1979 Trans Am Manual

Description

Don't look now, but this is the biggest bargain in the showroom today. '70s F-Bodies are red hot, and this 1979 Pontiac Trans Am packs a correct Pontiac 400 engine, a 4-speed gearbox, and great-looking Nocturne Blue paint. You wanted one when you were a kid, and at this price there's no excuse not to own it today. Now that you are seeing it with different eyes, this is a great-looking car. The paint is a 10-year-old respray, but it's holding up well and has a shine that's still superior to whatever GM was spraying on cars in 1979. It's also nicely assembled, with urethane bumpers that fit well and show few cracks, big doors that close without needing a violent slam, and custom-painted graphics that are a cool twist on the original Firebird hood decal. Never designed to be a subtle machine, the Nocturne Blue paint is the antidote to the more familiar '70s colors and lets you relive the era without having to do it with brown and gold and orange. It's not perfect, but it's nice enough to be a car that can hold its head high at car shows and still turn heads on the street. Honestly, driving one of these today is even more of an event than it was in 1979. The blue vinyl interior is reportedly mostly original, including seat covers, door panels, and dash pad. All the other stuff like the center console and headliner are likewise original, and it's likely that even the carpets were installed in 1979, so you can see that this car's always been well-maintained. The gauges are original with clear markings, and the original AM/FM/cassette radio is joined by a modern AM/FM/CD stereo head unit neatly installed under the dash. Engine-turned dashboards have represented high-performance since the earliest days of motoring, and Pontiac used it to great effect in the Trans Am throughout the first two generations. In a lot of cars it tends to peel and turn yellow, but in this cool blue coupe, it remains bright, shiny, and firmly affixed to the dash. Options include cold A/C, power windows and locks, and a tilt steering column. There are a few signs of wear and age, but it would be a crime to restore this interior. The trunk is without a mat, but the floor doesn't have any of the telltale signs that this car has been wrecked or rusty, so feel free to have a close look. When you checked the 4-speed manual transmission box on the order form for your new Trans Am, you got the last of the Pontiac-built 400 cubic inch V8s. This one was recently tuned and remains nicely detailed, topped with a Quadrajet carburetor living under the hood scoop, which was more decoration than function, but who cares when it looks this cool? There's a new alternator, proper Pontiac Turquoise engine enamel, and a lot of plumbing that was typical of the late-70s. A fresh dual exhaust system features an X-pipe and Flowmaster mufflers, so it sounds spectacular and ends with the cool dual tips under each quarter panel. And seriously, there aren't many factory wheels better-looking than the Pontiac "honeycomb" alloys, which are wrapped in recent Firestone radials. If you've been looking for a solid Trans Am that's ripe for appreciation, this one fits the bill. Call today!