Some classics can’t help but attract attention, which is the case with this 1979 Pontiac Trans Am. From its shining paint to its sparkling wheels and T-Top, it seems to have something for everyone. Its few flaws are minor and easily addressed but don’t require immediate attention. Adding to the temptation, the seller has listed it here on eBay with No Reserve. The Trans Am is located in Niles, Illinois, where bidding sits at $24,500.
This Trans Am undoubtedly possesses the “wow” factor, with its Mayan Red paint shining beautifully. The seller admits the car underwent a repaint in 2015 and still presents impressively. The only flaw worth mentioning is a scrape below the rear plate, which the seller reveals in this YouTube video. He backed into his boat trailer, but the plastic appears undamaged. Any paint shop should have no trouble addressing the problem, but since the plate will hide most of the damage, the touch-up can occur when convenient. The panels are straight, while the plastic trim and decals look excellent. Rust can be a concern with Second Generation Firebirds, but this Trans Am won’t cause nightmares. Its exterior looks clean in the typically prone locations, and the underside shots reveal nothing but the occasional spot of surface corrosion. The original owner ordered this classic with the optional T-Top, and the lack of interior water damage suggests the seals are in good order. Rounding out the exterior are the sparkling Snowflake wheels, wrapped in a new set of BF Goodrich tires.
The entry-level engine offered by Pontiac in the 1979 Trans Am was the 403ci Oldsmobile V8, which was hooked to the three-speed TH350 automatic. There was no manual transmission option unless the buyer ordered their vehicle with the 301 or 400ci V8. The 403 produced 185hp, which was enough to launch the Trans Am through the ¼-mile in 16.6 seconds. It is sometimes hard for those who didn’t live through The Malaise Era to comprehend the profound impact tightening emission regulations had on vehicle performance, but the Trans Am provides a graphic demonstration. The least potent auto-equipped version in 1970 put 345hp at the driver’s disposal. It would have shown our feature car a clean set of heels in all circumstances, taking a mere 14.1 seconds to scorch the ¼-mile. The news for potential buyers is positive, especially those with their hearts set on flying in and driving this baby home. The new tires are the starting point for recent work, with the seller adding a new Quadrajet carburetor, brakes, and a new starter, along with a distributor cap, plug wires, and plugs. The car runs and drives perfectly and has a documented 76,000 original miles on the clock.
The impressive presentation continues when we examine this Trans Am’s interior. It isn’t perfect, but nor would it cause its new owner shameful feelings at a Cars & Coffee. The Red vinyl upholstered surfaces are free from wear and damage, and the only carpet issue appears to be slight fading on either side of the transmission tunnel. The dash and pad are immaculate, with no UV damage or other problems. The seller admits the rear seat side panels show deterioration, which is common with age. It is barely visible in this shot, but with replacements retailing for $260 per pair, addressing the problem is affordable. The Pontiac came from the factory with air conditioning, but a previous owner removed the compressor when fitting the engine with headers. The seller includes the original compressor for those wishing to reverse the change. An aftermarket radio/cassette player occupies the factory radio’s rightful place, but that is the only visible update. The seller states that everything works as it should, including the clock.
No Reserve auctions are difficult to ignore because they often promise a potential bargain. That could be the case with this ’79 Trans Am because it has only attracted three bids at the time of writing. I expect the price to climb before the hammer falls, and I’d be surprised if it doesn’t threaten $30,000. However, the classic market can be fickle. Trans Am values have dropped over the past year, and whether they’ve reached their lowest point is unclear. If they begin to recover, buying now could make the winning bidder a hero as they claim an appreciating asset. If they don’t bounce back, there is the potential to lose money, at least in the short term. Sometimes rolling the dice is part of a classic purchase, and are you willing to take that chance?
Beautiful car but holy wheel gap. Somebody tell China that our classic cars do not need a two inch lift LOL!
My 76 and 78 trans ams never sat that high in front or rear.Don’t set your hopes too high on trying to do much performance upgrades on the 403.headers and maybe a bigger cam is it.nice color though,i call it” speeding ticket red”.
This is about two inches higher than stock, which is par for the Chinese made replacement springs. You can avoid this with lowering springs, or with OEM if you can find them.
Yet ANOTHER ’79 with the wrong shaker sticker. Should say “6.6 LITRE” not “T/A-6.6.” Those Oldsmobile owners(sorry, I meant Firebird owners) must really have some confidence issues. C’mon, the 403 wasn’t THAT bad.
You’re right they’re not bad.but after reading the whole backstory with the 403,it has alot of limitations compared to other engines like it. to make one really hot you have to spend alot more money versus its pontiac counterpart.
Yep, that’s the first thing I look for when a 403 T/A shows up – almost every one of them have the wrong shaker decal.
Kind of makes me think about the car itself – what else has been changed.
It must have been a popular thing to do back in the day.
I wouldn’t say it was that bad but it wasn’t great. It had restrictive smog heads. And because it was an Olds small block it was bored to the max, meaning that the cylinder bores are very close together, which can lead to overheating and blown head gaskets in hard use, or if you bore it at all.
It also had windowed main journals, probably to save weight. That means that it’s really not suited for any kind of use above 4,000 RPM with any regularity.
It was intended for big luxury cars and station wagons. And for that it was fine. It always struck me as a very odd choice for the Trans Am/Formula given how people drive those, but they used it, and it sold very well.
There’s nothing stunning about a Trans-Am.
The price they go for today says different.
Up grade the top end with supercharger with fuel injection And you might have something.
Haha! I’d love to see a supercharged 403. I don’t think anybody’s ever had the you-know-what’s to try that, but if you do it, let us know how it works out!
You should know better than to compare gross HP figures from 1970 to net HP from the 1981.
The 1970’s net HP would be less it’s gross HP
You should know better than to compare gross HP figures from 1970 to net HP from the 1981.
The 1970’s net HP would be quite a bit lower than it’s gross HP
hate to disagree with all the fine fellows here, but I bought a 79 black on black loaded special in 79 with 2700 miles on it. Pulled the stock heads and cam, replaced them with 69 442 C heads and cam match ported with 5 angel valves done by a head specialist and cranked that thing to 70mph in first hundreds of times and as high 6500 nearly every time for years. It would rip hitting second to a 105 with that wratchet shift. the only casualty was a 350 turbo. Sold it to by a tool truck. Sure miss that car.
Sorry forgot to mention, I did rebuild the original trans with better parts.First hydro I ever built at 19 with just a book from my grandpa’s neighbor. Drove the heck out of it for another year or more.