One of the most famous movie cars of the 1970s was the black Pontiac Trans Am, driven by Burt Reynolds in the 1977 hit flick, Smokey and the Bandit. As a result, Trans Am sales went through the roof for a couple of years but had begun to cool by 1980, in part due to the word getting out that an all-new Firebird was coming in 1982. The seller’s 1980 edition wears its original Solar Gold paint and looks decent overall, but it hasn’t run in some time and is considered a project. Located in Streator, Illinois, this throwback to the Smokey era is available here on eBay for $15,000.

The big-block V8s of the 1960s and 1970s were gone by 1980. The hottest way to equip your Trans Am that year was to go with the turbocharged 301 cubic inch V8. 43% of all Trans Am buyers went that route in 1980, out of 51,000 Trans Ams and 107,000 Firebirds overall built and delivered. All Firebirds came with an automatic transmission as the 4-speed could no longer get around tightening emissions standards. The Trans Am was chosen to pace the field at the Indianapolis 500 that year and a special edition was concocted for that occasion.

Visually, it was hard to tell a 1980 Trans Am from a 1979 Trans Am when parked next to each other. The seller’s Solar Gold T/A is numbers matching and the paint is original, but not perfect. Rust is almost non-existent, and we’re told the vehicle has never been in a fender bender. The odometer reads 80,000 miles, but we don’t know how long ago the last mile was logged. It comes with factory T-tops and GM bags to store them in. Two sets of wheels are available, and you may have to pick one.

We’re told the car doesn’t run and needs work, but we don’t know if that means a little or a lot. The seller has amassed some parts that will go with the sale. The interior is partially taken apart and the black bucket seats don’t match the rest of the Camel interior. If you can get the automobile running again without herculean efforts, it might not take a lot to end up with a daily driver, at least something okay enough for Cars & Coffee outings. For whatever reason, the Pontiac’s rear window louvers don’t go with the deal.