The Pontiac Trans Am was already a hot car when the movie Smokey and the Bandit came out in May 1977. The flick helped raise sales from 46,700 in 1976 to a peak of 117,100 copies in 1979, the year the seller’s Poncho was built. This one is described as original, with factory paint and only 35,000 miles. It has a 403 cubic inch V8 which was sourced from Oldsmobile as GM was sharing engines across the corporation. Located in Granada Hills, California, this survivor is available here on craigslist and the asking price is $23,000. Our thanks to Barn Finder Pat L. for another cool tip!
Second-generation Firebirds enjoyed an extensive run, from 1970 to 1981. The cars got refreshed in the styling department in 1979, featuring a new aerodynamic front end, revised rear end spoiler, bulkier flares for the Trans Am, and a revised connected single taillight assembly design that would remain consistent for the rest of the second-gen’s reign. The 403 was standard operating procedure and only available with a TH-350 automatic transmission. Pontiac offered a 10th-anniversary edition of the Trans Am in ’79, but the seller’s automobile is not one of them.
The blue paint on this Trans Am is said to be the factory finish, and the trunk is starting to show its age. There is no indication of any prior body damage, including corrosion. The interior has held up well although it looks a bit dirty in places that a good detailing should take care of. This was a non-smoker’s car, so no funky odors are present. Things generally look good under the hood except the wrap around the air conditioning plumbing has deteriorated badly.
Some recent work has been done to keep the automobile roadworthy, including new tires, a front-end alignment, and shock absorbers. We’re told the gas tank has been flushed out, suggesting this car has been somewhat sedimentary for a time. For those who live in California, the seller says the machine’s certification with the smog gods has been renewed and the vehicle is ready to be driven almost anywhere. Shame it’s not black or you, too, could be the Bandit!
Hmmmm. Pretty sneaky, Sis! Got me…diagonally!! In this case, that ‘T/A 6.6’ decal on the shaker is how we got Sis back! This car has a 301 4bbl Pontiac engine, and should have ‘4.9 L’ for the shaker. One hard press on the accelerator, and Sis knew that I got her back for that Connect Four debacle…
No mention of the engine size in the ad, either…
Good catch! Engine is missing the Oldsmobile signature oil fill tube at the front.
I was just going to say the same thing – wrong shaker decal. That just leads to a while lot of speculation on what else has been done to or changed on this particular car.
Although, it might just be nothing more than a previous owner trying to get over the embarrassment of having a muscle car with no muscle.
Not a T/A 6.6 W72 400 and not a 403 Olds engine either. This is a gutless wheeze-box with a 301 and air conditioning. Any Honda Civic after 2010 will destroy this thing. But it sure does LOOK cool :)
Which would you rather have though? This or the Civic?
LOL. A Civic or this? If you picked the Civic you’re not a real car person.
All to do with application, Jesse. An old guy like me with no place he absolutely has to be? Or the kids/ grandkids driving home for spring break?
Neither
Saw this car on FB Marketplace a few weeks ago – didn’t have as many pictures so it was difficult to see exactly what it had for an engine. Now I can see the telltale sign of the rear dipstick – 301 cubes of massive power on hand for the weakest of hearts. It does appear to be a pretty decent and honest car (minus the misleading shaker decal), much better than most other ‘survivors’ these days. I tried reaching out to the buyer but got impression he didn’t know that much about it – or just didn’t want to disclose the size of the engine…or both. I’ve certainly seen worse…
My bother in law who is into T/As saw one like this on FB Marketplace except it was a black repaint. Someone had handpainted T/A 6.6 on the shaker and it plainly had a 301.
He pointed it out to the seller who said he knew nothing about cars and engines and had bought the car for his daughter. The brother in law felt that the seller was a BSer due to other falsehoods in the ad.
This T/A also has the WS-6 8 inch rims, but no mention if it has 4 wheel disc brakes, or if someone upgraded the rims from standard 7 inch.
I’ve never been an advocate for stuffing an LS motor into every vehicle I see. But in this case, it might actually make sense. Buy it cheap, swap in a modern motor with an overdrive automatic, save some money for a respray and a new screaming chicken decal and you’d have a sleeper T/A that even the Bandit would approve of!
No way would I ruin this by putting in an LS engine. A real TA needs a warmed-over Pontiac engine. Anything else is an insult.
I believe the writer might have meant
“sedentary”
Even with the 301 in this thing, it’s very clean, and probably could be had for $18kish. If I wasn’t in NY, I’d definitely be checking it out. Hard to find clean ones like this these days