The Firebird Esprit was offered as a luxury model that came with appearance options, the deluxe interior package, and a Pontiac 350 as standard equipment.

The Ram Air IV was exclusive to the Trans Am, and could not be ordered on any of the lower Firebird models.

The difference between the GTO and Firebird engines was that the secondary carburetor's throttle linkage had a restrictor which prevented the rear barrels from opening completely,[3] but adjusting the linkage could allow full carburetor operation resulting in identical engine performance.

The "Trans Am" decals were larger than previous versions and shared the same accent color schemes as the hood bird.

The new "Horse Collar" optional custom interior featured new seat coverings and door panels.

All Pontiac engines included a new EGR system, which delayed the SD-455 program until late into the production year.

A June 1974 test of a newly delivered, privately owned SD-455 Trans Am appeared in Super Stock and Drag Illustrated.

A production line stock 1974 SD455 produced 253 rear wheel HP on a chassis dyno, as reported by High Performance Pontiac magazine (January 2007).

The cars in the show were badged as lower-tier Esprit models but were Formulas with the twin-scoop hood replaced with a scoopless one.

The turn signals were moved up from the valance panel to the grills which helped distinguish the 1975 from the 1974 front end as they are otherwise similar.

The smaller TurboHydramatic 350 automatic was deemed suitable as the power output for the engine had significantly decreased from the earlier years.

It was a standard D-port engine with a low profile camshaft and restrictive exhaust system that was also seen in the larger body Pontiac platforms.

[21] To commemorate this event, Pontiac unveiled a special Trans Am option at the 1976 Chicago Auto Show.

[22] 1976 marked the end of the Pontiac L75 7.5 liter 455 V8, as it could no longer meet the tightening emissions restrictions and the "HO" moniker used the year prior was dropped.

1976 also introduced the "W50 appearance package" for the Formula model line, consisting of a two-tone appearance package with lower accents across the bottom of the body, a large "Formula" decal across the bottom of each door, and a "Firebird" decal on the rear spoiler.

[27] As Pontiac had discontinued the 455 in the previous model year, a modified 400 Pontiac V8 dubbed the "T/A 6.6" RPO W72 with a single four-barrel 800CFM Rochester Quadrajet carburettor rated at 200 bhp (203 PS; 149 kW) at 3,600 rpm and a maximum torque of 325 lb⋅ft (441 N⋅m) at 2,400 rpm, as opposed to the regular "6.6 Litre" 400 (RPO L78) rated at 180 hp (134 kW).

The 6x4 heads were used on early Pontiac 350 blocks that helped increase the compression, and also had hardened valve seats for a higher RPM operating range.

The L80 Oldsmobile 403 V8 had slightly more power than the standard L78 Pontiac 400 at 185 hp (138 kW) and offered the same low-end torque of 320 lb⋅ft (430 N⋅m) at a more usable operating range of 2,200rpm.

[29] From 1977 to 1981, the Firebird used four square headlamps, while the Camaro continued to retain the two round headlights that had been shared by both second-generation designs.

The decals for the standard Trans Ams changed from the "looping style" lettering to the "block-style" font that would remain on the Firebird until the end of the second generation.

[31] The W72 engine option also saw a revision to the camshaft duration and the tuning of the Rochester Quadrajet which lead to a 10% increase of horsepower from the following year, bringing the total to 220 hp.

The WS6 special performance package developed by Herb Adams was introduced as a handling option for the Trans Am, including a larger diameter rear sway bar, tighter ratio steering box, 15x8-inch snowflake wheels, additional frame bracing, as well as other suspension changes.

Delays in manufacturing prevented the rear disc brake (RPO J65) from being available on the 1978 model year.

This was the last of the line for the Pontiac large displacement V8 engines, and only available with the Borg-Warner Super T-10, also requiring the WS6 handling package as mandatory equipment in conjunction with this driveline choice.

[33] A limited-edition anniversary package was made available: platinum silver paint with charcoal gray upper paint accents, mirrored T-top panels, a special interior featuring silver leather seats with custom-embroidered Firebird emblems and aircraft-inspired red lighting for the gauges.

Two 10th anniversary Trans Ams were the actual pace cars for the 1979 Daytona 500, which has been called the race that made NASCAR.

No manual transmission was available for the Formula or Trans Am in 1980, all received the 3-speed automatic Turbo Hydramatic 350.

[35][36] A 1980 Turbo Trans Am was featured in the movie Smokey and the Bandit II, but was fitted with nitrous oxide tanks by Marvin Miller Systems to get the desired performance.

As with all other General Motors vehicles for 1981, all engines came equipped with the "computer command control" system attached to the carburetor.

This decision was made by Pontiac to prepare dealers for the new ordering and pricing for the third generation Firebird where the G80 was no longer being included as a standard option for the Trans Am.