Stricter emission regulations were beginning to bite when this 1974 Pontiac Trans Am rolled off the line. Still, it was a car that cemented the company’s reputation as the performance arm of the General Motors empire. It could show a clean set of heels to anything within the Camaro Z28 range and give the legendary Corvette a run for its money while offering a pair of extra seats. This classic is an original and unmolested project car begging for love. The seller has listed it here on eBay in North Andover, Massachusetts. Bidding sits below the reserve at $30,200, but plenty of time remains for the situation to change.
The history of this Buccaneer Red Trans Am is unclear, but it needs plenty of love to regain its former beauty. It is complete, but the buyer will probably undertake its restoration as a nut-and-bolt process. That will be a challenging road to travel, but the potential rewards at the end should make it worthwhile. The panels have a few bumps and bruises, but nothing looks deal-breaking. However, the subject of rust and what is required to achieve a rust-free state must be considered. Problems are visible in the lower rear quarter panels, and total replacement would seem the most sensible approach. The trunk pan has penetration, and the entire underside sports a heavy coating of crusty corrosion. It is unclear whether there are significant holes, but potential buyers should probably brace for floor pan replacement as part of a high-end build. The car rolls on its original Rally II wheels in good order, and I can’t spot any problems with the tinted glass.
The secret to this Trans Am’s desirability rests under the hood, with the original owner ordering it with the 455-SD V8. This was the final year Pontiac offered this option, and at no time would a buyer have access to the power produced by this motor during the remaining years of Second Generation Firebird production. It churns out 290hp and 395 ft/lbs of torque. Those ponies feed through a three-speed Hydramatic transmission to a 3.08 Posi rear end. Power assistance for the steering and front disc brakes round out the mechanical package. This was about as good as it got for performance enthusiasts in 1974, with this classic capable of storming the ¼-mile in 14.6 seconds. Placing that figure into perspective, the best an auto-equipped Corvette could muster was 14.8 seconds, while the Camaro Z28 languished at 15.9 seconds. As for the Mustang II? It wasn’t in the game as it struggled through the ¼-mile in 19 seconds. The seller claims the Trans Am is numbers-matching and runs and drives. He provides this YouTube video in support, with the SD V8 sounding pretty sweet. It needs brake work as part of the deal to make it mechanically roadworthy, but I suspect the winning bidder will probably worry about that during a total vehicle restoration. He supplies some desirable documentation, including the original Build Sheet, Purchase Record, and other paperwork dating back to 1974.
Finding a classic of this caliber with interior modifications is always frustrating, but it is common with cars from this era. Somebody fitted an aftermarket radio/cassette player, cutting the console to accommodate matching speakers. That will be the first item requiring replacement, although you can add a headliner, carpet set, and other plastic trim pieces to the list. However, items like the gauges and machine-turned fascia are in good order, as is the original Formula wheel. Everything required to return this aspect of the car to a factory fresh state is readily available and should add around $2,500 to the build. For those focused on comfort, the original owner didn’t limit the desirable options to the V8 hiding under the hood. This interior features air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a rear defogger, and a tilt wheel.
The seller raises the possibility that a high-end restoration could net this 1974 Trans Am’s new owner a six-figure value once the work is complete. That is possible because the numbers-matching 455-SD under the hood helps this car stand apart from other Trans Ams to roll off the line that year. However, achieving that goal will require dedication and a significant cash injection. We can speculate on the reserve, but the seller offers those serious about this classic a tempting option. He encourages those people to contact him directly to ascertain the reserve or negotiate a BIN figure. If you wish to see this beauty in your workshop, that might be better than rolling the dice via the auction process. After all, he who hesitates is lost.
The jewelry department manager in the discount department store where I worked had one in white with the ice blue interior and accented graphics. The novel twist with his car, as if the vehicle itself wasn’t enough, was that he’d gotten the engine balanced and blueprinted. We younger fellows stood around looking at the blueprints ooohing and aaahing at the right times as the fellow laid-out what’d been done to the 455. That ’74 or ’75 Trans Am was a real treat to see and hear.
I would the Id serial numbers held in by screws. that is not a GM way to attach the number plate.
Good catch. And that VIN tag on the dash looks awfully chipped up for something that should have remained in one place and without other items regularly contacting it all these years.
Could very well be nothing. But given what this will sell for over a 400 or regular 455, and given what the next owner will probably put into it, I think a deep dive professional inspection by a knowledgeable expert would be in order. Sadly, there are a lot of unscrupulous people in the car hobby.
I have a one owner 76 Camaro and the cowl tag is held on with the same screws
It appears as though screws were used on F-body data plates starting around ’73 on some cars, at least according to the interweb…
https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6235876
I’m not enough of an expert in this finite aspect of the GM car hobby to confirm this one way or other. I mean, when these things were built, no one thought they’d be worth as much as the Hope Diamond someday. The main concern back then would have been theft, so there was a greater concern over the VIN tags versus the data plates. But my note of caution still stands.
This is another case of fools and their money. Not only the screws but this car needs at least another $30,000 in restoration. People need a reality check. Anything needing restoration is maybe a 8 to 10k car tops . And the number plate thing … Maybe 3k tops for this one.
Still waiting to find that LS6 needing restoration for 9k I see. Good luck.
No but I’ve actually restored many care. Completely nut and bolt restoration and the cost even doing 99% of the work myself…. Yeah if you start 30k deep….. Just crazy prices anymore. At Maple motors you get a really nice car for 30k.
Propane Powered! Hank Hill would be proud, By golly, he would.
That’s the common story with the Trans am,rust in all the typical places and then some.The restorers will be doing the money dance with this one.
A familiar jig indeed
With 3.08s, this thing will be able to keep up with today’s Hondas. I know a guy who has an Admiralty Blue 74 SD 455 in much worse shape than this. He has had it 25 years. Just no money to restore so he drives the rotted bird at times. He won’t sell. This car will sell. If I did not have an old Corvette in my garage, this would be as 1974 is my high school graduation year. Handling and power superior to a 74 Corvette. If you have the money, send it Scott Tiemann to be restored. His Pontiac knowledge is second to none.
Doesn’t sound good to me
I thought the SD-455 decals on the shaker were black on red cars – or did some red cars get orange decals like this? Maybe the factory ran out of black ones?
This car deserved a better fate & does not look right with ’79 -81 fender flares.
Hard to believe this very rare t/a was used in bad weather &/or not garaged.
I wonder if Pontiac kept records of how many SD t/a’s were not ordered with the hood bird – like this one.
Front seats probably recorvered. Should i believe the mileage on the car?
Should there be what looks like mud on the air cleaner housing?
The ten bolt rear different on these is the weak link, with many failing under warranty. Chevy put 12 bolt in their big block camaros
12 bolts i believe were used only thru the ’70 1/2 model year for F body big blocks & big cube v8 birds. For ’71 & later, all got the same 10 bolt here.
I would think automatic behind sd-455 (& 455 HO) is less rough on the 10 bolt here than if it had a manual trans.
At least they didn’t use the less durable 1st gen 10 bolt in 2nd gen.
If you have to replace the quarters due to rust, finding good ones will be hard. The 74 is the only year with the small rear window and soft rear bumper. I just finished my ’74 Formula 400 and learned that the hard way. Before you jump on this, get the PHS report.
Partial lower area rear quarters are readily available & if there’s rust around the flat window, that could be addressed separately with bondo &/or new custom metal.
If you are planning to fit an earlier ’70-73 nose onto a ’74-78 & the car needs both rear quarters, i wonder if you can also fit ’70-3 quarters(or partial ones), & a ’70-73 rear lower valence & a chrome bumper. & see how the ’74 tailites look with those – else swap those out as well.
All of these professors of incorrect knowledge, spewing their uneducation about…that couldn’t buy it if it was half of the price, lol!