chicken got its name from the bird that is on the hood of
the Trans Ams. Each color of car had a special black bird with flames that
matched: Cameo White cars had a bird with blue flames, Brewster Green had
green flames and the Buccaneer Red cars had a red/orange flames.
The weird thing about the "screaming chicken" is that it's not a chicken
at all, but rather it's a "firebird!" It does look like it's screaming
(you would be too if you were going up in flames) though.
The Famous Trans Am Shaker Scoop
The "shaker scoop" was the name given to the 'reverse bug catcher' that
stuck out of the middle of the hood. The reason it is a "shaker" scoop is
because it shakes with the engine. Every time you goose the engine, she
rocks left to right like it's going to tear the engine mounts right off.
If you had a real Super Duty engine, the shaker scoop had the SD-455
emblems.
In some of the early birds, the shaker scoop was a functional air intake
source. It was vacuum operated with a solenoid that would open the rear
flap under hard acceleration to allow more air in. 73 marked the first
year the solenoid was removed and the flap was screwed on. Let's face, it
just looked cool but didn't add any real performance.
What Color Is Your Bird?
If you wanted a 73 TA, you could have it in any color as long as it was
Cameo White, Brewster Green or Buccaneer Red. For me, green was a bit dull
and the red had too much orange in it.
The Cameo White car, Blue Firebird on the hood and Black interior was by
far the best color combination for 1973.
About The Author:
C. Michael Knight invites you to jump in your 73 Trans Am, stand on it and
burn a posi-traction strip over to his
website.
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