1977 Pontiac Trans Am
Driven by Alex Davidson and James Davidson
For 1986 Alex and Jim Davidson entered again in Alex's Trans Am.
This time the car was modified further with a larger fuel tank [of x litres?] replacing the back seat leaving no room this time for a third driver. The engine was rebuilt and the car was painted in a stealthy grey primer and black colour.
They suffered an alternator or battery problem while driving across the Nullarbor [not NSW?] and had to drive at night with only a torch for light.
At the Western Australian border they were stopped by police who believed they were part of a race. They were put in the back of a police car and the police pressured them to admit they were part of a race. They wouldn't admit to this and eventually the police let them go but defected the car for not having a battery bracket (a result of their electrical problems).
The police wanted to impound the car but with some help from a Kalgoorlie solicitor the police agreed to let them put the car on a truck and leave the state.
As a result they were not able to finish the race and returned home. Alex estimates that based on their time up until that point that they would have finished the race in around 29.5 hours.
Alex and Jim also competed in the same Trans Am in the 1994 Northern Territory Cannonball Run. The engine was changed to a 7.4-litre (454 ci), which is still fitted today. Unfortunately they had a mechanical problem and weren't able to finish the event.
The Trans Am was recently sold to a relative and is undergoing restoration. Alex hopes to buy the car back in the future. He's also putting together a book about the car and it's history in these races and other stories.
