You saw
Smokey & The Bandit as a kid too

I saw it at the cinema, when it was released (& I was 12)
(or '
Hooper'.....)
For the capacity of the engine, all the US regulations of the time, really strangled the engine, to about 180BHP??
The film cars were no doubt, highly modified - NASCAR specification engines? (& maybe manual transmissions too?)
Not sure if you've seen the Richard Rawlings ego show (Fast n Loud), but they renovated one for a challenge, it was a 2 parter, with a partial recreation of the film
Including Aaron, as Cletus, in a Kenworth W900, with 'bandit' trailer
There's also this place, that builds 'up to the minute' Trans-Ams & Firebirds
https://transamflorida.com/VIDEOS.htm
Is 550BHP enough??
https://transamflorida.com/1528.htm
I like how they term it '
Blocker'
I'm sure you know why
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJu5e6IouDw