DIY Project? 1978 Pontiac Trans Am

It would be easy to walk past this 1978 Pontiac Trans Am and not give it a second glance as a project car. However, this could prove to be a bad move. When you delve below the tired and baked paint, it reveals itself to be a surprisingly solid classic that could make a rewarding DIY restoration project. It appears to be essentially complete and features the most desirable drivetrain that Pontiac offered in this model year. Located in Mesa, Arizona, you will find the Trans Am listed for sale here on Craigslist. You can park it in your workshop for $14,000. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder rex m for referring this classic to us.

It only takes one glance to leave little doubt that this Pontiac has spent its life in a drier climate. Its Starlight Black paint is heavily baked and has worn away to reveal raw steel in many areas. These spots have developed the dry surface corrosion typical of these regions, but there is no sign of penetrating rust. The seller refers to the vehicle as rust-free, which is a bonus in a Trans Am of this vintage. One of the prone areas is the section around the back window, but this looks clean. If the floors, trunk pan, and rear valance are in a similar state, that could make this a straightforward restoration project. Surprisingly, especially from a car for this region, there is a lack of significant deterioration in any of the exterior plastic. The buyer will undoubtedly decide to strip the panels to bare metal to achieve a high standard of finish. They won’t need to perform many panel repairs because these look pretty straight. There are no noticeable dents or blemishes, so it will be a matter of performing some simple surface preparation before a fresh coat of paint can be applied. The distinctive decals have seen better days, but with kits available for under $500, addressing this issue will not break the bank. Probably the biggest surprise for me is that this Trans Am doesn’t feature a T-Top. That doesn’t make it particularly rare, but it is slightly unusual, as many buyers ticked that box on the Order Form as a matter of course. On the plus side, that eliminates one potential weak point from this car when it comes to the question of weatherproofing. The original wheels appear to be a restorable prospect, while the tinted glass seems good.

While Pontiac offered the Oldsmobile 403ci V8 in the ’78 Trans Am, our feature car comes with its original 400ci W72 V8. In its prime, this would have churned out 220hp, which found its way to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. This Trans Am also features power steering and power brakes. While tightening emission regulations had a significant impact on performance levels by this point, Pontiac was doing its best to provide potential buyers with some degree of excitement. The journey down the ¼ mile would have taken 15.9 seconds in this classic. It is interesting to compare this figure with the best offered by the Camaro Z28 and the Ford Mustang II Cobra II. The Camaro covered the distance in 16.3 seconds, while the Ford took a leisurely 17.1 seconds. None of these figures looks particularly impressive today, but it is evident that the Trans Am had the wood on its logical opposition in 1978. The owner doesn’t indicate whether this motor runs or when it last did. It isn’t clear whether it turns freely, but if it does, coaxing it back to life may not be a difficult undertaking.

While the dry Arizona climate is perfect for preserving classic steel, it can wreak havoc on plastic and vinyl. That is the case with this Trans Am. Its interior is pretty badly trashed and will need nothing less than a total restoration. Apart from the radio and glove compartment door, it appears to be essentially complete. Before spending any money, I would treat everything to a thorough clean. The console looks pretty ratty, but if it responds positively to a clean, that will save $400 on this restoration. The most logical path to follow would be to source a trim kit, and these sell for around $1,700. That includes virtually everything that would be required to return this interior to a factory-fresh state, with the exception of a dash pad. The buyer will need to add a further $800 to the total for a reproduction item. However, this interior would look pretty nice with all of these items installed. The original owner ordered this Pontiac with air conditioning, and while most of the system appears to be intact, the compressor and bracket are missing from the engine bay. Adding to the luxurious feel, he also chose to equip this Trans Am with power windows and a tilt wheel. Whipping this interior into shape will take some work, but the results should be rewarding once the process is complete.

At $14,000, this 1978 Pontiac Trans Am is not what I would class as a cheap project. However, its solid nature makes it worthy of a closer look. If an in-person inspection reveals the underside and rear valance to be rust-free, it should represent a straightforward restoration. If the new owner completes the work to a high standard, it is a vehicle that could command a value beyond $30,000. When you consider the sale price, that leaves plenty of room to perform the work before its financial viability comes into question. With those thoughts in mind, is this a project that you might be tempted to tackle?