This 1977 Pontiac Trans Am is a tidy driver ready to provide a new owner with immediate motoring pleasure. It has undergone a few changes, but it retains its numbers-matching drivetrain. The buyer could leave this classic as-is, although lifting its presentation should be straightforward and inexpensive. The Trans Am is listed here on eBay in Blountville, Tennessee. Bidding currently sits below the reserve at $12,400.
Pontiac performed a couple of facelifts on its Second Generation Firebird range throughout its production life, with 1977 bringing a new and more aggressive frontal treatment and the Trans Am receiving a new “shaker” scoop. This car presents well, but eagle-eyed Trans Am enthusiasts will probably recognize it has undergone one significant change. The included Dealer Invoice confirms it left the factory finished in Cameo White, but it has received a color change to what I believe is a 1978 color called Martinique Blue. This leaves me torn because while I prefer originality, this happens to be my favorite shade to grace a Trans Am of any description. The paint presents well, with a healthy shine and no significant defects. The decals, including the iconic Screaming Chicken, haven’t aged well. This is where the new owner could make a substantial difference to the vehicle’s presentation. Spending $300 on a decal kit would address the issue, and I feel this is a wise investment. The panels are straight, and the underside shots confirm this is a rock-solid classic with nothing more severe than surface corrosion on its floors. The tinted glass is spotless, and the beautiful Snowflake wheels should present nicely following a clean and polish.
The Trans Am’s interior brings more positive news, with its Black vinyl upholstered surfaces free from wear and physical damage. The dash and console are excellent, and the carpet has no appreciable issues. There are some shortcomings, but these aren’t insurmountable. The Dealer Invoice confirms the original owner ordered this Pontiac with an AM/FM stereo radio, but there is a hole where this should be. Locating a suitable replacement should be possible, although the exterior color change may prompt the winning bidder to throw caution to the wind by installing something more modern. The spokes on the Formula wheel appear chipped and marked, leaving the buyer to consider how they might address that defect. It isn’t the most highly-optioned version you could buy in 1977, but the buyer will appreciate the air conditioning, power windows, power locks, and tilt wheel.
Purists will be pleased to learn that this Pontiac is numbers-matching. Its engine bay houses the company’s 400ci V8, which many prefer to the Olds 403. Shifting duties fall to a three-speed Hydramatic transmission, while power assistance for the steering and brakes were standard fare. The motor should produce 200hp and 325 ft/lbs of torque, with both figures considered respectable at the time. The journey down the ¼-mile will take 16.2 seconds, and while that looks quite feeble by modern standards, that was within buyer expectations. Relief is available for those not focused on originality because squeezing additional power from these motors is relatively straightforward. The seller recently installed a new complete dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers, meaning this V8 should sound pretty sweet. The car runs and drives exceptionally well and can be considered a turnkey proposition.
This 1977 Pontiac Trans Am is a tidy classic, and its overall condition and rust-free status make the thirty-one bids submitted unsurprising. That figure will undoubtedly climb before the auction ends, and even if you have no intentions of parking this classic in your driveway, monitoring the action could be entertaining. The only risk with that strategy is you may find yourself irresistibly drawn to this Pontiac, leading you to join the bidding war. I won’t blame you if that happens, and it will be fascinating to see if this classic finds a new home with one of our readers as a result.
Nice to see some different colors 👌 Such great looking cars.
The colors and wheels look great together. I even like the black grille in the photos. Nothing seems out of place. Probably a good driver or restoration candidate.
Didn’t every Trans Am of this vintage have ‘wing outs’ in front of the front, and rear wheels, or was that an option? Maybe they were left off after the re-paint process?
You are correct Dale. This TA actually has no fender flares at all on the front or rear. The flares are part of the total “Trans Am” package that separates them from Formulas and other birds. Perhaps the previous owner preferred this look? In any case, it’s a total failure with wrong color, wrong decals, and no flares. Hard pass. $10k car, on a good day.
Due to various short cuts, radio, lack of AC compressor, missing fender flare plus an original dealer located in Indiana, a wise buyer will give this car a thorough up close inspection before bidding. It’s too easy to buy a pig with lipstick gussied up for a quick flip to ignore the warning signs present on this car.
Steve R
Can’t say I’ve ever seen a blue car with those color graphics.
White ,maybe silver cars yes.
This car was white, I’ve seen cars repainted and graphics masked off.
Especially the hood bird.
Looked at a TATA that was done that way and a pace car.
Ad says graphics are worn but paint nice?
I’ve also added the vents to regular fenders on these cars and z28’s.
The Good: Blue color, numbers matching Pontiac mill, no T-Tops. The Bad: Numbers matching Pontiac mill, no T-Tops. The Ugly: The missing radio may be because an aftermarket unit was removed, and if they butchered the dash to fit an aftermarket radio, repairs or replacement of the damaged radio surround could get expensive in a hurry.
As to my split personality regarding T-Tops and the numbers matching drive train, let me explain. T-Tops are the closest thing to a convertible you could get in a second generation Firebird, but they often leaked and were a theft target. Since the replacement cost for stolen T-Tops snuck just under many folks insurance deductible, you had to foot the entire bill yourself in many cases, and because the T-Tops were such an attractive target for thieves, the insurance costs were sky high.
As for the numbers matching drivetrain, yes that adds to the value of the car, but my favorite plant for these were the 455 Super Duty examples, with the four-bolt main bearing caps. Unfortunately, the 455 SD breathed its last in a Trans-Am in 1974, so to fit a Super-Duty mill in this car would destroy its original, numbers-matching drivetrain. By 1977, the Olds 403 was the biggest engine you could get, with the Pontiac 400 following close behind. I’ll leave it to the experts to decide which motor is the superior choice, but the choice between the numbers-matching 400 and a replacement 455 SD has me torn with indecision!
Actually, the 1976 Trans am was available with a 455/4-speed combo if you ordered the 50th anniversary edition car. It was the anniversary I guess of Pontiac Motor Car division.
Was the 1976 edition just a “Plain Jane” 455, or a Super Duty? The Super Duty had four-bolt main bearing caps, forged pistons, forged connecting rods and a set of high-flow cylinder heads. Ordinary 455’s lacked those features, and made do with two-bolt main bearing caps, cast pistons, cast connecting rods and the low-flow, anti-smog cylinder heads.
Are you kidding me? There is no comparing to be done when speaking of an anemic Olds 403 in relation to the Pontiac 400. The Pontiac 400 engine was the optional upgrade, for obvious reasons.
“Ignorance can be fixed, stupid is forever!” – Anonymous. Thank you for ending my ignorance. You learn something new every day. The question of whether the 1976 version of the 455 was a Super Duty version or not, remains unanswered, but if I had a few bucks I could afford to lose, I’d bet on No, it wasn’t.
Robert, you are correct. The SD-455 was NOT available in either the 75 or 76 TA. The 455cid engine in TAs of those years was the exact same one used in Pontiac’s “big cars” (Bonnie, GP, station-wagon, etc.). I would have thought that someone else here would have already piped in by now. The SD-455 was used in 73-74 only.
I would not put a sd-455 or any hi po big tin indian in this with the stock turbo 350 trans behind it.
Best to switch to a manual trans or beefier auto trans.
One could just put on a formula hood, if you like the look of formulas!
& replace the t/a decals. Then you don’t need to add the expensive replacement t/a wheel flares. & just say the factory made a mistake putting on t/a fenders.
Oh, a motor upgrade means it gets the matching transmission and melon to handle the extra hp and torque, along with bigger brakes to add more whoa along with the extra go! If I’m going to spend the dollars on a SD-455, I’m not going to cheap out by skimping on the driveline to match. That’s a classic example of being “penny wise and pound foolish”, and anyone who tries it will get a very expensive lesson when the tranny and rear differential explodes like a hand grenade under the strain!