Cheapest on the Market: 1979 Pontiac Trans Am 10th Anniversary

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At first glance, this 1979 Pontiac Tenth Anniversary Edition Trans Am looks pretty appealing. Especially, since it is priced below market at $15,000. The car is located in Bay Shore, New York which is sometimes not a great climate for classic cars. The seller states that the car has 61,000 miles on the odometer and it is listed here on Facebook Marketplace. However, upon closer inspection, the paint on the car is faded through in places and the interior is in rough but usable shape. Maybe that is why it has been for sale for 6 months. With a little work (maybe a lot of work), this car could be super nice.

Pontiac offered the Tenth Anniversary Edition Trans Am in 1979 to celebrate 10 years of production of the Trans Am model. Only 697 Trans Ams were built in 1969 and 117,108 were produced in 1979. For 1979, Pontiac built 7,500 Tenth Anniversary Edition Trans Ams which were appointed with a special two tone exterior paint and special hood decal. The interior was unique also in that it included silver leather interior. Every Tenth Anniversary Edition Trans Am was fully optioned with T-Tops, WS6 suspension, power antenna, tilt steering, ETR radio, as well as all the power accessories. Maybe it is the seat covers, but parts of the interior look blue.

Of the 7,500 Tenth Anniversary Edition Trans Am’s, Pontiac produced 1,817 with the W72 Pontiac 400 engine with a 4-speed manual transmission and 5,683 with the L80 Oldsmobile 403 cubic inch V8 with an automatic transmission. The L80 403 cubic inch V8 engine only came with an automatic transmission. It was rated at 185 horsepower and was a smooth idling cruiser. The performance option was the W72 Pontiac 400 V8 engine. The W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine was only available with a Borg Warner T-10 4-speed manual transmission and came with 3.23 rear gears, WS6 suspension, and dual turbo mufflers. It was rated at 220 horsepower and would cover the quarter mile in the high 14-second range. As a side note, the 301 cubic inch V8 was available in the 1979 Trans Am for the first time for a $150 credit option, but it could not be ordered on a Tenth Anniversary Trans Am.

As can be seen in the pictures, the paint is faded and the different panels of the car – hood, fenders, doors – are different shades of silver and gray. The Trans Am decal is missing on the rear spoiler but after new paint and interior, this could be a nice car once again. Unfortunately, paint and interior work are getting more and more expensive. One cool thing about the Tenth Anniversary Trans Am is that the dash gauges were backlit in red for the first time, which matched the digital red ETR AM/FM 8-track stereo. All Tenth Anniversary Trans Am cars also had power antennas and a space-saver tire in the trunk.

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Comments

  1. Nevadahalfrack NevadahalfrackMember

    Bay Shore, NY, maybe?

    Like 1
    • oldroddderMember

      Yeah, that’s what it says.????

      Like 0
  2. John EderMember

    I would not be surprised if the soundtrack album from “Saturday Night Fever” is currently loaded in the 8 track player in this vehicle; seems appropriate…

    Like 0
  3. Matt LandfieldMember

    Is there a reason barn finds posts so many Trans Americans?

    Like 1
    • John EderMember

      I believe that you meant “Trans Ams”. You might want to check your spellcheck…

      Like 0
    • PRA4SNW PRA4SNWMember

      Simple – because many BFers like them.

      Like 2
    • JoeNYWF64

      Because they sold so many in the late ’70s.

      Like 0
  4. Zach Skelly

    They’re in the right age era for name finds and there are always a decent amount on the market….

    Like 2
  5. Acton Thomas

    This is a great looking car, but it will need a whole lot of love. After seeing the seat covers and the “Boy Racer” shifter it is easy to tell that this poor car led a rough life. I’ll keep shopping….the ad is gone anyway

    Like 1
  6. PRA4SNW PRA4SNWMember

    The car has been completely removed from FB Marketplace. Not sure if that means it Sold, was a scam, etc.

    Like 0
  7. oldroddderMember

    Yeah, that’s what it says.????

    Like 0
  8. El Grecko

    If you really wanted a 79 (had one but I don’t think they are as good looking as earlier ones) this is probably the one to get. Obviously a 400 with a 4 speed and WS6 suspension, this one clicks the boxes.

    Like 0
  9. Ron from MnMember

    If memory serves….. couldn’t get cruise control with the 400 4 speed combo. Otherwise fully loaded with options. An “X” in the VIN tells you it’s a real 10th Anniversary

    Like 0

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