This 1983 Pontiac Trans Am is one of 2,500 Daytona 500 Pace Car tributes offered by Pontiac that year, and has clearly been kept out of daily use based on its current storage arrangements and low mileage of just 33,000. The Trans Am came with a few different upgrades, mostly limited to cosmetic tweaks like any other tribute with a decal kit and Recaro interior. The seller has listed it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $12,999, and bidding is currently well shy of that ask.
The Daytona 500 Pace Cars included the novel paint job you see above, with two-tone lower body cladding and turbofan-style aero wheels. The interior also got a nice upgrade to Recaro bucket seats with netted headrests, which look to be in great condition in this example. Door panels and the dash pad are in similarly clean shape, and while it’s not one of the rarer models wth the five-speed manual transmission, the engine and transmission are said to function well.
Engine-wise, this Trans Am is equipped with the fuel-injected Crossfire V8, that offered a health 175 b.h.p. This was a nice step up from the traditional carburetor-equipped 305 with 15o b.h.p., and should make the automatic transmission seem a bit livelier. The engine bay looks quite nice with hoses and other trim still showing plenty of deep luster. With just 33,000 miles, one would assume that the cosmetic condition would be among the car’s high points.
The seller has owned the Trans Am since 1985, which is close enough to new condition to tell you that they have clearly cherished this example in the time they’ve owned it. The Daytona 500 Pace Car tributes came with plenty of stickers added to seemingly every corner of the car, and the seller notes they have started to crack in places. New fuel injectors were recently fitted due to the originals failing, and the stock radio is noted as needing repair. Will bidding clear the reserve?
Nope.
It makes me laugh to see people put away pace car tribute editions like they’ll be worth big money someday. If the owner truly loves the car then more power to him, but that price is way up the crack pipe scale for a car that I can’t imagine anyone pining for.
33k isn’t exactly putting it away. I reserve that definition for those with like 50 miles on them (hello 65% of all 1978 Corvette Pace Cars). But yeah, this definitely didn’t pan out if viewed as an investment. Hopefully the owner enjoyed the car over the years at least, as much as one can enjoy a 305 Missfire anyway.
some people like to look at them in the garage , like me
I don’t find this to be an attractive car at all. Really? Black and white were the best colors they could come up with? The lettering is particularly unimaginative and those wheels are ugly. The interior is fairly nice and overall, the car is in good shape but you’d expect that in a low-mileage car. No performance tweaks are a disappointment, but typical for the times. Maybe I’m wrong but the bidding, at least at this point, seems pretty weak for a low-mileage pace car. I wouldn’t be surprised if the car fails to meet the reserve.
High retail is 16k so 12k doesn’t seem like a huge ask. Maybe offer him 10k?
I don’t hate the look, stick would make this more desirable!
FWIW, you couldn’t get the “high performance” Missfire engine with manual. Those were automatic only. If you wanted a manual in 1983 in a T/A you were saddled with the everyman 4-bbl LG4 305 or, if lucky, the mid-year L69.
It’s a nice car, but yea, the color scheme looks too much like a computer terminal.
It still looks so modern sitting next to a 1981 Trans Am. I had a 1986 TA and it was a fun,reliable car. This one seems like a decent deal to me.
So many haters on this car, but growing up in the 80’s I totally dig it. In a slew of gaudy neon, this car looked like a classy black and white tuxedo. The wheel choice was on par for the 80’s “Aero” look, which was part of Pontiac’s marketing of the new 3rd gen F body. And those Recaro seats were top of the line at the time.
$12,999 was probably what this sold for new. Not really what it’s worth now, but still an nice car
Not even a real Pontiac, people from the 80s who like this car know no better, it’s a sticker pkg w ugly wheels, Chevy guys would abuse you to death about a Pontiac body Chevy engine, it’s junk
Fugly. Slow. Boring. Gimme a 73 SD 455 stick in Brewster Green. Thank you.
Doubtful you’ll find one of those for 13k!
I prefer the SDs too but can’t afford one.
Do you get any special privileges if you pull up in it at Daytona? After all, it’s official.
Closest parking space near the bathroom.
I don’t have too much of an opinion on the car one way or another. But the presentation is curious to me. Having the car of a lift provides a good opportunity for undercarriage pics, which have been included. There are several other pics of the interior and outside. But, why not take the car down and put it on the driveway and take some good overall and detailed outside pics? Maybe it isn’t operational? Or maybe the Pontiac (?) below it isn’t operational? Or maybe it was simply too much work (not realizing that presentation matters i.e. it can increase the purchase price).
The whole “on the lift” presentation is weird. Plus the stuffed animals! Are they included with the sale? SMH
Did you look at all of the photos? It is in the ground in the later ones.
Chevy still refused to switch the alternator & the a/c compressor avoiding the silly long a/c hoses. At least, tho, the hood bird is restrained, unlike the 1 on the ’79 silver anniversary t/a.
Looks like a less restrictive honeycomb cat converter.
Underside looks darn good, except for that orange oil filter.
I would assume decals were left in the “trunk” by the factory.
Almost white carpeted floormats(& carpet) are inSANE for a real life car, fine on a concept.
Could you get black?
There’s been one of these kicking around the South Jersey CL on and off for a couple of years now. Last time I saw it, I believe it was listed for $2,500. Not in the shape that this is in, but not in horrible shape either.
I get that most of you guys don’t like this car, but again remember the context of when it was produced. “80’s style computer graphics”? Well…..it was made in 1983, what do you expect? You’d rather have a 73 SD? Of course you would, so would everyone else, but you’re comparing apples to oranges when you compare cars from that era to this era.
This car is what it is, a time capsule from an automotive era that was not very good.