1979 Trans Am

[@jacobmangold]

I have a 76 trans am that my grandfather drove off the lot in 1976. I have everything original paper, manual, and receipt. It also has a kenwood cassette player and sound system. It also has custom headers and pipes.

[@JimS870]

Any pics or videos? I would love to see that.

[@chakkachewy8905]

What A Feeling plays on radio as it's turned on. Perfect timing! What a beautiful machine, too.

[@mgonzales56]

I bought my Trans Am in January 1979. It had 63 miles, WS6, 400, 4-speed, T-tops, Black on Black. I had ordered a Z28 Camaro, but due to T-top delays, my Chevy dealer got his hands on a T/A. It was the only car with a 4-speed in San Antonio, and, I wanted a 4-speed so I bought it, without knowing anything about the 400-403 difference. I lucked out. Still have it. Restored it a couple of years ago and it still looks like new.

[@frankcaurso1314]

Nice you have the T/A 6.6 "400" I had the 6.6 liter "403" but it was stolen 😢. But I replaced it with an 81 turbo pace car . Still have it still love it .

[@mgonzales56]

@@frankcaurso1314 Congrats! Not too many first owners keep their cars this long. Enjoy.

[@frankcaurso1314]

@@mgonzales56 I'm hoping to keep it till I drop . Best of luck with your T/A 6.6 . Nothing beats the feel of driving 79-81 T/A's

[@frankcaurso1314]

Fun fact , the turbo t/a's everyone blew them up , but all that's needed is to idle the cars for a minute or two allowing the turbo to spool down . If not they burnt out the bearings.. as an aircraft mechanic we have several oil cooled turbo planes and they all seem to know that you idle the engine .

[@donlarocque5157]

And he calls it Christine.

[@country4lyfe365]

Got my first b.j. in one of these in high school. Still have it in the garage. Stain n all. Ah the memories. Thanks man.

[@sdrfz]

You remember your boyfriend that well?

[@lonmcq7317]

Lol... Too much information...

[@evergreatest1899]

After all those years, & memories, are you & your boyfriend sill together?

[@chris10isleyen]

Hell yeah brother that’s American

[@markthomas9687]

What was his name?

[@markthomas9687]

Looked at these in 1978,at the dealer. Fantastic cars for that time period.

[@tomglorius8869]

Fantastic till this day collectable s....for sure tho

[@willmills1370]

Thank you for the flashback. I had the same interior, 4 speed T10 etc. Even the same radio, but mine had the grab handle over the glove box and my 79 was grey. Yours is beautiful. Thx for the video.

[@G8GT364CI]

I love the whine of those 4 speeds along with the V8, takes me back, all those GM's sounded the same.

[@briansd2772]

Paired with the Borg Warner Super T-10 manual this was the last of the Pontiac 400 engines in a Trans Am.

[@ShelbyBikeBoy]

And the way that shifter comes up outta that console……….❤❤❤

[@thud9797]

Yeah the best and the little whine from the T-10 just sweet.

[@colbranmx]

sounds like 1979 all over again. Great times...

[@MarkRoberts-bj2me]

The car does sound great, but not stock. Owning a matching numbers ‘79 W72 myself, I’m wondering what exhaust system the car is currently equipped. Has the cat been removed? Sounds like it. For those that are not hindered by smogging and want to get the best performance from their Poncho 400, install a Gardner Exhaust System.

[@roypavao7498]

I love the T/A's of the 70's...I was never a fan of the look of the '79, but the 4 speed does make it very appealing though!

[@Spartan77]

Greta video, thank you for the memories. The only thing missing was "Flirting with disaster" by Molly Hatchet blaring out of one still functional speaker.

[@LionsTigersBears]

Had a 1979 silver anniversary. 10 edition trans am. Great car tons of fun miss it. Had to sell it during the pandemic. 😢😢

[@danknitz9679]

I looked and looked for the right 79 4 speed for sale. Found one in the Motor city and just love it! I gotta say I was surprised on how much get up and go shes got.

[@juanalejandro9877]

My first brand new car was a 79 pontiac trans am. Had a 403, 6.6l and auto transmission. Was a fun car to drive.

[@midnightriderize]

I had the almost twin to that car. Mine had the dark silver decals and lacked the rear window defroster. A step back 40 years!

[@thebacdoc6464]

Man, what I would do to be able to walk out my front door, and have a 79 10th anniversary with the 400 4spd waiting for me... Power antenna 📡 with the red dash lites ...

[@Tiffany.1970]

Can't beat a stick shift especially on a 70s Trans am 😁 got my vote anyday

[@Ontariosound]

It was very very rare to see 4 speed Trans Ams or Formulas from the late 70's to 81 here in Canada. Lots of 4 speed z28's though.

[@edbeck8925]

I have a 78 Formula and a 79 Z28 with a four speed. The Firebird is an automatic

[@stephenalishaso]

I love those trans am, nice ride.

[@rootsmanuva82]

These cars were never “not cool”, but they did go through a period where they were ridiculed or mocked for being over the top in 70’s excess. That period has passed and this car is badass AF.

[@Loulovesspeed]

Still overrated because it only won 1 TA race in 1972, hardly deserving of the name Trans Am! Lol Even then, GM couldn't decide whether to use a Pontiac or Oldsmobile engine in it?? IMHO. the Firebird was no more than an over badged and stickered, over hyped and over weight Camaro Nope, one descending vote here as it is not my type of car at all.

[@fixxforlife1569]

@@Loulovesspeed cool story. you and your opinion are so cool.

[@lonmcq7317]

@@Loulovesspeed Sad you never got behind the wheel of a WS6 Trans am... You will run out of guts in the corners long before the car will... Camaros didn't stand a chance...

[@Loulovesspeed]

@@lonmcq7317 - Don't feel sad for me sir. I don't really care how quick it may have been, I could never get the hideous look of that golden chicken plastered all over the hood out of my mind. They appealed to a particular ethnicity which I won't get into. Never liked the basic style of the car either, except the first, smaller, lighter 1967 cars. Pontiac made some cool cars in the 60s, but the new millennium versions wrote their own death certificate!

[@psuholetutube]

I had a 81 4spd with the same red interior that I ordered brand new (with hood bird delete)! Man...this take me back! I really miss the "clunk...clunk" feeling of shifting that transmission.

[@barroncrist5779]

Wow this one has the 400 Pontiac engine. They were in limited supply and could only be had with a four speed. Most '79's had the Oldsmobile 403 engine with automatic.

[@331Grabber]

I thought the Olds 403 was just a California thing. Did the 49 state TAs with auto also have the 403?

[@plap.]

​​@@331Grabber yes, in 79 all autos had the 403 olds and said 6.6liter on the shaker. They had most of the production. 5683 built. All 4speed standard cars came with the leftover 78 Pontiac 400s. They said TA/ 6.6 on the shaker. 1817 were built

[@alliwishis_2]

@@plap. yeah I remember those I thought the times would last but I was massively wrong They say good things come to those who wait but NOT to those who wait too late..

[@Cash2112]

@@plap. The 1817 number is the quantity of 10th Anniversary TAs built with the Pontiac 400. I have one of the non TATA ‘79 400/4-Speed/WS6 cars in Atlantis Blue.

[@plap.]

@@Cash2112you are absolutely correct. Always have the rarest in my head. Those are tenth anniversary numbers. Total 400 4spds was something between 8300 and 8600 no one can confirm how many 400s were saved from 78 117k total T/As built in 79 about 6500 400/4spds were non tenth anniversary. Still low comparably. Even more rare than the T/As with 4spds is the Formula only about 400ish were built. They may bring some bucks now. Nice car by the way. Always loved that blue

[@teresaboucher9371]

My dream car the year I was born..awesome man..❤❤

[@nathanielwaters6730]

That's an M-22 Rockcrusher Transmission in that Trans am, Hot Damn!!!👍👍😃😃

[@lonmcq7317]

Borg-Warner Super T10 actually...

[@darronsmith4857]

No it's a Borg Warner T-10 same one NASCAR used for years!!

[@nathanielwaters6730]

Oh ok, had me fooled, that gear whine sounds like the M-22 Rock crusher, well anyways, Helluva nice Trans Am!!!

[@willmills1370]

@@nathanielwaters6730 The M22 has a louder whine.. If you wanna hear one racing with a BBC 454 watch the movie White Line Fever. A 70's movie with James Taylor and his mechanic. These two guys race across the country racing other 70's classic muscle cars. The GTO was fast, but not fast enough.

[@nathanielwaters6730]

I guess you meant, Two Lane Blacktop from 1971, that '55 Chevy had a 454 with a tunnel ram, the transmission was the M-22 Rock Crusher 4spd!!! Awesome movie, by the way!!!👍👍😃😃

[@michaelshea5622]

I started to buy a 79 T/A in late 1980 from a friend. He let us take it home for a weekend and I regret to this good day that I didn't buy it. It was one of the fastest cars I ever drove that was stock production. Had a 455 4 speed and was just fun.

[@ToyKingWonder]

You either have your years wrong or your friend was not being honest with you. There were no 455s in 1979 T/As. Did your friend swap engines in a 1 year old car? The best you could get was a 400, 0-60 in a tad under 7 seconds. Very decent for the time, but certainly not a screamer.

[@dougmurray7684]

Even though I have never driven one, I did ride in one. Just what I remember. It handled pretty well and it didn't take a lot of effort to get them up to 60. I don't think this guy was really getting into it and had it up to sixty heading into 3rd gear.

[@lonmcq7317]

The WS6 models were, and still are, a marvelous machine through the corners... Most drivers will run out of nerve before the WS6 will, 4-speed or not... Pontiac did this one right... Miss my '79 400 4-speed WS6

[@camirocz]

Had a 78 4 speed back in the day .Was considered fast .Now it s a dead pig but they are really good looking and handle well for the time.

[@daleburton1788]

It was the summer of 1991, had a 1976 455 SD 4 speed car. Yellow with black and white interior. I used to do all kinds of stuff in that back seat. Now, I can’t even fit in the back seat. 😢😂

[@barryhadley7659]

Jim Rockford would have been proud of you.

[@patrickmcgrath5411]

AFTER WATCHING THIS VIDEO I REMEMBER WHAT A FRIEND ONCE SAID, "I CAN'T DRIVE 55"❣️

[@lilibethdoherty295]

GM should put that car back into production and build a car that people want for a change !

[@petulantfrenzy5532]

FuckNA!

[@BDUBZ49]

That is glorious.

[@frankartale1026]

Now that is a nice car and it moves

[@joeskeptical4762]

*Never NEVER put a manual transmission into 1st before the car has stopped. Do not jiggle the shifter in neutral. Gear down from 4th to 3rd, take your hand off the shift knob, then slow down until just before the engine bogs (about 1,500 rpm) then depress the clutch, bringing the car to a stop with the center pedal. Then ease it into 1st. DO NOT JIGGLE THE SHIFTER.*

[@briansmith5539]

Where did you get this suggestion list from?

[@joeskeptical4762]

@@briansmith5539 *

[@darronsmith4857]

Yes indeed!!! He didn't know how to drive a T-10 4-gear lol

[@BrownBomber92181]

Exactly. I always cringe when I see someone trying to force the shifter into 1st when the car is still moving.

[@joeycordeiro3198]

Should be a law.. if the sissy marshmello green prius heneration of millinials want Evs and all the BS. they should be outlawed from driving real cars made before they were born PERIOD

[@RaymondHaley-bi8lx]

I like the one with the 403 olds engine.

[@winstonsuny]

Sounds like a M-22 trans. Didn't know you could get one in '79.

[@astro-ooz]

The last of the Golden Big Block engines, I miss you T-Rex (my dad's 79 Trans Ams name)

[@xeryously704]

I think I’m going for an old school muscle car for my next ride! New cars don’t excite like the old ones! But in good condition like this flagship firebird.

[@Tiffany.1970]

Love the snowflakes 15x8 much nicer than 15x 7

[@Freddie-gn1pd]

Good look in Trans am I got a 78 blue one

[@ctg6734]

Marvelous!

[@hotroddave7597]

No 79 Trans Am sound of that good out of the factory

[@Tiffany.1970]

These transmission have the reverse lock on the gearbox a security feature

[@joequillun7790]

Cool video. Some-one who'll actually put their foot into it. Wish there was an eng. shot tho.

[@markdowns1]

Gorgeous!

[@sebouhdemirjian4488]

What a beauty

[@PaulDudenhoffer]

love those cars,, c cool

[@alpe6228]

Holy fuck that thing is clean.

[@thud9797]

Oh yes, this is the Trans Am for me! 😀

[@銀田一祐介]

The Final model of 2nd bodies. 🏎️🏁

[@grand73am]

Actually, the final year of the 2nd gen firebird/trans am was 1981. But 79 was the last year for the Pontiac 400 engine, and the Olds 403 too.

[@銀田一祐介]

@@grand73am Wow…longer than I expected…🏎️🏁

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

Plates? Those machines still make the heart beat faster. Im tired of foo foo nerdy techno cars...bring back the iron...

[@formuladave]

400cu 4 speed. Natural high 👍

[@dmoney668]

Oh damn!

[@ericpeters4170]

Gorgeosu car!

[@Darryl6636]

Love it!!!!

[@michaeldowling5590]

Dash was changed out or something. Every trans am i have seen has a grab bar above the glovebox

[@donframeli9855]

I looked at one from broward county fla 2 turbos a 400 ci monster built for a drug runner they caught

[@chrism6195]

I owned one of these in 1989. Loved it!

[@dl440]

Is it for sale?

[@pktech1969]

😉How much is this Trans Am selling for?

[@ShelbyBikeBoy]

Original tires??? 🫣😛😎

[@grand73am]

Yes, I think he said he didn't want to take it over 55 due to the original tires

[@nightlife7231]

My dad had a 1977 was sup to be mine on my 18th birthday but he hit a pole with it so sad ...

[@grand73am]

Flashdance on the radio

[@Franklin3792]

The sound of the Pontiac 400 is better than sex..

[@chrism6195]

you must not be doing sex correctly.

[@Tiffany.1970]

15x8 snowflakes much nicer than the 15x7 alloys 4 speed too must have the Pontiac 400 motor if I'm correct 👍

[@thud9797]

15x7 Snowflakes optional with standard suspension, the 15x8 Snowflakes included with the optional WS6 suspension that also gave you the 4-wheel disc brakes. The 400/4-spd cars might have required WS6, not sure.

[@grand73am]

@@thud9797 yes, ws6 required on the 400/4spd 79's.

[@rickiejacobs5910]

Trans Am’s look great on the outside but I liked the interior of the Camaros better.

[@lonmcq7317]

Good God, no...

[@thud9797]

Seriously? Never heard anyone say they like Camaro interior better, that was always the advantage that Pontiac had over Chevrolet, a way better interior.

[@rickiejacobs5910]

@@thud9797 I guess mainly the curved dash I like better, on the Camaro than the straight dash of the Firebirds.

[@grand73am]

I like the Camaro Z28, but the interior wasn't as good as the TA's. The dash of the Firebird/TA is actually rounded, with nice curves and details that make it one of the best styled dashes ever. And has the good looking "engine turned" dash bezel. Not to mention the very sporty "Formula" steering wheel, with simulated leather wrap rim. Plus the deluxe interior upholstery was much nicer than anything the Camaro had. The Camaro's got a blocky, squared off dash. And that Camaro steering wheel that looked like it was wrapped with rope was very strange. I'd still take a nice condition 79-81 Z-28 🙂, but the interior can't compete with the Trans Am deluxe interior with hobnail/lombardy velour.

[@MF-gt3pn]

Where's all the horsepower?

[@331Grabber]

It's a heavy car with tall gears and an early smog era choked 400. It was faster than almost anything including the Corvette in 1979.

[@russellsmlth8219]

185 hp

[@joequillun7790]

@@russellsmlth8219 Wrong. Pontiac 400 220 HP. 403s never had a stick shift.

[@thebacdoc6464]

@@russellsmlth8219 that was for the 6.6 liter olds 403 automatically 🙄, still enough power to break the tires from a dead idle, but its big brother had the rate, obviously preferred t/a 6.6 Pontiac 400 equipped with the 4spd rated at 220hp. They say it was more like 250-260hp though.

[@joevecchio4687]

My first new car 79 firebird 301 4 barrel 4 speed hurst Paid 6200.00 36 months later sold it for 6000.00 Not one repair

[@tonygarner3797]

Cool car, but it's to bad a 1974 AMC station wagon with a 304 could destroy this car. And I'm the biggest Trans Am lover there is. But my Moms AMC, ugly as hell car, would kill a lot of Trans Am's and Z28s and everything else back in it day, lol. She had no idea what I done with her car on Saturday night, LOL. 😀

[@Chebornek]

Only in Ozark, Missouri.

[@RaymondHaley-bi8lx]

I'm not trying to be an bandit.

[@davidmackenzie5403]

I can hear YMCA on the stereo

[@alliwishis_2]

NOO.. what you actually hear is Geddy Lee and Rush on the radio doing Red Barchetta

[@JRBird]

I lost interest in driving my `79 4 speed after buying a C6 M6 a few years ago. I need to convert to a hydraulic clutch.

[@exptodd]

All 179 horsepower of it lol

[@exptodd]

@@reacp9114 still quite weak by today's standards but all cars from that error were weak due to emissions standards.

[@donkost]

I believe the NHRA rated it at 260 net hp. I had a ‘79 with the Pontiac 400 in ‘83. It was dyno-tuned and listed at 260 hp. With the torque of that Pontiac 400 it would fool you regarding the power output. I removed the CC, opened the shaker hood scoop, and had the carb worked on. It did not feel a whole lot different than the ‘68 GTO 400 4 speed I previously had.

[@darronsmith4857]

It had more than that !!! Pontiac not a olds motor!! Open hood-scoop , free flow mufflers , advance timing, hid

[@alliwishis_2]

@@hondahaney6404 Yea OK.. Not with it balls cut off anyways 🤪

[@tonyrhoton6613]

Those cars r cool but they as slow as a turtle

[@mrp2561]

Still a timeless body.

[@ThePauliebuck]

Also they drove so rough and harsh even brand new. The fucking seats was right on the floor..if you drove a TA or Camaro more than one hr your back would be shot. But hey like most stunned Americans I bought for looks not quality. It's the same mind set with wife's.

[@laurenshommen1767]

beautiful car,but for your comfort a think a like the automatic more.

[@alliwishis_2]

I'm glad that's you maybe for racing but I will stick with a stick any day everyday all day everyday

[@Ozwald214]

Great memories, no muscle though

[@Swanlord05]

Needs a 5 speed

[@MrKerry4371]

Sweet!!! Miss my 80 TA TURBO!!!

[@ms.annthrope415]

Too much of the mullet haircut and wife beater shirt vibes.

[@Loulovesspeed]

Sorry, but I still find it amusing that Pontiac named its Firebird a Trans Am, when it only won 1 race, in 1972, and then only because George Follmer showed up late for qualifying his Javelin so started last on the grid, but still managed to pull on up to a second place finish! That huge decal of a bird on the hood was never my taste at all. Face it, the car was nothing more than an overweight Camaro. The Camaro, Mustang or Javelin would have been more realistic choices for the Trans Am name. Lol

[@ThePauliebuck]

I had two. One right of the showroom floor nice looking cars but they were the worst build quality of any cars I ever owned...100% junk.

[@KevinTurner-hr1wg]

Just looks no performance

[@stevestevenson289]

Was that 'fame' on the stereo for a split second??

[@grand73am]

Flashdance, what a feeling

[@transamtransam2743]

Nice looking car but its a turd. Try keeping gas in it especially these days. I had a 78' 79',89,92,95 and a Camaro or 2 everyone of them was a GAS HOG

[@joeycordeiro3198]

Terrible era for performance. grandmas 4 door 71 torino or nova would eat this on a late for bingo night