I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this one. The seller has this 1978 Pontiac Trans Am listed as a special edition model called the “Free Bird,” a model designation I can find zero evidence of existing anywhere besides this very advertisement. We all know that 1978 was a big year for special editions from Pontiac, so there’s a strong likelihood that this is a special edition model; however, I can’t find much in the way of references to a “Free Bird” model, and/or what it came with besides the blue honeycomb wheels the seller mentions in the listing. Do you have more info about this trim line? Find the Pontiac here on Facebook Marketplace for $1,000 in Everett, Washington.
Pontiac was churning out a few different special editions at this time, including the “Sky Bird”, which was absolutely targeted to female shoppers (God help you if you were a dude rolling up in your periwinkle blue Sky Bird), and the striking Y88 gold edition that featured special paint and other cosmetic dress-up. There was also the Smokey and the Bandit tribute model known simply as the Y82 special edition, so it’s clear that Pontiac was churning out loads of limited production models most clearly recognized by their paint scheme. So why, then, would a white car – an otherwise standard color – be released, with the sole differentiator being its blue honeycomb wheels?
Now, listen: I was not raised on these cars, so I am fully prepared to be excoriated for not knowing this is indeed a one-of-5,000 production model, as the seller notes, and that everyone and their uncle should be falling over themselves to drag it home. That’s fine by me, but there’s normally an avalanche of information that follows any limited edition muscle car made in the heyday of the 1970s. Regardless of its limited production or lack thereof, let’s look at what you’re getting here: a complete interior; some missing body panels; the factory side splitters, rear spoiler, and cowl induction hood; three good pieces of glass; and some spider webs. The seller notes the engine and transmission have been removed, but if I’m reading the run-on sentence correctly, he may have them….somewhere.
The body looks OK from far but there’s still rust visible, and it seems unlikely that this Trans Am has seen the inside of a garage in the last 30 years. The back glass is blown out, and while certainly not good for the interior, it also increases the possibility that water has been getting down behind the rear seat or into the trunk, wrecking all sorts of havoc. The special blue honeycomb wheels are also gone, so unless there’s a build sheet somewhere that can prove this car’s special edition pedigree, this supposed “Free Bird” will remain a mystery find for my purposes; have you ever heard of this model?
There was the “Skybird”, the “Yellowbird”, and the “Redbird” limited production models, none of which had Trans Am decals or side vents/spats. Personally, I think the seller may have listened to/been influenced by too much Lynrd Skynrd, LOL!! :-)
Maybe, but there is still$1000 worth of parts their.
My same exact thoughts, a great band and song from 1974. RIP.
Maybe it comes with a Lynyrd Skynyrd 8 track.
It’s called the “Free Bird” because that’s the appropriate price for this heap.
Speaking of Skynyrd, it looks like “Mr. Saturday Night Special” got to that back glass on this car. Just gimmee three steps towards the door…away from this car. :-)
But ooh that smell…no for real can’t you smell that smell?
The smell of mold surrounds you…
Double-Trouble. (btw, the word you were looking for was, “wreaking”)
Looks like a Ford hoodscoop. If so I’d say that’s a pretty rare option in itself
That’s a cheap copy of a Ford hood scoop. The factory scoops had threaded studs that bolted on from the underside of the hood. This is a knockoff that was designed to be bonded on.
Steve R
That should be good for at least 10 mph faster top end speed. LOL
Might have been a “Dealer” special edition. or just a custom shop. Some did those back then. They were mostly paint and decorations. It would likely be more of a “Local” special edition then.
Dealer special Looking for a photo.
There was a light/baby blue version, outside and inside, with blue honeycombs and blue bird, and I think it was called freebird actually.
I thought that was the “Skybird” edition?
So the important part of it being a Free Bird special edition car are the wheels, and they’re not included? What a deal.
Having lived through that era, owned and drove a new 77 TA, and bought, read & studied every car magazine of the day, I have a very high degree of confidence that there was no such bird (from the factory). There is a remote possibility that a regional dealer group somewhere may have had enough clout with Pontiac to special order a few cars with this odd combination, or perhaps were actually prepped at the dealer level.
I think you’re on the money there. I remember seeing ads for dealer group special editions. Most car builds were still “a la carte” at that time (the spec order binders for GM were massive) so it would have been easy for a dealer group to cut a special deal for 5000 identical cars.
That’s knackered. Fifty quid.
A truley frightening thought . It sold . Now that scares me that someone would buy it
I think it’s because it doesn’t look like a real T/A. The hood scoop looks like it came off of a Mustang and the “Free Bird” looks like it was painted free hand.
Yeah, not even if it was free.
Could this ‘Free Bird’ have been the creation of a Pontiac dealer?
Yeah my thought too had a Y82 w 6.6 in high school. And have seen a lot of these red blue and white. Yellow base/mid level models. But NEVER. A skynard mobile.
More like a set it free bird.
I think there is nothing to see here….
I see a nightmare here!
Highly likely a plain old Trans Am with blue interior and decals. Nothing special! Someone probably stuck blue snowflake wheels on it during some time in her life. Easier to stick a hood scoop on it instead of a shaker… So many silly things were done to cars over time when they were just another used up car on the lot.
I dont think the seller knew what he was talking about, he says its rare and says only 5000 were built ?
Wrong hood scoop, no honeycomb wheels, you sure they didn’t just misspell “Firebird?”
Pontiac did NOT offer a “Free Bird” edition of any year Firebird. I was a Pontiac dealership line technician back in ’78 … never heard of it. During that year, there WERE two 92) special edition Firebirds, however; the W68 “Red Bird” option (based on the Esprit trim level) and the Firebird Formula LT Sport Edition which featured a revised 10% raised compression Chevy 305 CID V8 powertrain (producing 155 hp) with a four-speed manual T-10 BW transmission and a Safe-T-Track differential.
https://www.pontiactransamforum.com/threads/all-about-the-1977-81-firebird-and-trans-am.15/
Oops, that was two (2) special edition Firebirds … my bad!
Just a thought , It might have been a regional , dealer option in the southern states like Alabama , Georgia , Florida , given the model year which would have come out the fall of 1977. The Lynyrd Synyrd plane was also named “Free Bird” , and had crashed in late October of 1977. Possibly a dealer or group of dealers came up with this trim package ,to pay tribute to the band , but 5000 additions seems a little far fetched. I lived in Alabama at the time and was in the car business , but I never heard of such an option….That’s my 2 cents worth….about what the car is worth now…..just sayin’
this car was on another auto trading site several months ago.
that is a 69 mustang scoop and Pontiac never offered the blue wheels on anything except the esprit in 1978
also pontiac engines are not small blocks or big blocks
i actually spoke with this guy when it was listed before
he thinks he knows way more than he does
Run on sentence. Grammar police again. Oh I’m so smart.
Somebody bought it?? Must have been a “Simple Man”
What a Joke! No such bird existed unless it was a figment of someone’s imagination.
With this many parts missing off of it, and the interior drenched from the rain (look at the moss on the top of the back seat!) no engine transmission fender front clip or wheels – this is for parts only – or it’s junkyard time.
5000 is NOT super rare when it comes to special editions. If there was indeed 5000 “FreeBirds” made, regional special or not. At least one person here or anybody knowledgeable in Pontiac or Firebirds would have heard of it & been able to confirm.
Cameron, my same thought mentioned above. If there were thousands made (or even hundreds) us TA enthusiasts would be aware of it. I was thinking maybe 10 to 20 of them at most. Such an oddball combo anyway, surely would not have been too popular to demand more units than that.
Folks,
I am a Trans-Am Fanatic and I don’t claim to be a “Know it all”. I have owned seven of these cars for years and did the research on each one. That “Free Bird” is a joke! The owner might have to pay someone to haul it off.
I worked at a Pontiac dealership in 77-78 I don’t remember any such car, and I test drove all firebirds that came through!
Jim
If the shaker was lost or stolen, there were some at swap meets in the ’90s for not a lot of money. Why put on 1 of these scoops & destroy the value of the car?
Joe Dirt’s other car