Red Hot Trans Am

Perry Pegararo brought a red hot Pontiac Trans Am to the World of Wheels in Milwaukee and set his shirt on fire with it. Or at least it seemed like he did. Perry hails from Greenfield, Wis., and his cat is a ’74 model.

Perry’s car originally came out of Koons Pontiac-Oldsmobile in Manassas, Va. Its original price off the showroom floor was $5,269.75, but you couldn’t touch it for that today. It was originally Trim 921 Cameo White with the custom interior and red appointments.

The car was assembled with the 400-cid four-barrel V-8, a four-speed manual gearbox, a 3.42:1 rear axle and a full host of options including a front seat console, AM/FM stereo, Custom air conditioning, G70x15 white letter steel-belted radial tires and a “flaming chicken” hood decal.

Perry was having a ball with the car on display during the indoor show at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. He wasn’t worrying about the snow on the ground or the chilly February temperatures. Sure, it took a bit of expense and a bit of hassle to get the car entered and arrange it inside the building, but where else could he enjoy his hobby in winter or meet so many interesting people?

Making a few new friends who share his interest in cars was reward enough for Perry. He got to see other car owners and check out new things that vendors were selling. He also introduced his Trans Am to a lot of folks and learned a few things about cars from a couple of them. Best of all, you could tell from the smile on his face that Perry was having a great time.