Finding a classic car in storage can be a wonderful experience. That is the case with this 1975 Pontiac Trans Am. It has just emerged from ten years in hiding, and the owner has worked through the process of returning it to a roadworthy state. It presents exceptionally well, and its drivetrain combination should provide its next owner with a rewarding driving experience. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L for spotting this gem for us. It is located in Simi Valley, California, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. You could park this classic in your driveway by handing the owner $49,750.
Some colors work better than others on any car, and Buccaneer Red is perfectly suited to the ’75 Trans Am. This car presents well, and it isn’t clear whether it has received any prior restoration work. The shine that the paint holds is impressive, and flaws are few and far between. The graphics and decals show no evidence of deterioration, and they appear crisp and clean. The panels look straight, with no dents or bruises and gaps that appear tight and consistent. The owner doesn’t mention any rust issues, and none are visible in the supplied photos. If this classic has spent its life in California, it may have avoided the attention of the dreaded tin worm. I’ve always liked the nose treatment on these ’75 Trans Ams because I think that the way Pontiac styled the grille openings provides a tidy but aggressive appearance. The car rolls on a set of Rallye II wheels that wear fresh tires from the good people at BF Goodrich. The plastic is in excellent order, and the glass is spotless.
By 1975, it seemed to be a case of “the last man standing” in the American performance car sector. Chevrolet had discontinued the iconic Camaro Z28, removing the most obvious competitor to the Pontiac Trans Am from the equation. The Mustang II offered little resistance, leaving the Trans Am to wave the performance flag for the classic pony car. The original owner ordered our feature car with the 455ci “HO” V8, a four-speed manual transmission, power steering, and power brakes. That V8 should be pumping out 200hp. That’s enough power to send this Pontiac through the ¼ mile in 16.4 seconds. The best that the Camaro LT could muster was 18.1 seconds, and potential buyers had to step up to a Corvette if they wanted to level-peg with the Trans Am down the ¼ mile. When the owner removed this Pontiac from storage, he performed a significant amount of work to ensure that it was in a roadworthy state. As well as new tires, he treated the brakes to a new master cylinder and booster. The drivetrain was serviced and received new fluids, while new shocks also found their way under this classic. The result is that the car runs and drives perfectly and is a turnkey proposition. Included in the sale are the original keys and the original Window Sticker.
The seller only supplies a single interior shot of this Pontiac, but the impression is quite positive. It is upholstered in white vinyl, which has avoided the stains and yellowing that can plague trim of this color. There is no evidence of wear or significant damage, but there’s little that we can determine beyond what we can see in this single shot. The owner installed a new air conditioning compressor as part of the revival process. The A/C blows ice-cold, and the only item he notes that doesn’t work is the factory clock.
The asking price for this 1975 Pontiac Trans Am is not cheap, but nor is it unprecedented. It is worth remembering that Pontiac only produced 857 examples of the Trans Am in this model year equipped with the 455ci HO V8/four-speed drivetrain combination. That increases its desirability enormously and would seem to justify the sale price. The car presents well and appears to have no rust or other issues that would cause potential buyers a headache. Is this a classic that you would like to see parked in your driveway?
75 the low point in TA history. Nice car, but 50 large and I am almost in a 73 SD 455. Pass.
Here’s a 16k mile 1974 but more money – https://itsaliveauto.com/inventory/auto-sales/347/view_vehicle/52/coupe/11/1974-pontiac-firebird-trans-am
Who pushes a fake SD listing HP at 290 hp, a crock….
Where are you getting a SD for 50k,cmon man
Well, the seats should be black – or the side panels should be white, which may be why you see no yellowing of the white.
& i don’t think the hood springs & attached hardware should be silver either.
Wonder how they got those brushed usually dull factory trim rings to shine like that.
No bodyside molding & no door dents? Either they were fixed or this car never was parked in a public lot.
This engine needs to pulled and treated to a nice upgrade of horsepower.
16.4 1/4? That’s hard to believe. My stock 5.0 iroc camaro went about the same times with an auto and 2.xx gears.
Good as it got in 75 what was a better option ? Nice car.
For ’75 & ’76 this 455 engine was only 7.6 to 1 compression & lost 50!! hp vs the std 8:1 compression 455 in ’74 – also due to single exhaust & very restrictive pellet cat converter. I believe the Iroc above used a much less restrictive honeycomb converter & was a lot lighter car, espec compared to the bird’s big v8, ridiculously heavy 5mph front bumper assembly, & overkill a/c compressor.
Switching to true dual exhaust & raising compression by using 350 pont v8 heads & changing the cam can all be done w/o pulling the motor.
& easily opening up the shaker will help too. & getting lighter in wt lower profile tires, such as 215 60r15s. & lighter alum snowflake wheels. & if you want, a
7! lb fiberglass front bumper – some minor fabrication needed to mount it. & switching to vintage air or removing the archaic a/c altogether the next time the a/c goes bad. I would replace those heavy leaf spring! fender to rad support connectors with the much thinner ones from a ’77 or later car. Oddly, ’70-72s had none.
JOENY74 is the man! Do what he said! Give the guy $39k and you will be VERY HAPPY.
200 HP from a 455! The only TA I would be interested in is either a ’69 or a Super Duty.
The only thing “H.O.” about that engine are the decals on the shaker. The only true round port 455 H.O.’s were built in ‘71-‘72 only. And I personally have a hard time believing that this car only has 30 something thousand miles on it. The engine color looks more like Ford blue than Pontiac blue. Buyer beware!