This is one of my all time favorite cars. I own a 1971 Pontiac Trans Am like this one but my exterior is Cameo White and it is an automatic. There were only 2,116 Trans Am built in 1971 and 885 were 4 speeds. This car is being sold by a dealer in Lincoln, Nebraska that is well known for specializing in Pontiac performance cars. The car is listed here on eBay and has 7 days remaining in the auction. Currently, this fully restored beauty is bid to $88,350 but the reserve has not been met.
The interior of this car is finished in Code 201 blue. This Trans Am was not ordered with many options like air conditioning or power windows but it really doesn’t need it. I would prefer tilt steering but that was apparently not that popular of an option in the early 1970’s. My car does not have tilt steering either. The car was completely restored in 2022 and its numbers matching engine was professionally dyno’d at 358 hp and 480 lb ft of torque.
The engine bay is immaculate. Pontiac only built the round port 455 HO in 1971 and 1972. It could be ordered in the Pontiac Formula or Pontiac GTO also. From the factory, the 455 HO was conservatively rated at 335 hp in 1971. This engine is backed by an M21 4 speed and the rear gear ratio is 3.42 to 1. The car rides on factory 15×7 honeycomb wheels and the factory size P225/70R15 tires. The Trans Am does have power steering and brakes.
From 1970 through 1972, the Trans Am was available in Cameo White with a blue stripe or Lucerne Blue with a white stripe. This car is said to have 56,671 miles on the odometer. The rear end of this car is just as pretty as the front end. I am not sure what the reserve is set on this car but it should pull over $120k in this condition with the factory engine and a 4 speed.
Wow! It’s quite beautiful and rare. If you order a car like this and ask that it be equipped with power windows and A/C you would probably get the eye roll and possibly a snicker from the sales staff. I think the 455 HO mill is probably one of the best American V8’s ever built.
They still sing the praises of this mill in Pontiac heaven! Poncho power forever!
Great!! Where is the Ebay link?
Thanks for catching that! It’s added.
With 7days left and at $99,100.00 wow.. The work that went into this bird I would not be surprised if it hits $150,000.00 .. I can’t remember seeing this TA in this shape! I bet you can be invited to Pebble Beach car show. This is a true trailer Queen. I would be afraid to drive it on the road . Too many clowns out there. Good luck to the next owner… 🐻🇺🇸
Great pkg from Pontiac.
Good write up BJ. I bet your’s w the 3spd GM Hydramatic autoloader moves out really nicely also. Those 225 tires must go up in smoke 🚬 lol
Why the 70 series tires and not the F 60-15s that it would have came with standard?
It is absolutely beautiful!! I have owned 5 Trans Ams . Two were SE cars. I wish I had the funds for this car, its hard to stop looking at it!!
The 455 HO isn’t the only one with round ports.In fact the 455SD is the same top end essentially.both have round port,open chamber heads and have a 1.77 exhaust valves.The only other model of 2nd gen trans am that is rarer than this car is the 73-74SD model,just by production numbers.And of course pontiac was known for underrating these engines on power.
Wow… awesome Trans Am… holy grail price though… destined to be nothing more than a prize in someones collection no doubt.
oh to be a lotto winner….sigh, always the bridemaid lol
Could this t/a be overrestored? I don’t recall the blue painted ones having such a great paint job. & should the underside floor be black & should the starter be gold, & should the sway bars & steering linkage be silver?
I could never understand why the ’70-72’s birds came with no fender to radiator support bars, yet the ’70-’72 Camaros did.
& why the cold air ducting attached to the air cleaner on ’73 & later models, but not on ’70-72?
Wider & shorter 235-60r15s would have been a better choice size radial tire for this car, espec since radials were not offered yet from the factory in ’71.
What caught my eye was the differential. It looks to be a 10 bolt unit.
The ad goes on about number matching this and that, yet no talk of
the rear axle assy. The build sheet they have shows this unit with a
3:42 gear set and positraction. Yet the ad makes to mention of this.
Odd….odd in deed.
THis dealer always has lots of nice cars for sale. Early 70’s Firebirds seem to be their specialty.
Browsing their website is always good for dreaming. https://www.restoreamusclecar.com/vehicles
in the late 80’s.. I was living in the Tulsa area. A buddy of mine owned a restoration shop and had just finished a HO T/A. The owner came to trailer it home. My buddy called me to come take a look at this rare bird. It was beautiful. I was on my way to work so I couldn’t stay long. I left .. stopped and got a Pepsi.. and as i was pulling out, the car owner passed me. I followed him for a mile or so and then at 65mph the T/A rolled off the end of the trailer and did 3 end over end flips! It was terrible to watch. The guy cried like I would have. He failed to cinch the chains down properly and that’s what caused the car to roll.