This car was originally painted Heritage Brown with a camel interior. It was repainted black and the interior has been changed out to match. We appreciate Tony Primo finding this listing. The 1979 Pontiac Trans Am has Tennessee plates but is located in Eagle River, Minnesota near Minneapolis. The car is a highly optioned Trans Am with the W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine, Borg Warner T-10 4 speed transmission and the famed WS6 suspension handling package. The Trans Am is listed here on Craigslist for a reasonable $32,900. It was just listed 2 days ago.
Pontiac produced over 117,000 Trans Ams in 1979 out of 211,000 Firebirds that left the factory. The other models of the Firebird were the base Firebird, Esprit and Formula. The base engine for 1979 was the 403 cubic inch V8 that came with an automatic transmission. A buyer could also order a 301 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 155 horsepower that came with a 4 speed or automatic transmission. The high performance engine option that year was the W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine that was manufactured in 1977 and stockpiled for installation in 1977-1979 Trans Ams. The W72 400 cubic inch V8 came with a Borg Warner T-10 4 speed manual transmission, 3.23 rear gears, WS6 suspension and dual turbo mufflers. In 1979, Pontiac changed the W72 designation to L78 which was the engine code for the lower performing 400 cubic inch V8 from 1973 to 1978. However, all 400 cubic inch engines in 1979 in Trans Ams and Formula were W72 motors. The W72 400 cubic inch engine was different because it was built with a 800 cfm 4 barrel Rochester carburetor, high capacity 60 psi oil pump, special cam, baffled oil pan, special piston rings, and 8:1 compression heads.
The interior looks great and the front seats have been traded out for new Pontiac seats. These probably hold you in position better than the factory seating. The rear seats have been recovered to match the front seats. The seller has the original seats and other original parts that were replaced like the cam, intake and carb. The seller states that the car runs and drives great and needs nothing. Hot Rod Magazine tested the W72 400 4 speed equipped Trans Am and published a 14.7 second quarter mile time. As shown below, this car is equipped with 15×8 aluminum snowflake wheels that came with the WS6 suspension package.
There were 117,108 Trans Am built in 1979. Many consider this model to be the high water mark for the 2nd generation Trans Am and also the last of the true muscle cars. Pontiac was being forced by CAFE requirements to downsize their engines and achieve higher corporate mpg numbers. As Car and Driver stated after testing a W72 400 cubic inch V8 1979 Trans Am, “It will not pass this way again.” Car and Driver also declared the Trans Am to be the best handling American car in 1979.
Eagle River is in northern Wisconsin. Hundreds of miles from Minneapolis.
This model W72. was the driver’s choice. Great pkg from the brass at the Pontiac division. 😎 🏁🙌
It does have everything you want in a muscle car . Poncho power dialed up right ! Not sure I love it at the ask but to the right guy.
This T/A is made to be driven hard!! Those seat will keep you planted! Love to take this T/A on the goat trail by me. Lots of twists and turns. 1st&2nd gears maybe 3rd for a short straight away this would be cool. With today’s muscle cars going crazy on prices .. This one is close to being ok. I would ask the seller $29,000 and go from there. Somebody is going to have fun driving the T/A. Good luck.. 🐻🇺🇸
I always throught Smokie and the Bandit would have been cooler with a 4sp. Despite that, how many of these did Pontiac sell because of that flick?
Great car but seems a little pricey for that model. But hey i’m cheap and i never able to purchase anything because of that.
A primo example here. Of course when doing a color change one must go all the way to the underneath engine bay to the trunk lid. This appears to be a top notch job. Modern seat look great and a nice touch that is usually broken or forgotten the plastic belt guides on the headrests are there. Engine bay is beautifull. The only nitpick and its minor the overflow bottle and windshield wash are yellowed with age but are easilly cleaned or replaced. The future owner is gonna have a way nice ride here.
The writer of the article states it has had a color change but the CL ad does not mention it. Did someone speak with the owner regarding this? If you ever wanted a Trans Am of this generation, this would be the one to have.
The picture of the window sticker shows it was Heritage Brown.
A friend of mine went to buy this car and it was a scam.
Really? There does seem to be an element of ‘too good to be true’ about it.
ok mark, better tell us the long version of that.
though i have seen my share of scam ads on c’list.
well done color change and a sweet gm ride
With the stated engine upgrades it probably is in the mid 13 sec 1/4 mile times.The Trans Am was always quoted as being the “second best handling car GM made next to the corvette.only if they had put an independent rear suspension under the Trans Am like the Corvette….
Wrong – Trans Am Won Best Handling car > 1979 Car and Driver Magazine Test – Vette just couldn’t handle on the road over rough spots etc. because of its independent suspension – WS6 Trans Am suspension much better solid through the corners no matter what they threw at it > Vette was great on the skid pad though but doesn’t count in real world driving – Quote from the Magazine testers themselves :)
Why does he say the car is a scam???? Those are hard words to say someone or something without proof. There are legal recourse for false statements. JUST SAYING.
Why does he say the car is a scam???? Those are hard words to say someone or something without proof. There are legal recourse for false statements.
Those leather seats are from a 4th generation Firebird/Camaro. (1993-2002)
I am pretty well sure he mentioned that the front seats had been changed out for newer seats..
Yes, the bellows on the backrest and the switch hardware. Had one WS6 and a Firehawk. Recognized those seats right away.
I did too, as I bought a new Trans Am back in the mid 1990’s.
I went the same route when fixing up a 1987 Z28. The newer seats were quite a bit firmer/more support than the factory ones.
I had a 1979 Trans AM painted Solar Gold, AT, 403 engine.
After Smoky and the Bandit, there was a Trans Am craze, along with cheap digital watches that you could push a button on the side of the black faced watch and the time suddenly appeared on the screen. This was especially useful with low lighted conditions, and you wanted to impress someone?
Forget about the Tag Heuers, Movado’s and Rolex’s?
You also needed a ” Fro” and a John Travolta leisure suit? Then, you were ready for the bars!
I would assume this one was painted black because that was really the color to have to be “correct”?
I miss those days.
Just my oponion!
Just needs chrome dressup for the parkin brake pedal – why the factory left that off puzzles me when pedal dressup was ordered.
It also puzzles me why the front & rear window trim was blacked out(not a great idea – expect peeling later on), yet the optional side window drip moldings are chrome.
Tires are reversed to avoid the modern always browning(why?) letters on a certain brand of RWL tires here, tho back in the day, ALL ’70s T/As i saw had RWL or ORWL tires – NONE of which turned color – even the cheapies(not talking about dirt that can be cleaned off ez). & i seen some tires today over 20 years old whose letters are still white like new. Go figure.