I'm now 43. I bought my 1981 Trans Am when I was 18 for $3300. Sold it for $3000, five years later, and then bought it back 2 years later for $400. After sitting and waiting for 25 years to restore my beautiful car, it's àlmost done.removed the 301 and put in a 455. Kept the 301, Still debating on spending the money to restore it.
I ordered a '79 403 automatic with WS6 and no A/C (Nocturne blue with tan guts). The saleman said it would come with a 2.73 rear end. But it was delivered with a 3.23 rear end with rear discs (same gearing as the 4spd 400). I've read like WS6 403s ordered without A/C got the 3.23 gears. The car is plenty quick but sucks gas and tops out at a not much over 100mph. I still have the car in 2022.
I had one like this except mine had T tops with the 403 and automatic transmission, which I had the engine rebuilt after I purchased the car and who ever had it before me had put 1980 turbo wheels on it and it really looked good. I wish I still had it too and I'm sure a lot of other T/A owners have said the same thing.
Old ex salesman here; I get my kicks watching people sell whatever and I find Mr. Fleming to be one of the most enjoyable and able I have seen; now, I have yet to buy a car from him but I really enjoy his pitches. Who knows, maybe I'll break down and succumb to his salesmanship and affability someday........
I dunno. To me, he seems to talk like the "classic" salesman from back in the day. I've met so may like him. Fast-talking, only mention the positives; in other words, a decent salesman. Maybe he'd be better in person. I don't envy him. It's a tough job. "What can I do to get you into this car...today?"
it still is a chic magnet !! I love TAs .... I own two show quality Trans Ams ; a 79 black Y84 400 4 speed t-tops , and a 73 455 white automatic and both steal the show wherever they go , even from exotic cars ....) we used to have them in great numbers in Saudi Arabia back in 1970s and 1980s
First of all, on my brother's Trans Am he had back in the day, the dip stick was black, and I believe it was powder coated, not painted. Second, just like my '80 Z28, my brother's' 79 T/A had a space saver spare that had a charged cartridge mounted in the trunk under the tire that inflated the space saver. Lastly, I believe the 8" wheels are part of the WS6 package.
space saver was optional, and NOTHING was powder coated. I know, I set these cars up right off the truck at a Pontiac dealership. PS, we tossed tons of space savers out back in a pile, with their cartridges. They had high failure rates and people could NOT wrap their head around a paper this side wall tire, and lack of air to inflate when its winter.
Your wrong about the powder coating. GM powder coated many things inside the engine compartment, including the air cleaner, dipstick, etc. As far as the spare, like I said, my brother had a '79 Trans Am and I had 2 '80 Camaros, one a Berlinetta, the other a Z28, and ALL THREE had space savers in the trunk. Even my father's Cadillac had one. I'm pretty sure you couldn't get a GM car at that time without one. The issue is not what the dealer did with some of them, but what was originally from the factory. And I've worked at a dealership and never heard of voluntarily yanking anything. The customer may request it, but they paid for it. And we didn't just chuck them over a hill or something like that. Lmao
LOL< There was zinc plating ( dipstick) and Paint, and except for the air cleaner it was CHEAP alkyd paint just to keep things from rusting. In fact by 79 there next to ZERO black under the cars at all. They had surface rust right off the truck. Many space savers were removed to make a sale, depends on what part of the country you are in. While there was Imron, and powder coating was on an industrial scale, there was NO Powder coated items in a 79 Bird. Think about the costs, and the life expectancy. These cars were designed for 5-7 years MAX. Air cleaner has a better enamel on it, and dipstick was a clear Zinc which has a shiny appearance. You can believe what YOU want to believe though.... so Believe on....... I was there...
I've still got my "Air Induction" air cleaner from my Z28, and it's black powder coated with some sort of smoke spun finish on the lid, which was smaller than the base due to the working scoop.
Maaaaaaaaan!!!!! I am 52 years old. I have not seen this Bird since I was 16 yrs old and used to to take my drivers test in. It was identical. Indpls. Steels auto sales ended up with it. Doubt this is it. But wow is my heart excited to see it.
If you ever owned a Trans Am then you get it. If you haven't owned one...well. What can I say. Its not a Camero, its not a Mustang its a T/A This is the biggest chick magnet that was ever built. What is not to love about this T/A. My friend has one just like it for sale. Absolutely as nice as this. I had a 78 Capt Midnight Blue, with a powder blue interior...Back in the day
Intimidator Ss absolutley right, but the 79 10th Ann was tops. I owned one from 81-83. Only complaint as oversteer. Here in NY back in day highways was like mine field.
I get you man. I had a 79 that was this same color combination. I had the 403 Olds with Auto. Mine was not stock. No idea what kind of power it had (headers with duel exhaust. I modded my shaker hood to be functional. I had the 160 mph speedo from a wrecked 74 SD455. Mine came with the skinny rims, but I got a set of 1980 Turbo TA Rims. You had to drive one. That huge hood out in front of ya. Loved this car.
Absolutely. I owned a solar gold 1979 with the Olds 403. It may have only been rated at 185 hp, but it sure felt like more than that. That thing had torque to burn, and would just fly down the road. Sure, for drag racing, any Chevelle SS could blow its doors off, but there was nothing like it for cruising down the interstate at high speed. That's what this thing was made for, and it excelled at it. I felt like a goddamn King every time I got behind the wheel. I later bought a 1981 Z28, and that car just didn't give me that same "Like a King" feeling that the Trans Am did. Also, the rumble from the factory exhaust from the 403 was really nice as well. That engine was super-reliable, and never gave me any problems. I really do miss that car.
i was 19 and had a 79 in midnight blue and tan seats .beautiful car.my friend had a 80 corvette,he wouldnt race me,guest he knew i would beat him. lots of great memories in that car.
Richard Bradley I know how you feel missing getting. back the car shoot When I get my Dream car I really getting a 70 Dodge Challenger 426 Hemi or 440 I will probably be getting a 6 spd manual or automatic for me a stick shift pulls faster than the automatic and Cousin has a Camaro SS 09 with V8 even is automatic when I get my Dream car for Christmas I will race him on that currently No JOKE LOL
A friend had one in high school in 92 and they are total hogs on gas, 6.6 liter, you can actually watch the fuel gauge go down when your rolling heavy down the highway at 90mph. And that's the sweet spot with these cars, 60-120 in like 4 sec, and high cruising speeds. Car was a F-ing beast
I think 60-120 would have been more like 16-20 seconds. The cars were 0-60 in 6.5, quarter in 14.9ish at around 100 mph. 100 to 120 would take probaby another 8-10 sec. My '79 t/a which had a 600hp 463" pontiac went 0-100.2 in 7.65 sec. (1/8 mile), qtr 11.6 @ 120.24. So, even with 600hp, it took 4 seconds to go 100 to 120.
The 79 403 Olds motor was automatic only and said 6.6 Liter on the scoop. The 400 Pontiac was a 4 speed only model and said TA 6.6 on the scoop, the easiest way to tell them apart.
I drive a 76 Formula 400 every single day! Except today? Drove the 90 Formula I'm building for my son! I'm not a rich man, until I leave for work and see my life choices sitting in the driveway! My Formula came from someone I consider a mentor. His name was Don, a man wright with god who called me family. We all called him Pops! As a kid, I used to ask him when he was going to sell me that car! He told me "When a man has the cash, anything is for sale" We would have a laugh. When he passed away, Grams knew I wanted the firebird. She held onto it for a year not letting anyone so much as look at it because she knew what it meant to me and the family. Then I stepped up with the cash! When I look at my car, drive her or work on her, I truly fell blessed by the hand of Pops! Grams takes a ride every time she visits! I love my car and she loves me back every single day!
I had this exact car in this nocturne blue on blue, lots of these cars were made with a gold bird and the tan interior except mine had the blue hobnail cloth interior. I was 20 years old and it did have the 4 speed which the only way it came was with the WS-6 pkg with 18" wheels. I ordered that car and I had the best memories with that car I drove that car into the ground !
@@googleusergp Gonna have to see it to believe it, you've got a specific example? I was around these cars when they were new and all were 3.23 that I saw.
@@thud9797 Stamping code "PO" is clearly listed for 1979. We've owned once since new and I still have it. My parents bought an '80 new and I have a 10th Anniversary (400/4 speed. That has a 3.23).
Flemming doesn't quite know the details of these cars, The TA 400 Pontiac engines dipsticks were not painted from the factory rather they were silver cad plated rather to keep a metallic theme with the chrome valve covers. 400 engines were not painted Pontiac blue either since !975 they were painted Corporate Colors. The 79 was painted in Corporate blue that first appeared in 1977.
@@Formulabruce I believe the corporate blue was a bit darker than what's shown in this car. In mid 1977 from what I remember, they went from the "powder blue" to the corporate blue on the engines. Of course, 1979 400 engines were left over 1978 W72 engines. My 10th Anniversary has a 400 with parts cast late in 1977 (October from what I remember seeing on the parts that have date codes easily visible).
@@Formulabruce My '79 was the color in the video. The paint was horrible because the engines must have sat in a damp warehouse for a year before they went in the cars. But the vacuum lines and other things had the original greenish/blue color.
He neglected to mention the Pontiac 400 was rated at 220 horsepower and only cane with a 4 speed that year. The Olds 403 (which I had) was rated at 185 and though I'm entirely sure, may have only been available with an automatic. The Pontiac motor had the "T/A 6.6" decal on the shaker; the Olds motor decal said "6.6 LITRE." My car wasn't terribly fast but it was still lots of fun. Always wish I kept it. If I had the resources I'd have swapped the engine/ drive train for something modern like what the new Camaro SS is running.
Yes my car when purchased new at 185 hp and an automatic with 2.41 rear gears was not quick but it would do 160 mph. Now after all these years I still have it in mint condition except the engine has been easily modified to 360hp and gearing changed to propel this car as fast as a new V6 Camaro LOL
Pontiac motors are popular in aftermarket. A 400 set up right can do as good as a LS motor. I had watched 2 friends race back in 1979. One had the 400 and the other had the 403. After about a mile of racing the 403 overtook the 400. That thing had crazy gearing going 100 mph in 2nd gear. auto trans.
If I remember right in '79 the 403 had a 3.08 rear gear ratio and the T/A 400 had a 3.23 rear gear. Had a buddy you had a '77 400 with a 2.40-70? rear gear.
Yeah gearing had a lot to do with it. I raced a guy in a 400 T/A, myself in a 350 Olds and it did take about a mile, maybe two to overtake and pass him. Steering wheel was bouncing like crazy at ~ 140MPH, stock olds suspensions sucked.
Dip stick should be gray, should have a space saver spare, speaker grill covers are not correct, should have a 3.23 rear axle, WS-6 also had a special fixed ratio steering box
Initially the 403 was offered In 77 for California and High Altitude regions because of cleaner emissions over the Pontiac 400. Pontiac 400 production seized after the 78 model run and some 8600 plus W72 400 were stockpiled from 78 for the 79 4 speed cars only so the 403 with automatic only came into play as the standard powerplant in 79 TA's as well as the Pontiac 301 which was a credit option.
@@moutnlovr2 Correct. Also, I believe that the 403 Olds engines may have been used due to excess capacity and back then, most customers wouldn't know and/or did not car since it had a "big engine" in it. I looked at a 403 equipped 1979 Solar Gold car that belonged to the original owner (this was around 1998 or 1999) and the guy was so off on details, it was too funny. "Yea, I told the salesman I wanted the biggest engine" (true, but the 400 even though 3 cid smaller was a lot faster and more powerful). "Yea, this is a special edition" (No, it's Solar Gold, Code #50, a regular one of about 120k Trans Ams made that year. This is compounded by the issue that GM original called Solar Gold "Special Edition Solar Gold" so everyone thought that they had an SE car, when in reality, Solar Gold was available on any Trans Am that year. LOL).
Pontiac engine makers went on strike and relied on Olds to keep production up. I had the 79 gold T/A auto 403 Olds it topped out at 170mph I bought it in 81 w/ 44000 miles on it
The 1979 Pontiac is the best car ever made :D Needs to be black. Oh at 5:40.... did he just tap the key on the (GLASS) back window!!!! WTF DUDE!!!!!! :O
Paul Bernardo hi. I had the 79 10th anniversary in 81. I always liked the formula,esp the hood scoops. I never knew they used the 403 in formula. My father in law(back in late 70s) had a 78 or 79 Buick estate station wagon, and the uncle a 79 Buick Electra and both buicks had a 403 but a 2bbl carb.
Lowered the front 1" by cutting 1/2 coil. Bilstein shocks. Lowered the rear and improved anti-squat by raising the front bushing 3/4". All poly bushings including sub-frame. Original 1 1/4" front and 3/4" rear sway bars poly'd, Competition Engineering traction bars. Bilstein shocks. Electric Fuel pump in line with mechanical (only turn it on selectively). Carb tuned. MSD 6AL ignition limited to 5600 rpm. Denny's drive shaft with loop. Battery relocated to trunk. Kill switch. 3 row radiator. Strange Axles with C-clip eliminator. 255 PZeros on 15x8 snowflakes. 3.08 gears with rebuilt LSD. Bearing cap pre-load aluminum cover. Rebuilt transmission with shift kit, deep sump and temp gage. Clutch fan for 3.08 gears. Edelbrock high torque cam, dual springs, pushrods, 1.6 rockers, heat cross over blocked. 6 quart oil pan, Hurst dual gate shifter. Hooker headers, dual 2 1/2" magnaflow exhaust, 8 speaker bluetooth stereo with dual amps. All new ball joints recently. I shift at a very low 5000 rpm and it will spin street tires when it hits 2nd gear.....I use 275 Mickey Thompsons at the track.
No. It was a 400 ci motor. Only the 400 ci and the 455 ci (California) were available when Smokey and the Bandit was made. It was a 1976 car with a 1977 front end for the movie
A/C was still optional until the middle of the 79 model year so possible to have a 79 T/A without it. But yes, all Trans Ams had power steering and brakes.
You're mistaken. The hood bird is correct on that 79. 78 was the last year the bird faced driver side (left side), except for the 80-81 turbos. The 78 Y88 new gold 5 color hood bird, and the new 79-80 5 color hood birds, and the 81 shaker hood bird, all originally face to the passenger side (right side).
Me too... I used to love to scare the horses and the men during the Civil War with mine... Guys would literally shit their pants when I came barreling over a hill in this thing... It was MAYHEM I tell ya !!
My dad has a original 79 dark blue Trans am with t-top, 8 track cassette player, with only 49,000 miles on it. It's setting in his garage covered with blankets. I remember him driving me to school in it. the envy of all my friends, at least for that moment. lol Can someone with some knowledge please tell me what it could sell for in todays market. Believe me,it is very clean and all original, except for the celling plastic,which had to be replaced. It started to sag. My dad paid $11,000 for it in 79. the car dealer was in San Bernardino Ca.
Here in Cali they usually go for 2-50k it all depends on what you have and how good of condition it is. If it's mint and everything runs prefect, an easy 15-20k.
+teamdicky91 I own a '79 TA and reside in the San Fran East Bay. Unfortunately, you have a CA T/A which means you have the 403 Oldsmobile engine with automatic transmission. This prevents the car from being rare. The power plant is the most important item. Much fewer T/A's have the Pontiac 400 manual transmission which were illegal in CA in '79. The good news is that it is a one owner car and completely stock. It is important that there is no rust on the body of the car which there should not be in your case. If you have T-Tops, WS6 (decals on exterior door handles have decals 4 Wheel Disc, hobnail cloth interior and the original build sheet (usually located inside the driver's bucket seat, the value of your TA increases. The best way to price the car is to search for '79 TA's for sale online and attempt to match what you have with what similarly equipped TA's are going for. Keep in mind though that being a one owner and totally stock will increase the value of yours. Trans Ams over the past two years have finally become more popular and the values are rising.
+teamdicky91 When you have the coinage, have the necessary mechanical work performed to make it drive-able and show it off around town. You and I both know there aren't many around. People are always asking me about mine.
@@mattthompson6097 Could be a clone, but the vin would tell. The sway bar was not heavy, and the cars did handle great. They were voted best handling car that year in one of the car mags. Might have been the 1980, not 100% sure.
These looked better WITHOUT the decals...If you ordered them that way back in the day, It actually cost you MORE to delete the "chicken", because they had to go to that section of the line, and turn the machinery off that put the stuff on for that particular vehicle...
I ordered mine without the hood decal in 1979, it was a stand alone option. I checked the copy of the window sticker that I have and nothing is mentioned.
As allways love your vidios keep them comming toney i cant wait till the day i go in your yard and buy a car from you allways nice cars really nice inventory you seem to be a really nice man that loves cars as mutch as i do all cars hope to see ya untill keep up the great vidios
In 1982 I had the 79 10th Anniversary. It was the fastest American production car made in 1979. It had the Olds 403cu Auto. If you never saw one with triple silver, extented bird, Leather interior with embroidered birds I suggest you do. Car oversteered horrible,very tight stiff bumpy ride. One trick I learned was keeping the fuel tank full as possible for better ride. The 400cu/4speed edition was and is rare. The 403 was heavley smogged with 190hp total!!! And that was fastest production car then. The car was awsome to look at better to drive seemed faster then it was. I broke the 100 or 120 speedo cable assbly after burying it the first month. had thoaty exhaust. The faster you drove the quieter and better the car performed. This TA you show is very nice to see and the 400/4speed is and always will be a great surprise to enthuesists eyes. Peace
The 400 was what made the T/A the fastest American production car that year. Those 403s are dogs. Don't know why the hell they were even put into the cars.
***** That was part of it starting in 1977 but by 1979 the Pontiac 400 was no longer produced and only some 8672 400's were left over from the 78 production run for use in 79 Trans Am's and 346 Formulas. So the 403 was offered nation wide in 79 only with the automatic as the standard TA engine, a 301 with 4 speed or automatic was also offered as a delete option.
Peter Chronis I know I tried real hard to get the 400 pontiac motor in 1979 but had to settle for the Olds 403. On the shaker hood scope if it says T/A 6.6 thats the Pontiac 400 the 6.6 Liter logo is the 403, I did change the rear end gears out on my TA, which made the car much quicker, but before I sold it I had the chance to race a 79 T/A 6.6 with 4 speed and he still beat me but not by much.
Shiftin Gearz The 403 Olds powered TA was not the fastest production car in 79. The TA6.6 4 speed was one of the fastest. I hate to admit this but a 79 Z28 would smoke the 403.
I had an 80 Turbo trans am pace car which was beautiful to look at inside and out, but did not perform as one would expect. I would still love to get another one. Still love the car.
Was nice till I saw that nasty light blue interior...yuck. I used to love the lines of this vehicle...thought it was one of the sexiest things on 4 wheels...they had beautiful Rear Ends my fav area of these and Camaro's of the same vintage.
I'm not a fan of the blue interior either, but that's the way cars were back in the '70s - the interior often matched the exterior. My aunt drove a horrible green Mercury station wagon with a hideous green vinyl inside. It made me want to vomit then, and remembering it still makes me sick. What I would love to see and maybe own would be one of these TAs in midnight black with a tan leather interior. I bet that would rock.
take care all of you detroit gm pmd cars lovers and as much burt reynolds and his movies before year mr.Nelson1963 auto 79 cloth interior used hollywood honda usa fl florida federal highway broward county to let you know
+Formula Firebird Yes and if you lived in the South it would charbroil you. I had a 1981 Turbo Trans Am, Oyster White, Recaro Edition. It had T-Tops and it was one of the very few "Ponchos" that never leaked but just going down the road at a steady speed, it groaned and creaked so much, it reminded me of a Stephen King movie. Sitting still it looked like it was rolling 100 mph but when you drove it, you soon realized that it was "All Show & No Go". I sold it in 1989 for $2,500, it only had 78,000 but it was costing me more money than my house payment was, lol. It was miserable to drive in summertime with those "glass ovens" on top. A 113 degree heat was normal where I lived at the time. I have a few Polaroid Instamatic pics of it along with the original window sticker somewhere in my "paper poltergeist". I still vividly remember the MSRP in 1981, $15,683.01. The reason I can remember the exact price was a joke directed toward GM. The largest and richest automaker in the world at the time found it necessary to add .01 cent to the MSRP, lol. Out of the 2500 SE Recaro units that Pontiac manufactured, my TTA was the only unit that GM added a penny on it, lol. In 1998, I discovered that the TTA finally made the prestigious top 10 list......as in the top 10 list of the worst cars made in the US, lol.
These are high volume, poorly built low quality cars, and most likely will never have any "collectors" value. Performance was, well, really poor, even with the gas sucking huge engines. I think they netted less horspower that a modern 4 cylinder engine! Finally, to make things more difficult, is the fact that the front end on the '79 is really ugly! Of course, you can still buy one for less than they cost new, and it won't hurt anything to gut the drive line and suspension out to make it a decent driver (if you even like what these cars really are: A Camaro with plastic peices hung all over the place)
"These are high volume, poorly built low quality cars, and most likely will never have any "collectors" value. " I`ll agree with the first part of that sentence, but you`ve clearly not done research on the collectability of the T/A 6.6, 4-speed www.ebay.com/itm/1979-Pontiac-Trans-Am/162685827544?hash=item25e0d4b9d8:g:w6IAAOSwWGlZzxMl&vxp=mtr
I think your missing the point, they were loud, fast, fun cars so kids could drive people crazy and help them get laid. They had alot of top end too, and people love collecting them so idk wtf ur talking bout. T.e.h.o
Yes, they were high volume (about 45 cars an hour at Norwood, OH where they were made, similar at Van Nuys too), but if they don't have any collector's value, how come a guy like Fleming is selling them? He wouldn't carry them and sell them (he's sold multiples) if they didn't have collector status. Yes, some of them were poorly assembled (again due to speed on the line for one factor). That statement about collector's status is wrong. You can't touch a running 400/4 speed SE or LE car for what you could back in 1999 when I bought mine (running, #s matching, with a 400 in it), I'd have to pay triple what I paid today to buy the same car in the same condition. When I bought my car in 1999, it was just going from a 20 year old used car to something to collect. Now they have recognition. You have to compare apples and apples. Yes, today's modern engines are faster, cleaner, more repeatable/reliable on the whole, but that's not the point. In 1979, this was the car to have. It had style, looks, reasonable performance, it handled well (again against other cars like it at the time) and 40 years later, they're sough after.
+ralpheyboyboxing A Crapvette, really??? The only joke around here is your name and your choice of car ralphey boy. One day you might be able to afford to leave your mommy's basement and buy yourself a car, lol.
Corvettes of the late 70's and early 80's were stone slow slugs. The W72 400 4 speed TA's would run circles around those pig Corvettes of that era, even 403 Olds powered TA's would smoke em!
I'm now 43. I bought my 1981 Trans Am when I was 18 for $3300. Sold it for $3000, five years later, and then bought it back 2 years later for $400. After sitting and waiting for 25 years to restore my beautiful car, it's àlmost done.removed the 301 and put in a 455. Kept the 301, Still debating on spending the money to restore it.
i just bought an 81 turbo trans am, 45k original miles, its mint and loaded. it feels like I'm back in 1981 when I drive it
I ordered a '79 403 automatic with WS6 and no A/C (Nocturne blue with tan guts). The saleman said it would come with a 2.73 rear end. But it was delivered with a 3.23 rear end with rear discs (same gearing as the 4spd 400). I've read like WS6 403s ordered without A/C got the 3.23 gears. The car is plenty quick but sucks gas and tops out at a not much over 100mph. I still have the car in 2022.
That's the most beautiful T/A I've ever seen.
I had one like this except mine had T tops with the 403 and automatic transmission, which I had the engine rebuilt after I purchased the car and who ever had it before me had put 1980 turbo wheels on it and it really looked good. I wish I still had it too and I'm sure a lot of other T/A owners have said the same thing.
Old ex salesman here; I get my kicks watching people sell whatever and I find Mr. Fleming to be one of the most enjoyable and able I have seen; now, I have yet to buy a car from him but I really enjoy his pitches. Who knows, maybe I'll break down and succumb to his salesmanship and affability someday........
I dunno. To me, he seems to talk like the "classic" salesman from back in the day. I've met so may like him. Fast-talking, only mention the positives; in other words, a decent salesman. Maybe he'd be better in person. I don't envy him. It's a tough job. "What can I do to get you into this car...today?"
He does have a nice persona
it still is a chic magnet !!
I love TAs .... I own two show quality Trans Ams ; a 79 black Y84 400 4 speed t-tops , and a 73 455 white automatic and both steal the show wherever they go , even from exotic cars ....)
we used to have them in great numbers in Saudi Arabia back in 1970s and 1980s
First of all, on my brother's Trans Am he had back in the day, the dip stick was black, and I believe it was powder coated, not painted. Second, just like my '80 Z28, my brother's' 79 T/A had a space saver spare that had a charged cartridge mounted in the trunk under the tire that inflated the space saver. Lastly, I believe the 8" wheels are part of the WS6 package.
This is all true. I had one exactly like this. Bought it as a new demo for $6500
space saver was optional, and NOTHING was powder coated. I know, I set these cars up right off the truck at a Pontiac dealership. PS, we tossed tons of space savers out back in a pile, with their cartridges. They had high failure rates and people could NOT wrap their head around a paper this side wall tire, and lack of air to inflate when its winter.
Your wrong about the powder coating. GM powder coated many things inside the engine compartment, including the air cleaner, dipstick, etc. As far as the spare, like I said, my brother had a '79 Trans Am and I had 2 '80 Camaros, one a Berlinetta, the other a Z28, and ALL THREE had space savers in the trunk. Even my father's Cadillac had one. I'm pretty sure you couldn't get a GM car at that time without one. The issue is not what the dealer did with some of them, but what was originally from the factory. And I've worked at a dealership and never heard of voluntarily yanking anything. The customer may request it, but they paid for it. And we didn't just chuck them over a hill or something like that. Lmao
LOL< There was zinc plating ( dipstick) and Paint, and except for the air cleaner it was CHEAP alkyd paint just to keep things from rusting. In fact by 79 there next to ZERO black under the cars at all. They had surface rust right off the truck. Many space savers were removed to make a sale, depends on what part of the country you are in. While there was Imron, and powder coating was on an industrial scale, there was NO Powder coated items in a 79 Bird. Think about the costs, and the life expectancy. These cars were designed for 5-7 years MAX. Air cleaner has a better enamel on it, and dipstick was a clear Zinc which has a shiny appearance. You can believe what YOU want to believe though.... so Believe on....... I was there...
I've still got my "Air Induction" air cleaner from my Z28, and it's black powder coated with some sort of smoke spun finish on the lid, which was smaller than the base due to the working scoop.
Maaaaaaaaan!!!!! I am 52 years old. I have not seen this Bird since I was 16 yrs old and used to to take my drivers test in. It was identical. Indpls. Steels auto sales ended up with it. Doubt this is it. But wow is my heart excited to see it.
If you ever owned a Trans Am then you get it. If you haven't owned one...well. What can I say. Its not a Camero, its not a Mustang its a T/A This is the biggest chick magnet that was ever built. What is not to love about this T/A. My friend has one just like it for sale. Absolutely as nice as this. I had a 78 Capt Midnight Blue, with a powder blue interior...Back in the day
Intimidator Ss absolutley right, but the 79 10th Ann was tops. I owned one from 81-83. Only complaint as oversteer. Here in NY back in day highways was like mine field.
I bought my 78 in 79. I lived in Fort Lauderdale / Miami. It was an AMAZING time to live in south Florida and drive a T.A. And T.A is what it brought.
I get you man. I had a 79 that was this same color combination. I had the 403 Olds with Auto. Mine was not stock. No idea what kind of power it had (headers with duel exhaust. I modded my shaker hood to be functional. I had the 160 mph speedo from a wrecked 74 SD455. Mine came with the skinny rims, but I got a set of 1980 Turbo TA Rims. You had to drive one. That huge hood out in front of ya. Loved this car.
Absolutely. I owned a solar gold 1979 with the Olds 403. It may have only been rated at 185 hp, but it sure felt like more than that. That thing had torque to burn, and would just fly down the road. Sure, for drag racing, any Chevelle SS could blow its doors off, but there was nothing like it for cruising down the interstate at high speed. That's what this thing was made for, and it excelled at it. I felt like a goddamn King every time I got behind the wheel. I later bought a 1981 Z28, and that car just didn't give me that same "Like a King" feeling that the Trans Am did. Also, the rumble from the factory exhaust from the 403 was really nice as well. That engine was super-reliable, and never gave me any problems. I really do miss that car.
Couldn't agree more. This was the it car. Helped a friend rebuild one in the late 80's as teens. I'd love to own this car.
I came for the test drive, where is the test drive?
i was 19 and had a 79 in midnight blue and tan seats .beautiful car.my friend had a 80 corvette,he wouldnt race me,guest he knew i would beat him. lots of great memories in that car.
Richard Bradley I know how you feel missing getting. back the car shoot When I get my Dream car I really getting a 70 Dodge Challenger 426 Hemi or 440 I will probably be getting a 6 spd manual or automatic for me a stick shift pulls faster than the automatic and Cousin has a Camaro SS 09 with V8 even is automatic when I get my Dream car for Christmas I will race him on that currently No JOKE LOL
A friend had one in high school in 92 and they are total hogs on gas, 6.6 liter, you can actually watch the fuel gauge go down when your rolling heavy down the highway at 90mph. And that's the sweet spot with these cars, 60-120 in like 4 sec, and high cruising speeds. Car was a F-ing beast
I think 60-120 would have been more like 16-20 seconds. The cars were 0-60 in 6.5, quarter in 14.9ish at around 100 mph. 100 to 120 would take probaby another 8-10 sec. My '79 t/a which had a 600hp 463" pontiac went 0-100.2 in 7.65 sec. (1/8 mile), qtr 11.6 @ 120.24. So, even with 600hp, it took 4 seconds to go 100 to 120.
The 79 403 Olds motor was automatic only and said 6.6 Liter on the scoop. The 400 Pontiac was a 4 speed only model and said TA 6.6 on the scoop, the easiest way to tell them apart.
charlie dee wrong the 400 also came in auto
@@rionavarro5754 Sorry, you are wrong. The only way to get the 400 in '79 was 4sp and ws6.
@@rionavarro5754 Why do people post when they have no clue?
I saw it exactly 5 years ago in my vacations. From Italy to Flamingsss!
Ironically, this car came back to us on the day that you posted this comment! I just uploaded it to our website.
Don't know what the most popular color was in 79 but seems like these Nocturne Blue Trans Ams were everywhere back in the day.
I drive a 76 Formula 400 every single day! Except today? Drove the 90 Formula I'm building for my son! I'm not a rich man, until I leave for work and see my life choices sitting in the driveway! My Formula came from someone I consider a mentor. His name was Don, a man wright with god who called me family. We all called him Pops! As a kid, I used to ask him when he was going to sell me that car! He told me "When a man has the cash, anything is for sale" We would have a laugh. When he passed away, Grams knew I wanted the firebird. She held onto it for a year not letting anyone so much as look at it because she knew what it meant to me and the family. Then I stepped up with the cash! When I look at my car, drive her or work on her, I truly fell blessed by the hand of Pops! Grams takes a ride every time she visits! I love my car and she loves me back every single day!
I had this exact car in this nocturne blue on blue, lots of these cars were made with a gold bird and the tan interior except mine had the blue hobnail cloth interior. I was 20 years old and it did have the 4 speed which the only way it came was with the WS-6 pkg with 18" wheels. I ordered that car and I had the best memories with that car I drove that car into the ground !
18" wheels ? I will let that slide as a typo...right ?
In 79 the 400 4 speed could be had without the WS6 package and a delete option 301 4 speed was also available with no WS6 option available.
Probably meant 8" wheels, since there were no 18" wheels in 79.
@@moutnlovr2 Not true, WS-6 was required with the 400, I ordered one, sold it 2 yrs ago.
SquillyMon no 18 were on these stock and no 18 in that time period period or aftermarket
The 400 engine only came with the manual transmission. The 403 Olds only came with an automatic.
true but, lesser known the 301 could be odered with either 4spd or auto
In 78 you could get the Pontiac 400 180hp or 220hp (auto or 4 speed). The 403 was for California.
@@69Applekrate No... The 301 was a glass engine, and only came with auto... The Chevy 305 came in the 4 speed cars...
With A/C, this likely has a 3.23 rear end, not a 3.42. The latter ratio was typically for cars without A/C.
All 79 with M21 had the 3.23 regardless of A/C or not, the 78 M21 W72 cars used the 3.42 but not 79.
@@thud9797 That's not correct. 1979 could have a 3.42 in certain cases.
@@googleusergp Gonna have to see it to believe it, you've got a specific example? I was around these cars when they were new and all were 3.23 that I saw.
@@thud9797 Stamping code "PO" is clearly listed for 1979. We've owned once since new and I still have it. My parents bought an '80 new and I have a 10th Anniversary (400/4 speed. That has a 3.23).
@@googleusergp well OK, good info and I stand corrected, come to think of it, I've never run across a no-A/C 79 T/A so guess that explains it.
Flemming doesn't quite know the details of these cars, The TA 400 Pontiac engines dipsticks were not painted from the factory rather they were silver cad plated rather to keep a metallic theme with the chrome valve covers. 400 engines were not painted Pontiac blue either since !975 they were painted Corporate Colors. The 79 was painted in Corporate blue that first appeared in 1977.
I believe that is the Corp blue correct paint color, though. The cad dipsticks and the valve covers as well didnt last long before rusting.
Well my 78 has the cad dipstick and it's lasted without rusting all it's life being exposed to plenty of moisture
@@Formulabruce I believe the corporate blue was a bit darker than what's shown in this car. In mid 1977 from what I remember, they went from the "powder blue" to the corporate blue on the engines. Of course, 1979 400 engines were left over 1978 W72 engines. My 10th Anniversary has a 400 with parts cast late in 1977 (October from what I remember seeing on the parts that have date codes easily visible).
@@moutnlovr2 mine did not rust either.
@@Formulabruce My '79 was the color in the video. The paint was horrible because the engines must have sat in a damp warehouse for a year before they went in the cars. But the vacuum lines and other things had the original greenish/blue color.
'79 to '81 are the most beautiful style. i love that face mask on the front.
He neglected to mention the Pontiac 400 was rated at 220 horsepower and only cane with a 4 speed that year. The Olds 403 (which I had) was rated at 185 and though I'm entirely sure, may have only been available with an automatic. The Pontiac motor had the "T/A 6.6" decal on the shaker; the Olds motor decal said "6.6 LITRE." My car wasn't terribly fast but it was still lots of fun. Always wish I kept it. If I had the resources I'd have swapped the engine/ drive train for something modern like what the new Camaro SS is running.
Yes my car when purchased new at 185 hp and an automatic with 2.41 rear gears was not quick but it would do 160 mph. Now after all these years I still have it in mint condition except the engine has been easily modified to 360hp and gearing changed to propel this car as fast as a new V6 Camaro LOL
I'm jealous Paul. Sounds like you have a great car. Enjoy!
Pontiac motors are popular in aftermarket. A 400 set up right can do as good as a LS motor. I had watched 2 friends race back in 1979. One had the 400 and the other had the 403. After about a mile of racing the 403 overtook the 400. That thing had crazy gearing going 100 mph in 2nd gear. auto trans.
If I remember right in '79 the 403 had a 3.08 rear gear ratio and the T/A 400 had a 3.23 rear gear. Had a buddy you had a '77 400 with a 2.40-70? rear gear.
Yeah gearing had a lot to do with it. I raced a guy in a 400 T/A, myself in a 350 Olds and it did take about a mile, maybe two to overtake and pass him. Steering wheel was bouncing like crazy at ~ 140MPH, stock olds suspensions sucked.
My car all through H.S.! Mine was white with gold eagle . Beat the hell out of it! Ended up sellin for parts blown engine
my 1980 has been redone with nocturne blue. best color ever
i want to paint my 85 firebird nocturne blue but I can't find a thirdgen painted with that color. I guess I'll be the first.
Dip stick should be gray, should have a space saver spare, speaker grill covers are not correct, should have a 3.23 rear axle, WS-6 also had a special fixed ratio steering box
Check out our channel for our most recent videos. this one is about 6 years old
No leaky T Tops only make it better
Agree. I had one, unfortunately
But why is the bird on the hood blue? I thought they were supposed to "fire"
Beautiful car just missing the T-bar roof and hobnail cloth Interior to be that Ultimate T/A
You mean Leak-bar roof? Had one. Never again I got tired of taking a shower every time it rained.
You can keep the squeaking leaking glass roof but yeah I'll take the nice interior.
Google this, 1979 Tran Am Outlaw No. 4, 455 and you will find the most AMAZING Trans Am that has ever crossed a dealership floor.
where is the test drive or even starting it up..geeze
why did Pontiac put oldsmobile engines in them?
Initially the 403 was offered In 77 for California and High Altitude regions because of cleaner emissions over the Pontiac 400. Pontiac 400 production seized after the 78 model run and some 8600 plus W72 400 were stockpiled from 78 for the 79 4 speed cars only so the 403 with automatic only came into play as the standard powerplant in 79 TA's as well as the Pontiac 301 which was a credit option.
@@moutnlovr2 Correct. Also, I believe that the 403 Olds engines may have been used due to excess capacity and back then, most customers wouldn't know and/or did not car since it had a "big engine" in it. I looked at a 403 equipped 1979 Solar Gold car that belonged to the original owner (this was around 1998 or 1999) and the guy was so off on details, it was too funny. "Yea, I told the salesman I wanted the biggest engine" (true, but the 400 even though 3 cid smaller was a lot faster and more powerful). "Yea, this is a special edition" (No, it's Solar Gold, Code #50, a regular one of about 120k Trans Ams made that year. This is compounded by the issue that GM original called Solar Gold "Special Edition Solar Gold" so everyone thought that they had an SE car, when in reality, Solar Gold was available on any Trans Am that year. LOL).
Pontiac engine makers went on strike and relied on Olds to keep production up. I had the 79 gold T/A auto 403 Olds it topped out at 170mph I bought it in 81 w/ 44000 miles on it
That's is the most beautiful car I ever seen.
Thank you Pacman
Flemings Ultimate Garage may I ask you what the difference between a 1979 ws6 vs a formula one
Flemings Ultimate Garage nice video and nice channel and of course nice inventory
@@AlejandroP1980s give us a call at 301-816-1000 and ask for Rich. He is is our TA specialist and will be happy to answer
Where was the test drive ?
The 1979 Pontiac is the best car ever made
:D
Needs to be black.
Oh at 5:40....
did he just tap the key on the (GLASS)
back window!!!!
WTF DUDE!!!!!!
:O
all trans ams look best in black
This Trans Am came from the factory with a 3.23 rear axle ratio, NOT 3.42.
I bought my 1979 Formula 6.6L WS6 brand new and still have it. Didn't take much modify the 403 for low 13 sec quarters.
mid 15s maybe...I had a 79 not that fast.
My timeslips prove that I am better at modifying than you are, LOL Best is 13.4 @ 108 ;b
Paul Bernardo hi. I had the 79 10th anniversary in 81. I always liked the formula,esp the hood scoops. I never knew they used the 403 in formula. My father in law(back in late 70s) had a 78 or 79 Buick estate station wagon, and the uncle a 79 Buick Electra and both buicks had a 403 but a 2bbl carb.
you modified the car what did you do?
Lowered the front 1" by cutting 1/2 coil. Bilstein shocks. Lowered the rear and improved anti-squat by raising the front bushing 3/4". All poly bushings including sub-frame. Original 1 1/4" front and 3/4" rear sway bars poly'd, Competition Engineering traction bars. Bilstein shocks. Electric Fuel pump in line with mechanical (only turn it on selectively). Carb tuned. MSD 6AL ignition limited to 5600 rpm. Denny's drive shaft with loop. Battery relocated to trunk. Kill switch. 3 row radiator. Strange Axles with C-clip eliminator. 255 PZeros on 15x8 snowflakes. 3.08 gears with rebuilt LSD. Bearing cap pre-load aluminum cover. Rebuilt transmission with shift kit, deep sump and temp gage. Clutch fan for 3.08 gears. Edelbrock high torque cam, dual springs, pushrods, 1.6 rockers, heat cross over blocked. 6 quart oil pan, Hurst dual gate shifter. Hooker headers, dual 2 1/2" magnaflow exhaust, 8 speaker bluetooth stereo with dual amps. All new ball joints recently. I shift at a very low 5000 rpm and it will spin street tires when it hits 2nd gear.....I use 275 Mickey Thompsons at the track.
Nice looking car. Factory AC is nice.....and it looks like it was switched from R-12 to 134-A.
Whatever happened to Flemings ???
the speaker grills are correct the screws drilled through aren't.
Didn't Burt Reynolds get the Olds 403?
No. It was a 400 ci motor. Only the 400 ci and the 455 ci (California) were available when Smokey and the Bandit was made. It was a 1976 car with a 1977 front end for the movie
This car feels at home among Lamborghinis and Ferraris or any other super cars out there...i know exactly what I'm talking about because i owned one.
Rear speakers, during that time the first thing would be for kids to change them out to Pioneer or Alpine... big black 6x9 speakers 🔊
I can imagine the hacking out back for 4 6X9 speakers....
Needs high side A/C cap. 134A is not exactly the factory part of A/C. Doubt you can liquefy refrigerant at idle.
What's a deecal?
A sticker
Wow! it has power steering and A/C?
A/C was still optional until the middle of the 79 model year so possible to have a 79 T/A without it. But yes, all Trans Ams had power steering and brakes.
That car's beautiful but where the T tops
I guess the owner didn’t want to take a shower every time it rained
I miss mine had the 455 ho in 1980 year great csr and fast....
That's An aftermarket bird on the hood,. It looks to the right. The factory bird always faced to the left. It was a matter of copyright infringement..
You're mistaken. The hood bird is correct on that 79. 78 was the last year the bird faced driver side (left side), except for the 80-81 turbos. The 78 Y88 new gold 5 color hood bird, and the new 79-80 5 color hood birds, and the 81 shaker hood bird, all originally face to the passenger side (right side).
Big fan of Trans Am, when loving the color on it . Gorgeous though. 👌🏻👍🏻
Thanks for the love!
I had one senior year high school 1884 85 blue on blue with the 403 Miss that car lol
Me too... I used to love to scare the horses and the men during the Civil War with mine... Guys would literally shit their pants when I came barreling over a hill in this thing... It was MAYHEM I tell ya !!
Nice car I had a 1974 SD 455 Trans am the same color miss that car.
how much
Nice car. I miss the days when tilt wheels actually tilted more than .00001 degree.
My dad has a original 79 dark blue Trans am with t-top, 8 track cassette player, with only 49,000 miles on it. It's setting in his garage covered with blankets. I remember him driving me to school in it. the envy of all my friends, at least for that moment. lol
Can someone with some knowledge please tell me what it could sell for in todays market. Believe me,it is very clean and all original, except for the celling plastic,which had to be replaced. It started to sag. My dad paid $11,000 for it in 79. the car dealer was in San Bernardino Ca.
Here in Cali they usually go for 2-50k it all depends on what you have and how good of condition it is. If it's mint and everything runs prefect, an easy 15-20k.
Thanks for the info. Let's see what the price is in a good 5 years. hoping to get around 50,000. maybe too optimistic.
+teamdicky91 I own a '79 TA and reside in the San Fran East Bay. Unfortunately, you have a CA T/A which means you have the 403 Oldsmobile engine with automatic transmission. This prevents the car from being rare. The power plant is the most important item. Much fewer T/A's have the Pontiac 400 manual transmission which were illegal in CA in '79. The good news is that it is a one owner car and completely stock. It is important that there is no rust on the body of the car which there should not be in your case. If you have T-Tops, WS6 (decals on exterior door handles have decals 4 Wheel Disc, hobnail cloth interior and the original build sheet (usually located inside the driver's bucket seat, the value of your TA increases. The best way to price the car is to search for '79 TA's for sale online and attempt to match what you have with what similarly equipped TA's are going for. Keep in mind though that being a one owner and totally stock will increase the value of yours. Trans Ams over the past two years have finally become more popular and the values are rising.
Wow Thank you Mr. Roberts for sharing your knowledge. I hope to be financially secure to never have to sell it. It will be my show off car!!!
+teamdicky91 When you have the coinage, have the necessary mechanical work performed to make it drive-able and show it off around town. You and I both know there aren't many around. People are always asking me about mine.
What did it sale for?
We had a 1974 T/A , Black with Blue Chicken and pin stripes.
Loved that car. We also had a 66 Bonneville Conv. with a 389 tri-power.
Boooooooooooooo!! He never started the car😲
Joined the army in 1978 to get a New silver 79.
would love to send the 400 to Nunzi
There is no test drive in this video as the title claims.
I love it. One day I hope to have one
That stupid bar under the diff looks kinda SMALL in diameter.
MIKE BRESLIN hmmmm... Must not be a true ws6
@@mattthompson6097 Could be a clone, but the vin would tell. The sway bar was not heavy, and the cars did handle great. They were voted best handling car that year in one of the car mags. Might have been the 1980, not 100% sure.
Easy way to identify
On the shaker if it said
T/A 6.6 400 Pontiac
6.6 Litres 403 Olds
I owned one like it and to this day i regret selling it...
These looked better WITHOUT the decals...If you ordered them that way back in the day, It actually cost you MORE to delete the "chicken", because they had to go to that section of the line, and turn the machinery off that put the stuff on for that particular vehicle...
My current, and last one was ordered without the bird... I had it one summer, and couldn't stand it without... These look naked with no bird...
I ordered mine without the hood decal in 1979, it was a stand alone option. I checked the copy of the window sticker that I have and nothing is mentioned.
As allways love your vidios keep them comming toney i cant wait till the day i go in your yard and buy a car from you allways nice cars really nice inventory you seem to be a really nice man that loves cars as mutch as i do all cars hope to see ya untill keep up the great vidios
allright
In 1982 I had the 79 10th Anniversary. It was the fastest American production car made in 1979. It had the Olds 403cu Auto.
If you never saw one with triple silver, extented bird, Leather interior with embroidered birds I suggest you do.
Car oversteered horrible,very tight stiff bumpy ride. One trick I learned was keeping the fuel tank full as possible for better ride.
The 400cu/4speed edition was and is rare. The 403 was heavley smogged with 190hp total!!! And that was fastest production car then.
The car was awsome to look at better to drive seemed faster then it was. I broke the 100 or 120 speedo cable assbly after burying it the first month. had thoaty exhaust. The faster you drove the quieter and better the car performed.
This TA you show is very nice to see and the 400/4speed is and always will be a great surprise to enthuesists eyes.
Peace
The 400 was what made the T/A the fastest American production car that year. Those 403s are dogs. Don't know why the hell they were even put into the cars.
***** That was part of it starting in 1977 but by 1979 the Pontiac 400 was no longer produced and only some 8672 400's were left over from the 78 production run for use in 79 Trans Am's and 346 Formulas. So the 403 was offered nation wide in 79 only with the automatic as the standard TA engine, a 301 with 4 speed or automatic was also offered as a delete option.
Peter Chronis I know I tried real hard to get the 400 pontiac motor in 1979 but had to settle for the Olds 403. On the shaker hood scope if it says T/A 6.6 thats the Pontiac 400 the 6.6 Liter logo is the 403, I did change the rear end gears out on my TA, which made the car much quicker, but before I sold it I had the chance to race a 79 T/A 6.6 with 4 speed and he still beat me but not by much.
Shiftin Gearz The 403 Olds powered TA was not the fastest production car in 79. The TA6.6 4 speed was one of the fastest. I hate to admit this but a 79 Z28 would smoke the 403.
+Dyno Don 1979 Z had 3:73 gears, the only year, and yes I used to wear the T/A's out !
Had a compact spare with a cylinder
some say T.A. 6.6, others say 6.6 litre
I believe the autos were 6.6 litre, because my brother had one, a friend had a manual 4 with T.A. 6.6 on his shaker
@@jeffdarnell3154 Correct.
sweet interior design
Car still can't get out of it's own way which is a damn shame. This car gets walked by Honda 4 door sedans these days.
Yeah but Hondas are cookie cutter vanilla cars.
Sorry I meant gold and black
I had an 80 Turbo trans am pace car which was beautiful to look at inside and out, but did not perform as one would expect. I would still love to get another one. Still love the car.
that's a beauty
But it doesn't have T-tops!!!
So
What
Thank god it doesn’t. Especially if you like to drive in the rain. Ask me how I know
@@pmscalisi When it rains I only drive my motorcycle.
@@Motleymick 😂
Needs T TOPS
I want one
I want it
Was nice till I saw that nasty light blue interior...yuck. I used to love the lines of this vehicle...thought it was one of the sexiest things on 4 wheels...they had beautiful Rear Ends my fav area of these and Camaro's of the same vintage.
I'm not a fan of the blue interior either, but that's the way cars were back in the '70s - the interior often matched the exterior. My aunt drove a horrible green Mercury station wagon with a hideous green vinyl inside. It made me want to vomit then, and remembering it still makes me sick.
What I would love to see and maybe own would be one of these TAs in midnight black with a tan leather interior. I bet that would rock.
Nice
take care all of you detroit gm pmd cars lovers and as much burt reynolds and his movies before year mr.Nelson1963 auto 79 cloth interior used hollywood honda usa fl florida federal highway broward county to let you know
You know your gonna get ripped when they cant even tell u the price. Bullshit !!
nice video
Ok alright ok alright ok alright ok alright ok alright ok alright
Orange peel in the first look at the paint
You saw the reflection of the ceiling in the building
Sleazy used car salesman
so so paint
No Tops, No thank you.
hah, actually a much stronger car, and way less floor rot issues on ones your find for sale...
+Formula Firebird Yes and if you lived in the South it would charbroil you. I had a 1981 Turbo Trans Am, Oyster White, Recaro Edition. It had T-Tops and it was one of the very few "Ponchos" that never leaked but just going down the road at a steady speed, it groaned and creaked so much, it reminded me of a Stephen King movie. Sitting still it looked like it was rolling 100 mph but when you drove it, you soon realized that it was "All Show & No Go". I sold it in 1989 for $2,500, it only had 78,000 but it was costing me more money than my house payment was, lol. It was miserable to drive in summertime with those "glass ovens" on top. A 113 degree heat was normal where I lived at the time. I have a few Polaroid Instamatic pics of it along with the original window sticker somewhere in my "paper poltergeist". I still vividly remember the MSRP in 1981, $15,683.01. The reason I can remember the exact price was a joke directed toward GM. The largest and richest automaker in the world at the time found it necessary to add .01 cent to the MSRP, lol. Out of the 2500 SE Recaro units that Pontiac manufactured, my TTA was the only unit that GM added a penny on it, lol. In 1998, I discovered that the TTA finally made the prestigious top 10 list......as in the top 10 list of the worst cars made in the US, lol.
These are high volume, poorly built low quality cars, and most likely will never have any "collectors" value. Performance was, well, really poor, even with the gas sucking huge engines. I think they netted less horspower that a modern 4 cylinder engine! Finally, to make things more difficult, is the fact that the front end on the '79 is really ugly! Of course, you can still buy one for less than they cost new, and it won't hurt anything to gut the drive line and suspension out to make it a decent driver (if you even like what these cars really are: A Camaro with plastic peices hung all over the place)
"These are high volume, poorly built low quality cars, and most likely will never have any "collectors" value. " I`ll agree with the first part of that sentence, but you`ve clearly not done research on the collectability of the T/A 6.6, 4-speed www.ebay.com/itm/1979-Pontiac-Trans-Am/162685827544?hash=item25e0d4b9d8:g:w6IAAOSwWGlZzxMl&vxp=mtr
I think your missing the point, they were loud, fast, fun cars so kids could drive people crazy and help them get laid. They had alot of top end too, and people love collecting them so idk wtf ur talking bout. T.e.h.o
The EPA choked muscle cars out of horsepower
nothing original. ..definitely decreases value. ....blah. ..blah. ..blah
Yes, they were high volume (about 45 cars an hour at Norwood, OH where they were made, similar at Van Nuys too), but if they don't have any collector's value, how come a guy like Fleming is selling them? He wouldn't carry them and sell them (he's sold multiples) if they didn't have collector status. Yes, some of them were poorly assembled (again due to speed on the line for one factor). That statement about collector's status is wrong. You can't touch a running 400/4 speed SE or LE car for what you could back in 1999 when I bought mine (running, #s matching, with a 400 in it), I'd have to pay triple what I paid today to buy the same car in the same condition. When I bought my car in 1999, it was just going from a 20 year old used car to something to collect. Now they have recognition. You have to compare apples and apples. Yes, today's modern engines are faster, cleaner, more repeatable/reliable on the whole, but that's not the point. In 1979, this was the car to have. It had style, looks, reasonable performance, it handled well (again against other cars like it at the time) and 40 years later, they're sough after.
trans am is the biggest joke of a car in the late 70s era of burt reynolds bandit days give me the corvette late 70s early 80s anyday
I guess you werent there at the time. Late 70's Vette wasnt much more performance with the L82 350
+ralpheyboyboxing A Crapvette, really??? The only joke around here is your name and your choice of car ralphey boy. One day you might be able to afford to leave your mommy's basement and buy yourself a car, lol.
The Trans Ams out performed the corvettes almost every year back then lol.
Correct. I set them up new, and a 79 400 4 speed Formula would dust it, however the Vette had better handling at almost twice the price...
Corvettes of the late 70's and early 80's were stone slow slugs. The W72 400 4 speed TA's would run circles around those pig Corvettes of that era, even 403 Olds powered TA's would smoke em!