1979 Pontiac Trans Am 10th Anniversary 400, 4-speed 1 0f 1187

Pontiac Trans Am 1979 Description

This is an original 1979 Pontiac Trans Am 10th Anniversary 400, 4-speed car. It has a beautiful rust-free solid body. Floors, trunk, cowl, quarters, rockers, etc. are all original sheet metal. I won't attempt to provide a complete history lesson on this car; as most people interested in these cars are familiar with the history and numbers. However, briefly I will tell you that when Pontiac decided to build the car, GM had already made the decision to discontinue production of the big 400 engine; (as well as some other displacements) and begin use of "corporate" engines, as FORD and CHRYSLER had been doing for many years. As I remember, they actually did not build any new engines and simply used the leftover engines from 1978 until all were gone. So, that is why with an announced production of 7500 cars, the first 1187 of them received the 400, 4-speed; while the remainder were fit with the pitiful OLDSMOBILE 403 with automatic transmission. These cars even when equipped with the last of the Pontiac big blocks (at a factory rated meager 220 net horsepower) were not known for their performance, but were more sought after for their style and luxury. Now, this particular car is non-numbers matching. The engine in the car is however from a 1977 Trans Am. The 1977 engine was rated at only 200 or 210 hp. However, from the information I have read, it appears that the internals were the same, and that the extra 10 hp may have come simply from the ducted induction system and some other minor tweaking. Here is where some serious PONCHO fans may jump in and verify or correct me. My point is, I don't think it suffers from the older engine or that you would notice the difference anyway. The engine runs very good. The transmission shifts up and down nicely and smoothly. This is NOT a concourse restored or original low-mileage $40K car as you may find listed elsewhere here on eBay. It is, is a nice driver quality car that you can drive, show locally and enjoy. It has been partially cosmetically and mechanically restored. A lot of the hard work has been done with many new parts, but the rest is up to the new owner. The paint is beautiful driver quality and shows very well. The front grilles and park/turn lenses are new. The engine and transmission operate very well. It starts easily. The brakes are good, stops well and handles/steers nicely. The carpet is brand new. I installed the loop style carpet and NOT the original "shag" type carpet. The drivers seat upholstery appears to be original while the passenger and rear seat covers appear to be newer reproduction. All are in good shape. The door panels are newer panels. The sun visors, rearview mirror, and most of the plastic panels are new. The T-top panels have been rebuilt/restored with new handles, weather-stripping, screws, etc. I have ALL other new weather stripping that goes with the car for the new owner to install. Unfortunately the original dash has a couple of cracks and will need replacement. For now, I have it covered with a carpeted cover. Original console and shifter. All gauges work but gas gauge is finicky. The stereo/8-track tape deck do not work. The power antenna works but is not correct for the car. The rear window defogger does not work. The power windows work but are weak and slow. The power locks do not work. All glass is in pretty good condition. The mirrored T-tops have a few scratches in them. The storage bags are in the trunk. The trunk area has been restored with new mat. Also has space-saver tire, inflator bottle and complete restored jack assembly. The A/C has been updated with a new under hood kit from Classic Auto Air. At the same time, I installed a new evaporator coil in the A/C/Heater box, so everything on the refrigeration side of the A/C is brand new. All in all, it is a 38 year old car that is mostly complete and correct. Very drivable and functional. There simply are items that need attention and work based on the level that the new owner is trying to achieve and cash you are willing to invest. Some items are hard to come by for these cars, since there are not many of them out there. Please just look at the pictures to observe all that has and has not been done to the car. I will happily answer any other questions. I consider my reserve to be low compared to others I have seen for sale. This car is sold AS IS with no warranties expressed or implied. I reserve the right to end this auction at any time as the car is for sale elsewhere. I will also consider ending the auction early for the right offer. Shipping costs to be paid by buyer. I will assist in loading the car onto the carrier of buyers choice. The car is located in The Florida Keys.