This 1979 Pontiac Trans Am is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. This listing was sent to us by Tony Primo who always sends us neat cars and this one offers a sober look at what the classic car market classifies as a “driver-quality” survivor. Boasting a clean title and just over 100,000 miles, the vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission and standard 403 cid Oldsmobile V8. While the seller’s claim of a “runs great daily driver” is encouraging, a critical assessment shows this car has needs including needing some body work. The car is listed at $22,000 here on Craigslist. At over 100,000 miles, late-1970s General Motors vehicles typically suffer from tired suspension bushings, vacuum-operated accessory failures, and fatigued steering boxes.
The red interior indicates that the car was originally equipped with a deluxe interior option but the dash is cracked and the front seats have been replaced with Camaro style buckets. The 1979 model year represented the absolute sales peak of the second-generation Firebird. General Motors produced a record-breaking 211,454 total Firebirds that year. The Trans Am model accounted for more than half of that production with 117,109 total units produced. This included 109,609 standard Trans Am coupes and 7,500 of the 10th Anniversary Limited Edition models. Because 1979 Trans Ams are the most common of the entire second generation, standard automatic examples rarely command the premium prices associated with scarcer 4 speed models.
The Olds 403 cubic-inch (6.6 Liter) V8 was the standard offering for the Trans Am in 1979. This engine produced a modest 185 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, paired exclusively with the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 automatic transmission. While it offers decent low-end torque , the 403 Olds is not considered a high performing car but rather a cruiser. Built with a lightweight, “windowed” main web casting, the engine block is structurally weaker than PWC Pontiac blocks, limiting its potential for performance modifications. I have owned both engine options and I have to admit that the 403 Olds is my favorite to drive these days. It starts every time and runs smoothly. When I was younger, only the manual W72 T/A 6.6 400 cubic-inch Pontiac V8 (220 hp) would satisfy my appetite. In 1979, the only other engine option was the Pontiac 301 (4.9 Liter) V8 which sits at the bottom of the desirability scale.
Visually, the 1979 refresh featured a restyled plastic urethane nose with separate recessed quad headlights and a full-width smoked taillight lens. Pontiac offered 9 exterior finishes: Cameo White (like this one), Platinum Silver, Starlight Black, Atlantis Blue, Nocturne Blue, Solar Gold, Sundance Yellow, Heritage Brown and Mayan Red. Cabin options were restricted to Camel Tan, Carmine, Blue, Black, and Oyster White, accented by the machined-swirl aluminum instrument bezel. Given the Scottsdale vehicle’s desert location, buyers should inspect the interior thoroughly; the sun is notoriously brutal on late-seventies GM plastics, headliners, and dashboard pads, which can easily crack and turn a daily-driven cruiser into a costly interior restoration project.
It’s a bit rough for the asking price, that’s why it’s been on the market just shy of 3 weeks, so far.
Steve R