The skyrocketing gas prices significantly impacted cars with big engines under the hood, and the Trans Am saw its yearly sales fall dramatically.
After setting historical numbers in 1979 with 117K units sold, the Trans Am declined to 50k units a year later. The entire Firebird lineup barely surpassed 107K sold units, and despite the Trans Am remaining the best-selling model, Pontiac couldn’t make its cars as irresistible as before.
The big news in the engine department was the debut of the 4.9-liter turbo engine that was supposed to fight the growing gas prices. The engine design produced the odd asymmetric look of the hood, as Pontiac had to install the air cleaner on the right and the turbo on the left.
The Trans Am in these photos is fitted with the same turbo engine, but the good news is that it sports the unit that was installed by Pontiac before leaving the factory. Everything on this Trans Am is original, and eBay seller LadyLuckCycles explains that the car has never been altered, restored, or modified in any way.
It claims to be as original as possible, as the Trans Am spent its entire life with the same owner. It’s now ready to wave goodbye to its one and only home, needing only minor TLC, including a new fuel tank and small headliner repairs.
While the seller claims the car is still original, you’ll want to have this inspected, as the owner installed a new high-performance water pump, new belts and hoses, and new door and trunk seals. However, I believe the radio is original, but make sure you inspect this one, too.
Described as a time capsule and sporting only 60K miles on the clock, the Trans Am is still in running shape. I must admit that it looks better than I expected when I first discovered this ad, and I doubt it’ll remain available for long, especially because it could easily become a collectible with the right fixes.
The selling price could be its biggest problem, but you can only determine if it’s a fair expectation after inspecting the Trans Am in person. The seller will let it go for $25,000, and considering 35 people have already added the Trans Am to their watchlists, the interest in the car is probably growing. However, they also enabled the Make Offer button, so if you don’t believe this is the right price, you can contact the seller to submit your offer.
The Trans Am is parked in Tujunga, California, so if you want to admire the original paint and the gorgeous interior, reach out to the seller and arrange a live inspection. The listing will expire in late August, so you still have enough time to convince your SO that you need a Trans Am.