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455 Equipped: 1976 Pontiac Trans Am

The Pontiac Trans Am has its loyal band of followers, and I’m sure that there are plenty of them who would look at this 1976 model, and couldn’t help but be impressed. It is a strikingly clean and tidy survivor, and it features a 455ci V8 under the hood. It would appear that it has been in the possession of a meticulous owner, but the time has come for it to find its way to a new home. The Trans Am is located in Eliot, Maine, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. Simply hand the owner $27,900, and you can drive this classic home. I have to say thank you to Barn Finder Rocco B for referring this spotless survivor to us.

The owner does claim that Firethorn Red was only offered in the Trans Am range for the 1976 model year, but I have been able to confirm that it was also available in 1977. Regardless of this fact, it still is a color that makes the Trans Am stand out. The paint has an impressive level of shine, and there appear to be no significant marks or chips. The panels are as straight as an arrow, while there are no signs of rust anywhere. The vehicle was undercoated when it was new, which means that the floors are clean, and there are no structural issues. The decals and trim are in good condition, and the same would seem to be true of the glass. The wheels appear to be free from any form of staining or corrosion and are wrapped in BF Goodrich tires that look to have plenty of life left in them.

The interior of the Trans Am has been fitted with an Alpine AM/FM radio/cassette player, but otherwise, it does appear to be original and unmodified. The seats wear new Firethorn Deluxe vinyl covers, which look very nice. The rest of the interior trim seems to be in good condition, as does the carpet. It isn’t uncommon for the kick panels to show some slight discoloration, and that appears to be the case in this car. Still, this isn’t too severe and could be addressed when, or if, the next owner wanted to. The dash is free of cracks, and the wheel doesn’t exhibit any of the sort of wear that can be a part-and-parcel of high usage. Apart from the previously mentioned stereo, the Trans Am doesn’t come with any additional comfort features.

The 1976 model year marked the last that buyers could order their Trans Am equipped with the 455ci V8. That is what we find occupying this engine bay. This engine was only available backed by a 4-speed manual transmission, so there are no surprises with this Trans Am up to this point. It is a numbers-matching car, and the presentation of the engine bay is just as impressive as the rest of the vehicle. When it was new, this engine would have produced 200hp, which was enough to push the Pontiac through the ¼ mile in 16.4 seconds. I tend to believe that this car might be able to do a bit better than that now. The 455 has been treated to a few subtle upgrades, and these should help to release more horsepower and torque. It has been outfitted with a Pontiac RA IV camshaft and lifters, along with an aluminum intake and a better carburetor. There is no word on precisely how much extra power this has unleashed, but the owner does say that it makes tons of low-end torque, along with more power at the top-end. When I look at the whole car as a package, it doesn’t surprise me when the owner states that it drives very well.

I have never hidden from the fact that I have a strong liking for the 2nd Generation Firebird, and this 1976 Trans Am ticks a lot of boxes for me. It presents beautifully, it features the 455 V8, and its performance should be significantly better now than it would have been back in 1976. I like the color, and it makes a refreshing change from the multitude of Trans Ams that we see today that wear Black paint. The price on this one would appear to be very competitive, and I am not ashamed to say that I will envy the person who eventually buys this classic. I wonder if they would be willing to hire me as their chauffeur.

Comments

  1. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Not a big fan of the the thunder chicken, but this is a nice rig. Not sure on the cabbage though.

    Like 7
    • Avatar Weasel

      You’d need some strong salad to drive this baby for sure.

      Like 5
    • Avatar Mike Brown

      Where I come from, Thunder Chicken is slang for a Ford Thunderbird. Here in Northwest Ohio, we always called the Trans Am hood bird a Screaming Chicken. Just not picking here lol!

      Like 5
  2. Avatar Bmac777

    It doesn’t say it in the posting but he had to do something with the heads.
    The ones manufactured in 76 would not be able to handle that cam, but that would be a nice setup with some 3.42’s in the back , they work nice with the torque / horsepower of Pontiacs on the street

    Like 11
    • Avatar Rex Lee Carpenter

      I have no idea why this guy think the heads won’t be able to be used with the RA IV cam. The heads are not any problem to be used with that cam , as I have used that same cam in that engine in one I had & with some other upgrades like headers & a bit of a retune the RA IV cam works just fine with those heads.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Bmac777

        The reason I think that is because the high lift RA IV cam was used in motors with heads that had 10.5 compression,round ports and 1.65 rocker arms along with a lower end that made it one of Pontiacs highest rpm engines
        I’m not an expert but IMO I don’t see that cam working with stock smog era 7.6 or 8.0 compression heads

        Like 1
  3. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    I guess the engine turned dash plate had to be replaced & 1 from an a/c t/a was installed, or the factory made a mistake? The 2 vents above the cigarette lighter should not be there on non a/c cars.

    Like 7
    • Avatar Derek Noble

      I have the original “Flip Flop” AM, FM radio for this car. If anyone wants it contact me. Free!

      Like 1
      • Avatar Stephen Truppa

        Hi my name is Steve, I have a 75firebird trans am that I’ve owned since 85 and was privileged to have it all this time, restored it approx 10yrs and I am the second owner, I am interested in the radio. Any way to contact you

        Like 0
    • Avatar Frank Sumatra

      Isn’t the engine-turned dash plate plastic? I had a brand new 75. Seems is was plastic.

      Like 1
      • Avatar JoeMac

        I believe it’s a peel and stick aluminum panel that does go over a plastic backing.

        Like 3
      • Avatar adam decker

        No they are definitely metal, it is laser etched as well

        Like 0
    • Avatar Superdessucke

      Great catch Joe. Either somebody yanked the air conditioning system to be hot, or it never had it and someone replaced the dash. The engine photo isn’t good enough for me to be able to tell which.

      Like 3
    • Avatar Ben

      Agree with Joe; I recall the instrument bezel would be blocked on non-ac cars. It’s pretty hard to tell but it looks to me like the heater control unit is non-ac. So there’s a disconnect there but it does look like a nice car.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Daleone3

    The Firethorn Color was also available on the Formula model. I own the 8k mile 76 Formula featured on BF in April of 2019 and it is also Firethorn. Very nice car for the money, wish I had room for two!!

    Like 9
    • Avatar Cattoo Member

      Me too!

      Like 2
    • Avatar Weasel

      Me too.

      Like 2
    • Avatar Joseph Wayne Haddock

      I wish that I had your Formula! Lol

      Like 2
      • Avatar Daleone3

        It was hard to pull the trigger on it but there was not a box it didn’t check for me. A few gremlins as expected but worked thru them and it runs like a bear….a grizzly bear. Best part is that it is ordered and never seen another one like it. Just went over 8400 miles this weekend
        Appreciate it

        Like 2
  5. Avatar Tony Primo

    Me three.

    Like 3
  6. Avatar JoeMac

    I’m liking this one. Paint presents nice, 4-speed, a massaged 455, custom exhaust w/ X-pipe, no rust, BFG T/A’s with what looks to be plenty of meat left, and subframe connectors already welded in. Price is pretty much in line with what you’re seeing a car in this condition bring at the big auction houses. I agree with JoeNYWF64 regarding the two extra vents in the dash, something went on there. The seller should be able to explain. Other than that, we got a nice one here.

    Like 10
    • Avatar anthony Migliore

      How much did this 1976 tran am sell for

      Like 0
  7. Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

    Car presents well. I’m sure a lot of Pontiac lovers would enjoy having it in their garage.

    Like 6
  8. Avatar Steve

    Wow. That color really pops. I have never seen it in a TA. My late brother had a white 76 TA back in the 80’s.it would have been much cooler in a color like this. It was a 400/ 4 spd. He My other brother dad and my uncle pulled the 400 and rebuilt it with an aftermarket cam headers aluminum intake and requisite holley 750 double pumper. IIRC he also installed heads from an 60’s 389 with smaller ports to raise compression. Im not sure what 4 spd trans it came with But recall him swapping it for an M21 Muncie and Hurst Super Shifter. It was a running beast. (His previous car was a 70 Camaro with a 454 swapped out of a chevy pickup and the TA was even faster) He taught me to drive a stick in it when i was about 12 or 13 yo.

    Like 11
    • Avatar Andrew Toth

      They came with a BW super T10. I had a black ’76 455.

      Like 2
    • Avatar Rex Lee Carpenter

      Steve I have no idea why he would have put a set of 389 heads on the engine as that would only raise the comp. but would slow the car down because the chambers of any of the 389’s would have been a very bad dissuasion as it would only make it run rough because the chambers would not let all the fuel burn the correct way because of the shape of the bowls. If he would have gotten a decent set of 400 heads it would have run a lot better.

      Like 0
  9. Avatar Stangalang

    Sorry Steve but smaller chambers raise compression not the ports 😁👍and such a beautiful car good luck to the seller and to the new owner..take care of this beast

    Like 2
    • Avatar Steve

      I meant to say chambers but typed ports for some reason. I guess im getting old!

      Like 5
  10. Avatar Jerry

    When I lived in So Cal in 2000 I had a 76 Black and Gold “50th Anniversary” (of Pontiac) mock up. Was originally a Siver car.
    Guy in Glendale Ca. Did a frame off resto on it. Won 20 trophies at car shows in one year.
    People LOVED that car!!
    It was the one car in the over 75 that ive owned I wish I would have kept the most!
    I liked it even more than my 64 1/2 wimbelton white Mustang with the 289 that I had.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Rex Lee Carpenter

      64 1/2 Mustang would have come with a 260 V-8 not a 289 as you got a 289 in 65’s.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Jerry

        Actually they switched to the 289 from the 260 in the Summer of 64….so some got 289s.

        Like 2
  11. Avatar Steve

    LOVE this!! If only I had the storage space…

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Andrew Toth

    They came with a BW super T10. I had a black ’76 455.

    Like 1
  13. Avatar Andrew Toth

    This car also has 455 HO on the hood scoop. The ’76 did not have HO on the decal, only 455. Nice car though. Guess the owner added the HO after the engine mods

    Like 3
    • Avatar Robbie R.

      Correct Andrew. If my memory of the period is correct, the “455 HO” hood scoop callout was one of the options for 1975. However, as I also recall, the engine wasn’t any different than the regular 455 that was also in the big heavy cars like the station wagon. But I guess it looked cooler than a plain 455, after 73 and 74 had the real deal “SD-455” option.

      Like 1
  14. Avatar Miguel

    There is one of these in Mexico but it is an automatic. It also has the 455.

    They were asking quite a bit less than the one featured here.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Andrew Toth

      ’76 455 Trans Ams did not come with automatic transmissions. They only came with Borg Warner super T10 manuals. This is a fake or at least not original.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Miguel

        The VIN does say it is a Trans Am but I will check the engine and trans codes.

        This is the VIN 2W87W6N

        Like 0
      • Avatar Miguel

        Here is a picture of the engine. I am not too familiar with the 455 to know if this is a Pontiac engine or even what it is.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Andrew Toth

        That’s the correct VIN for a ’76 455 TA, so the chassis is correct assuming the VIN belongs to that car. The transmission must have been replaced.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Miguel

        There does seem to be other fishy things about this car. The dash shows controls for air but there is nothing under the hood at all. It doesn’t look like it was removed, just that it wasn’t there.

        Like 0
  15. Avatar Rex Lee Carpenter

    Thats because it doesn’t have either the correct engine or it has the wrong intake & possibly the wrong shaker as it sits way to high in the cut out. It’s probably a bunch of the wrong things on the car. Being in Mexico I would give odd’s it is a car thats just been put together with a few cars to make it look like a T/A. Thats why it’s priced way lower , maybe it’s even a stolen car. I wouldn’t buy anything from there, they steal hundreds if not thousand of cars each year from the USA. Plus when it happens there is no way to get the stolen cars back because they keep them to drive, that is the local police there.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Steve

    Mexico??? The car is in Elliot, MAINE.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Miguel

      The black on I posted is in Mexico.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Daleone3

      Fun Fact…..there is a Mexico in Maine, my brother lives not far from it. Ironically it has a Walmart and a very non-mexican population….go figure.

      Like 0
  17. Avatar Stevieg

    Wow! What a car! I love red, I love this generation Firebird bodied cars (through 1978), and this car looks like it has been loved and maintained. Expensive? It is a bit on the high side. If I won the lottery, I would buy it.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Miguel

      Hi Steve, I am not sure about expensive. Hagerty has pretty high values on these Trans Ams.

      Like 0
  18. Avatar Stevieg

    Hey Miguel, very true. However, I have noticed that the ones that bring in the big bucks are generally the 1977 & 1978 Trans Ams. Usually the earlier ones are a little cheaper. Maybe I just need to follow prices of these more, but I don’t because either way I can’t afford them lol.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Miguel

      Steve, here are the values for these 1976 Trans Ams according to Hagerty.

      #1 60,000
      #2 40,200
      #3 22,000
      #4 12,000

      That puts the red car right about the #3 value and the black one would be between the #4 and the #3 value, but closer to the #4.

      I don’t know who pays these prices, but somebody must be doing it.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Stevieg

        Not me buddy lol. No way!
        A skirt I was chasing 25-30 years ago bought one in really nice shape for $1,500. Although I know that is dirt cheap now, these prices you just listed seem obscene lol! SMH

        Like 0
      • Avatar JoeNYWF64

        Ironically, the quality of the “steel” exterior bodies used on the 2nd gens f-bodies is not much better than the Chevy Vega, & lot worse than the 1st gens IMO, for some reason. Then again, restored 2nd gens are not likely to see rain or even a powerful garden hose again. & when was the last time you seen a ’70-76 t/a at a car show(even many Pontiac specific car shows), much less out on the road?

        Like 0
      • Avatar Daleone3

        I think the 77-78 cars generally pull stronger money but have pushed buyers down to the 75-76 cars which I think will be a driver for prices. There is a demographic (which I am in) that had is going to be a factor in price on these mid seventies cars and their values. The TA’s seem to be ahead of the same year Z-28’s but even those are starting to climb. With badged cars being cost prohibitive for most, I think these will continue to climb in value as an affordable car that is a blast to drive and easy to maintain and get parts for. In addition to the 76 Formula I own, I have an 83 C10 with a crate motor that has gone up in value substantially since I purchased it seven years ago. The square bodies are a great example of the value surge as the pre-73 trucks got too expensive and really were less demand as the hobby ages. Seems especially true with the Tri-5 cars that seem to have plateaued as their demo got older.

        Like 1
  19. Avatar Steve D

    I cannot tell for sure from the photos but it looks to me like the heat/ vent controls are for heat and vent. Also, i see where someone above mentions that a non ac car would not have the same vents as an ac car. Is this in regard to vents in the instrument bezel or the outer vents in the dash its self? I did a little checking on the internet and can’t find any photos specifically of a non ac dash to indicate that it would not have vents same vents as a car equipped with ac. Does anyone ine have definitive evidence that a non ac car would not have vents as mentioned above, such as a photo of a a verified non ac car? Also, does anyone here who actually owned a non ac car recall whether or not it had vents in the dash or not. I do recall that some cars did have a unique dash installed dependent on ac or non ac. I have to wonder if a cracked non ac dash was replaced with a non cracked ac dash (?) If that were the case, i don’t think it is evidence if the whole car being a fraud, but would warrant a little explanation in my opinion.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Daleone3

      Steve My Formula does not have those two vents in the instrument part of the dash nor do I believe this one should. The vents would indicated additional duct work for AC which would be factory installed though any duct work would also be available for passenger side vents which are not present. Some questions on the car in general, not a huge fan but I am sure it will end up somewhere.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Matthew Casey

        Hey daleone3 did you end up buying this 76 ta ?

        Like 0
    • Avatar JoeNYWF64

      What better evidence than an actual magazine ad!
      (Only the ’70 got the chrome around the gages.)
      Back then, i don’t think car companies cared if u got a/c or not – as long as you bought a car – no a/c here!! …
      http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8544744931_cc7f05d11a_z.jpg
      Also notice down in the lower left of the above pic are 2 knobs in the kick panel to bring in fresh air from the outside at your feet & face(from outer vents).
      Cars with a/c had no such control knobs in the kick panel.
      The red car for sale above DOES have the 2 control knobs in the red FADED kick panel.
      http://cdn-0.barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1976-Pontiac-Trans-Am-3-e1593663126438.jpg

      Like 0
  20. Avatar Daleone3

    Hey Matt Casey. I did not buy this 76 TA. I did buy the 76 Formula previously on BF a while back, the 8k mile car. I live in MA and this one was in Maine and was tempting to look at but the garage is full.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Matthew Casey

      Sorry I misread your post about which car you bought. My father owned this car in the early 2000s, one of the last cars he owned before he passed. Wasn’t sure if it was still in the area .

      Like 0
      • Avatar daleone3

        That’s pretty cool. Sounds like a good memory

        Like 0
  21. Avatar Daleone3

    Hey Matt Casey. I did not buy this 76 TA. I did buy the 76 Formula previously on BF a while back, the 8k mile car.

    Like 0

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