Tony Primo sent us this listing for a 1975 Pontiac Trans Am. As the 1970s progressed, the muscle car went into survival mode. The American muscle car was suffocated under the weight of strict federal emissions mandates, unleaded fuel requirements, and the debut of the catalytic converter. The result was that most high-performance badges simply vanished. Yet, Pontiac famously refused to surrender. While its rivals detuned or outright canceled their pony cars, the Excitement division kept its performance heritage alive through strategic styling updates and resilient engineering. This 1975 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is listed here on Craigslist and the car is located in San Jose, California. The seller is asking $18,900.
In 1975, Pontiac made a few changes to the Firebird’s styling and powertrain. Visually, the most significant update was a new wrap-around rear window, which dramatically improved rearward visibility and modernized the car’s silhouette. The front end was about the same as in 1974 with the dual-grille treatment and the single round headlights. Underneath the sheet metal, the addition of a standard catalytic converter choked exhaust flow, forcing Pontiac engineers to rely on displacement rather than high compression to maintain respectable performance. Despite these regulatory headwinds, the Trans Am’s market appeal soared. While overall Firebird production for 1975 reached 84,063 units, the Trans Am variant accounted for a highly impressive 27,274 of those sales. This meant the top-tier performance model represented nearly a third of all Firebirds shipped that year, proving that buyers were still hungry for aggressive styling and sporty driving dynamics. The interior of this car looks pretty clean with its black vinyl but limited options.
Mechanically, the 1975 Trans Am was defined by two primary powerplants. The standard engine was the dependable 400 cubic-inch (6.6L) L78 V8, which utilized a low compression ratio of 7.6:1 to produce 185 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The vast majority of 1975 Trans Ams—26,417 units—were built with this 400 cubic-inch block, with 20,277 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission and 6,140 utilizing a four-speed manual. This car is one of those with the 400 cubic-inch and automatic transmission. For buyers seeking maximum available torque, Pontiac offered the 455 cubic-inch (7.5L) L75 V8 as a mid-year option. Disguised as the “455 HO” package, this heavy-duty engine bumped output to a measly 200 horsepower and a respectable 330 lb-ft of torque at just 2,000 RPM. This coveted 455 cubic-inch package was mated exclusively to a Borg-Warner Super T-10 four-speed manual transmission, and only 857 units were built, making any genuine 455-powered 1975 Trans Am an incredibly rare and historically significant collector piece.
My brother had a 1976 Trans Am with this color combination so I am fond of the black, red and gray bird. Someone painted the front and rear bumpers body color which appears to be peeling off. The seller admits the car is not perfect and has paint flaws and interior flaws. It is more of an original car that can be driven as is. The wheels are also not stock. This might make a nice driver and hopefully it is rust free being from California. What do you think?
The Chevy rally wheels definitely need to go…
I happen to believe the 8″ Vette rally is one of the most attractive wheels made but on this car they just ain’t workin’.
looks like the engine had a craigslist rebuild. i agree the 15×7 rallies need to go. rally 2 Pontiac wheels are a dime a dozen and would look much better. listing is gone.