Year One Bandit III

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:55 am

The Ban III includes a 515-horse dry-sump LS7 7.0 liter engine, and upgrades include a 605-horse dry-sump LS7, or a monster 8.8 liter (540-inch) Pontiac V8 making over 650 horsepower. A 5-speed manual is the only transmission offered on the Ban III. Suspension consists of the Ban II’s tubular front subframe, rack-and-pinion steering, and four-link rear with adjustable coil-overs on each corner. Chassis reinforcements include integrated subframe connectors and a four-point roll bar with safety harnesses. Brakes are huge Baer Racing 6-piston calipers with 14-inch two-piece rotors front and rear. The Ban III offers a level of performance rarely seen in a street-legal vehicle, and is designed specifically for experienced drivers.

Body:

Flush mounted glass

Projector headlights and LED taillights

New design wheel flares and front spoiler

New front nose and grille

Integrated driving lights and brake ducts

Custom paint and badging

Mini-tubbed for tire clearance

Interior:

Performance leather seats (black)
Optional Gold Hobnail cloth inserts

Optional Rawhide leather inserts

Custom engine-turned instrument cluster with race inspired gauges

Custom door panels with Burt Reynolds Edition engine-turned insert

Electronic rear view mirror with compass and temperature readout

Special autographed console badge

Aftermarket air conditioning

Delay wipers

Upgraded pedals

AM/FM Ipod compatible 4 speaker sound system with subwoofer

Optional touch screen control stereo system with Navigation

Roll bar with 5-point racing harnesses

Rear seat storage area

Suspension:

Tubular front sub-frame

Tubular upper and lower control arms with Heim joints

Integrated sub-frame connectors

4-link rear suspension

Adjustable coil-over shocks front and rear

Driveline:

515hp 7.0 liter LS7 fuel-injected engine with dry-sump oil system

Engine Options:

605hp 7.0 liter LS7 fuel-injected engine with upgraded head and cam package

650hp 8.8 liter Pontiac V8 engine with road-race oil pan and Accusump system

Optional aluminum block for 8.8 liter Pontiac V8

Optional fuel injection for 8.8 liter Pontiac V8

5-speed manual transmission

Hydraulic clutch mechanism

Heavy-duty competition clutch

Heavy-duty 12 bolt rear axle with 3:42 or 3:73 gears

Heavy-duty aluminum radiator

Serpentine belt system with billet pulleys

Wheels-Tires-Brakes:

18" x 10" billet Snowflake front wheels

18”x12” billet Snowflake rear wheels

285-35-18 Michelin Pilot Sport front tires

335-35-18 Michelin Pilot Sport rear tires

Baer Racing 6-piston calipers, 14" 2-piece rotors front and rear with Hydro-Boost assist

Adjustable brake proportioning valve

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:00 am

That....is....Freakin'....AWESOME!

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:32 am

That is cool.....but where's the CB???

BTW - I want one!!!!!

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

Saw that in a magazine about a month ago. If I won the lottery, I'd own one as soon as they could get it to me.

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:02 pm

I've not heard of this yet, but it sure looks incredible. I turned 16 in 1975, and I can remember going into dealerships and looking at new Trans Ams at the time. I recall noticing how poorly assembled they were and how cheap the materials were, but I still wanted a 455HO of which only a few hundred were made in 1975. They were severely emasculated from the earlier versions though by 1975.

I just found this quote about how horrible performance was in the mid-70's. You can't imagine how awful the environment was for a car enthusiast turning 16 right in the middle of the performance dark ages.

Quote:

In September of 1975, Car and Driver magazine found out in the quarter mile, the 455 T/A took 16.1 seconds to travel the same distance the '73 SD-455 covered in 13.5 seconds. Terminal speed was down to 88.8 mph, versus 104. Eight-hundred fifty-seven people were lucky enough to get this engine in place of the 400.

So this was a "hot" car in 1975...16.1 @ 88.8 mph. :lol:

Imagine how depressing it was to have a two year old Trans Am running 13's in the 1/4 and the new ones in the 16's. I never thought I would see performance like we have today as it seemed at the time that the future was very bleak.

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

I've not heard of this yet, but it sure looks incredible. I turned 16 in 1975, and I can remember going into dealerships and looking at new Trans Ams at the time. I recall noticing how poorly assembled they were and how cheap the materials were, but I still wanted a 455HO of which only a few hundred were made in 1975. They were severely emasculated from the earlier versions though by 1975.

I just found this quote about how horrible performance was in the mid-70's. You can't imagine how awful the environment was for a car enthusiast turning 16 right in the middle of the performance dark ages.

Quote:

In September of 1975, Car and Driver magazine found out in the quarter mile, the 455 T/A took 16.1 seconds to travel the same distance the '73 SD-455 covered in 13.5 seconds. Terminal speed was down to 88.8 mph, versus 104. Eight-hundred fifty-seven people were lucky enough to get this engine in place of the 400.

So this was a "hot" car in 1975...16.1 @ 88.8 mph. :lol:

Imagine how depressing it was to have a two year old Trans Am running 13's in the 1/4 and the new ones in the 16's. I never thought I would see performance like we have today as it seemed at the time that the future was very bleak.

I very glad things have turned around. :-)

I wasn't of driving age in the 70s, but the first Corvette I ever drove was of a '75 vintage. Co-worker let me drive it on a part delivery and at the time I didn't know much of the specs other than the mid-late 70s cars were really slow. I was astonished at just how slow though, when I got back from the delivery I didn't have the heart to break it to the guy that my car at the time ('93 Sentra SE-R) would run circles around his vette. I just told him it was pretty sweet. I think his must be been the fire breathing 165 hp version available in '75.

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

I drove a 1980 Trans Am in high school (it was used - my dad bought it new in 1979). It fell apart somewhere around 120k miles, while I was in college. Replaced it with a Honda Prelude, which was still awesome when I sold it at 250k miles. From about 10k miles on up, the door handles on the TA were repeatedly ripping out of the doors, and my dad had to re-engineer them to not do that every week. Everything rattled & clunked. T-top leaked. P... O... S. Big time. And 1980 was the year they went from 6.6L to 4.9L :roll:

0-60 was about 12 seconds.

I like the Year One version - and I'm sure the build quality is much better. :lol:

clinehall · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:23 pm

I turned 16 in 1976. One of my good friends got a 1976 T/A on his birthday, I got my mom's 1964 Dodge Cornet Station wagon with a 318 with no smog or a/c. I raced him one time (coming back from a golf tournament VINCENT- see racing and golf mix) there was a slower car in front of us, he took a parrallel road because he couldn't pass, I waited about oh 50 or 100 yards and could pass. He had the jump on me but I caught him and ran about even for 1/4 mile as the rodes merged I just kept it floored and didn't look to see what he was doing. Of course both of our cars will full of other stupid teenagers whooping it up. He "merged" behind me and spun of the road. The Legend of Cline Hall was begun that day.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Chuck, Cline, if I was as old as you guys, I wouldn't be talking about it :roll:

clinehall · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 4:19 pm

Hey, getting old beats the alternative!

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