Power is routed to the rear wheels through a 4L60E four-speed automatic transmission and a 10-bolt rear axle. The transmission is said to have been rebuilt under prior ownership. An aftermarket dual exhaust system has been fitted and terminates before the rear axle.
It also was the most aerodynamic production Firebird to date with a drag coefficient of 0.33. The new Trans Am took things a bit further, with a coefficient of .32.[6] The Trans Am body would continue to improve aerodynamically over the years, and by 1985 would be the most aerodynamic vehicle to ever be released from General Motors with a 0.29 coefficient of drag. Wind tunnels were used to form the third-generation F-Body's shape, and these aerodynamic developments were fully taken advantage of by Pontiac's design team. The sleek new car had a low slung front end which featured split grilles. They fed some air to the radiator but most of the air came from an air dam underneath the front bumper.
The all-aluminum 1969 ZL1 version of the 427 engine was developed primarily for Can-Am racing,[citation needed] which did not require homologation to compete,