If you haven’t been watching the Trans Am market lately, it’s gone crazy! I still remember when you could pickup a decent late ’70s Trans Am for nearly nothing, but that’s no longer the case. It would seem they are finally getting the respect that they deserve. This ’79 Firebird Trans Am is a 4.9 liter V8 car, but it does have the shaker hood and a 4-speed, and the seller is asking over $16k for it! That might seem crazy considering what you use to be able to buy one of these for, but it’s no longer the ’90s. You can make an offer on this faded Pontiac here on eBay though, so perhaps you could get it cheaper!
Once the seller got it out of the garage and out in the light, you can see how faded the worn the paint really is. I don’t see any serious rust issues though, so it might be a good starting point for a restoration or even a fun driver. The seller states that it the engine runs great and that it drives, so it might not take much to make it a daily driver.
If it were mine, my primary focus would be the interior, at least initially. The clothe seats are extremely dirty, but they might clean up. Personally, I would just order all new upholstery and seats foams. They aren’t that expensive and it would make the car much more enjoyable to drive!
The 4.9 liter (301) V8 isn’t exactly a powerhouse, but paired with the 4-speed it should be fun to drive. Pontiac rated the engine at just 150 horsepower for ’79, so don’t expect it to perform like a pre-emissions Trans Am, but there are some performance upgrade options for it.
The paint might be faded and the interior probably smells, but this could be a decent project for the right price. I would leave the paint as is for right now and just make it a good driver. Enjoy it for a couple of years as is and then invest in a quality paint job and new graphics.
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