This 1979 Code 50 Solar Gold Pontiac Trans Am is listed for auction here on eBay and there are two days remaining in this three day auction. The car is currently bid to $6,301 after 29 bids. The seller states that the car is almost rust free and is located in sunny Glendale, Arizona. The Trans Am is reported to be on its second trip around the odometer having approximately 160,000 miles. There were over 117,000 Trans Ams built in 1979 which was the all time high for production for any year of the Trans Am.
The Pontiac Trans Am is powered by an Oldsmobile 403 cubic inch V8 engine that was rated at 185 horsepower and 320 lb ft of torque. In 1979, a Trans Am could be ordered with a 301 cubic inch V8, 400 cubic inch V8 or 403 cubic inch V8 engine. The Pontiac 301 cubic inch V8 was rated at 155 horsepower and was available with either a 4 speed manual transmission or 3 speed automatic transmission. The Pontiac 400 cubic inch V8 engine was designated at the W72 engine and was rated at 220 horsepower. It was only available with a 4 speed transmission and 3:23 rear end. Only 8,326 Trans Ams and 367 Formulas in 1979 came with this special engine. Most Trans Ams were equipped with the 403 cubic inch engine which only came with a 3 speed automatic transmission.
The tan velour interior of this car is sun-baked. The seats looked to have been recovered at some point and the dash is badly cracked. The car is well optioned with power windows, tilt steering, air conditioning and cruise control. The door panels don’t look correct but that might just be the lighting. The seller claims that the car has the famous WS6 handling package. In 1979, Car and Driver named the Trans Am as the best handling car in the US for Trans Ams equipped with this suspension. However, WS6 cars came with 8 inch snowflake wheels and this car has 7 inch snowflake wheels.
The seller reveals that he is the second owner of this car and has had it since 2013. The car is dusty and I am not sure why he includes pictures of it on a tow truck. There is no mention if the car is in running condition but it seems to be all there. There are not decals on the car so it has probably been repainted at least once. This would make a solid car for someone wanting to build a driver or modify it in the future.
The Pontiac 400 is the motor u really want, unfortunately this one has the 403 Olds, better than the 301 though…..
I would personally prefer the 301 over the 403. At least it’s a Pontiac engine. Nothing wrong with the Olds engine, but I’ve never gotten used to them in the Trans Am
This one looks in good shape but, man, take it off the transporter and clean it up if you want to make some $$.
I agree! Nothing screams “flipper” more than someone who can’t wait to get the car unloaded before they take pictures and post them
Oh all that dirt is the fad now.
Judging by the wheels this is not a WS6 car.
Old car, wheels could have been swapped.
@Motorcityman
You wrote: “Old car, wheels could have been swapped.”
Very possible but very unlikely that someone just happened to find a set of 7-inch snowflake wheels with gold paint around the spokes. And the obvious question to that would be WHY?
But the bottom line is that this can be determined definitely by looking at the rear brakes. WS6 cars had rear discs, other T/As had drum brakes. I bought a ’79 Trans Am WS6 new. It was funny at the number of people I knew who would get down on the pavement and look under my car at that brake set up! It was a big deal back then.
I feel on this car just like I do on cars claiming low mileage. If you can’t prove it, I won’t believe it.
This is not a WS6 car, Has rear drum brakes.
Some people consider the ’79 W72 400 as the last muscle car, based on performance. These engines were all made in 1977, and used through ’79. The actual rating was about 260 net hp. In stock form, with a 4 speed, as in ’79, the quarter mile was in the high 14’s, and 0-60 was in the high 6’s. If you went back 20 years, that’s about what the ’69 350 hp GTO ran. Of course, the Super Duty 455’s ran a second quicker, in both categories. But still, really good for a late 70’s “performance” car, with 400 cubes, versus 455.
Seller says “This 1979 Pontiac Trans Am is fully loaded such as tilt cruise power steering power brakes radio tune suspension air condition”. Sorry, no cruise on it, but it does have the very rare “radio tune suspension”