Mecham Racing

Data On The 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am Production

(Rendered From The Information Collected From Archive Photos)

(48 Cars currently on file)

(500 Car Production Run “Foretold”)

(Cars pictured in 1982: The Cars)

Cars By Color

1982 Production Year

13 Red Cars On File (#3, #17, #27, #34, #36, #40, #41, #43, #47, #48, #67, #79,#95)
32 White Cars On file (#14, #24, #33, #41, #47, #49, #50, #55, #66, #70, #76 #93, #97, #121, #131, #138, #139, #140, #148, #150, #153, #162, #167,#168, #183, #184, #189, #195, #200, #203, #205, #207)
3 “Other” Color Cars On File (2 War Paint, 1 Repaint Black)

Cars By Roof

1982 Production Year

39 Hard Top Cars On File (#3, #14, #17, #24, #27, #33, #34, #36, #40, #41, #41R, #47, #47R, #48, #49, #50, #53, #55, #64, #66, #67, #70, #76, #79, #93 #95, #97, #131, #139, #140, #148, #150, #153, #167, #184, #189, #195, #203, #205, #207)
3 Targa Tops (#121, #138, #183)
2 No Data (#43, #162) Parted Before I Got To Them
3 T-Tops (#42, #200,#168)

The Bomb Shell When It Comes To Build Numbers

Mecham Made Duplicate Number Cars In 1982

There Where Two #41 Cars Made in 1982. One Was Red and One was White. Both Can Be Seen Below.

There Where Two #47 Cars Made In 1982 As Well.

QUESTION: The “R” Indication On The Center Console Plaque?:

Does NOT Mean “Race” or Anything Related To the Car Being More Powerful In ANY Shape Or Form. It Just Means That The Car Was RED.

Mecham Stopped Putting The “R” On The Plaques After The 1982 Production Year. Why? This is Due To The Two Tone “War Paint” Becoming Standard. War Paint Is Now Discovered To Be Made In 1982 However It Wasn’t Openly Advertised.

Also, The “R” Cars Were Made To Be “Replica” Cars. As The Whole Point Of The MSE Street Cars Were, In Spirit, Copies Of The Race Cars Which Were White. We See This In The Red Car’s Tri-Fold Brochure. A Replica Of A Replica. However As Time Went On. There Was No Reason To Keep Putting The “R” As They Were Selling Fully Modified

Here is a 1982 Center Console Plaque With The “R” Indication

Here is a 1983 Center Console Plaque Without The “R” Indication. This is a Red/Sliver “War Paint” Car

The T-Top Dilemma:

The 2 Cars That Are Not Hard Top Or Targa Top In 1982 Are #200 And #42

#42 Has “Cars And Concepts” T-Tops (Aftermarket T-Top Company Well Known For Their “Pop-Up” T-Tops, And Their Work On ALL Fox Body Mustangs). More Than Likely Modified Well After Initial Production.

Cars And Concepts T-Tops Can Be Easily Identified By The “Beauty” Trim. Both Forward and Behind The T-Tops.

Look At All Fox Body Mustangs, Same T-Top Design, Cars And Concepts.

#200 Is A Highly Modified Car. Far From Its “Original” Modified State From Mecham Racing. Currently Sporting a 85-92 T/A Hood, 83-84 T/A W62 Aero Package, And 86-92 PW7 Cross-Lace Wheels. However Those Do Appear To Be OEM T-Tops. But I Cant Without A SPID Or Build Sheet Confirm This As The Only GM 1982 Mecham T/A.

The Mecham Targa Trans Am

1982 Only Option
Only 3 Produced (Not Confirmed, Commonly Accepted Theory)
All Still Exist. #121 Is Foretold To Be A Clone

The First 1983 Duel Pin Stripe “War Paint” Mecham Trans Am (Found So Far)

Working With The Current Owner Of 1982-#42, We Were Able To Confirm That The Car Was Modified By MSE. The Evidence To Support This Is As Follows:

Here You Can See The Red, And Blue Pin Stripes Added To The Car By MSE. This Overall Color Scheme Is Very Similar To The #12 Escort Car Raced by Steve Saleen. But That Car Was Raced In 1983, And Is Numbered #1 On The Fender. What Is The Interesting Is That This Design Seems To Be The First War Paint Design. Where 1983 Had A One Stripe Design, Car #42 A Duel Pin Stripe Design. This So Far Is The Earliest War Paint Car By Production Number.

The First 1983 Painted Single Stripe Style “War Paint” Mecham Trans Am (Found So Far)

At First This Car Was Listed As A 1983 For Obvious Reasons. However After A Very Good Conversation With The Owner. He Was Able to Verify It As A 1982, By Showing Us The MSE Window Sticker, Vin, And Center Console Plaque. The Car Is Also A Recaro Car from MSE

“War Paint” Style Compared

From Left To Right (1983 Duel Pin Stripe, 1983 Painted Single Stripe, 1984 Single Large Stripe With Chevrons)

Production Number Issue

Based On The Documentation Collected, The Production Number For The 1982 Model Year Was Said To Be 500 Cars. We Have Already Proven That There Were Duplicate Number Cars Based On The Red Or White Color Choice. Furthermore, When You Look Slightly In The Future At 1984, You See Production Numbers Jump Around, When In Fact Only Roughly 50 Cars Were Said To Be Made. But I Digress, The Point For This Topic Is This Badge Right Here. 1982-#948.

Transitional “Fireside Chat” #1

Not All Mecham Trans Am’s Were Made Equal…… They Are Not Even Close

My “Firehouse Chat’ To Everyone, And The Supply Issue Theory

“Ok. Before I get down to the details on the options like I have above with the basic information. I need to get this on the table. Not all MSE Trans Am cars were the same. In all honesty, A lot were nothing more than basic run of the mill Trans Am cars with The Talon suspension. This is a Fact. I believe this is due to supply chain issues. There was pressure on the production team to get these cars out. Many cars shipped without MR 170 Speedometers, MR steering wheels. While other options were just, Well optional, more often than not you see a trend where key options that make a MSE TA, a MSE TA, are just not there. Such as the Steering wheel, and Talon Brace. All these Items I will dig into in great detail. But just know, as for the upgraded Talon suspension, and Git kit, unlike color, and roof style. I can only provide so much information on what’s common and what’s not. I only have so many detailed pictures. 1982 was the biggest production year. A claimed 500 cars. I have record, as you seen, up to 207. Furthermore I have also proved duplicate numbers happened due to color. I believe 250 Red and 250 White cars were planned. However, I will dig into this in greater detail in the production number section. Before you take my word on what these cars really were supposed to have, and some do, here are some concrete reference documents. This is going to be a lot. Anyways, That’s just my rant on this.”

1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am Documentation

“Car And Driver: July 1982, Page 131” Driving is Believing Ad

One Of The Small Advertisements Mecham Racing Placed in a Major Publications. Notice The “T/A Limited” Logo. Pontiac Was Initially Going To Call The Firebird “The T/A”. But This Was Scrapped Early 1982. In Some Videos, And Pictures You Can See The Same “T/A” Logo As A Decal On The Fenders Above The Fender Vent. (GM Ads That is)

“Car And Driver: Multiple 1982 Publishing Dates”

Here Is Another Small Advertisement From Mecham Racing in 1982. Notice Here There Is Also A Koni Shocks Endorsement.

Key Takeaway:

Mecham Racing Used Koni Shocks And Struts

“1982 MSE Post Card (This Is Also Found As A Large Poster)

This 1982 Post Card Is The “Firestone HPR” Tire Endorsement By Mecham Racing

Key Takeaways:

Mecham Racing Used “Firestone HPR” Tires Instead Of GM Supplied Tires.
Use Of Koni Shocks (Koni Reds)
Use Of Urethane Bushings (Red Poly Bushings)
Use Of High Rate Springs (1-Inch Drop Springs)
Use Of Added Crossmember (Talon Brace)
Use Of Droop Limiter Straps (On Rear Lower Control Arms, Stops Rear End Travel Downwards)
A “Customer Installed” Git Kit Which Adds 50-70hp Over Stock
Optional Recaro Seats
Optional ARA Motorola Professional AM/FM Sound System
MSE Trim Package

“1982 Mecham Racing 2-Page Fold Open Brochure”

Front Side Of Brochure When Closed (Backside is White)

Key Takeaways:

Git Kit Adds “27 Percent” More Power
First Mention Of A Front Air Dam (Not Seen On Any 1982 Cars In this Record. Seen Plenty In 1983. Mecham Style Was Not OEM.)
Optional Recaro Seats (2nd Mention)
In Depth ARA Motorola Sound System Description (ARA Motorola Head Unit, Power Amp, 6 Speakers, Auto Power Antenna
In Depth Description Of Standard Equipment, A Fully Loaded 1982 Trans Am
THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY IS ON THE BACK

“1982 Mecham Racing Small Tri-Fold Brochure”

Key Takeaways:

Confirmation That Most MSE Cars Were Meant To Be “ Brilliant Racing White” (Front Side)
Red, White, And Blue Lower Pinstripes On White Cars Was Optional (Front Side)
Change In Previous Advertisement: From All Being WS6 to WS6 or WS7
Change In Previous Advertisement: Extra Cost Automatic Transmission Optional
In-depth Description Of Interior (Duesenberg Steering Wheel With MR logo, Console Plaque, MSE Map Pocket Badge, And Charcoal Black Interior )
In-depth Description Of Exterior (Metal MSE Sail Panel Badges, Rear Bumper MSE Badge, Headlight MSE Badge, Special Wheel Treatment (MR Decals), MR Hood Emblem)
Git Kit Designed By Huffaker Engineering

“AutoWeek: October 4th, 1982. Page 20”

“Trans-Am MSE- Now The Excitement Really Begins”

Key Takeaways:

Higher Rate Springs Add “20 Percent Stiffness”
Front Cross Member Is “Bolted Behind The Front Bumper Braces”
Recaro Seats Were A $865 Option ( $2623.24 In 2023)
In-depth Description Of Git-Kit (Holley 4BBL Carburetor, Edelbrock Intake Manifold, Mallory Distributor, Low Restriction Air Cleaner, Tri-Y Headers)
Git Kit Designed By Huffaker Engineering
Git Kit With Factory Exhaust 50 HP Gain (175 HP 305 LG4) (Lets Call This Stage #1)
Git Kit With Duel Exhaust 75 HP Gain (200 HP 305 LG4) (Duel Exhaust Was Optional) (Lets Call This Stage #2)
Git Kit With Everything Plus Cam And Gear Swap 175 HP Gain (300 HP 305 LG4) (Lets Call This Stage #3)
Git Kit Optional As A Side Package Loose Of a Car $650 ($1971.22 In 2023)
Auto Was a 3 Speed (1982 OEM GM)
Planned Production Of 500 Cars, 400 Already Delivered As Of October 4th 1982

1982 Mecham Racing Product Press Kit

“Where It all Comes Together”

Key Takeaways:

Images Show, For The First Official Time, What A Proper 1982 MSE Trans Am Has To Offer
Image Of Droop Limiter Location, In Description Paper They Are Called Limit Straps
Image Of Koni Red Shocks/Struts, And Poly Bushings
Images Of Recaro Seats, Motorola Head Unit, MSE Steering Wheel, 170 MPH Speedometer
Further Information On Sound System ( 2 Mid Range, 2 Subs, 2 tweeters)
Use of “RV12YC” Spark Plugs
Steve Saleen Drove/Raced For Mecham Racing (Take Note Of This, Foreshadowing)
WS6/WS7 Cars Used

There Is Also A Version Of This Tri-Fold Brochure With A Red MSE Trans Am:

Notice How It States “Motor Sports Edition Replica”. The “R” On The Red Cars Means “Red Car/Replica MSE”

Hot Rod Magazine, August 1982

“The MSE Trans Am”

Key Takeaways:

Alignment Settings
Mention Of Red Cars Being Lower Option Cars On Purpose
1/4 Mile Time- 15.62 Seconds (Git Kit LVL 2)

Car And Driver, December 1982

The Specialty File: The MSE Trans Am

Key Takeaways:

0-60 Time: 7.9 Seconds
1/4 Mile Time: 15.6 Seconds

Firestone Firehawk MSE Advertisement

Popular Hot Rodding, September 1982

”The Great Trans Am: MSE Trans Am”

Motor Trend, February 1983

“MSE Firebird Trans Am”

Pontiac Sales Bulletin

September 9th, 1982

1982 MSE Window Stickers

Proper Exterior, And Non-Mentioned/Listed Common Options

1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am Exterior Identification

(Goal: Show Variation Between The Cars)

A 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am Exterior As Described:

Reference Car #195

Proper (Baseline) White 1982 MSE

Red, White, And Blue Pin Stripes on Lower Section Of Car, And Under The Sail Panel MSE Badge
Black Mirrors (1982-1983 GM OEM Feature)
Black Lower Area Of Car
15x7 Wheels With MR Decals
MSE Badges (Sail Panels, Passenger Side Bumper, Peak Of The Hood Nose Badge, Drivers Side Pop-Up Headlight)
Aero Rear Wing
Note: Nose Badge Is Some What Higher Than Standard on #195

Proper (Baseline) Red 1982 MSE

Silver Stripe Above Lower Black Section ( Not Seen On #3)
White, And Blue Pin Stripes Under The Sail Panel MSE Badge (Rare, Not Seen On #3)
Black Mirrors (1982-1983 GM OEM Feature)
Black Lower Area Of Car
15x7 Wheels With MR Decals
MSE Badges (Sail Panels, Passenger Side Bumper, Peak Of The Hood Nose Badge, Drivers Side Pop-Up Headlight)
Aero Rear Wing
Note: #3 Has Aftermarket Exhaust (Hooker Cat-Back)

Reference Car #3

Non-Described Or Mentioned Option #1: Rear Window Louvers

The Rear Window Louvers Seen Here Where Not Made By MSE, However They Are Seen Far Too Commonly Across All 82-86 MSE Production To Not Be Taken Into Consideration. They Are Found On Both White and Red Cars. Survivor Cars, Ones That Have Been Repainted, And Left For Dead.

The Louvers Mecham Used Were Made By A Company Called “Chastain” And Were Called “Shadow” Louvers. They Were Very Common In The Early 1980s Along With Other Aftermarket Brands Such As Cragar, And Hammond.

GM Had Their Own Set Of Rear Window Louvers As Well SPID RPO Code DE1. However MSE Did Not Use Them Often.

I Believe MSE Choose To Use The Shadow Louvers As They Are Easy To Open And Clean With The Large Aero Wing In The Way. As You Can See Below, There Is Plenty Of Room.

Non-Described Or Mentioned Option #2: Door Moldings

These Moldings Were Not Made By MSE. They Were A Very Commonly Seen Dealer Added Item In The 80s. Unlike The GM Style Which was Held on By 3M Double Sided Tape, This Style Was Attached With Metal Rivets. Yes, They Drilled Into The Car To Add These. They Are Multiple Piece. A End Cap on Each Side, Center Main Section, And A Rubber Insert. The Rubber Insert Came In Many Colors Including Black, White, and Red. The Rubber Inserts Are Know To Shrink Due To Age.

There Was A Second Design Option For These Which Extended The Moldings Onto The Front Of The Fenders, And The Quarter Panels. However This Is Very Uncommon.

Non-Described Or Mentioned Option #3: Windshield Banner

Some Cars Featured A “Mecham Racing” Front Windshield Banner. There Were Two Variations Of This. Some Came With The Red/White Pinstripes Above And Below The Main Body Of The Banner As Seen Above.

But I Seen 1982 Cars With Different Decals?

Yes, Mecham Racing Had A Whole Catalog of Decals Available. However, Most Decals We See Are Standard Or Optional On The Later 1983-1986 Cars. It Is Not Too Uncommon To Find 1982 Cars With S.C.C.A Sail Panel Wreaths, Or Number Identification Decals. I Personally Believe Most Of These Decals Were Added After The Fact Or On A Case By Case Basis As The Owner Ordered A Car. The Simple “Would You Like This Decal On There, We Just Made It?” Situation. In Conclusion, They Where Not Standard.

Non-Described Or Mentioned Option #4: Badge Color

Another Hidden Option Choice Was Grey Or Body Color MSE Badges. Seen Above In “New Old Stock” From. This Was Available On Both Red, And White Cars. If Body Color Was Not Chosen, Grey Was The Default.

Non-Described Or Mentioned Option #5: Targa Top Conversion

The Exterior By The Numbers

1982 MSE Specific Decals, And Badges

As Stated Above, Badges Came In Body Color Or Grey. The “MSE” Badges Were Found On the Passenger Side Of The Bumper, Driver Side “Pop-Up” Headlight, Both Sail Panels, And A “MR” Nose Badge On The Hood. The “MSE” Badges Came In 2 Sizes. Small, And Large. The Only Small “MSE” Badge On The Exterior Of The Car Was On The Drivers “Pop-Up” Headlight.

The Decals Were Different Based On The Color Of The Car. White Cars Received The Blue/Red Pinstripe (The White Is Body Color) At The Bottom, And Red Cars Received A Sliver Stripe At The Bottom.

Many White Cars Received Red/Blue Stripes Under The “MSE” Badge. The Red Cars, On Rare Occasion, Received A White/Blue Stripe (The Red Is Body Color)

1982 MSE Specific Wheels (Added Decal/Disc)

While Most Of The MSE Cars Received Decals On The Center Caps, In Very Limited Numbers, Some Of The Center Caps Received Aluminum Discs.

The Picture On The Left Is Of A NOS Set. Quite Possibly One Of The Only Loose Complete Sets Left In Existence

Here We See A Close Up Of A The 15x7 Wheel With MR Decals Used In 1982. Mecham Went Out Of Their Way To Make These Wheels Sound Unique. Saying They Where Made By Modern Wheel Company.

However, All Mecham Racing Did Was Add “MR” Logos To The Factory Wheel Center Caps.

The Major Difference Was That Mecham Had The Same Company Make The Wheels With A Machined Face. Which GM Later Adopted As Their Own.

On The Left You Can See A Low Mile, Well Optioned 1982 Trans Am With The Same 15x7s.

On The Right, 1982-#03R…

1982 MSE Rear Wing

In 1982, Mecham Racing Designed This Rear “Whale Tail”. In The Future Mecham Racing Would Redesign This Wing To Be Lighter In 1985. The Early 1982-1984 Version Was Far Heavier.

(www.mechamperformance.com Description)

“This is the wing designed by Dennis Mecham for the 1982 MSE Race/Street program. The wing was used on the Huffaker built race cars to win the SCCA Trans Am Championship in 1982. According to GM Wind Tunnel Engineers who tested the wing to "prove" our design, the part is "very efficient making high down force numbers without adding significant drag". It was also featured on each MSE street car produced in that year and subsequent years. The Aero Tail was updated in 1984 and '85. This design is taken from the original with two exceptions. The original was a solid molded product and as such was a bit heavy and prone to stress cracks due to resin rich areas in a few of the corners. This new part is a hollow, hand laid part that is both stronger and lighter than the original while being true in dimension and design. We at Mecham Design, Performance are pleased to offer the original Aero Tail for our customers.

This wing is a direct bolt on replacement for Gen 3 Firebirds that were equipped from the factory with a rear wing that was a band across the tail with two stantions.”

Here Is The Listing For The Mecham Racing Rear Wing In The Later, 1985 Sales Catalog. The Wing Is Listed As Part Number 0010.

1982 MSE Front Air Dam

Very Few True MSE Air Dams Have Survived. Many MSE Cars Simply Received A Trans Am W62 Aero Package Front Air Dam As It Was Made Available In Late 1982, For the 1983 Model Year. MSE Pieces Can Be Identified By The Hardware Which Is Exposed. Cars Equipped With This Option Have Mounting Holes Exposed When Missing. Blow Is A Picture Of A Broken Piece Of One, And A 1983 Car (Best Picture Available)

Proper Engine, And Non-Mentioned/Listed Common Options

1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am Engine Identification

(Goal: Show Variation Between The Cars)

A 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am Engines As Described:

As Stated Above, Not All MSE Trans Am Cars Were Made Equal. The Engines Are One Of The First Places This Becomes Clear. While The Outside Appearance Of The Cars Carried A Level Of Consistency, The Engines Faced A Different Fate. The Was Largely Because With The “Git Kit” Installed, The Mecham Cars Would Not Be Emissions Compliant For The Time.

The Mecham Racing “Git Kit”

Very Much Unknown, The Git Kit Came In Stages

Base Mecham Racing Appearance Package No Git Kit 0 HP Gain (125 HP LG4)
Git Kit With Factory Exhaust 50 HP Gain (175 HP 305 LG4) (Lets Call This Stage #1)
Git Kit With Duel Exhaust 75 HP Gain (200 HP 305 LG4) (Duel Exhaust Was Optional) (Lets Call This Stage #2)
Git Kit With Everything Plus Cam And Gear Swap 175 HP Gain (300 HP 305 LG4) (Lets Call This Stage #3)
Git Kit Optional As A Side Package Loose Of a Car $650 ($1971.22 In 2023)

1982 MSE Trans Am #49

Non-Git Kit Car. Base LG4 Engine That Came In Mostly All 1982 Trans Am Cars. Worst Of The LG4 Engines. Nothing Special. Worn, And Tired, Its Blue Engine Paint Long Gone.

1982 MSE Trans Am #148

Git Kit Level 1 Car. Base LG4 Engine With Holley 4BBL Carburetor, Edelbrock Intake Manifold, Mallory Distributor, Low Restriction Air Cleaner, Tri-Y Headers. #148 Is Missing Its High Flow Air Cleaner, And Also The Edelbrock Intake Manifold Appears To Be Missing Or Painted Over As Its Still Blue (#148 Has 51,000 Miles, Likely Painted over, And Air Cleaner Not Used By a Sneaky Owner).

1982 MSE Trans Am #148 Continued*

Question: How Do We Know This Is a Level 1 Git Kit?

Answer: This Is Not a True Duel Exhaust Car. Here We See, Some Very Neatly Tucked, Headers Feed Into A Large Tube Y-Pipe With Single Exit.

A 1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am Engines As Described:

1982 MSE Trans Am #148 Continued*

Here You Can See A Factory Exhaust Set Up. Don’t Be Fooled By The Duel Input. It Splits When It Goes Over The Rear Axle.

1982 MSE Trans Am #36

Git Kit Level 2 Car. Base LG4 Engine With Holley 4BBL Carburetor, Edelbrock Intake Manifold, Mallory Distributor, Low Restriction Air Cleaner, Tri-Y Headers. Here You Can See The High Flow Open Air Element Air Cleaner.

Edit: #36 Recently Discovered To Be A LVL 3 Car. More to Follow Below.

1982 MSE Trans Am #36 Continued*

Here You Can See The Git Kit Duel Exhaust Run The Length Of The Car. If you Look Closely, You Can See It Has A H Pipe Also Installed. (Installed Later, Verified By Last 3 Owners Of The Car)

Edit: #36 Recently Discovered To Be A LVL 3 Car. More to Follow Below.

1982 MSE Trans Am #36 Continued*

Here You Can See The Git Kit Duel Exhaust Run Into Stock GM Mufflers. Very Interesting How They Did This.

1982 MSE Trans Am #87

Git Kit Level 3 Car. Cam Shaft/Gear Swap LG4 Engine With Holley 4BBL Carburetor, Edelbrock Intake Manifold, Mallory Distributor, Low Restriction Air Cleaner, Tri-Y Headers.

1982 MSE Trans Am #87 Continued*

While Looking Exactly The Same As The Level 2 Engine. The Cam Swap Is Hidden Inside, But Those Numbers On The Dyno Sheet Show Are Not As Shy.

A Dyno Or Engine Tear Down Would Be Needed To Verify A Level 3 Car.

Below Is The Cam Used In The Level 3 Cars, And The Later “Macho 5.7” Engines. A Clay Smith H-6474-4-B. This One Is Off A 1984 Car.

The “Git Kit” By The Numbers

The “Git Kit” Was Developed By Huffaker Engineering, Now Known As Huffaker Motorsports. They Are A Real, No Compromise, Motorsport Company With Decades Of Experience. They Built The Race Cars For The Mecham Racing SCCA Team. Best Said In Their Own Words:

“Huffaker has a 50-year history of building championship winning race car engines from small bore BMCs to fire breathing V-8’s and everything in between. Huffaker-built engines have been part of 35 SCCA and multiple-Trans Am Championships. The Huffaker team knows how to extract top performance and reliability from every type of motor. We have an in-house engine dyno for rent or as a turn key solution.” (huffakermotorsports.com)

Sadly, There Is Not Much Mention Of The Mecham Racing Days On Their Website Only This:

“Huffaker won the 1982 Trans-Am Championship with Elliott Forbes-Robinson behind the wheel”- In A Mecham Racing TA By Over 50 Points……

The “Git Kit” Holley Carburetor

The “Git Kit” Carburetor Was A Holley 600 CFM. A 1850-3 To Be Exact. This Example Is Off 1982-#36. It Was Removed, And Replaced Due To Its Old Age. The Date Codes On This One Puts It at The 313th Day Of 1979. So It Sat For A Few Years Before It Met MSE #36. Mecham Racing Part Number Is Unknown.

Sadly, There Is Not Much Mention Of The Mecham Racing Days On Their Website Only This:

“Huffaker won the 1982 Trans-Am Championship with Elliott Forbes-Robinson behind the wheel”- In A Mecham Racing TA By Over 50 Points……

The “Git Kit” High Flow Open Air Element Intake

The “Git Kit” Open Element Filter Was Nothing Too Crazy. Seen Rusty And True On 1982-#66, It Did Its Job For The Time. To Date, I have Yet To See A “MR” Nose Badge On The Filter Lid. The 2nd, And 3rd Pictures Are From The Much Later 1985 MR Parts Catalog. Mecham Part Number 0021. The Last Pictures Are Of A Restored Intake Off 1982-#40R.

The “Git Kit” Champion Spark Plugs

The “Git Kit” Spark Plugs Are Still Available Today. They Are “Champion 406 RV12YC Spark Plugs”. In The First Picture You Can See A Vintage NOS Pack Of Them. Copper Plugs, Pretty Standard Stuff.

Original Git Kit Install Instructions

The “Git Kit” Tri-Y Headers, And Y Pipe

Here We Have The “Git Kit’ Tri-y Headers. These Came In 2 Styles. Y-Pipe (Git Kit Level #1), And Duel Exhaust (Git Kit Level #2). Mecham Racing Part Number #0019. Below Is A NOS Set With Gaskets Pictured As Well.

The “Git Kit” Edelbrock Intake Manifold

The “Git Kit” Intake Manifold Was A Edelbrock Performer 2101. This Intake Manifold Is Still Largely Available Today. However, Notice The Proper Markings, And Intake Design As Later 2101s Have Slight Differences. You Can Find These For Roughly $100 Used Today. No Mecham Racing Part Number Currently Available>

The “Git Kit” Ignition System

The “Git Kit” Ignition System Was A Complete Change From The OEM HEI Distributor System. The Stock Distributor Was Replaced With A Mallory Distributor. The Coil Was Also Replaced With Mallory Ignition Coil. As Previously Stated, The Git Kit Cars Received Champion Spark Plugs. They Were Mated To A Set Of 8MM Mallory Spark Plug Wires.

New Old Stock Examples Can Be Seen On The Left. No Mecham Racing Part Numbers Are Available.

The Plug Wires Are No Longer Available. However Accel Makes A Close Set.

The Mallory 29217 Coil Is No Longer Made. However 29219 Is.

The Mallory Distributor Is Also Out Of Production

Proper Interior, And Non-Mentioned/Listed Common Options

1982 Mecham Racing Trans Am Interior Identification

(Goal: Show Variation Between The Cars)

Mecham Racing 170 MPH Speedometer/Tachometer

The 170 MPH Speedometer In 1982 Was A True One Off Piece. Unlike In 1982-1985, Where It Just Was A Decal Inlay. The Last Tack On The Speedometer Is The 170 Mark. Mecham Part Number 0031F/C (Firebird/Camaro). One Way To Also Tell A 1982 Speedometer Apart From 1983-1985 Is The 7-Digit Odometer

The MR Tachometer, As In Regards To The 1982 Model, I Cannot Verify As A One Off Piece, As I Have Never Had A Loose Example. Mecham Part Number 0032F/C (Firebird/Camaro)

Here You Can See A Rebuilt 1982 Speedometer, Next To Some NOS MSE Inlays.

NOT Every MSE Had These.

Below You Can See MSE 1982-#95 Without The Mecham Gauges. Also A Close Up Of The Standard 1982 Instrumentation.

Key Feature Shown As Not Being Included From MSE.

Mecham Racing 4-Spoke Steering Wheel

While Many 4 Spoke Steering Wheels Were Produced Then, And Even Now. The MSE Wheel Was Unique To MSE Production. (Used 1982-1986 Firebird And Camaro MSE Production). Mecham Part Number 0033

Again, Not Every MSE Car In 1982, Received Every Part Listed In The Mecham Catalog. Here You Can See 1982-#42 (Left), And 1982-#47 (Right).

Key Feature Shown As Not Being Included From MSE.

Motorola Sound System By ARA

The Main Feature Of The Sound System Was A Motorola Head Unit Made By ARA. Above You Can See A Example Of Its Original Manual.

The Head Unit Pictured Is In Car 1982-#97. This Is The Adapter Used For The Single Din Deck. Off 1982-#167.

Shown Here Are The Added Door Speakers. The Top Pictures Are Car 1982-#207, The Bottom Left Is From Car 1982-#93, And The Bottom Right Is From 1982-#167.

Not A Standard MSE Feature, Purely Optional

I Unfortunately Do Not Have Pictures Of The Dash And Sail Panel Speaker As of 3/2023

MSE Interior Badges

The 1982 MSE Center Console Badge Was Located Under The Shifter. 1982 Cars, As Stated Above, Had a “R” Logo For The Red Cars (1982 Only). 1982-1984 Cars Only

The 1982-1985 Cars Had This MSE Badge On The Map Pocket. They Were All The Same Style/Color.