This 1986 Pontiac Trans Am is a clean survivor with under 30,000 original miles. It’s been stored for many years seeing only occasional use and has one repaint since new. The seller isn’t wrong that we don’t see as many Trans Ams of this vintage as compared to the Camaro of the same time period, and even then most of them are limited-edition Pace Cars with big price tags. This example is equipped with the 305 V8 and automatic transmission and has just 27,800 miles on the clock. Find it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $13,500 and the option to submit a best offer.
The Trans Am sports a T-top roof, giving this example some additional eyeball appeal depending on which side of the T-top versus hardtop argument you stand on. What’s funny to me about the Trans Am of this vintage is that I really didn’t pay much attention to them when new. The Camaro seemingly got all the glory, and it took the turbocharged pace car to show up to give the Trans Am some time in the spotlight. Now, when preserved examples like this show up, they immediately get your attention given how few have survived today in clean condition.
To me, this is the best angle of almost any car, but the Trans Am looks particularly tough from this vantage point. With the tinted taillights, meaty wheel and tire package, and dual exhaust, the Trans Am checks all of the superficial boxes we like to have in our muscle cars. Despite performance not being overwhelmingly strong in the late 80s, the Trans Am and Camaro at least looked the part. While I love cars kept in OEM spec, I can’t help but think how slick this Trans Am would look if the next owner lowered it with a tasteful suspension kit.
Pictures are limited to exterior and interior, with no photos of the engine bay. I can only assume that with such low mileage, the details under hood are just as top-shelf as the rest of the car. The asking price seems reasonable to me for a Trans Am with low miles and clear evidence of it being preserved. I’m sure the price would be even higher if it had a manual transmission, which is even harder to find in the Trans Am lineup. The seller reports no issues with the car, and notes the suspension and steering is as tight as the factory intended. The listing includes the option to make a best offer – would you?
It’s those damn smoked tail lights! Pontiac had the best tail lights in the business 70’s-90’s.
Nice Trans Am. I’ve always felt these were a little nicer than the Camaro the same way a GMC pickup is a little nicer than a Chevy.
Leave it just the way it is
It would help to know which 305 was in there.
Either way, you better pick your fights very carefully.
The VIN tells you which 305.
Steve R
Of course the VIN tells that, which is included in the add. One could indeed look that up or ask the seller. In my opinion it should be the seller to give such information in the copy of the add. The seller tell us other objective facts like miles on the car, transmission type and even, funny enough, that they speak German. I think the point here is to give the prospective buyer lots of information. Why make the buyer seek these things out. I, personally would rather know the facts of the Motor type than weather they speak German or not.
Auf wiedersehen
The H in the VIN indicates its the multi port 305, which was only available with an automatic. I had an 85 Trans Am, almost identical to this one, mine was blue, same rear spoiler, WS6 like this one has, T tops like this one. I also had the screaming chicken on the hood, which was a $50 option. I also had the lear siegler (drivers side power) bucket seats and the factory sub woofer (that blank on the dash to the right of the steering wheel was for the control) and I also had the overhead console between the t tops, can’t tell if this one has it. I’ve never found one yet that has all the options I had on mine, I don’t think I was missing a single option. Sticker price was a little over $16k
This definitely looks a little higher than typical WS6 Trans Am of the era. I wonder if it got new springs at some point? That would seem odd for a 30000 mile car. But the ride height definitely doesn’t look right.
Look for a front differential, maybe it has the super rare all wheel drive option!
@Superdessucke
Now that you mention it you are right. I was thinking the wheels look small in the wheel openings. It’s just sitting too high.
I remember reading a Hot Rod or Car Craft article back in the day where they bought a new 1988 or ’89 Formula to mod. They noted the ride height was abnormal from the factory, as in it was lower in the back than front.
I had seen that before on other Third Gen cars myself during that era. It wasn’t very pronounced, but you could notice it.
But I’ve never seen one with a jacked up rear end like this. I’m guessing the springs were replaced. Even with low mileage, springs can settle over time, so maybe the owner thought it was sitting too low? Or maybe it had that rake I just described and the owner wanted to fix it? It definitely looks off though. I’d personally try to fix it as the coolest thing about these cars is how low they sat.
I think they are way under valued and think this one looks good. I would want a 5 speed as they work so well. The automatics in these,like the Z28s seemed to jump around in and out of overdrive. At least the 4 or 5 I had did.
The only way to get a manual for 1986 in the Trans Am was to get the weak LG4 305. Well, there was the L69 too, but only 26 1986 T/As were so equipped.
For 1987, you could get the 205 horsepower LB9 305 with a manual
What did it survive? The 80’s?
Didn’t know you could get the screaming chicken in 85’… Never saw one.
I never saw another one with it. Too bad you can’t post pics I’d put a few of mine here
Tho mine was the first year GTA Trans Am with the 5.7. if take this car in a heart beat if I had the cash absolve !
My guess was it was store with the wheels off the ground for many years which would have had a stretching effect on the springs. If that’s actually the case over time they should revert to normal
Very comfortable cars. Beautiful. Far better looking than the 86 Camaro. Would trade my 73 Corvette for this. So sad Pontiac is gone. Terrible incompetent managers at GM.
I’ve had 3 of these firebirds still have the last one I bought 23yrs ago I grew up in the 80s those were the cars people wanted especially if u were young always liked them especially when they came out with the 85 and the different spoiler package had a rare color one an 87 gta man I didn’t even know at the time they only made a few with that color one or only I didn’t find out that there was only a few of them made until the internet came out had I known I would have never got rid of it color was called Midnight russet metallic really nice color I have a picture but it’s not my actual car but I found one online with that same color it was identical to mine I own a car from 1990 to 1996 that’s when I bought a red GTA with the t-top the other two that I owned didn’t have T-tops in those days a red car with t-tops that’s what everybody wanted that’s what I wanted so I didn’t even pay attention to the color on my other car I wish I would have anyways I have pictures of all three cars that I had like that the red one is my actual car the other two are not but they were identical
I had ordered 87 GTA with 5.7 they didn’t ask come with that. And digital dash. It was I think called flame red. Would be the dark metallic red. Loved that car, wish I had it back. It was one of the first in Michigan