It is Trans Am week here at Barn Finds and today we found a 1978 Pontiac Trans Am what was ordered with the Y82 Special Edition package. The car is located in Custer, Wisconsin and is listed for sale here on eBay. With less than two days remaining in the auction, the car is bid to $19,000. The stated odometer mileage is said to be 130,000 miles. The car is well optioned and looks pretty good in the pictures.
This car exceeded a $9,100 MSRP when new in 1978 and it is loaded with air conditioning, cruise control, automatic transmission, rear defrost, power locks, power windows, tilt steering and the optional custom interior. Since it is a Y82 Special Edition car, the dash bezel and steering wheel are tinted gold instead of silver. The black vinyl interior looks to be in good shape and the car comes with PHS documentation proving it is a real deal Y82 car. The car is equipped with T-Tops which are not spelled out on the factory order form because they were included with the Y82 package. This car appears to have the later GM T-tops and not the more leak prone Hurst Hatch T-Tops.
In 1978, the Trans Am could be ordered with the base L78 400 cubic inch engine, the L80 403 cubic inch Oldsmobile engine or the high performance W72 400 cubic inch engine. While this car has chrome valve covers that are indicative of the factory W72 400 cubic inch engine, it is not stated on the order form. The W72 400 cubic inch V8 engine was rated at 220 horsepower and ran a 14.6 quarter mile according to early magazines reports. This car probably left the factory with the base L78 400 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 180 horsepower. It is also equipped with the WS6 performance handling package which was based on track tested parts developed by Herb Adams.
The engine compartment looks pretty dirty and this car is going to need some TLC to get it ready for a car show. When the car was repainted several years ago, the decals were replaced with 1979 decals which always looks odd because the bird is much bigger than what came from the factory in 1978. The car does have rust and is a borderline project but the car is listed at no reserve so it should find a new home soon.
The seller say’s that if the bid reaches 30k he will include a center horn button signed by Burt Reynolds. That should push the bids to the max with ease.
It’s hard to see someone thinking it’s worth the opening bid. Then again, where I grew up rust free 60’s and early-70’s Muscle cars were readily available and cheap through the late-80’s, while these cars littered the self service wrecking yards due to lack of interest and the state’s draconian smog laws. Due to that, locally, they never developed much of a following, or respect.
Steve R
Agreed Steve.
But that was then, this is now.
Look at the prices these things are actually selling for. They have been on fire for the past three or four years (no pun intended). It’s unreal when a clean lo-po 301automatic will pull $30K, but it’s happened.
You are right, they do have a following, one that is willing to spend money. However, I’d bet that interest is regional, predominantly in the rust belt, where the supply of earlier muscle cars had already been severely depleted by the time these were being built.
Steve R
A pair of Sally’s or Loni’s dainties might have a better chance of snatching $30K as opposed to Burt’s signed button.
…. and some of us would prefer Burt’s dainties.
I wonder how old those tires are.
The kick panels, carpet & oddly the dash(not cracked!) appear original, but the rest of the interior has been replaced or redyed?
Not crazy about the wrong IMO too big ’79-81 wheel flares on the car.