This month marks my 42 years of original ownership of a 1979 Trans Am TA 6.6. (L78-W72, non t-top 4 speed) A head turner when new...it really turns head today!
I had to comment since we have similar stories I bought my 79 10th anniv 400/4spd in 84 with 17,000 miles just turned over 70k still looks very good except driver seat a little wore. Thinking about putting in a Tremec tko-five speed?
Awesome Bill.. Your car is beautiful!!! You need to do a video of it. You did a nice job with the paint and body Check out my 81 TA turbo pace car if you get a chance on my channel. To bad UA-cam wasn’t around back in the mid 90s. I had the same Nocturne blue color 400 4 speed 79 TA that you did for 17 yrs. only difference was mine had t tops and the interior was a different color. Same PWH block and 6x4 heads.
@@yukonjack. You won't regret the Tremec and its overdrive. My 72 Grabber Maverick with a 302 cruising in 5th gear at 70 MPH with 3.70 rear gears was at a much lower RPM than the old 3.00 gears.
I miss Pontiac so much. The trans am is such a good car. A few years back I bought a 1977 in rough shape for my sons first car. Hes only 10 now but the car has been a fun project.
I tend to agree. I think GM screwed up dropping Pontiac. These days it seems like they would have been better off keeping Pontiac and dropping Buick. Oh well, what's done is done.
GM undermined Pontiac for a long time, it woudl be interesting to see what they woudl have done if given free reign with todays GM platforms. And, as noted Buick is once again trying hard to distance itself from its Grandma's car image. Maybe that will push them into another Grand National or a Skylark GS type of product.
@@fieldinglover , my dad bought me a 78 firebird 22 years ago. We fixed it up and I still have it to this day . It needed quarters panels, wheel wells , paint ect . It’s a far cry from what it was back then but There’s a quick walk around on my channel 😀.
Amazing video! Ever since I was five years old I wanted one after seeing the Bandit for the first time and I promised myself that I would buy one like it. Fast forward to 2019 when I was 21 and an opportunity came along that would be life changing. My Grandparents' neighbor had a 79 Special Edition Bandit Trans Am outside for many years and I would go over to see it many times. Sadly the owner passed away and her son asked me to make him an offer since he knew how much I wanted a Trans Am. It was in need of a frame-off restoration and I offered $3,000 for it since it was a rare Y84 SE Bandit T/A with the Pontiac 400 and 4-speed transmission. He said that if I promised to show him the progress and let him see the car when its done, he would let me have it for $1,000 along with all of the parts for it. I am working hard to restore my dream car and pay tribute to the original owner and the Bandit himself, Burt Reynolds.
When I was a wee little kid I had a toy of this car, each time I looked at/played with it I had this feeling I managed to find the term for later on in life: Petrolhead.
I agree totally. When Mopar had almost given up and Ford had totally given up Pontiac produced one of their baddest engines of all time, the 455 Super Duty. Sold only in 73/74 it was as good as any engine built a couple of years earlier. Had it not been for the lowered compression and mild camshaft due to new Federal emission standards all of those Super Duty cars would have been running 12's.
My father had the same but with a T top. He sold it when I got my drivers license because the insurance was going to go up. Very sad story. I loved the car
Americans just gave up the ship. I was a kid in Norwood Ohio watching Cameros and Firebirds roll out of the assembly plant on 3 shifts per day until the big strike struck. Excellent channel thanks for all your great work.
I bought a 1973 Super Duty four speed off my friend in high school who inherited it from his uncle when he passed away. This was in 1990. His uncle worked at the Norwood plant and had ordered it the way it was. It was in rough shape when I got it but still was a numbers matching example. I foolishly sold it to a guy who knew what it was. He flashed $1500 in front of me. I thought I got him since I only had paid $300 for it. Looking back I realize that I was the one who was taken. I can only imagine what that car would be worth today even in the condition it was in.
@@TheCarCrazyGuy I might be mistaken but I think following the long strike some production was moved out to Van Nuys CA to alleviate the problems associated with 3 shifts of production. But perhaps it was before the strike.
I ordered my Cameo White, saddle tan interior, no bird ' '79 WS6 Trans Am in the fall of 1978 taking about six weeks to be delivered. After about six months I installed a set of 1974 Trans Am exhaust pipes which were a perfect fit into the twin resonators. I had to change the '74 style two bolt flanges to three bolt flanges as Pontiac went to three bolt on 1975. Being a machinist/metal fabricator I designed a functional vacuum operated air door for the shaker and machined a stainless steel spool valve to operate the air door. I mounted the spool valve under the dash routing the three vacuum hoses through the firewall grommet. I also jetted the Quadra-Jet one size larger in primary jet size and actually retarded the 18 degree timing back to 15 degrees which helped with hot starts. The Trans Am really woke up with acceleration yet was not much louder that stock. Another car I should have kept.
I dated a girl that owned a 79 TA. IN the early 80s. I loved that car. Loved it so much both of our children were conceived in it. Was very snug, she was 4 ft 11, I was 6 1
I have always found the late 70s trans ams gorgeous. There is something so pleasing about that body style. I can literally remember as child wrestling with which Smokey and the Bandit front end I preferred. I loved the 77 Smokey 1 "cats eye" headlight configuration, but then the Smokey 2 spaced out 4 squared headlights with those low ground effects would grow on me.
Those Trans-Ams were always the complete package. They only came with the most powerful engines that Pontiac produced each year, the quickest steering matched to the best handling suspension packages, only ever came equipped with limited slip differentials, complete instrumentation in a beautiful dashboard, the finest steering wheel, the shaker hood scoop, spoilers front and rear, wheel opening spats, splitter exhaust, functional fender vents, and finally in 1979...the 4-wheel disc brakes! The total package! The formula was simple and stayed true to form through all of the second generation with the exception of the big engine in 1980 & 1981. The 10th Anniversary 1979 T-A 6.6 is the pinnacle with the bonus leather interior and special graphics and colors. You really hit the nail on the head in this video. This series really hits home with me. Please continue.
My dad and I got 79 a 10th anniversary 6.6 all original, very nice inside and out, back in 1998 I was just 13yrs old, engine needed rebuilt so we had it in the garage on a stand he ended up in jail and the car was hauled off to the junk yard, man I really wished that him and I would still be building hotrods but I haven't seen him since. That is my story.
My good friend had one I believe his was a 78 but it was a TA 6.6 with the 4 speed and it was 1 of the fastest cars i was ever in at that point my life it was 1 of GM's best kept secrets what an amazing car it was.... and absolutely bullet proof......
I had a 1977 W72 Trans Am and those engines responded amazingly well to some very simple hot rodding. On mine I put a true dual exhaust system with turbo mufflers, a set of 1.65 ratio Ram Air IV rocker arms and pushrods, recurved distributor and opened up the hood scoop and tweaked the Quadrajet a bit. In 1978 at Milan Dragway with a 3.23 and auto trans I ran consistent 13.95 ETs at 100 to 102 mph.
My friend bought a new '79 red on red Trans Am. Man, we had some good times in that car. Only one speeding ticket! He couldn't get a 400 4 speed and settled for the 403 auto but it was still a great car in its day.
Honestly, are any of us surprised that Pontiac, at least with the Trans Am, always seemed to deliver and care about style and performance? Great video!
My car. I've seen one in Rome, when i was child at 13...25 years after i bought as "the car of life" project. Today i've a resto-mod with 400pontiac/gtoheads, 350hp, 4speed, 4links, 17"snowflakes, rack &pinion, subframe connectors and more. I'm fully happy and never back to a modern car.
I bought a brand new Trans Am in 1978. It had a 403 Oldsmobile V8 engine and a automatic transmission. What a beautiful car and was very fast. How i wished that i would have kept that car. It was a dream come true type of a car.
East bound and down, loaded up and truckin' A-we gonna do what they say can't be done We've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run
I'd love one in Black&Gold....there's just something about that fire breathing Thunderchicken on that Giant hood, and the gold pin stripping that just looks awesome. 👍🏻
I own a ‘79 Solar Gold Trans-Am...I have owned a few ‘birds in my day,but my ‘79 T/A is by FAR the BEST and most FUN Firebird I have owned. I’ve even won a few trophies with it. 😎
@@lastwhtknight3002 Thanks! I had bicep surgery a few weeks ago,so my summer cruising has to wait awhile. )-: BUT...the T/A DOES look nice just sitting there in my garage.
I agree with you. 79 TA's are my favorite. I have 4. 2 are solar gold hardtops, 1 silver t-top and 1 nocturne blue t-top. I drive the silver one and one of the gold ones runs. The other 2 don't have engines yet.
My 1981 trans am somehow had a olds 403 that was so smooth and quiet that you would end up going eighty miles an hour at the top of the on ramp and had to hit the brakes approaching traffic ahead of you on the highway !
My father and I started working on my 76 trans am when I was 13 in his body shop she was done for when I turned 16 back to the original color and wheels. I'm now 38 and still have it .funny thing is I'm a ford guy have a mustang but that car will stay forever
I was in 6th grade in 1979. My dad had searched the entire country for a 10th Anniversary T/A with the 400/4 speed. The 403/automatic cars were easy to get. But those who weren't in the know were dying to get either of the "big" mills. My 6th grade teacher had a 79 403 Trans Am and those cars were literally all over town. Even my teacher who knew less about cars than me and my friend at the time knew this was the last of the big engines. As far as the public knew performance cars would become a thing of the past. Boy were we wrong, happily!!!
I was 16 years old in 1979 and missed being able to purchase one of these new. The closest I came was when my brother gave me his 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix which had the 400 CI four barrel carb and an auto transmission. It also had well over 200k miles and was just a shell of its former glory but could still do 100 mph. I sure miss that era and time.
@@DBCisco no it wasnt, it was a 1976 SE! Pontiac was celebrating their 50th anniversary & the the movie was filmed the summer of '76 before the new models came out in the Fall but as Hal Needham was friends with one of the Pontiac heads he managed to get 3 Trans Ams with the new for 1977 front fascia! Smokey & the Bandit was also filmed in my hometown area & I got to see some of the filming!
You're right on the money. I have a 10th Anniversary 400/4 speed and an '80 Turbo that my parents bought brand new. Neither is going anywhere, but the 400 is lighting fast compared to the 301. In fairness, you can't compare the two because Pontiac would have kept the 400 if the EPA had not changed the standards and forced them to drop the 400 after the 1979 model year. When the brightness got shut out by the EPA, Pontiac "kept the lights on".
My mother has one of this next to our house, it’s been sitting for 16 years! Sadly it’s an automatic but it does have the light blue flake exterior color and a white interior.
See, Pontiac gave you the perfect platform throughout most of the 70s. The cool thing about these cars is that after you put the first 100k miles on the 400, if rebuilt properly, you could squeeze out a lot more horsepower. I bought a 78 TA five years ago and believe the engine had been rebuilt at least once by previous owners. Now, after a fresh rebuild last winter, this TA is kicking out about 400+ horsepower. Not huge numbers by today's standards, but it certainly makes you grin when you punch the pedal.
I had a '76 Firebird Formula that had a 1969 400 ci engine block from 1969, from the factory. Had trouble getting a parts and that's when we found the stamping indicated 1969. It had the factory Hurst shifter with the HP rated at 220. Like this video, I was sure it was putting out more than that.
I wanted one of these so bad back in the day. Had to settle for GTOs, 442s and the like because those were 5,6,7 year old used cars at the time. $1000 and under. Yeah, nowadays it's different, I know LOL 😂
@@christopherarnett2851 A "real" muscle car depends on when you came of age. Just like buying an exact version of your 1st car, it is not the same. The memories are what make the car special, not the performance.
Musclecar experts agree that the golden era ended in 1971…1974 if you include the 455 Super Duty Trans Ams but that’s pushing the definition of “musclecar” a bit. They had torque but pooped out on the top end. 70’ - 71’ HemiCudas were top of the heap. End program………………….📱
As an owner of a 79TA WS6, this video does the car justice, thank you. It is fun to drive and as good looking as any muscle car. With the 4 wheel discs and upgraded interiors it also had some improvement earlier muscle cars lacked. They are easy to resto-mod and pick up lots of performance making them better then the originals when it came to performance.
I had a blue 1980 trans am. The 301 V8 was definitely no powerhouse, but there has never been a nicer, sleeker, and sportier bodystyle than the 79 and 80 trans am, especially with t-tops. I would love to have my trans am back today.
I had a 79 formula with 455 swapped from a 71 laurentian .... bit of suspension work and it was a blast to drive with decent handling...... miss that thing
Always wanted one . .never had one. That year car came out in my junior year in high school. One kid had one for his graduation present. I was so envious. Back then $7000 was allot of cash for a hot car for a young kid.
2nd gen Firebirds & Trans Ams were among the best looking cars ever built. A '79 might not have a Ram Air or H.O. engine but they handled better & had much more comfortable interior.
I had this car with a 403 but spun a bearing at track and dropped in a 455 olds built motor with a 120 shot of NOS. Car was a beast. Torqued so hard it cracked the windshield and buckled the roof between t-top. Was stolen just a few weeks later. Miss that girl.
One of my favorite channels. Great info-packed content. And the more Pontiac content, the better. You really know your stuff &/or research well. (Please tweak your audio where the beginning 1-2 seconds of each sentence aren’t clipped.)
I think they equipped around 220 of the 79 TAs with the TA 6.6 Pontiac block. And those were left over engine assemblies from the 78 production run. All the other 79 TAs were powered by the 403 Oldsmobile motor.
Thank you for sharing this content, although I feel these later model second generation Firebirds and Formulas don’t get the respect they deserve they are starting to as of late and are coming up in value. I was lucky to come across a 1980 Pontiac formula with a 1974 Pontiac 400 in it for a great price that I couldn’t pass up and I love this car. I was eight years old when smoky in the bandit came out and I wanted one of these cars so bad and when I came across her I wasn’t even trying, it’s funny how things work out!
Practically all the other performance cars were gone by then, or mere shadows of their former selves. Pontiac really did something great by carrying over the W72 400s for some of the 1979 cars. The 400cid was a great engine. Though I like the look of the 1978 Trans Am better, the 1979 is still an awesome car! Gone now is the Firebird and Pontiac. :(
I just finished restoration on 79 se with w72 engine it's a blast to drive , got a red 78 ta both are a/c cars ,same w72, ws6 without t-tops I've had for a few years , can't drive either without cameras and thumps up from every age group, these really are amazing looking and driving cars , very good video
Pontiac worked miracles with low compression big V8s. i.e.73-74 SD455. AWESOME MASTERPIECE. & on no/low lead fuel. I would love to have seen those engines with Today's technology.
@@richierich396 Compared to what else built in 1979? The best the Ford Mustang had was a 302/2bbl, the Camaro had an 180hp 350, and Dodge and Plymouth had a 175hp 360 as their top offering. If you're comparing to some other year car like a 69 L79 396 then you are just an internet troll who can't appreciate the car for what it was WHEN it was actually made.
Pontiac has always been my favorite make! My first Pontiac was and I still have it, a 1972 Catalina 2 door hardtop. I currently also have a 1972 Grand Prix and several more Pontiacs. They have a permanent home!!! I live the 400 and 455 engines, smooth and powerful
I had a gold ‘79 TA with the 403/auto and t-tops, bought it around 1981 or ‘82. Loved that car! Had a body/paint shop cut the plastic grill out of the back of the shaker scoop and it really let that Quadrajet sing when it was on the floor! Took the catalytic converter off and put a B&M shift improver kit in the tranny and it sounded much better and would bark the tires going into second gear. What a fun car to drive, I sure miss it now.
Had a 79 Black Trans Am with the 400 4 speed WS6 package. The only car that beat me was a 396 El Camino on the top end. I had him beat until I hit 4th gear. What a car. If you couldn’t pick up a girl while driving this car, you had problems.
They would have been like Chrysler. Insolvent and begging for bailout money because all of their insane cars would have been incompatible with a gas crunch. One expensive low production halo car is good. But you can’t have a ton of them. That’s what bankrupted Chrysler twice and then stuffing a Hellcat into absolutely everything while offering no economical vehicles will kill them yet again. If that had happened to Pontiac.. after robbing market share from other GM divisions rather than breaking new ground (which is what Saturn did as well years later) and then became insolvent as buyers tastes changed (average fuel efficiency went from 17 MPG to 22 MPG in the 80s and was a direct cause of the 80s oil glut), the only Pontiac of note in the 80s would have been the Fiero much like the Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Laser.
@@Bartonovich52 you are exactly right. Everybody says they love Pontiac and Trans Am and GTOs... but nobody was buying them. The sales numbers were horrible..
Awesome, thanks! I have many fond memories of that car! Heck, Sammy Hagar referenced it in his song "Baby's on Fire" from his Standing Hampton LP! Love the content and, again, thanks! :)
@@lastwhtknight3002 Oh, yeah, that one, too! It's from a different album - almost forgot about it and a better example - license plate IEATZ28. Thanks!
Interestingly enough, that 301 V8 offered as a credit option on the '79 Trans Am was the first engine offered as a factory option on the Trans Am that actually met the 5.0L (305 ci) displacement limit of the SCCA Trans-Am series. But back in the glory days of Trans-Am, Pontiac did offer a 303 ci V8 that could be purchased over the parts counter. It found its way into a few Firebirds that competed in Trans-Am, and even a Tempest - I've seen the latter at numerous vintage racing events here in northern California. It's owned and driven by John Hildebrand, whose son JR has made numerous starts in the Indy 500.
I got a '79 T/A and built it right. I loved the car from the day I first test drove it all those years ago. During the '80's, I had such a yearning for a 5.0 liter Mustang until I drove one. You could feel the body flex any time you gave it some throttle. I remember asking one salesman, you want how much to go slower? The Mustangs. Camaros, Firebirds, etc of the '80's where really just over priced junk. Even the fabled Buick Grand National, which once heat soak set it, wasn't that impressive.
Back in the day, I owned several 79 trans am, and although I will always be a fan of the Pontiac V8, the Olds 403 was actually a much better engine. The Olds 403 actually made more power, although GM rated the Olds @ 185 Hp, it was rated that way on purpose using less timing, and higher numerical gear ratios. The Olds 403 was usually mated to 2:41 ratios, while the Pontiac 400 was mated with the 3:23’s. When you played with the timing and added 3:23’s, the Olds 403 rewarded you, with great performance. Also, you could twist the 403 higher in the rpms without worrying about spinning a rod bearing, which the Pontiac’s were notorious for doing.
And the 403 automatic without A/C came with a 3.23 axle and that made a huge difference in acceleration. And the 403 is also an oversquare engine with a big bore and short stroke so will rev like a small block Chevy. 😎
I owned two of these cars in the early 80s, still riding on Burt Reynolds shirt tail I guess, at the time would do all the tricks to make it go faster like advancing the timing put true dual exhaust on it and removed the catalytic converter and I still might’ve only made 195 hp it was like I was ashamed to tell anybody that but anyway chicks really dug the cars!
Pretty impressive numbers on the 1979 Trans Am considering that the second generation cars weighed around 400 pounds heavier than the third gen cars and had poorer aerodynamics than the third gen cars.
Interesting video and the 79 TA was a nice looking and nice driving car but even with the top w-72 version of the 400 were still dogs by 60’s standards. No TA built after 74 could remotely be said to have a true high performance engine. You are correct that the late 70’s TA’s were the best of the era, but that era was not the golden era but the malaise era.
The new generation of high horsepower musclecars keep getting more powerful with each passing year. If these government regulators are coming back as you say I haven’t seen any evidence of it yet. 💪 👀
@@davidkastin4240 well GM use to have Oldsmobile Buick and Pontiac in the same division together but I wish we had Pontiac over GMC because it makes more sense. Oldsmobile could've been the the sub brand to Pontiac. GM should kept both brands Oldsmobile and Pontiac because of the rich American car brand history.
While the 400 motor deserves the recognition, I do have to say that a 79-81 Z28 with a 350 4 bbl engine was more reliable and had more potential for building than an olds 403 TA.
Chevy sold a modern camaro and corvette with a 7.0L ls7, which equals 427 cubic inches. So the 6.4 hemi, isn't the only big engine available in modern muscle cars.
Contrary to what a lot of people believe it wasn't gas prices that killed the Muscle Car but insurance rates that did them in. In some areas the monthly insurance premiums were equal to or greater than the monthly car payment. That said though at least Pontiac kept it going. This was the last awesome Trans Am until the GTA with the 350 in 1987/88.
@@edwardpate6128 The 89 Turbo T/A wasn’t built with leftover Grand National engines. It was actually a research project that worked out very well for G.M. They had to modify the cylinder heads on the 3.8 for use in FWD applications due to space restrictions and the cramped engine bay in the 3rd gen F bodies is what they used for the model. One of the few times G.M. actually got something right.
@@fredmauck6934 Congrats on an excellent choice in the fall of 1978! And on still owning it after all these years. What color is yours? Atlantis Blue is one of my fave Pontiac colors for 1979. Sundance Yellow was nice too. If I were ordering in '80 or '81 I think I would have gone yellow or orange. Tahoe Blue was nice for 1980 as well.
@@AMCmachine Funny though, as rare as they are I have passed on several over the years and they were priced half or less than a similar Trans Am. I love Formulas, they are actually a little lighter so maybe a hair quicker than a similarly equipped Trans Am.
Honestly I always thought the '70s was the last good decade for muscle cars, at least until 2005 when the fifth gen Mustang came out, followed by the Challenger in 2008 and the Camaro in 2010. The '80s did have a few nice looking muscle cars like the third gen Camaro and Buick GNX. The '90s on the other hand, not a fan of muscle cars from that decade.
Also, 1979 was the highest production year for Trans Am in history, with 116,535 Trans Ams produced. The next closest production year was 1978 with 93,341 Trans Ams built.
I recall seeing these new on the lot....my parents purchased two new cars in 1979....a VW Rabbit...one of the first Westmoreland, PA production models...and a 79 Olds Cutlass Salon Brougham...the following summer. And I recall my Dad's frustration that neither one had much in the way of performance....of course he was used to driving a 400 ci Chevy Kingswood wagon. The Trans Am with the 403 Olds V8 would be an interesting car to own..that could be peak Trans Am at that point. And by the 80 and 81 model year, the car magazines had the concept drawings and spy photos of the third gen F-cars...and which were light years different in appearance considering how long the 2nd gen f body had been around...almost 11 years.
This month marks my 42 years of original ownership of a 1979 Trans Am TA 6.6. (L78-W72, non t-top 4 speed) A head turner when new...it really turns head today!
I had to comment since we have similar stories I bought my 79 10th anniv 400/4spd in 84 with 17,000 miles just turned over 70k still looks very good except driver seat a little wore. Thinking about putting in a Tremec tko-five speed?
Awesome Bill.. Your car is beautiful!!! You need to do a video of it. You did a nice job with the paint and body
Check out my 81 TA turbo pace car if you get a chance on my channel. To bad UA-cam wasn’t around back in the mid 90s. I had the same Nocturne blue color 400 4 speed 79 TA that you did for 17 yrs. only difference was mine had t tops and the interior was a different color. Same PWH block and 6x4 heads.
Keep it forever
@@yukonjack.
You won't regret the Tremec and its overdrive. My 72 Grabber Maverick with a 302 cruising in 5th gear at 70 MPH with 3.70 rear gears was at a much lower RPM than the old 3.00 gears.
Have had mine since 2011....see mac pontiac comment here.....what color is yours/
Saving this one for right before I go to sleep. It’s like our guy tells us a nighttime bedtime car story.
Totally agree. Best channel for giving facts. Wish there were more videos released more often
He dose have a habbit of making me fall asleep.
😆😴
I think he might be on percocets.
He's the best at narrorating classic muscle car vids imo.
I miss Pontiac so much. The trans am is such a good car. A few years back I bought a 1977 in rough shape for my sons first car. Hes only 10 now but the car has been a fun project.
I tend to agree. I think GM screwed up dropping Pontiac. These days it seems like they would have been better off keeping Pontiac and dropping Buick. Oh well, what's done is done.
I miss her too. Imagine a modern Fiero.
GM undermined Pontiac for a long time, it woudl be interesting to see what they woudl have done if given free reign with todays GM platforms. And, as noted Buick is once again trying hard to distance itself from its Grandma's car image. Maybe that will push them into another Grand National or a Skylark GS type of product.
Now that's a good father ! Trans Am for your sons first car and working on it together your son is going to be a Pontiac man forever
@@fieldinglover , my dad bought me a 78 firebird 22 years ago. We fixed it up and I still have it to this day . It needed quarters panels, wheel wells , paint ect . It’s a far cry from what it was back then but There’s a quick walk around on my channel 😀.
Amazing video! Ever since I was five years old I wanted one after seeing the Bandit for the first time and I promised myself that I would buy one like it. Fast forward to 2019 when I was 21 and an opportunity came along that would be life changing. My Grandparents' neighbor had a 79 Special Edition Bandit Trans Am outside for many years and I would go over to see it many times. Sadly the owner passed away and her son asked me to make him an offer since he knew how much I wanted a Trans Am. It was in need of a frame-off restoration and I offered $3,000 for it since it was a rare Y84 SE Bandit T/A with the Pontiac 400 and 4-speed transmission. He said that if I promised to show him the progress and let him see the car when its done, he would let me have it for $1,000 along with all of the parts for it. I am working hard to restore my dream car and pay tribute to the original owner and the Bandit himself, Burt Reynolds.
@Nikolas Worden, I see a feature in 'Hemming's Muscle Machines' in your future.
@@SS6496 Thank you very much for your wonderful comment. You have given me more motivation to keep working hard on my dream car.
When I was a wee little kid I had a toy of this car, each time I looked at/played with it I had this feeling I managed to find the term for later on in life:
Petrolhead.
Dude, you should share your prize and progress with all of us...keep it posted!
Great post. There was never a “Bandit” edition Trans Am. It was a Special Edition.
Pontiac deserves more credit for keeping the fires burning for as long as they did.
I agree totally. When Mopar had almost given up and Ford had totally given up Pontiac produced one of their baddest engines of all time, the 455 Super Duty. Sold only in 73/74 it was as good as any engine built a couple of years earlier. Had it not been for the lowered compression and mild camshaft due to new Federal emission standards all of those Super Duty cars would have been running 12's.
My ‘79 400/4-Speed/WS6 Trans Am is Atlantis Blue and is truly a stunning vehicle. I get non-stop thumbs up and compliments every time I drive it.
I have the exact car with 25k miles ..
My favorite color '79 Trans Am!
My father had the same but with a T top. He sold it when I got my drivers license because the insurance was going to go up. Very sad story. I loved the car
Americans just gave up the ship. I was a kid in Norwood Ohio watching Cameros and Firebirds roll out of the assembly plant on 3 shifts per day until the big strike struck. Excellent channel thanks for all your great work.
they also rolled out here in Van Nuys California.
@@TheCarCrazyGuy - now it’s Tesla’s, it’s come to that...
I bought a 1973 Super Duty four speed off my friend in high school who inherited it from his uncle when he passed away. This was in 1990. His uncle worked at the Norwood plant and had ordered it the way it was. It was in rough shape when I got it but still was a numbers matching example. I foolishly sold it to a guy who knew what it was. He flashed $1500 in front of me. I thought I got him since I only had paid $300 for it. Looking back I realize that I was the one who was taken. I can only imagine what that car would be worth today even in the condition it was in.
I had one of those strike cars: A 1972 RS/SS 4 speed that was built in March of 1972.
@@TheCarCrazyGuy I might be mistaken but I think following the long strike some production was moved out to Van Nuys CA to alleviate the problems associated with 3 shifts of production. But perhaps it was before the strike.
I ordered my Cameo White, saddle tan interior, no bird ' '79 WS6 Trans Am in the fall of 1978 taking about six weeks to be delivered. After about six months I installed a set of 1974 Trans Am exhaust pipes which were a perfect fit into the twin resonators. I had to change the '74 style two bolt flanges to three bolt flanges as Pontiac went to three bolt on 1975. Being a machinist/metal fabricator I designed a functional vacuum operated air door for the shaker and machined a stainless steel spool valve to operate the air door. I mounted the spool valve under the dash routing the three vacuum hoses through the firewall grommet. I also jetted the Quadra-Jet one size larger in primary jet size and actually retarded the 18 degree timing back to 15 degrees which helped with hot starts. The Trans Am really woke up with acceleration yet was not much louder that stock. Another car I should have kept.
I dated a girl that owned a 79 TA. IN the early 80s. I loved that car. Loved it so much both of our children were conceived in it. Was very snug, she was 4 ft 11, I was 6 1
What happened to your gf?
@@prezes-max3406 - was she TransAmnient...?!
@@prezes-max3406 we got married and 3 years later divorced. She just married her 6 th husband about a year ago
More info than we needed...
@@trebor66n2 You just broke her in.
I have always found the late 70s trans ams gorgeous. There is something so pleasing about that body style. I can literally remember as child wrestling with which Smokey and the Bandit front end I preferred. I loved the 77 Smokey 1 "cats eye" headlight configuration, but then the Smokey 2 spaced out 4 squared headlights with those low ground effects would grow on me.
Those Trans-Ams were always the complete package. They only came with the most powerful engines that Pontiac produced each year, the quickest steering matched to the best handling suspension packages, only ever came equipped with limited slip differentials, complete instrumentation in a beautiful dashboard, the finest steering wheel, the shaker hood scoop, spoilers front and rear, wheel opening spats, splitter exhaust, functional fender vents, and finally in 1979...the 4-wheel disc brakes! The total package! The formula was simple and stayed true to form through all of the second generation with the exception of the big engine in 1980 & 1981. The 10th Anniversary 1979 T-A 6.6 is the pinnacle with the bonus leather interior and special graphics and colors. You really hit the nail on the head in this video. This series really hits home with me. Please continue.
My dad and I got 79 a 10th anniversary 6.6 all original, very nice inside and out, back in 1998 I was just 13yrs old, engine needed rebuilt so we had it in the garage on a stand he ended up in jail and the car was hauled off to the junk yard, man I really wished that him and I would still be building hotrods but I haven't seen him since.
That is my story.
My good friend had one I believe his was a 78 but it was a TA 6.6 with the 4 speed and it was 1 of the fastest cars i was ever in at that point my life it was 1 of GM's best kept secrets what an amazing car it was....
and absolutely bullet proof......
I had a 1977 W72 Trans Am and those engines responded amazingly well to some very simple hot rodding. On mine I put a true dual exhaust system with turbo mufflers, a set of 1.65 ratio Ram Air IV rocker arms and pushrods, recurved distributor and opened up the hood scoop and tweaked the Quadrajet a bit. In 1978 at Milan Dragway with a 3.23 and auto trans I ran consistent 13.95 ETs at 100 to 102 mph.
Michigan boy.
My friend bought a new '79 red on red Trans Am. Man, we had some good times in that car. Only one speeding ticket! He couldn't get a 400 4 speed and settled for the 403 auto but it was still a great car in its day.
It still is now an olds 403 with some performance parts can easily get to 335 hp even better with new rear gears
Honestly, are any of us surprised that Pontiac, at least with the Trans Am, always seemed to deliver and care about style and performance?
Great video!
My car. I've seen one in Rome, when i was child at 13...25 years after i bought as "the car of life" project. Today i've a resto-mod with 400pontiac/gtoheads, 350hp, 4speed, 4links, 17"snowflakes, rack &pinion, subframe connectors and more. I'm fully happy and never back to a modern car.
I bought a brand new Trans Am in 1978. It had a 403 Oldsmobile V8 engine and a automatic transmission. What a beautiful car and was very fast. How i wished that i would have kept that car. It was a dream come true type of a car.
East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'
A-we gonna do what they say can't be done
We've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run
That was a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am LE
@@DBCisco
I’m aware of that.
@@12yearssober I just learned it was actually a 1976 pre-production mockup of a 77.
Only problem: That was a' 77 used in the movie, not a '79. Front ends are totally different.
Breaker Breaker Bandit.
I had a Trans Am exactly like this in high school (1983) it was simply the most awesome car I've ever owned.
I someday hope to afford another one
I'd love one in Black&Gold....there's just something about that fire breathing Thunderchicken on that Giant hood, and the gold pin stripping that just looks awesome. 👍🏻
Also known as " The Screaming Chicken" ✌
I recall reading many times that the '79 Pontiac 400s were in fact stocked up 1977 and 1978 blocks, Once they were used up, that was it.
Believe it was complete engines. All the 400's used in 79 were actually built in 78 and those engines were stored until 79.
Takes me back....
My first ride was the 79 Trans Am!
A hardtop with the 403 Olds.
Bright orange paint, super glossy.
And no decals.
Miss that car....
I own a ‘79 Solar Gold Trans-Am...I have owned a few ‘birds in my day,but my ‘79 T/A is by FAR the BEST and most FUN Firebird I have owned. I’ve even won a few trophies with it. 😎
Sweet.
@@lastwhtknight3002 Thanks! I had bicep surgery a few weeks ago,so my summer cruising has to wait awhile. )-: BUT...the T/A DOES look nice just sitting there in my garage.
I agree with you. 79 TA's are my favorite. I have 4. 2 are solar gold hardtops, 1 silver t-top and 1 nocturne blue t-top. I drive the silver one and one of the gold ones runs. The other 2 don't have engines yet.
My 1981 trans am somehow had a olds 403 that was so smooth and quiet that you would end up going eighty miles an hour at the top of the on ramp and had to hit the brakes approaching traffic ahead of you on the highway !
My father and I started working on my 76 trans am when I was 13 in his body shop she was done for when I turned 16 back to the original color and wheels. I'm now 38 and still have it .funny thing is I'm a ford guy have a mustang but that car will stay forever
I was in 6th grade in 1979. My dad had searched the entire country for a 10th Anniversary T/A with the 400/4 speed. The 403/automatic cars were easy to get. But those who weren't in the know were dying to get either of the "big" mills. My 6th grade teacher had a 79 403 Trans Am and those cars were literally all over town. Even my teacher who knew less about cars than me and my friend at the time knew this was the last of the big engines. As far as the public knew performance cars would become a thing of the past. Boy were we wrong, happily!!!
How the heck did I miss this one?
Great vid. Gorgeous cars and so cool.
I was 16 years old in 1979 and missed being able to purchase one of these new. The closest I came was when my brother gave me his 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix which had the 400 CI four barrel carb and an auto transmission. It also had well over 200k miles and was just a shell of its former glory but could still do 100 mph. I sure miss that era and time.
My best friend had a 10th anniversary TA back in the day. It was a fun car.
Burt Reynolds would love this video! 👋🏁👍
I might be cool but I will never be as cool as Burt Reynolds.
He's dead
That car was a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am LE
@@DBCisco no it wasnt, it was a 1976 SE! Pontiac was celebrating their 50th anniversary & the the movie was filmed the summer of '76 before the new models came out in the Fall but as Hal Needham was friends with one of the Pontiac heads he managed to get 3 Trans Ams with the new for 1977 front fascia! Smokey & the Bandit was also filmed in my hometown area & I got to see some of the filming!
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman stop the cap... receipts or it didn’t happen
You're right on the money. I have a 10th Anniversary 400/4 speed and an '80 Turbo that my parents bought brand new. Neither is going anywhere, but the 400 is lighting fast compared to the 301. In fairness, you can't compare the two because Pontiac would have kept the 400 if the EPA had not changed the standards and forced them to drop the 400 after the 1979 model year.
When the brightness got shut out by the EPA, Pontiac "kept the lights on".
Always loved these cars and wanted to own one
My mother has one of this next to our house, it’s been sitting for 16 years! Sadly it’s an automatic but it does have the light blue flake exterior color and a white interior.
See, Pontiac gave you the perfect platform throughout most of the 70s. The cool thing about these cars is that after you put the first 100k miles on the 400, if rebuilt properly, you could squeeze out a lot more horsepower. I bought a 78 TA five years ago and believe the engine had been rebuilt at least once by previous owners. Now, after a fresh rebuild last winter, this TA is kicking out about 400+ horsepower. Not huge numbers by today's standards, but it certainly makes you grin when you punch the pedal.
And remember that Pontiac's were torque monsters and that is what makes those cars go!
I had a '76 Firebird Formula that had a 1969 400 ci engine block from 1969, from the factory. Had trouble getting a parts and that's when we found the stamping indicated 1969. It had the factory Hurst shifter with the HP rated at 220. Like this video, I was sure it was putting out more than that.
I miss the Van Nuys Factory, from 1968 till closing, all they made was cameos and firebirds
I wanted one of these so bad back in the day. Had to settle for GTOs, 442s and the like because those were 5,6,7 year old used cars at the time. $1000 and under. Yeah, nowadays it's different, I know LOL 😂
In 1974 I bought a 1968 357 Camaro for $700
Rather have real muscle cars in the 60s and Early 70s period.
@@christopherarnett2851 A "real" muscle car depends on when you came of age. Just like buying an exact version of your 1st car, it is not the same. The memories are what make the car special, not the performance.
Musclecar experts agree that the golden era ended in 1971…1974 if you include the 455 Super Duty Trans Ams but that’s pushing the definition of “musclecar” a bit. They had torque but pooped out on the top end. 70’ - 71’ HemiCudas were top of the heap. End program………………….📱
@@tmmurphy I agree. I’ve got a v6 Lexus that could beat any Trans Am but I’d give my right for one because that’s what I grew up with.
As an owner of a 79TA WS6, this video does the car justice, thank you. It is fun to drive and as good looking as any muscle car. With the 4 wheel discs and upgraded interiors it also had some improvement earlier muscle cars lacked. They are easy to resto-mod and pick up lots of performance making them better then the originals when it came to performance.
PLEASE do a video on the Chrysler Cordoba/Dodge Mirada twins from the 1980 to 1983 models years, very under rated cars!!!
Yes they flew under the radar due to the recession and the 1979 Chrysler’s bankruptcy bailout
I had both the 77 and the 79 Trans Am. Great cars for the time.
Fantastic! One of my all time favorite Pontiac models. And…1st!
Me too!! I had a 79 with a 301-4 speed that I got cheap as the motor was knocking...promptly replaced it with a 400. What a car it was.
please keep these coming....i would love to see one about the pontiac grand prix
I had a blue 1980 trans am. The 301 V8 was definitely no powerhouse, but there has never been a nicer, sleeker, and sportier bodystyle than the 79 and 80 trans am, especially with t-tops. I would love to have my trans am back today.
I loved Pontiac since a kid. Loved Mercurys too.
I had a 79 formula with 455 swapped from a 71 laurentian .... bit of suspension work and it was a blast to drive with decent handling...... miss that thing
79-81 trans am, the prettiest F body from 1967-2002 PERIOD!!!
Always wanted one . .never had one. That year car came out in my junior year in high school. One kid had one for his graduation present. I was so envious. Back then $7000 was allot of cash for a hot car for a young kid.
2nd gen Firebirds & Trans Ams were among the best looking cars ever built. A '79 might not have a Ram Air or H.O. engine but they handled better & had much more comfortable interior.
I had this car with a 403 but spun a bearing at track and dropped in a 455 olds built motor with a 120 shot of NOS. Car was a beast. Torqued so hard it cracked the windshield and buckled the roof between t-top. Was stolen just a few weeks later. Miss that girl.
I feel your pain, you do all that work and someone steals your ride. MF.
They are putting 455 in my ta
One of my favorite channels. Great info-packed content. And the more Pontiac content, the better. You really know your stuff &/or research well.
(Please tweak your audio where the beginning 1-2 seconds of each sentence aren’t clipped.)
I think they equipped around 220 of the 79 TAs with the TA 6.6 Pontiac block. And those were left over engine assemblies from the 78 production run. All the other 79 TAs were powered by the 403 Oldsmobile motor.
It was way more than 220, maybe 220 black special edition W72 cars.
Thank you for sharing this content, although I feel these later model second generation Firebirds and Formulas don’t get the respect they deserve they are starting to as of late and are coming up in value. I was lucky to come across a 1980 Pontiac formula with a 1974 Pontiac 400 in it for a great price that I couldn’t pass up and I love this car. I was eight years old when smoky in the bandit came out and I wanted one of these cars so bad and when I came across her I wasn’t even trying, it’s funny how things work out!
The guys that called them fire chickens were just mad jealous of you if you had one!
Screaming Chickens...
Always been one of my favorite cars.
Practically all the other performance cars were gone by then, or mere shadows of their former selves. Pontiac really did something great by carrying over the W72 400s for some of the 1979 cars. The 400cid was a great engine. Though I like the look of the 1978 Trans Am better, the 1979 is still an awesome car! Gone now is the Firebird and Pontiac. :(
I just finished restoration on 79 se with w72 engine it's a blast to drive , got a red 78 ta both are a/c cars ,same w72, ws6 without t-tops I've had for a few years , can't drive either without cameras and thumps up from every age group, these really are amazing looking and driving cars , very good video
Pontiac worked miracles with low compression big V8s. i.e.73-74
SD455. AWESOME MASTERPIECE. & on no/low lead fuel. I would love to have seen those engines with Today's technology.
One of the great American icons of the post modern era.
One of the great American icons of the post modern era.
I bought a new 79 TA. 403 olds. Good motor plenty of power.
Absolutely no power
@@richierich396 Compared to what else built in 1979? The best the Ford Mustang had was a 302/2bbl, the Camaro had an 180hp 350, and Dodge and Plymouth had a 175hp 360 as their top offering. If you're comparing to some other year car like a 69 L79 396 then you are just an internet troll who can't appreciate the car for what it was WHEN it was actually made.
That something special was a huge V8 without all the high performance gadgets and electronics modern cars have.
The quad exhuast tips , the flares at the front of the fenders , shaker hood and rear deck spoiler always did it for me 😍
I love those style firebirds and trans ams
I have a 1979 firebird and I absolutely love it 🤘
Pontiac has always been my favorite make! My first Pontiac was and I still have it, a 1972 Catalina 2 door hardtop. I currently also have a 1972 Grand Prix and several more Pontiacs. They have a permanent home!!! I live the 400 and 455 engines, smooth and powerful
I had a gold ‘79 TA with the 403/auto and t-tops, bought it around 1981 or ‘82. Loved that car! Had a body/paint shop cut the plastic grill out of the back of the shaker scoop and it really let that Quadrajet sing when it was on the floor! Took the catalytic converter off and put a B&M shift improver kit in the tranny and it sounded much better and would bark the tires going into second gear. What a fun car to drive, I sure miss it now.
Had a 79 Black Trans Am with the 400 4 speed WS6 package. The only car that beat me was a 396 El Camino on the top end. I had him beat until I hit 4th gear. What a car. If you couldn’t pick up a girl while driving this car, you had problems.
I still have mine and I love it 😃👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Another great video my friend!
Nothing like a beautiful black and gold Trans Am! Ended up getting an ‘83 Trans Am, never experienced that big block, for that, I am sad
So, Pontiac both started and ended the golden age of muscle cars.
They would have been like Chrysler. Insolvent and begging for bailout money because all of their insane cars would have been incompatible with a gas crunch. One expensive low production halo car is good. But you can’t have a ton of them. That’s what bankrupted Chrysler twice and then stuffing a Hellcat into absolutely everything while offering no economical vehicles will kill them yet again.
If that had happened to Pontiac.. after robbing market share from other GM divisions rather than breaking new ground (which is what Saturn did as well years later) and then became insolvent as buyers tastes changed (average fuel efficiency went from 17 MPG to 22 MPG in the 80s and was a direct cause of the 80s oil glut), the only Pontiac of note in the 80s would have been the Fiero much like the Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Laser.
@@Bartonovich52 you are exactly right. Everybody says they love Pontiac and Trans Am and GTOs... but nobody was buying them. The sales numbers were horrible..
Awesome, thanks! I have many fond memories of that car!
Heck, Sammy Hagar referenced it in his song "Baby's on Fire" from his Standing Hampton LP!
Love the content and, again, thanks! :)
Sammy had a hit named TrnsAm. He references his red 6.6
@@lastwhtknight3002 Oh, yeah, that one, too!
It's from a different album - almost forgot about it and a better example - license plate IEATZ28. Thanks!
Interestingly enough, that 301 V8 offered as a credit option on the '79 Trans Am was the first engine offered as a factory option on the Trans Am that actually met the 5.0L (305 ci) displacement limit of the SCCA Trans-Am series. But back in the glory days of Trans-Am, Pontiac did offer a 303 ci V8 that could be purchased over the parts counter. It found its way into a few Firebirds that competed in Trans-Am, and even a Tempest - I've seen the latter at numerous vintage racing events here in northern California. It's owned and driven by John Hildebrand, whose son JR has made numerous starts in the Indy 500.
I got a '79 T/A and built it right. I loved the car from the day I first test drove it all those years ago. During the '80's, I had such a yearning for a 5.0 liter Mustang until I drove one. You could feel the body flex any time you gave it some throttle. I remember asking one salesman, you want how much to go slower? The Mustangs. Camaros, Firebirds, etc of the '80's where really just over priced junk. Even the fabled Buick Grand National, which once heat soak set it, wasn't that impressive.
Had one and loved it regret getting rid of it
Love your channel always look forward to new Content
Back in the day, I owned several 79 trans am, and although I will always be a fan of the Pontiac V8, the Olds 403 was actually a much better engine. The Olds 403 actually made more power, although GM rated the Olds @ 185 Hp, it was rated that way on purpose using less timing, and higher numerical gear ratios.
The Olds 403 was usually mated to 2:41 ratios, while the Pontiac 400 was mated with the 3:23’s.
When you played with the timing and added 3:23’s, the Olds 403 rewarded you, with great performance. Also, you could twist the 403 higher in the rpms without worrying about spinning a rod bearing, which the Pontiac’s were notorious for doing.
could you still get a 4 speed with the olds?
They only came with automatics .you could get a 400 or 301 with 4 speed
And the 403 automatic without A/C came with a 3.23 axle and that made a huge difference in acceleration. And the 403 is also an oversquare engine with a big bore and short stroke so will rev like a small block Chevy. 😎
Oh the 79' model firebird. coolest car to ever exist in my opinion.
I owned two of these cars in the early 80s, still riding on Burt Reynolds shirt tail I guess, at the time would do all the tricks to make it go faster like advancing the timing put true dual exhaust on it and removed the catalytic converter and I still might’ve only made 195 hp it was like I was ashamed to tell anybody that but anyway chicks really dug the cars!
I feel privileged to have driven in one of these cars when I was younger. It was super fast off the start. Laid rubber like crazy too.
Pretty impressive numbers on the 1979 Trans Am considering that the second generation cars weighed around 400 pounds heavier than the third gen cars and had poorer aerodynamics than the third gen cars.
Interesting video and the 79 TA was a nice looking and nice driving car but even with the top w-72 version of the 400 were still dogs by 60’s standards. No TA built after 74 could remotely be said to have a true high performance engine. You are correct that the late 70’s TA’s were the best of the era, but that era was not the golden era but the malaise era.
Your videos are nostalgic and sad at the same time. Government regulations ruin all the fun! Thanks!
Government regulations are coming back with a vengeance. It’s how the Left roll.
The new generation of high horsepower musclecars keep getting more powerful with each passing year. If these government regulators are coming back as you say I haven’t seen any evidence of it yet. 💪 👀
@@xyrzmxyzptlk1186 The key word is yet.
@@mikee2923- The next time a new Mustang or Corvette comes out with less horsepower than last years model let me know. I’ll be here…………….waiting. 🥱 ⌛️
@@xyrzmxyzptlk1186 Like I said, the keyword is YET.
For Gods sake General Motors please bring back Pontiac and Oldsmobile.
Oh gawd do I miss the Oldsmobiles I've had. I always liked Olds Buicks and Pontiacs when they were big full size cars.
@@davidkastin4240 well GM use to have Oldsmobile Buick and Pontiac in the same division together but I wish we had Pontiac over GMC because it makes more sense. Oldsmobile could've been the the sub brand to Pontiac. GM should kept both brands Oldsmobile and Pontiac because of the rich American car brand history.
While the 400 motor deserves the recognition, I do have to say that a 79-81 Z28 with a 350 4 bbl engine was more reliable and had more potential for building than an olds 403 TA.
That 79 350 was a beast in its day.
I have a 1979 silver trans am started its life with a olds 403 it now has a 1971 Pontiac 400 and a turbo 400 love this car
Another great vid !
Chevy sold a modern camaro and corvette with a 7.0L ls7, which equals 427 cubic inches. So the 6.4 hemi, isn't the only big engine available in modern muscle cars.
i have 400 in my.78.bonneville brougham
nice sweet
I had a 1978 TransAm had the 403. Loved that car.
Have to agree with this. My father had a 79 TA with a 403 Olds engine, I had a 75 TA with a 400 Pontiac and BW super T-10 4 speed.
My favorite body style for Trans Am s and Camaros, 1970 to 1981. Owned a 1981 Camaro Z28 with a 4speed years ago loved the car.
Contrary to what a lot of people believe it wasn't gas prices that killed the Muscle Car but insurance rates that did them in. In some areas the monthly insurance premiums were equal to or greater than the monthly car payment. That said though at least Pontiac kept it going. This was the last awesome Trans Am until the GTA with the 350 in 1987/88.
Well that 1989 with the left over 3.8 Buick turbo engines from the Grand Nationals were pretty amazing
@@edwardpate6128 The 89 Turbo T/A wasn’t built with leftover Grand National engines. It was actually a research project that worked out very well for G.M. They had to modify the cylinder heads on the 3.8 for use in FWD applications due to space restrictions and the cramped engine bay in the 3rd gen F bodies is what they used for the model. One of the few times G.M. actually got something right.
A cam,and headers made the 400 come alive....GM knew it
Wow, a 1979 Formula 400 would be a rare "Bird" to meet today.
Yes it would. Proud to say that I have one in my garage since November 1978.
@@fredmauck6934 Congrats on an excellent choice in the fall of 1978! And on still owning it after all these years. What color is yours? Atlantis Blue is one of my fave Pontiac colors for 1979. Sundance Yellow was nice too. If I were ordering in '80 or '81 I think I would have gone yellow or orange. Tahoe Blue was nice for 1980 as well.
@@AMCmachine Funny though, as rare as they are I have passed on several over the years and they were priced half or less than a similar Trans Am. I love Formulas, they are actually a little lighter so maybe a hair quicker than a similarly equipped Trans Am.
Honestly I always thought the '70s was the last good decade for muscle cars, at least until 2005 when the fifth gen Mustang came out, followed by the Challenger in 2008 and the Camaro in 2010. The '80s did have a few nice looking muscle cars like the third gen Camaro and Buick GNX. The '90s on the other hand, not a fan of muscle cars from that decade.
Pontiac did a great move in saving the 78 400s for the 1979 ta the Ws6 package is a holy grail trans am now its very sought after
Also, 1979 was the highest production year for Trans Am in history, with 116,535 Trans Ams produced. The next closest production year was 1978 with 93,341 Trans Ams built.
All thanks to Burt Reynolds!!! Well partly due to him and partly due to the fact that they were the last of the Mohicans at the time!
By the way this was very good if you can try and do a clip on the 1968 Ford LTDs & Galaxies because that was Fords only Unique stand alone year
I recall seeing these new on the lot....my parents purchased two new cars in 1979....a VW Rabbit...one of the first Westmoreland, PA production models...and a 79 Olds Cutlass Salon Brougham...the following summer. And I recall my Dad's frustration that neither one had much in the way of performance....of course he was used to driving a 400 ci Chevy Kingswood wagon.
The Trans Am with the 403 Olds V8 would be an interesting car to own..that could be peak Trans Am at that point. And by the 80 and 81 model year, the car magazines had the concept drawings and spy photos of the third gen F-cars...and which were light years different in appearance considering how long the 2nd gen f body had been around...almost 11 years.