There are few cars that attract more attention than a Pontiac Trans Am. Love them or hate them, they are an iconic part of Pontiac history and they carried the performance torch for American performance cars through the 1970’s. This example is a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am painted in Nocturne Blue which was a one year color only. When you get up close there is metallic in the paint and a hint of green that gives the car a deep blue hue. Over 117,000 Trans Ams were built in 1979 and this is one that came with a 4 speed. It is listed here on eBay with 5 days remaining in the auction. The car is located in Cheteck, Wisconsin and is currently bid to $6,200.
This Trans Am seems well optioned with tilt steering, deluxe interior, power windows and air conditioning. The car will need some work including new door panels and arm rests. The vinyl interior shows the effect of the sun but the dash does not looked cracked. The seller states that the Trans Am has new exhaust and a new headliner but needs new paint and replacement of the interior. This car is equipped with the 15×7 snowflake aluminum wheels. If the buyer had selected the WS6 handling package, the car would be equipped with 15×8 aluminum wheels.
The base engine for the 1979 Trans Am was the 403 cubic inch V8 that came with an automatic transmission. For a $50 credit, a buyer could order a 301 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 155 horsepower that came with a 4 speed or automatic transmission. According to the VIN, the W in the 5th digit indicates that this is a 301 cubic inch V8 (4.9 liter). This was the first year for the little 301 cubic inch V8 in a Trans Am after being introduced in Pontiac passenger cars in 1977. It generated just enough power to cruise a heavy Trans Am around town. The 301 cubic inch V8 engine became the standard engine for the Trans Am in 1980 and 1981.
This car would be worth 3X or more if the original owner had selected the W72 engine designation. This was the performance option for 1979 and would have equipped this Trans Am with the Pontiac 400 cubic inch engine, 4 speed transmission and WS6 handling package. The W72 400 cubic inch engine produced 220 horsepower and was built with a 800 cfm 4 barrel Rochester carburetor, high capacity 60 psi oil pump, special cam, baffled oil pan, special piston rings, and 8:1 compression heads. What would you order if it was 1979?
Lots of negative feedback on ebay.
In my opinion the 403 was a lot better than the 400 because I own both a 79 Trans am with 403 and 78 with 400 my engine blew with the 400 but 403 I could gun it all day and night and we still keep going.
403 was unkillable, I know I tried.
Pontiac hoarded W72s in ’78 for as many buyers who wanted the last hooray of gm performance. Having blown two W72s, I’d prefer the Olds for reliability. Pontiac had a better exhaust note.
The WS6 400 was limited-availability in 1979 – that was the year of corporatizing GM’s engine lineup. The Pontiac 400 didn’t make the first cut, and most Trans Ams that year got Oldsmobile 403s.
As Car & Driver noted, there was a last-minute stockpile of Pontiac 400s, run off during 1978 and available into the 1979 model year until exhausted. And that was it for the Builders of Excitement, until computer engine controls again allowed, for a time, potent engines.
The 301,the worst V8 Pontiac ever made.would be better off replacing it with a sbc 350 and a Borg Warner T5,the 301 has other uses like a boat anchor….
I had an 80 TA with the 301. Asked a speedshop what I could do to give the car a little more grunt. He said “pull the motor, junk it and drop in a 400” … I think that about sums it up.
I had a 1980 T/A with the 301 when I was 19 and It blew a head gasket so we swapped in a Built 400 from a GTO! That car would do 180 mph with the high way gears it had!
With a reinforced block, better materials, and the best tech of the day, the 301 Turbo had more horse power and torque than any other government mandated 1980s performance car.
Rather have had the 400 or drop a 350 V-8 in it that was used in its sibling the Z-28. If the rest of the trans am is in reasonable
Condition 6200 is a good buy for a car that will still turn heads as is or with the upgrades & touch ups it needs. 1979 was a very good year for these sports cars!
Its still a 4 speed. Worth a look. I would take a 301 4 spd over an auto 6.6 403 just for the fun of rowing the gears
Had my 1st real job in 1979. I was infatuated with the Trans-Am and wanted to order one. For insurance reasons and because I wasn’t being paid all that well, I wanted to order one with the T/A 4.9 and 4-speed. I believe that the actual horsepower rating was 170 horsepower in that combination. Alas, the job didn’t work out and my dreams were dashed. By the time I had any real money again the 3rd generation were out and I didn’t like them. Still don’t like the 3rd generation.
Cheerleader in my High School got one as a birthday present in Spring 1979 (not even a “Graduation Gift” she was a Junior) First time I realized they weren’t putting the 400/403 in every Trans Am. Crowd was yelling for her to do a burn out, she stalled it.
Remember one guy (of course skinny, long haired, dope smoker, no future drove a 73 SD 455, even back then we knew it was special)
I think it was “user error”
Frank
I bought a, ” what I thought was a 79 TA ” back in 2004 from the original owner. He was a nice guy and told me everything about the car including a front end collision in which the car got a complete front. He went on to tell me that he was so pleased they only had the car a week and the front was the same color. Yup paint was tired and the entire car matched. Mine is the same color except with a black interior, a 400, 4 speed, disc brake posi. ran and still runs super nice. Sadly a few years down the road I found out that my car was not a TA but a Formula and when it had its accident the shop bought a junkyard front in matching blue from a TA walked it on the car and away the happy customer went. A ten year old car at the time that could have likely went to the junkyard. Fast forward 40 years and that car is now an unoriginal car good for nothing more than a cheap beater or parts. Oh well I did have a bunch of fun years and could have more but no money to be made from mine. Had mine been a 301 I would have walked away. I would rather have my unoriginal one over this unit, no matter what the worth.
I was 18 fresh out of high school in 1989 driving a $400 77 cutlass Supreme when my buddy and best friend since 1st grade told me about a 81 t-top t/a with 89,000 miles for sale near him so….I looked at it and had to have for the sum of $2900….mom co-signed and the payment was $104 a month for 3 years and the ins was $179 a month…full coverage…6 months into my teenage adventure I got canned from My job at a factory grinding slag at a wood chipper mfg.plant in central Mi.,the ins.lapsed and 4 months later I got in a 45 mph head on and had 26 payments to go so I parked it in mom’s garage and bought a 78 omega with a bone stock 350 sbc and ran the hell out of that motor for 2 years until it was whipped,I pulled the motor and sent it to the machine shop for a hot tank and .030 bore job,got a summit racing catalog and ordered flat tops and and all the goods for a rebuild,hit the local speed shop for the cam and new crank,650 holley and a set of headers,I had a freshly machined set of 202 camel backs laying around and a dual plane edelbrock intake manifold,bought a front clip and windshield and pulled the gutless 301 out,bolted in the sbc 355,installed a 3:73 posi and a th 400,I now had a chevontiac t/a that was pretty quick dusting off my buddy’s 71 road runner built 383 I hurt his poor Mopar pride,a year later my high school sweetheart said honey we are having a baby we need a family car soooo I sold it and bought crib,diapers,car seat etc etc and a 84 dodge omni….young and nieve…wish I still had it,it was a head turner and a chic magnet….
If you were taking the engine out and replacing it, why did you have it bored?
I ordered mine with a 301 and the WS6 handling package. I still have it, it just turned 50,000 miles. I autocrossed the car for many years and had no trouble competing with cars with bigger engines because mine was better balanced with the 301 and handled better. Yes the 400 went much better in a straight line, my friend had a 400 4 speed and I did several runs on a autocross course with mine and then his. All of my times in my car were faster. I even took some practice runs to get used to his car. A big engine does not make a car fun, it can enhance the driving experience but a well balanced car that does what you want when you want is a lot more rewarding. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 301 WS6 Trans-Am for 44 years and look forward to many more.
Plus the 8”wide WS6 wheels looked so cool!
I was too young to drive them but when I was a kid we had ‘80 Turbo and ‘81 non-turbo WS6 car so I have a soft spot for these later 2nd gen Trans Ams especially as both cars had T-tops but I love the early 70s front ends.
My ultimate Frankenstein build I saw on Craigslist years ago. Was a ‘79 Trans Am with T-tops (Love the smoked out full length tail panel!), ‘70-‘73 Trans Am nose with the early ‘70’s Formula and shaker hood scoop. I think it actually had a 350 Chevy engine if I recall. Was ugly but beautiful at the same time!