The Pontiac Trans Am has been a bit of a sleeper in the modern collector car marketplace. The Chevrolet Camaro certainly gets a lot of shine and Trans Ams of a certain era – let’s say up to the third-generation model – have bene shown sufficient love by collectors. However, the fourth-generation Camaro and Trans Am has not exactly blown up on the value charts so they represent – to my mind – an exceptional value amid sky-high muscle car values. This pair of Trans Ams are two of the more desirable specifications you could get in a fourth-generation offering, with the silver car a 1-of-164 specimen built by SLP and the black coupe a desirable WS6 model. Find both cars listed here on craigslist as a package deal or individually.
The WS6 is a beast of a car, and while its looks haven’t necessarily aged well, there’s no denying this was a tried and true muscle car. I had a former work colleague with one of these in that rare factory color that looked all the world like a modern take on Chrsyler’s “Plum Crazy” paint, and it moved out with authority. The WS6 doesn’t have the same factory upgrades as an SLP car but it’s also no slouch. This one has just 43,000 original miles and is optioned with T-tops and the preferred six-speed manual transmission. The seller is asking $22,500 for the car, which is a reduced price.
Both cars have black interiors, but this appears to be the cabin of the SLP edition. The SLP designation basically means that Pontiac’s engineers got turned loose on an already powerful car and turned up the volume under the hood. A whole suite of performance upgrades got thrown at SLP models and they were built in extremely limited batches. This example benefits from a hot cam, lightened flywheel, limited slip differential, ceramic coated headers, carbon fiber driveshaft, adjustable suspension, and a big brake upgrade. The seller’s car has just under 60,000 miles and is made even more desirable for being one of just three Comp T/As ordered without T-tops.
The asking price for the Comp T/A is $27,500. Now, looking at both of these cars, the asking prices seem incredibly reasonable when you consider that almost every limited-production muscle car upgraded by the factory has become a coveted, holy-grail car decades after it left the dealership. It makes me wonder if these Trans Ams are simply too new yet to be fully appreciated by the collector car marketplace, as they seem like they should fetch $50K or better when you review the specs on paper. Will these rare Trans Ams someday be more coveted than they are now? Let us know in the comments below, and thanks to Barn Finds reader Pat L. for the find.
Probably a good deal for what they are.
I still can’t get used to that front end – not very
pleasant to look at.
I guess you don’t have to see it when you’re driving.
These cars run pretty hard for the era. Price is a tick high I think but I don’t think I am going to be the buyer. Someone will step up and pay the price.
I bought a brand new LT1 6SP T/A in 95 and that car was a beast. My girlfriend had to take it to work one day and some knob on the freeway cut her off and she spun it through an exit sign and spent a couple days in hospital. Car was written off. I bought a Yukon after that.
I liked them when they first came out but that quickly went away when I found out that you have to jack them up or put them on a lift just to change the spark plugs
How often is that needed?
The 98 -02 is so much nicer than the earlier 93-97’s. I could never buy the earlier as the side scoops, ram air hood and front fascia and quad headlights are so much nicer plus the LS-1 vs the Lt-1, I would maybe pay that value for the latter but not for the Lt-1 cars.
I purchased a low mileage ’93 Formula with the LT1 and 6 speed. After some repairs and all fluids flushed, this car is really alot of fun to drive. While the ’97-’02 versions are a bit nicer to look at and have the upgraded LS-1 engine, I still prefer the ’93-’96 versions. Overall the last gen of these Firebirds are a bargain and very easy on the wallet to maintain.
Time is running out for the big buck era on a lot of older cars. I hope the seller gets what he/ she wants, seriously. There are a lot of great cars out there that will make a lot of people happy. A lot of owners are realizing that many classic vehicles are simply overpriced for various reasons. These are really sharp/ super clean examples, nice. I wonder, if the mileage was a little bit less would they go for even more? Nice article well written! Best of luck to all involved.
With all due respect 4th gen Trans Ams, specifically 2002 low mile convertibles and or 6 speed WS6s are bringing pretty good money, especially nice ones. I don’t follow the Camaro, but nice Trans Ams are selling at more than they stickered for. Usually when a car crosses that barrier they continue to go up. I’m not selling, but I do pay pretty close attention to the numbers.
Hi Jeff, I too have watched the numbers for over 5 years in pursuit of a WS-6 convertible. I bought one this spring with 70 k’s on it for $15,500cdn. I put$1000 into it. Really liked it but it was an auto. The reason I sold it was that it had been driven in Massachusetts in its first 5 years so was not that clean underneath. I sold it for what I had invested in it. I also bought a 2002 Camaro SS 35th ann car with the 6 speed a few years ago with only 27,000 miles on it. Color matched grill and center mount exhaust. It was mint I I also bought that car for $15,000 Cdn. A lot of people asking 30 and upwards but most of the ones I see sell are actually in the high teens. I think a Limited following is the reason. I sold both cars as the stock L-1 just does not have the snap I was used to thought hey are great to drive and excellent on fuel. Looking at LS-2 and 3 cars now. I would no doubt take another WS-6 with work done to get the hp up over 400 though. I prefer the T/A over the same year C-5’s, much more shape and flair in my opinion.
I wish there way some way of knowing how any Comp T/A’s were built and what number this car was out of the bath. If only there was a way to tell 🤔
^batch
Fast cars. I drove a stock z28 of that era. 6sp stik, really moved out nice. Theae are obviously even better.
Both grossely overpriced… Craiglist? OMG.. run away. You can actually find (away from auctions) a real 68 Trans Am for 27-30k.
The pictures look like something pulled off Google. I feel safe saying these aren’t pics of the actual car. I could be wrong but something doesn’t seem right here.